Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-08-29
PARNELL'S PROGRAMME.

Mr. Parnell's new programme Tor Ire
land, which he announced in speech at !
Dublin last Tuesday, is somewhat OF a
new departure for him, although the cry |
for a repeal of the Union is not new, it |
having been long a scheme of O'Connell's. !
To Englishmen, Ireland's demands have
ALWAYS looked preposterous and impossi-
BILE, but still the Government in London
has usually acceded to them, not grace
fully and as matter of right to accord
which was but to do justice, but
after much agitation in Ireland, usually
accompanied by much crime and outrage.
The Catholic Association of hall CEN
tury ago was looked upon with the same
suspicion and distrust as the Land League
OF to-day is, and yet the Association
eventually obtained that for which it
agitated, and even the Land League has
obtained the three F's, thing that, in
1880, was looked upon as being a de-
mand of the most revolutionary kind.
Already the demand for Home Rule has
been spoken of as possibility for Ire
land, and will doubtless be conceded vet,
although there is no reason in the world
to suppose that the demand for sep
aration and complete autonamy for
Ireland will be considered by Eng
land for one moment, for such
thing would be constant menace and
danger TO England. English writers are
turning to the United States and the
federal principle in the hopes of finding
safe, practical, and happy form of gov
ernment for Ireland. Mr.. Matthew
Arnold in his article, "a word more
about America" which appeared in the
Nineteeah Century for February last, in
speaking about our institutions and their
happy workings, said:
''Well, then, our greatest institution, the
House of Commons, we cannot say is at
! present working like the American
! Institutions easily and success
/ fully. Suppose we now pass
/ to Ireland. | will not ask If our lnstI-
! tutions work easily and successfully in Ire
/
bitter, too cruel a mockery. Those hateful
cases which have been tried III the Dublin
| Courts this last year suggest the dark and
ill-omened word which applies to the whole
state of fIreland-dnti-nGtlual. Antt-ndttt'-
al, anti-ndtlTe-that is the word which aries
irresistibly in my mind as survey Ireland.
| Everything is unnatural there-the proceed
ings of the English who rule, the proceed
ings of the Irish who resist. But it is with
the workings of our English institutions
there that | am now concerned.
1t is unnatural that Ireland should be
governed by Lord Spencer and Mr.. Campbell
| Bannerman-as unnatural as for Scotland
to be governed by Lord Cranbrook and Mr..
Healy. It is unnatural that Ireland should
be governed under Crimes Act. But there
is necessity, replies the Government. Well,
then if there is such evil necessity, 1t IS un-
natural that the Irish newspapers should be
free to write as they write and the l rish mem
berS to speak as they speak-free to lnt1ame
and further exasperate sedltlous peoples
minds, and to promote the continuance of
the evil necessity. By our patch.
work proceedings we set up, indeed, make
believe of Ireland's being constitutionally
governed. But it is not constitutlonally gov
erned: nobody Supposes tito be constitution
ally governed, except perhaps that born
swallower of all clap-trap, the British
Philistine. The Irish themselves, the
sll-important personages In the case, are
not taken in; our make-believe does not pro-
duce in them the very least gratitude, the
very least softening."
No truer insight into the condition OF
Ireland was ever had, no truer words
were ever written or spoken of her, than
these by Mathew Arnold. He suggests
remedy for this sad condition, which is
local self-government for Ireland, the
same as it obtains in the United States.
He says:
I but here again let us look at what is done
by people who in politics think straight and
see clear let us observe what is done in the
United States. But the several States
are nevertheless real and important wholes,
each with its own Legislature; and to each
the control within its own borders, of all
except imperial concerns is freely committed.
The United States Government intervenes
only to keep order in the last resort. Let US
suppose a similar plan applied to Ireland.
The British landlord would no longer
determine the dealings with land in an Irish
province nor the British Protestant the
dealings with church and education. Apart
from imperial concerns, or from disorder
such as to render military intervention neces-
sary, the government in London would
leave Ireland to manage itself. Lord
Spencer and Mr.. Campbell Banner
man would come back to England.
Land-questions, game-laws, police,
church, education, would be regulated by
the people and legislature of Leinster for
Leinster, of Ulster for Ulster, of Munster
and Connaught for Munster and Con-
naught."
Such is the cure for Ireland's wrongs
that Mathew Arnold suggests, and which,
if applied, no doubt would attain the
end sought But Mr.. Arnold does not
stand alone in advocating such system
of government for Ireland. Mr. J. Leslie
Field, in the same magazine through
which Mr.. Arnold's views were given,
gives expression TO similar views in the
August number He says
"A system of county government will un
doubtedly form part of the programme of
our next Liberal Government: to extend a
system of provincial Home Rule which
would meet the views OF the Irish people
would not be an immoderate proposal
As regards internal legislation, Ireland
would be divided into six Federal States, of
which Ulster would form two, so as to divide