Sacramento daily record-union., 1881-06-20
paRNsLL AND IRELAND.
Last week Mr.. Gladstone's Government

votes on the land bill. His majority on
that occasion was cut down to twenty five,
and but for the support OF the Irish men,
beys he might have found himself actually
in minority. This threatening turn to
the situation is said to have been produced
by the growth of fear that the principles
of the land bill may be introduced into
England. There is certainly no little rea-
son to apprehend this. In fact it may be
regarded as certain to come about IN time,
if the Irish bill becomes law. The only
cause for wonder is that the English land
ed interest has been so long in realizing the
danger from this quarter, but henceforth it
may be presumed that it will oppose the
land bill violently. On the other hand
Parnell has suddenly changed his base,
and has practically announced his friendli-
ness to the bill which he has been flibus-
tering against so many weeks. The ex.
PLANTATION of this somersault is not easy.
Some say that he has been over to
Ireland, and has discovered that the
public at large want the bill, and
that he must support it or sur
render his leadership. It is possible
that this is the true solution of the
change, for Parnell has throughout shown
himself perfectly ready to alter his pro-
gramme and his principles at moments
notice, if he thought capital could be
made out Of the metamorphosis. Color is
given to this story moreover by the singu-
lar rapidity with which the threatening in
dications in Ireland appear to have died
out during the past few days. A week
ago the dispatches from Dublin repre-
sented the island aS being on the verge of
open insurrection, and flying columns of
troops were traversing it in all directions,
while fresh outrages and defiances an
swered every announcement of the ar.
rival of more soldiers. The general irrita-
tion seemed to have reached the extreme
limits of liberation, and it was to be APP
pretended that almost anything might
precipitate an uprising which could not
but produce the most dreadful conse-
quences for all concerned in it.
But now we hear no more of this state
of volemic agitation. The tales of outrage
and lawlessness have somehow ceased.
The accounts of the movements of troops
and polioa M 1opo,ar ro,ob ,,s Tba,o ,ro
no more monster meetings; no more in
cipient riots ; no more maimings and mur-
ders of process servers. But, on the con.
trary, the telegraph intimates that every
"thing is quiet in Ireland and beyond
the hurting of a few opprobrious epithets
at the Viceroy this would really seem to
be the case. What is the meaning of this
theatrical transformation Has the fierce
opposition made to the land bill by the
English Whig landlords convinced the
Irish at last that the bill is really in their
interest, and that they can safely support
a measure which has the Saxon land
owners for its bitterest opponents? Or has
the Government silently yielded to the
pressure of the situation, and abandoned
its attempts to enforce evictions while the
bill is pending! 1t is impossible as yet to
perceive clearly the cause of the sudden
ard important change which has passed
over thesituation, but it is as impossible not
to perceive the extent of that alteration.
For the first time the Irish members of the
House of Commons are giving the Govern
ment genuine and unqualified support.
Parnell has openly counseled his friends
and followers not to make any more
factious opposition, and when their
resistance might very probably have
beaten the bill they stood in with Min
listers and saved the Governmental ma
iority.
It is very certain that if the land bill
had been defeated In the House it would
have been the fault of the Irish members,
and even now if it is defeated in the Lords
the Irish members cannot escape the re-
sponsibility of having organized the most
serious opposition to it. A faction which
blows hot and cold in this way must be
liable not only to misconstruction, but to
more dangerous results, by its ambiguous
conduct. The Government is of course
bound to make its fight through to the
end, no matter what that end may be, but
it must feel that it has been thwarted in
the mostirritating and irrational way by the
very men whose interests it is doing its
best to serve. Parnell, it is true, is
understood to claim that he cares very lit
tie for the land bill save as it can be util-
lied in his interior purpose of bringing
about Irish political Independence. Ii he
lives long enough, and If he does not tire
of the experiment too soon, he will be COM
PEELED to discover as many OF his
predecessors have done, that his hope
of Irish political independence is a
dream incapable OF being materialized.
England cannot afford to listen to
any proposals of that kind, and it
may be set down as among the certainties
that she never will listen to them. Her
own safety renders it absolutely indispen-
sable that Ireland should continue under.
her government, and since time is never
likely to come when the Irish will be able
to conquer their independence by force and
arms, the idea of separation can only
lure her statesmen and politicians into
caLS de sac. II Parnell has realized this,
and has determined to take the only
rational course open to him, which is to
accept the land bill as the best of which
the situation is susceptible, he is wiser
man than the world has seen reason to
think him, and he may after all prove
benefactor to his country. II this is not
the explanation of his change of position,
so much the worse for him and his pro.
gramme.
GRANT AS BAcKBIfER.
General Grant has recently appeared il
a new character, and one which must per-