National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1885-09-19
Help for the Parnellites.


Mr.. Panell hopes to have eighty coadju-
tors in the next house Of commons, and
this hope is warranted by the facts Of the
political situation. The cause of Irish local
Independence local self-government for
the people Of Ireland-is moving forward
so rapidly that the public mind in the
United States scarcely takes the full meas
ure of its advancement. Mr.. Parnell has
surprised even his ardent admirers by the
briliancy of his political strategy. Events
are proving that those of his acts and utter
ances which were deemed rash even to
recklessness were dictated by the wsest
forecast and the soundest policy. lie has
come to be recognized as one of the great
men Of Europe. Even those Americans
who sneered at him when he visited this
country, and who could not repress their
disgust at his reception by our House OF
Representatives, have begun to get some
notion of his stature. If the English lien
ON them were less binding they would
probably be able to do him justice, for It Is
their chronic custom to jump from vulgar
abuse to extravaganza eulogy,
The Parnelltes who will be elected to the
next house of commons will, for the most
part, be men Of limited means. II is well
known that no salary attaches to the office
of NJ. p. But those men must be supported
If they are to give their time and talents to
the work allotted them-the advancement
of the cause OF home rule. And they will be
cheerfully supported by the friends of that
cause on both sides of the ocean. Irishmen
and the descendants of Irishmen, as well as
that vast number Of Americans who iympa-
thize with them, will esteem 1t not less a
pleasure than duty to make contributions
to the fund, from which the expenses of the
Parnelltes in parliament will be betrayed.
No other political object appeals so strongly
to the sympathles II the people Of this re-
public as that In which those men are en-.
gagged. The God-given and inalienable
right which the Irish nationalists claim is
as dear as life to the American heart.
But when money goes from the United
States to support contingent in the house
of commons In their effort to secure local
self-government for Ireland, we shall be
charged by our English friends with giving
aid and comfort to rebellion or secession.
The charge will not be true 1t is not pro-
posed to dismember the British empire.
Ireland does not propose to secede. She
only demands legislature of her own for
local plrposes-such legislature as Can
ada has.
The New York Sun, in recent editorial
discussion OF this question, says it is pre-
posterouS to "assume that the combination
of federal aud state governments, which
works so smoothly on this side of the At
lantic, which is initiated In the Austro-
Hungarian dominions and the German en-
pire, and which is about to be still more
accurately copied in an Australian con-
federation, would prove fatal solvent of
British territorial integrity. 1t is an as
sumption made in the teeth Of all analogies
and without an atom of foundation In spe-
cifc experience. Neither Englishmen nor
lrishmen would dream of pointing to the
harsh and short-lived existence of Graf
tan's parliament us fair test of the fedora
tive principle"
In the same article the Sun takes the view
held by THE REPUBLICAN,, and stated some
days ago, that even II Ireland proposed to
secede from the United Kingdom, Ameri-
cans could give the "rebels" aid and COM
fort in perfect accordance with the conduct
of Englishmen toward the United States at
the time OF our great civil war. The Sun
says:
The English subscribers to the confederate
cotton loan-which, II will be remembered,
involved large advances OF money on cotton
promised but never delivered-did, indeed.
give aid and comfort to rebellion, and in no
remote and indirect way either, but with
malice aiorethought and with immediate and
most mischievous effect. II was, of course, the
damage done by the vessels purchased and
equipped with the proceeds of this cotton loan
that the award of the Geneva arbitrator was
intended to compensate, But although the
British government was amerced by that de-
cislon for infringing the duties of neutras in
permitting its ports to be used for fitting out
the cruisers of n belligerent the action of the
British subjects who furnished the money for
the purpose has never been rebuked by any
tribunal or by any of the organs of British pub.
lie opinion.
Our English friends must try to see the
relations between the people of the United
States and the Irish people as they really
areas they have been made by the events
of history, So far rs we know there is no
desire on this side for anyrupture or strain |
ing Of the ties of amity between England |
and the United States. But our sympa-
Ihes are and must be with Ireland In her
struggle for local self-rule.
Americana will have IN piVu In IN.