National Republican., 1885-12-16
A LIBERAL NoBLEMAN.

Sir Thomas Grattan Esmonde's Great
Speech in Dublin on the Irish Ques-
tion.
Sir Thomas Grattan Esmonde, in great
speech in Dublin few days ago, defined
his position on the various questions that
are now before the people of Great Britain
and Ireland for solution. Among other
eloquent and truthful enunciations by him
are the following:
Is IL necessary TO ask the question
whether the landlords Of Ireland, as a class,
have behaved well as stewards Of the ma
tons possessionsY Is II necessary, remem-
bering the history Of the last few centuries,
10 ask II Irish landlords, as a body, have
exercised their functions for the good OF
the Irish peoplep II is recorded that they
have used their position but for selfish in
diligence and for the oppression, demorali-
zation, and partial annibilation OF the Irish
race. admit that there have been men
among them who seemed TO have an under
standing OF their obligations and sense Of
the duties devolying upon them; men who
administered the land under their control
| for the general good; men whose example
| IL generally followed would have made II
unnecessary to seek another method OF
making the land OF Ireland minister TO the
needs Of the Irish people. But these were
| exceptions to the rule. The bulk OF the
class thought only Of themselves, and for
got all else. They came TO regard the land
OF the country as theirs only, and the TIL
| lers OF the land as created by God 10 insure
them profitable return from IL. IL was
their object to extract from the tenant us
much as he could be. deprived OF without
rendering him unfit for further toll, and thus
to secure for their own purposes the produce
Of the nations land, and the result OF the
nations labor. With such conception
OF proprietary rights we must emphatically
| disagree. Until the landlords of Ireland
can bring themselves to take n wholly diff
ferent view of their position | shall hold to
my opinion that their abolitionis 8 a social
necessity. TCheers.l Until they can bring
themselves to admit In theory and to make
known in practice that they are the stewards
OF the commonwealth, not its masters,
shall hold that In helping to overthrow
them l am defending the sacred rights Of
property In its primitive and natural sense,
because am defending the property Of the
nation. And now for the last charge
l am described as leading an attack upon
loyalty. Loyalty to whom or to whats
Loyalty to the throneP l am not aware
that the privileges of the throne have been
drawn into the constitutional struggle
which Is being fought out in Ireland at
I
this kind would come badly from that party
who have secured footing in this country
! by reasonable war against their king loud
cheers], and whose members, true to the
traitorous instincts of their fathers, are ever
ready with threat to kick the crown OF
their sovereign into the Boyne [renewed
cheersl when that sovereign will not strain
the prerogative of the crown to protect
their ill-gotten privileges from the advance
Of enlightened legislation. II not loyalty to
the throne. then what loyalty am offending
againstp Loyalty to the English govern
ment In Ireland--to Dublin Castle lGroans
and hisses.l Surely this cannot be the
meaning Of the phrase ? Loyalty is devo-
tion TO righteous cause. Would the
most idolatrous-minded worshiper Of for
elgn rule have us bow down in homage be-
fore such q shrine as that? Loyalty TO
landlordism-to what has been called by my
critics the class to which belong. l refuse
TO recognize such caste as standing apart
from the nation. Loud cheers. Ourloyalty
Is to the nation, and not to class. IL the
Irish landlords will frankly throw In theii
lot with their countrymen, and submit
their claims to the adjudication Of the Irish
people, shall be loyal to them, as shal
be to all who cote make up the Irish
themselves aloof, in scornful an
tagonism to the people; II the!
will not acknowledge themselves members
OF the Irish race, and share honestly In tn,
nations aspirations, then must repudiat,
their title to my homage, and must protes
against the indignity of being asked TO
allegiance to a caste which is at war will
my country. Loud and prolonged cheering.
will not trespass longer on your attention
tCries OF "Go on."l II was worth saying
this much in reply to our censors, not as
justification Of my personal action, but II
yindicatlon of the principles which You ant
] alike defend. For what regards myself
when have seen some more worthy assail
ants than the sneaking EDWARDS who vilif
my name anonymously In the Orange prints
trust | shall know how TO defend myself
loud and prolonged cheering and wayini
OF hats, during which the speaker retired.