New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-07-21
IRISH OBSTRUCTIVES.
nm >,oc,pruy AND MR. o,DoNNELL.

II lis sad TO have to say so, out q saxon houso ="
Com,oons received Mr.. Justin McCarthys erandilo-
uueut secession resolution of Tuesday with laugh
ter The Irish party are apt In such moments W
take themselves too seriously. They had been ex-
pelled ON Saturday morning good sixteen of them
FINDING martyrdom TO their taste another nine
couted the same fate and got igot 1t as the rev ard
cf that fragrant avowed obstruction which their
more wary colleagues had tried to avoid or disguise
Then all through Saturday and Sunday and Monday
and part of Tuesday the Parnelhte party held conn
sell Mr.. Parnel, to do him justice, has no great
taste for the heroics which amuse his less praetch
followers. But he like other leaders, understands
when the reins must be laid loosely on the DECKS
of his team The team bent on'a dramatic exit,
and the charoteer allowed them to have IT, ihey
chose MIR Mccarthy as stage manager OF thls eqnes-
trian entertainment. perhaps in contempt OF the
opinion Of the audience before whom the piece was 70
be acted Has not Mr.. Healy avowed that he would
rather talk TO an assembly Of Zulus than 10 the
House of Commons
One would like to speak Of Nj. Mccarthy with
respect if he would allow it. He is respectable
and even plausible writer. He has written History
which has sold through many editions. and OF when
those who are not familiar with the period treated
sneak in terms OF panegyric. But in politics Nj.
MeCacthy for all he has written about them. passes
he.e as an amateur His career as a meinoer u
Parliament has but served to point me sarcssns
of those who maintain that fluent Wrl.nlg ID no'
sure introduction TO public life. Ills conversion "
Home Rule took place under circumstances "hloh
failed to convince people OF the sincerity Oh hs lie"
professions The House of Commons has stanoaru
of its own In the matter Of speaking anu MI
Mccarthy did not choose 10 conform 10 IT, TerhiPs
he was too literary. My own telief is tna' 'ho
House is often unjust and does not give sufhc'ent
infa
laugb at a man who honestly endeavors to instruct
and even entertain it. The House of Commons
Time has never been accurately defned-ls perhaps
incapable of definition. But it is nearly certain as
anything can he that it is not to DO caught either 10y
n novice or by member who assumes an att'uue
of defiance No rhetorical skill will make up for the
want of sympathy solidarity and that sense OF oOou
fellowship which used to peryade the chamber
And there is nothing the House resents more Quickly
than the attempt to establish a standard alien from
its OWL
So when Mr. Mccarthy on Tuesday read out those
strong phrases about the Crime bill being forced
through the House by violence and snbterfuge the
House laughed Men laughed again when they
heard that the bill would be, in Mr.. McCarthys
opnon. unconstitutional and of no moral force
Parliamentary disciplinarians cried order" lhe
Speaker who IL bound to have an official sense OF
decorum interrupted the reader and warned hlin
that he was going beyond Parliamentary limits
But the bold HIbernian persevered to the end' anu
having reached it, shook of the dust of his SHOES ana
departed from the precincts Of Parliament. Inc
language he used is such from the lips o any Out
an Irish Der, would be deemed grossly indecen''
But indecency is relative. Mr.. Healy ana MI Dig
gar. Mr.. Redmond and Mr. ODonnell, have aecus-
toned the House to language which used TO be the
prerogative of the gutter If Mr.. Mccarthy chooses
10 be identified with associates of this sort, his
friends may regret it, but can hardly restrict hls
liberty of choice.
As for Mr. O'Donnell, his insults to the chairman
of Committee. and his expulsion, not much space
need be wasted On any incident in which he is chief
actor. There are. suppose, not many legislative
assemblies whose rules allow the conduct OF pre-
siding officer TO be characterized as infamous ana
foul When Dr. Playfar named the sixteen lrlsh
Ohstrnctives last SATURDAY. Mr.. UDonnell remarked,
sThis is an infamy" On the following Monday lie
was offered an opportunity TO explain or qualify or
apologze for this outbreak. He preferred TO extend
his remark and apply 1t to Ministers. With re-
card" said he, my assertion, to my statement, to
,nv solemn declaraton-for wish 1T TO he under
stood that made il in all solemnness and earnest
ness-I meant and mean TO include within that
solemn declaration the cOwardly meters to the force
and tyranny which practlsed against the IRISH
member last Saturday. and name Her MaJestys
Government as the guilty authors"
Home Rule cheers greeted this modest declara-
tiOn: the Home Rulers, Mr.. Mccarthy lnciuded,
allvinr and Identifying themselves with Mr.. ODon-
nell. Only the week before MI. ODonnell had OBJ
served that the Government appeared to be IN com
plcl:y with the assassins who were roaming about
ireland. Mr.. Mccarthy about the same time was
denouncng Sir William HarcOurt as the bravo OF the
Treasury Bench MI Caan had taken the trouble
tn Liberal
opinion that he was a "white-hvered cur On
Won and so on You will find in almost any Irish
debate a whole bouquet Of such flowers albeit the
English press seldom reports half OF what is actu-
ally said In Mr. ODonnelPs case the Insult 10
the authority of the House was too direct to be
passed over. He was awarded fourteen days-with-
oat hard labor, as most men instinctiYely added
But II is the exception when punishment follows
these offences. Not the least regrettabe feature OF
The new Irish period is the rufiany license oil speech
which the persistence Of such as Mr.. Healy aud
Mr.. O'Donnell has induced the House to tolerate
The liberation Is no doubt largely one of contempt
but the effect of it on Parliamentary manners rs not
the less deplorable
Dr. playfair. who was the object Of Mr.. ODon-
pels nvective has incurred in some quarters rather
,nore cepsure than Mr. ODonnell himself 1t may
be admitted that Dr. Playfsr has not been success
~ a presiding of Ger. He has been wanting i'll
ouickness In resolution, in frmness OF purpose IN
the power Of inspiring respect keeping order by
mere force of character and will. But the moment
chosen for blaming him is the moment when he
really rose to the situation and vndicated his own
authority and the authority and dignity OF the
House. A certain number of Liberal prigs are
always IN he found in the ranks of the Liberal
n.rtv They are men TO whom the husk of Liberal
lam is of more value than the kernel stcklers fol
the form. ALWAYS ready TO see Liberty tramped I'M
der foot if it be done In accordance with The man
pers and precedents of Liberal doctrinaires. They