New-York tribune., 1886-01-17
THE IRISH DEBATE.
DO THE IRISH WANT HOME RULEi

on Home Rule he may have supposed that the cam
paIgu over But 1t is very far from being over
The discussion to which the memorable manifesto
from Hawarden gave such an impetus has not died
away with its withdrawal. 1t proceeds with more
animation than ever, and all sorts of surprising
facts. and still more surprising opinions como to
the surface On Monday we had Mr.. Laboucheres
account Of what the Parnellites would accept On
Tuesday came the Duke of Argylps letter; vigor-
ously reasoned statement of some of the objections
to Home Rule from the Imperial point of Wow.
Then Earl Cowper entered the field, with the
authority which belongs to late Viceroy OF Ire
land Lord Cowper Is man of good sense rather
than brilliant gifts apt to look at the practical side
of things. lie knows Ireland as n man must know
it who was Lord Lieutenant during those two
troubled years from April 1850 to April 1892. And
he comes forward to ask the surprising ques-
ton Is Home Rule for its own sake really desired
by anybodyp
Lord Cowpers answer is Nc. Home Rule, in his
view, is only cry the real aim o. the men on whose
lips 1t is loudest Is some thing very different from
Home Rule. lie goes back to the point which. in
the midst Of heated politics less cool observers
sometimes lose sight of. The Irish agitation is
above all agraran, and not political Everybody
admits that it was in the beginning but Lord
Cowper insists that ii still Is He puts himself on
the stand and gives an interesting piece OF evidence
He has been looking carefully over the letters and
papers accumulated during his residence in Ireland,
and not once does he find the question of Home Rule
| 50 much as mentioned The whole agitation turned
simply and solely upon the question of rent. lie
reminds us that Mr. Butt and Mr.. Shaw both Home
Rulers lit was Mr.. Butt who invented the phrase),
| failed altogether to get hold of the people OF Ire
| land and Mr.. Parnell would have failed likewise
had he not appealed TO their pockets The farmers
OF Ireland had shown themselves Indifferent to the
cry of Home Rule " but they responded to man to
the suggestion that they should keep the whole or
great part of the rent for themselves instead OF pay
| ing it to their landlords"
That, in Lord Cowpers belief, is still the idea
uppcrmost in the minds of tho Irish people. They
want n Parliament in Dublin as n means of relicv-
ing themselves from their rent. He himself, may
remark is not an Irish landlord. None of his large
estates lie in that part OF the Kingdom and no does
not speak under the spur of any personal grievance
But he has kept up his relations with tho island he
once governed, and no warns the English public
that Ireland is on, the eve OF more formidable
strike against rent than have yet seen. lie finds,
to his astonshment that the present difficulties OF
Irish landlords are comparatively unknown Ill
England, and he gives them piece of advice. Let
them make the real state of the case known now as
| forcbly rs they did in 1880.
| happened to hear the other day story which
| He was STAYING with the Duke Of Westminster at
| Eaton Hall not very far from lIawarden
visitor at Hawardcn drove ovec to Eaton and
| brought "A message from Mr. Gladstone to Lord
| Cowper. Mr.. Gladstone wished to know whether
any Irish landlords had failed lately in getting
| their rents He seemed to have heard OF none. 4
| number of cases we're stated to hun and lie was
much surprised that such cases should occur; still
| mole so when he became aware Of Lord CowpeTs
opinion that general strike against rent was imml-
nent II is conceivable that all tins should bc news
10 Mr.. Gladstone in the seclusion of his Fllntshre
| castle To anybody who walks the streets Of
London it can hardly be news. Tho papers do not
publish much Of II, because it is dangerous to men,
ton names and anonymous haIdships are not
| impressive But the facts mono the less facts
| have met n number of Irish landlords within the
| last few weeks. Their testimony will have no
weight with those twho think q man must be n
| villain because he owns land opinion not yet,
| think universal IN America. One Of them has been
! most liberal 10 his tenants, q beneiactor TO the
| county lf which he lived. He is under sentence of
death aud the men who were 10 execute II had been
! told OIL Ills offence refusal of further
reductions of rent, aud rent has been paid TheIo
is another whose receipt of rent at the last audit
| should have been about $4,000; he actually rc-
| cciyed 5000 third appears in the papers;
rental due, $50 900 sum received, $50. There arc
many more, but these will perhaps do for samples.
They do not provo Lord Cowpers case, but
they show that it is not wholly without founda-
tiOn.
Lord Cowper's view is not a new one. The Par
nellites have many answer ready and they point
triumphantly to their oghty-six members as proof
that the immense majority of Irish voters are. to
say the least content to follow Mr.. Parnells lead.
There is, indeed as usually happens in Irish con-
troycrsies no stint of testimony on either side. Mr..
Bag we'll. whose knowledge of tho subject IS consid
crable saws pretty much the same thing rs Lord
Cogper The tenant farmers. in his opinion. have u
great deal OF national scntiment-still what they
really want is to get the land. That brlbe is daily
held out to them. and they would be more than
human if they altogether refused to hear the voice
of the charner."
Mr. Laboucherc's letter, important rs it is. has
Deen noticed III few London journals except that III
which iC appeared, when il was fully discussed.
Such is the extent to which the etiquotte-hcaVen
save the Of English journalism is carried
But Mr. IabOuchcre is not person to be easily
depressed by the neglect of the superior beings who
control tho columns of the London papers. The
Nationalist organs in Ireland for obvious reasons,
refrain from comment. Mr.. Bagwell, it may be
observed. reminds Nh Labouchero that no cannot
be Thought impartial where landlords are con-
cerped since a newspaper for which he Is response
bic has advised that they should be left to rot.
THE elegant piece of advice seems to have been sent
about Ireland as circular. Mr.. Labouchere. how
ever. reappears with letter the interest OF which
is in one. point ain ost greater than the hrst. lt
seems to have been pointed ont to him that the
continued presence Of the Irish in the Imperial
Parliament after thoy had Parliament OF their
own. was a blot on his scheme. He has an answer
resdv-ncver was there n time when Mr.Labouchere
had not an answer ready for any objection, or any
obector The Irish, says Their next friend, have no
wish to sit in an Imperial Parlament.proylded they
be not called On to pay Imperial taxes One would
like 10 SEQ Mr. Gladstones face he reads this in