Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1883-06-28
Goodwin Smith ON Ireland.

N. Y. Tribune.
Professor Goodwin Smith has trench
ant article in the Nineteenth Century on
the Irish question. He considers over
population the real cause of evil and
emigration the true remedy, the effect
of the land bill being to root the people
to the soil, when it has been proved
that it will not support them. Emigra-
ton he would apply on large scale so
| as to effect the clearance of broad dis
tricts and the restoration of them TO the
purpose of grazing, to which alone they
| are adapted. This he would consider q
measure of permanent relief, whereas
the partial depletion of larger areas has
only momentary effect, the subsist-
ence of the population being brought
for the time above the famine line, but
falling to the old level in new cycle
of Indebtedness. But while he can see
no other alternative, protection of man.
ufactures being impracticable in the
absence of coal and nothing in the way
of legislation remaining to be done apart
from the repeal of the Union, he does
not think it will be wise to send Irish
emigrants as matter of course to the
United States and Canada, where they
will inevitably become "the dupes and
victims of political incendiarism. He
says that Capada shudders at the
thought ''of receiving wholesale con-
signment of Agrarian Terrorists, while
the only portion of the United States
where there is no Fenianism is the belt
of Cotton States. He would therefore
have the British government send Irish
emigrants to the southern states, or else
find some other foreign country, or
possible some Crown colony, where
they can be landed and gradually train
ed for the exercise of political power.
These recommendations seem to be
based upon common prudence. Ii the
British Government be unwilling to
give the Irish people a Parliament of
their own, and find that emigration on
a large scale is the only remedy for
over-population, the destination of the
outgoing thousands will become a |
question of the highest Importance.
Transplanting being an expensive |
process, the English will only be vast
ing their money if, in thinning out the |
outgrown parterres of population in |
Ireland, they Systematically form hot
beds of conspiracy and disaffsction in |
America. 1t will be for their own in |
terest if they take reasonable precau-
tons to protect themselves agains: po-
litical agitation and international crime |
when they dispose of the surplus popu-
la Of ot Ilnt
there are several practical objections
to Professor Goodwin Smiths plan
which seem to us insuperable. Irish
emigrants will not go to the Southern
States, nor to any foreign country or
Crown colony, so long as there are
broad areas in the Northern States and
Canada where they will find thousands
of Irishmen already settled. That is
the first objection; and a second is that
even if they could be prevailed upon TO
go to the Southern states, they would
not stay there side by side with the ne
groes, but would inevitably join their
kinsmen in the North; and still third
objection is that if they should 60 South
and stay there, they would be precisely
what they are at the North. If there
is no Fenianism at the South, it is only
because there are no Irish emigrants
there.
Professor Goodwin Smiths stronges
point is made at the close of his article.
He tells Mr.. Gladstone's government
that the rebellion of the knife has been
beaten, but they have still to deal with
the rebellion of the vote. This is true.
The land agitation has been suppressed;
the authority of the law has been re-
stored; crimes are punished by native
iuries but political reconciliation has
not been effected. All the Irish con-
stituencies and possibly thirty in Eng
land will unite in political revolt
against both English parties at the
next general election. A rebellion of
The vote, he terms it. 1t is in one re-
spect the most formidable of all rebel
lions, for the right to vote cannot be
taken away the rebels cannot be dis
armed.
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