New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-11-22
THE IRISH QUESTION.
WITH SOME ACCOUNT OF IT'S RELATION TO
THE ELECTIONS.

NJ q one OF the two great issues of the campaign,
snd-it is certainly the one which has received on
hath sides tho most inadequate han Hing. Ever
aimee Mr. Parnelrs memorable declaration at
Dublin on tho 1st Of september tho English penplo
bo,o had fairly before them the question, Will Won
or will Won not grant Ireland separate Pariia-
n,ent7 They have tD Say yes no To this. no; at
sone remote or indefinite date bat in the first sos
s,on of the Hou,c of Commons now to be elected.
,Ir Paruell who can be plain when ho chooses, put
This 10 the English people IN terms which left moth
inc TO conjecture. All MINOR M ltrcrS wcrc to bc
lroppcA All the efforts Of the Irish were to be con
contracted on this one point. An independent Irish
parliament,-a Parliament with powor to icg'slAte
IN al Irish questions and to levy urohibtlvo
tariff on English impOr;S-ls now the minimum OF
Mr. Parnel's demands, aud Is to be pressed on
tho Imperial Parliament at once Aud lost tho
Fin dish should have any remnant of doubt aS {"
the determination of the Irish leader to bring the
matter 10 an immediate decision, his declaration
was accompanied with menace. "lf," sad Mr..
Parnoll at the Lord Mayors dinner in Dnbin. " If
il 10 sought 70 make it Impossible for Ireland to
obtain the right of sefgoyernment, the right OF
administering her own a1airs wo shall make all
other things impossible for those who so SEEK
Mr.. Parncll's challenge, it is tfue, Was met NJ
first hy several perfectly distinct answers. Lord
demand Mr. Chamberlain and Mr. John Morley
in still moro emphatic words declared that to grant
Irish independence would be disgrace 10 England
AMI a disaster to Ireland. Mr.. Brcadhnr>t, who
speaks W it'll much authority any single man for
the working classes, answered III the same sense
Then came period of silence, and then Mr. clad
stones manifesto. Ho made 10 allpsi0n to Mr..
ParnclI. he discnssNi tho Irish question through
half column Of benevolent gcncralltIes, the tone
Of which no Irisluan coul think nnfrendly. The
passage il which 10 dealt with tho question Of
separation - "a follows:
ain my opinion not now foU tho first time dciv-
cred. ;ho lint is clear within which any desires o!
ireland, constttutl0nIlly ascertained. may and
be> Onh which they cannot. receive the assent of
Parliament. TO mAiutlin .he supremacy of the
Crown, tho UNITY of the Empire, and all the
authority of Parliament necessary for tho cor
.ervatiOn of that unity, is the hrst duty OF every
representative of the people. Subject to this gov
erning principle, every grant to portions of the
country of enlarged powers for the management OF
their Affairs is. in my view. not source of
danger but means of avCrting 1t, and is in the
nature of a guarantee for increased cohesion.
happiness and strength"
IL is Cnough to say of that very cautions state
mrnt that it is differently understood by different
people. Mr. GladstOnes own supporters accepted
it rs meaning that the substantive portion OF Mr..
Parnell's programme would be refused. The Tories
sal it was impossible to discover what Mr. Glad
stone reilly meant. Mr.. Parnell has lately ca
prcsse an opinion that Mr. GlaIs;One's proposition
Is broad enough to cover nearly all if not all he
most cares for lie seems to think that the differ
ence between them is more difference Of words
than of things. Perhaps it is not essential nj
this moment to pursue an inquiry into Mr.. Glad
stones real meaning on the 7tn Of last September.
He is To speak in MidlothiIn most week and
the week after. aud il is impossible. or at least
probable. that he should not thea give us his own
Interpretation of his own words. Meantime, with
some exceptions the attitude of the Liberal party
is one of expectancy.
On the side of tho Tories there has been prac-
ticay no response TO Mr. Parnol unless the re-
Spouse from Nr Charlie Lewis of Londonderry. can
be considered response. There are but two men
in the Tory party whose opinions on this subject
would be accepted likely 10 guide the opinion of
the party. or determine ITS policy They are Lord
Salisbury aud Lord Randolph Churchill. Botn OF
them have spoken more than once; neither has
united himself to anything like direct neg ltiye to
Mr.. Parnelrs demand. Neither. perhaps, is in
position to do So Tho Tories hold Office III this
moment by grace of the Irish leader They
brought in by Irish votes If Mr. Parnell and his
followers had seen fit 10 vote with the Gladstone
Government on the Budget, the Gladstone Govern
mcnt would have been in Office at this moment.
Not only were the Tories brought in by Irish votes
Il is only by irish votes that they have tic least
hope of staying in. will not stop TO discuss the
3etIls of the coalition between the Tory leaders
Ind Mr.. Parnell. 1t is enough to that the Tory
Government having attained power by Mr.. Par
nclls help. proceeded to announce al Irish policy in
conformity with Mr. ParneIis known wishes
They fatally oltan1uur1 thp Crimes Act
took to govern Ireland without It. / suppose they
call it governing Ireland. Lord Cainarvon is at
Dublin as Lord Lieutenant, and moves about tho
streets without fear Of his life. Tho authority of
the National League IS practically supreme over
perhaps two-thIrd4 OF the whole country. In the
South aud West no man pay rt:.t To his landlord
without permission Of the League n permission
seldom given. Thc eiIcts of this body are enfurc~
by q systeu of iutImidAtiOn knOwn as boycotung
which makes existence n misery To those who fall
under its ban. IL is obviously part Of the compact
between the Tory leaders and Mr.. ParncIl that the
IRISH Nceroy shall abstain from serions ntcrfrr-
enco with such measures they deem eXpcdlcnt Tor
the enforcement of their authority. II is part do
not Say of the GIMP ct. but OF the understanding
that Lord Salisbury and Lord Randolph Churchill
shall abstain from all public utterances such az
might pledge their party to oppose Mr.. ParnoIls dc
mand for an independent Irish Parliament. AT any
rate, they abstain.
Tho elections are coming on under conditions
which, in the Judgment of expert. on both sides
make one of two results inevitable The Liberals
may have 4 mhjonty over both Tories md Parnel-
tics, or the Torres and Parnellito, combined may
have n majority over the Liberals. Nobody sup
poses il probable that the Tories shond outnumbcr
the other parties. There are therefore, but two
WAYS IN which Government can 10 established.
The Liberals may form a Government with work
ins majority in tho House of Commons Tho
EXISTING Tory Government may continue IN office by
virtue Of a continued coalition with Mr. Paruo1 II
the Liberals have clear majority over both their
opponents the Government NAV be carried Oh indie
pendenty Of the Irish. done say it will be. be-
cansn We knnY that NN hon Mr. Glnlstnnr Ind q