New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-08-16


Forster and shall overthrow Lord Spencer In the
next Parliament it will be question not of Vice
rows and Chief Secretaries, but of whole Admins
trations With such existing conditions and snch
nrospect what do we want of obstructlonf What
DO we care about delaying the general movement OF
business in the House of CommOnsi The Conserve
lives do enough IN that way; and indeeu uhuer INC
most favorable circumstances the movement Vi
business in the House of Commons Is so SLOW, cum
brous and clumsy that future generation VIII ma
n hard TO believe that any assembly OF sane men
could have endured a system which sacrifices the
needs Of an empire to the pcltng. petty work OF
parish vestry We are more anxious now TO get
some of our own work done than to concern oar
selves about delaying anv other work. We cannot
get much done; aud most Of what is done is spoiled
Or nearly SO in its passage through the House OF
Lords even if it SHOULD be fortunate enough to pass
unchanged through the House of Commons We
had one or two measures of interest and Importance
TO Ireland this session, but we did not succeed ID
passing them. The Government gave us all the help
they could with one of them. bill TO improve the
constitution of poor law guardian boards IN Ireland
ana we goa il safely through the House of Commons
But when il got 10 the House of Lords their lord
ships would hardly condescend to discuss II. The
Peers found out that il would lessen In some way
the privileges and the power of the landlords In Ire
land aud they rejected il instautaneously We
were not surprised expected nothing better.
As Parliament is at present constituted the beet in
tentionsd government could do but little for Ire
land.
This is the conviction which underlies aud in
spires the policy of Mr. Parnell. He assumes as a
matter of certainty that the English Parliament
cannot do for ireland what Ireland wants TO have
done what Ireland could do for herself. There
fore he bends all his energies TO the task of getting
Ireland extricated from the cruel coils OF her
Parliamentary connection with England. and he
sees bat one way of accomplishing this task. and
that is 10y the strength of powerful Parliamentary
party which shall have the Irish people behind II.
Mr. Parnell is essentially Parliamentary poll
tican. He is not theorst or dreamer. Airy
speoulations do Tot captIyate him do not even IN
tercst him. lie treads the firm earth of present and
practical politics. For this very reason he is fully
possessed of the knowledge that no Irish Para-
mentary party. however numerous. able and reso-
lutte, would be of any real il Il had not the Irish
people nj It's back. TO put il metaphoricay the
irish people the shaft of the spear The Parla-
mentary party is the spear-head Mr.. Parncps IL
The hand that propols and guides sPear-shaft and
gpear-hcad to the mark. Mr. Paruells purpose is so
clear aud certain that be does not think II necessary
10 talk mnch about il. lie does not much care for
the formal and long debates on Home Rule which
were a ceremonial of every session daring Mr..
Butts leadership. The English press and public
seemed To bc greatly amazed and alarmed " hen two
or three years ago Mr.. Paruel said he would not
have taken Oh ms coat" merely 20 pass measure
OF land reform. The fact that ANY surprise was iet
only showed how little the English press and public
understood of the real Irish question With Mr..
Parnell il is simply an article OF faith that
thoroughly satisfactory measure Of land reform can
not be got from an English Parliament As al present
constituted and that measure of land reform,
however complete would satisfy the Irish people IL
such way TO extinguish their desire for sell
government ANY one who does not understand
that fact who has not got It fully INTO hls head,
who does not assume il elementary condition
of the controversy between England ana Ireland,
will only waste his time and puzzle hIs brains to no
purpose if he troubles himself to think about the
Irish question.
The end is a great one and a a party can
not steadily seek great end without accomplishing
IN the pursuit of il other good objects we'll
In seeking for an Irish National Legislature Mr.
Parnell is, I have shown, organizing a nation
His policy is purifying the constituencies. The
authority of the public spirit he has invoked sets
corruption and undue influence of all kinds at abso-
lutte defiance. The representation has been purified
as well as the constituent Is. | remember John
Bright telling years ago of a saying once
familiar in the House Of Commons, that an Irish
member could always be known IN the street by
reason of his nvarIable movement toward the Offices
lesque of extravagant sarcasm would hardly apply
such saving to the Irish Nationalist members OF
Parliament to-day. They neg for no places; they
psk for no favOrs. The man who votes for an Irish
National member knows that he is voting for one
who is pledged not 10 seek for or accept any favor
from any Ministry for himself or for any of his con
sttuents. Charles Levers Kenny Dodd de-
Ecribes some Irish constituent writing to his repre-
sentative and replying to the representatives ac-
count of his public services by the words, Get
NY son Tom place In the Custom House and |
don't care if NewZealand never had constltu-
hon" No constituent ever applies TO one of US to
get his son Tom place IN tue Custom House can
not but feel my faith in the future of Ireland much
strengt hened if it needed strengthening. hen
the change that has taken place and see how even
very ordinary and commonplace persons from
whom one might not expect over-much in the way
Of self-sacrice. have been willing to foIego 50
many chances of personal advantage for the mere
sake OF helping on the National movement. / may
say. too. that Irish members of Parliament stand
alOof from the social influences of London which
used at time TO have suclf softenmg and ener-
waiting effect on their political character. This
isolation, for so 1 may call it, distinctly the
work of Mr. Parnell lt not the way of OCon-
nell 1t was not the way of Mr.. Butt. OCOnnelPs
relations of friendship with some of the Wings of
bis day often injurious to hrs influence over
political movements: and similar relationships with
English public men made Mr. Butt far too anxious
to please at all events not TO dspease the House
Of Commons. Five years ago wrote an article in "A
London periodical in which told my readers that
chapter opening IN Irish political history
when the Irish Parliamentary party had got a
leader who did not straw for the friendship
of a Duke. and who would not 60 to dine at the
house OF Cabinet Minister This may seem to
some of your readers small matters 10 those no
know the history OF Irish Parliamentary movements