The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1885-01-09
AHAPPY NEW YEAR FOR IRELAND.

Tie friends Of Ireland may we'll look
with peculiar satisfaction on the bright
promise of national regeneration with
which the new year has opened. Never
were the Irish people so united never
was their Cancellation 90 Indispensable
to political parties in Great Britain ;
never was the offensive system Of alien
administration known as the Castle
Government 50 hOpelessly discredited.
Once mOre-as when Engaud's arm
was crippled by the useless effort to ex-
/ tinguish the revolt Of her American
cOlOLies-the burdens and the periIs
brought upon her by bluudering colo
NAL and foreign policy will compel her
to grant the Just demands of Ireland
which may be summed up now, as a
hundred years ago, IN the OutcTy for
Home Rule
From many points Of view we must
recognize a marked improvement, during
the last twelve months in the cohesion
and the moral as we'll as the material
power Of the Irish Nationalist party
All the more or less adTOit attempts to
provoke dissenSiOns among its trusted
leaders are now seen to have miScarried
Mr.. Parnell has no more reason to ap-
pIebend interference ard detection from
Q
Mr.. Healy or Mr.. Sexton. IN spite too,
of the revival undertaken by an ex-Head
| Centre, the old Eenian organization has
no chance Of figuring as an appTeciable
political force at the next general elee-
ton. In The Catholic hierarchy there
are no lOngeE any signs of divided o.
lukewarm sympathies, and, for the pres
ent at all events, the whole weight of
the Church vii! be thrown upon the
side of the National Land and Labor
League
While such are the preparations Of
the Home Rule party for securing un-
precedented gains at the ballot box. the
conditions under which the coming cleo
| tOTal contest viii take place are far more
favorable than any enjoyed by Irish pa
triots for half "A century. Up to this
year no measures had been taken TO ex-
| tend the Parliamentary franchise ard
fairly appOutIoH seats in Ireland since
1892, Mr.. Disraeli having denied to this
part Of the United Kingdom any share
in the benefits conferred on Great
Britain by the Reform act of 1863. By
the third and new Franchise act, how
ever, Ireland is placed on precisely the
same footing as her sister Kingdoms,
and she will actually be better off when
| the Redistribution bill becomes a law.
For Mr.. Gladstone having ShTunk from
the proposed cuItaI!ment of the Rggre-
gate number Of Irish seats-a reduction
which might have rendered the Act of
| Union null and vOid-it will take A
smaller quota Of population TO return q
member in Ireland than in England,
| Wales, or Scotland. In other words, a
single IriShmau's vote will benceforth
count for more than a Single English
man, S III determining the composition Of
the Common House OF Parliament
Nor is 1t likely Jhat the Commissioners
| intTuSted with the delImitaLi8n OF cleo
, tora! districts under the new law, Will
be able to frustrate the prepOnderaut
sentiment OF any county or borough in
the three southern provinces. Even in
/ Ulster IL Will seemingly Oe impossible
III view of the expanded suffrage, to
prevent the NaJiOua,is:S from seiZtng a
fraction of the seats. From the whole
island Mr.. Parueli's friends now believe
themselves tOleIably certain to bring in
not less than eighty members on the
next appeal tO-the electors. and most of
these will b. returned by maiorities far
larger aud more stable than could be
hoped for with the old restricted iran
chise
Ii is not expected by Mr. GiadsJone's
most sauguiue partisan that the present
Government can obtain 10 the next Par
lament anything like the decisive nla-
JOrlty over all possible elements Of Opp1-
SIllOu United with which IN 1880 II lje-
gan the work OF legislation On The
other hand, whatever may be the hopes
OF the Conservatives. the most optimist-
Ic trequehter OF the Carlton Club does
not count upon his parry being aOle to
outweigh the Liberals aud the Home
Rulers combined. Already the pulILi-
clans or both sides are busily computing
how much or how little in the wav of
concessions viii gain the co operation Of
the ParHeiiite members. But the very
knowledge that a bargain of some kind
must be struck with the Irish National
lists, L Parliamentary government is TO
De carried on aJ all wifi placa Mr. Par
nell III an anxious and delicate predica-
ment. It he ask too little. he may lose
the confidence Of his OwH cOUutrvmpu {:
II he insist upOn too much, he may pro
woke SU,h of The great parties 10 waive
for the moment all differences of cpiu-
Ipn on other questions aud cOiiesce
against the excessive claims Of ireland.
But Mr.. Parneli has shown that he pos
sesses the precise attributes of leader
ship which will he imperatively needed
III the approaching crisis. He is cool
and long headed, and he knows when to
wear the mask of moderation. He be
leves in getting one thing at a time,
provided the successive acquisitions are
solid, and the intervals between their
SHORTY. Y. san.