Sacramento daily record-union., 1882-05-04
oLApsroNE's NEW IRISH POLICY.


eft its duty to propose counteracting
" measures" The resignation OF Forster
he stated to be caused by the refusal OF the
late Secretary for Ireland to share the re-
sponsibility for the proposed release of the
"suspects :" or in other words, Mr.. Forster
was not prepared to put the stamp Of dis
approval on his own policy. The state
ment OF the Premier was received with
fierce derision by the Opposition, and the
Liberals do not appear to have ielt much
enthusiasm over the situation in which
they are placed by the sudden abandon.
msnt of their Irish policy. 1t may per-
haps be said for Mr.. Gladstone that his
readiness to recognize the failure OF his
programme is sign of considerable breadth
Of character, but it is evident that when
Government is driven to make such hu'
initiating admission it must be in really
desperate strait, since complete change OF
front on leading issue is certain to be
construed as justification, not OF the
Government, but Of the Opposition. The
latter has been declaring all along that the
Irish policy of the Government was se-
ries of blunders, and now the Government
admits that the charge is true, and that it
must take new departure.
Until the new bill has been introduced it
will be impossible to judge whether the
Government has been wiser in its last ex-
pertinent than it was in its earlier ones,
but this at least is clear, that if the new
bill fails the Liberals will have to retire
from power. And it must be admitted
that the prospect OF success in any Irish
policy at all likely to be adopted is exceed
ingly poor. The Land Act has been
fatally handicapped by the question OF
arrears OF rent, the disposition OF which it
did not cover. The tenants have not been
satisfied, and the landlords have been made
furious. Anarchy and lawlessness have
increased notwithstanding the Coercion
Act. Though nearly thousand "sus-
"pects have been locked up, outrages
have continued, and have grown even more
ferocious and horrible, il that were pos
sible. Hundreds OF landlords have owed
their lives for many months to constant
police protection. Rents have been quite
generally withheld Business has been
brought to a standstill. The Land Courts
have been crowded with applications for
reduction of rent, but the idea of peasant
proprietorship, or of the right of the whole
people to the land, has complicated the
situation still further, and to this state OF
affairs there seemed no natural conclusion
so long as the existing conditions remained.
Coercion has only proved the truth OF
the saying that "force is no remedy"
though it is to be remarked that the Irish
themselves appear to believe in force as
remedy for all their complaints, and it has
been noted that though the Government
cannot pscify Ireland by force, the Irish
have several times obtained concessions
from the Government by resorting to VIC.
lent methods. Mr.. Gladstone, however,
has had to make up his mind to new pro-
gramme, not perhaps because he has any
better insight into the situation, but simply
because it had become clear to all the world
that the existing policy was Ineffective.
The new departure is hailed with enthusi-
asm by at least some Of the Irish members,
Sexton having declared, after Gladstone
had made his statement, that the Gov
"ernment had taken the first step in a
"policy that would cover its administra.
"tion with glory, and would produce
mutual ties Of interest between England
"and Ireland" That is prospect which
all but the irreconcilables would no doubt
like to see realized, but SO many failures
have been made in the same business that
the world has grown skeptical as to the
feasibility of the undertaking.
Much depends upon the course taken by
Parnell and his party. Ii they refuse to
accept the overtures of the Government,
and stand out for dissolution Of the Union,
or other extreme measures, it is highly
probable that they may defeat the new
programme, and keep everything un-
settled. By doing that, however, they
would almost certainly bring about the de.
feat of the Government, and the accession
of the Conservatives to power, and should
that change take place they would have
to expect radically different policy from
that of Mr.. Gladstone. There can be 30
doubt that the Conservatives view the
temporizing policy of the Liberals with
strong disapprobation, and if they were
in power they would be very apt to try an
opposite line. Unless, therefore, it is the
distinct purpose Of Parnell and his party
to force on a deadlock, only soluble
by a resort to physical force, it
would seem their best policy to accept
whatever terms the present Government
may offer. Recent indications indicate q
disposition on the part of Mr.. Gladstone
to favor remission of the arrearages of rent,
and perhaps some plan looking to the
acquisition in fee of their holdings by the
tenants. Such programme will be dis
tasteful to those who do not want any
pacification of Ireland short of separation
from England, but it remains to be seen
whether those who hold these extreme
views possess the controlling influence. If
they do not, then Parnell will probably
not insist on maintaining an attitude of
obstinate hostility to the Government. If
they do, then Mr.. Gladstone's new plan
will 90 the way of the old one, and the
contest will proceed until the English peo.
pie become thoroughly tired of it, and
until they take the reins from Mr.. Glad
stones hands, and give them to the Con-
ssrvatives, who will thereupon apply heroic
remedies, and whose methods are very nm
likely to advance the Parnellites at all in
the direction of victory.
A STRONG LETTER.
The letter addressed by the Supervisors
of this county to the Attorney General in
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