The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-04-09


deeply impressed by his reception. When he
finally was permitted to speak. his first words
were inaudible to the reporters. His voice, it
was feared, was not equal to the
great task before the orator. But
1t was not that-Gladstone was in state Of
amazement. caused, no doubt. by the unexpected
character of his welcome. This, however, quick
ly disappeared, and when he had spoken few
sentences he 'sfound his voice" Until then the
serious and settled melancholy, characteristic of
the mans appearance, his age, and his undoubt-
ed physical weakness. tended to give a very
much exaggerated idea of the hoarseness of
his voice. and his hearers sympathies
being with the venerable orator, his voice grated
on their ears, but as soon as Gladstone steadiec
himself to his task his voice grew even, clear.
strong and, eventually, penetrating, ringing, So
norous and captivating Listening to him with
out seeing or knowing him, in the middle of his
speech, a stranger would easily sup
pose the voice was the voice of sound,
impassioned man in the full vigor Of the prime
of life. Even the natural stiffness of old age.
Gladstone is seventy -six-gradually gave way to
dexibleness of movement, an animation liz
manner, an energy and FIRE Of utterance, that
are amazing in themselves, but which do not
strike the auditor as anything but matters Of
course, so gradually and imperceptibly do the
fires Of the grand old mans eloquence light him
up. During the progress of his state
was little or no demonstration of friend
ship or hostility from either part of
the house. This part Of the grafton was admir-
ably cold. precise. mechanical and instructive.
Occasionally, however, the Parnellites gave
vigorous cheer when some sentiment was ex
pressed which they could reecho Now and then,
likewise, half audible signs Of dissent came
from the Conservative benches, but for the most
part the arguments were heard In ST.
lence Persons who had heard Gladstone
on former great occasions, comparing his speech
tonight with his other great speeches. gener-
ally admitted that In lucidity Of statement and
argumentative power, the speech tonight was
quite the equal of any of his finest previous
orations. The partial failure of his voice. how
ever, renders comparison of tonighs's effort
with previous speeches less satisfactory
from purely rhetorical point of view. A COM
prehensive report of the speech appears belew:
II could wish that 1t had been possible to ex-
pound to the House the whole policy and inten-
tionS OF tho government with reference to Ire-
land Although the questions of reform in the
tenure Of land and Irish government are 80
closely and inseparably connected, it is yet i'm
possible to undertake the task OF calculating
both questions together. do notknow of any
previous task laid upon me involving divers-
fed an exposition. In contemplating the mag
nitude of this task am filed with painful mis-
trust; but that mistrust is absorbed IN feeling
of the responsibility that will be upon me if
foil hp3r hnvr thA
magnitude and the various aspects Of the ques-
tiou. We should no longer fence or skirmish
with this question. Loud cheers We should
come to close quarters with it. Cheers.
We should get at the root of it. We
should take means not merely intended
for the wants of to day or tomorrow,
but should look into the distant future.
We have arrived at stage in our political
transactions with ireland when the sswo rdfsss
part. one from the other, not soon, probably, to
meet again. The time is come when it is in
cumbent on the duty and the honor of Parlia-
ment to come to some decisive resolution this
matter. Our intention is, therefore. to propose
to the Commons that which, II happily accepted,
WILL we think, liberate Parliament from the re-
straints under which. of late years. it has in
effectually struggled to perform the business of
the country. and will restore British legislation
to its natural, ancient, unimpeded course, and,
above ALL establish harmonious relations be-
tween Great Britain and Ireland, on footing of
those free institutions to which Englishmen,
Scotchmen and Irishmen alike unalterably
attached" Loud cheers prolonged by the home
rule members
After reviewing the condition and crime OK
listing In Ireland since 1888, Mr. Gladstone de-
scribed the coercve legislation enforced during
the same period as not exceptional, but habitual.
He compared Ireland during all this period to
mar trying to find sustenance in medicine only
meant for cure. Coercion, however, had, he
said, proved no cure Serious dissatisfaction
continued to prevail in Ireland. and if England
and Scotland had suffered similar hardshps. he
believed the people of those countries would re-
sort to means similar to those the Irish had
used to ventilate their grievances. fParnelite
cheers. Coercion was admitted to have been
failure for the past 6fty-three years, only two of
which had been wholly free from repressve leg
islation. Coercion, unless strong and unbend-
ing, and under an autocratic government, must
resort to until every other means had failed.
What was the basis of the whole mischief was
the fact that the law was discredit-
ed in Ireland. It came to the
Irish people with foreign aspect and their
alternative to coercion to strip the of it's
foreign character and invest it with domestic
character Loud Irish cheers Ireland,
though represented in Parliament numerically
equal with England or Scotland was really not
in the same position politically. England made
her own laws; Scotland had been encouraged to
make her own laws as effectually as if she had
six times her present representation, and in con-
sequence the handspring of the law in England
and Scotland was felt to be the English or Scotch.
The handspring of the law in Ireland was not
felt by the people to be I-ish He therefore
deemed it little less than mockery to hold that
the state OF law which he had described conducsd
to the real unity of this great. noble world
wide empire Said Mr.. Gladstone:
Something must be done. Something is i'm
perativey demanded from us to restore in Ire
land the first conditions of civil life, the free