New-York tribune., 1883-06-17
cotDwJN SMITH ON IRELAND.

Professor Goldwin Smith mas trencuant
article in Yhe 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 1t has been
proved that it will not support them. Emil
grafton he would apply on large scale 80 as
70 effect the clearance of broad districts and the
restoration of them to the purpose OF grazing,
to which alone they are adapted. ms ne
would consider measure of permanent relief,
whereas the partial depletion of larger areas
has only momentary effect, the subsistence OF
the population being brought for the time
above the famine line, but falling to the old
level in a new cycle of wretchedness. But
while he can see no other alternative, protection
of manufactures being impracticable in the
absence of coal and nothing in the way OF leg
islaticn remaining to be done apart from the
repeal of the Union, he does not think it VIII
be wise to send Irish emigrants as matter Oh
course to the United States and Canada, where
thew will inevitably become "the dupes ana
victims of political incendiarlsm." lie says
that Canada shudders at the thought " OF re-
@ceiving o Wholesale consignment of Agrar1an
q @Terrorists.n 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 emil
grants to the Southern States, or else find some
other foreign country, or possibly some Crown
colony. where they can BIZ landed and gradually
trained for the exercise of political power
These recommendations seem to be based
upon common prudence. If the British Gov
ernment be unwilling to give the Irish people
Parliament of their own, ard find that emigra-
ton on large scale is the only remedy for
oyer-population, the destination of the out
going thousands will become a question of the
highest importance. Transplanting being an
expensive process, the English VIII only DC
wasting their money if, in thinning ont the
oyergrown parterres of population In Ireland
they systematically form hot-beds OF conspiracy
and disaffection in America. 1t Will be ior
their own interest if they take reasonable pre-
cautions to protect themselves against pOiltlcal
agitation and international crime when they
dispose of the surplus population OF lrelanu NJ
public expense. But there are several plac-
tical objections to Professor Goodwin Smiths
plan which seem to us lnsuperaOie. liisn
emirrants 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 thou
sands of Irishmen already settled. That Is the
first objection and second is that even II
they could be prevailed upon to 90 to the
Southern States they would not stay there side
Inv side with the negroes, but would inevitably
ioin their kinsmen in the North; and still
third objection is that if they should go South
and stay there, they would be precisely what
thew are at the North. If there is no Fenian-
ism at the South, it is only because there are
no Irish emigrants there.
Professor Godwin Smiths strongest point IS
made at the close of his article. He tells Mr..
Gladstones Government that the rebellion OF
tbe knife has been beaten, but they have
still to deal with the rebellion OF the vote.
This is true. The land agitation has been sup
pressed; the authority Of the law has been re-
stored; crimes are punished by native jurles ;
but political reconciliation has not been
| effected All the Irish constituencies and pos
| sibly thirty in England will unite in political
revolt against both English parties at the next
general election. A rebellion OF the vote, he
| terms il. 1t is IN one respect the most formid-
able of all rebellions. for the right to vote can
| not bs taken away the rebels cannot be dis
! armed.