The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1885-09-05
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II is difficult at this distance to account
for the hubbub that has been stirred up by
tbe London papers over Parnells recent
speech at Dublin, except on the ground
that, in the exigencies OF the present cleo
ton contest over a new parliament in Eng
land both the liberals and conservatives
expect to gain something by misrepresent,
ing and getting up hue and cry against
Parnell. The ground that Parnell really
took in his Dublin speech was the same as
that announced by the IIome-rule party as
long ago as 1870, and is briefly embraced
in the words: IAN Imperial Parliament
for imperial pHrposes and an Irish Parlia-
ment for Irish affairs" Substantially the
same ground was taken by the Irish Home
rule League organized in 1873, which, in
its "platform " or declaration, announced
AS its object to obtain for Ireland an Irish
Parliament to manage Irish affairs, said
parliament to have the right to leglSlate
for and regulate all matters relating TO the
internal affairs of Ireland, to control Irish
resources and revenue while contributing IA
Just portion to the imperial expenses and
leaving to the Imperial Parliament the
power of dealing with imperial matters,
And Lord Beaconslield, as recently as 1880,
in discussing the homerule question: eX-
pressed an entire willingness to concede to
Ireland substantially all the home-rulers de-
manded, saying:
We have got an overweighted Parlia,
ment and If Ireland, or any other portion
of the country, is DESTROYS and able to so
arrange Its affairs that by taking the local
part or some local part of its transactions
off the hands of Parliament, it can liberate
and strengthen Parliament for imperial
concerns, say will not only accord re
luctant assent, but | will give II Jealous
support to any such scheme.
Surely in Recommendation of such pur-
poses there was nothing so new or startling
as to justify the London press in its present
furry. Yet there was one expression in
j al lltlI SDtftli tllul 10 lolISli no NPI'N'
tally offensive 1t was where he warned
England, if the denial Of the rightful claim
Of Ireland was persisted in, "the first SEES
sion of the new parliament would be the
last in which Irish members would deign
to take part" 1t is in reference to this
that the Spectator, echoing the Times and
Stahdard, eXclaims:
What the present leaders of the rebel
lious party In Ireland are now aiming at is
Irish indepeneence-an Irish republic.
y Great Britain will be on strong
grounds If she says :-We Will give you
every liberty we desire for ourselves and
we will not give you more. We are not
going to disintegrate the United Kingdom
because one portion of it is utterly discon-
tented with the Union. Make up your
minds that the Union is due to your physi-
cal proximity TO us, and that unless you
can tow Ireland out for some hundreds
of miles, at least, into the Atlantic, we can
not afford to let you set up a separate adj
which would be Il constant
danger to us.
Yet this is gross and unmanly perver-
sion. What Parnell did say was in refer
encc to the semi official proposition of the
present conservative government to grant
Ireland, instead of the parliament asked
for, local county governments, something
like our Illinois township organization
system Rather than accept such an ahor-
ton, said Parnell, we will withdraw from
parliament altogether.
But there was not a word or thought in
his utterance to justify the charge that he
was Amir. at Irish, Independence-an
i,i-t Republic" There is a world Of diff
ference between Legislative independence
or home-rule and total separation of Ire
land from England. The latter idea has,
not so far as we are aware, been mooted by
Mr.. Parnell; consequently there is no rea-
son for the English press going off at half
cock about matter which they evidently
do not understand or do not want to.
In a VOID, Parnell asks no more than
Lord Beaconslield five years ago said he
was willing to concede; no more than
Franz Deak asked for Hungary and which
he eventually achieved in the present dual
existence of the Austro-lIungarian Empire
"A union which at once satisfied the ma
tional aspirations of the Magyars and added
strength to the Empire of the lapsburgs;
asks for nothing more than is enjoyed by
each of our own States IN its Legislature,
by each State of the German Empire in its
Landtag namely, that Ireland be permit
ted to live its own national existence, to be
4 self governing and integral portion of the
Empire and subservient 10 Its farreaChing
imperial interests.
Gov Oglesby, on Saturday, announced
he following as the members of the com
mission authorized by the last legislature
% be appointed to revise the revenue laws
Al; al o., tln WI larisla