Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1886-02-25
eureka DAILY Sentinel.
GIAnsTONE.S OPPORTUNITY.

NA ONk - We
The critical hour in which the 1risf
question must be squarely faced is rapidly
approaching. Not many days can elaps'
before English statesmen, who are no"
ominously silent, will be called upon tc
express a decided opinion. With the
first debate in the House Of Commons we
shall see the drift of affairs. Feeling,
and possibly prejudice. are likely to run
high. There will be argument, pleading,
persuasion, indeed everything which calls
out the rarest eloquence Of political par
ties. 1t is safe to predict many a bril-
liant sor.ie and many a determined re.
pulse during the progress of the discus
sion, and a larger number of memorable
happy hits and ranking sarcasms than
England has heard in a long time.
whether Mr.. Gladstone is hopeful
or not, " says the New York Herald, sis
hard to say. He willingly undertook the
task. and to q great extent risks his repu.
tation on the issue. His friends are GER
tainIy hopeful of him. and look for moth.
ing short of complete success. MIR.
Labouchere INDUCES in the very exuber.
ance of pleasant prophecy. MIR. Nc
Carthy also believes that some acceptable
form of home rule will speedily become
an accomplished fact. ALI Ireland looks
for large concessions, and it seems to us
evident that q mighty popular feeling in
England is being developed in sympathy
with the Irish cause.
"Parnell continues to be as dumb as
the Sphinx. He has nothing to say, but
is eagerly watchiul. The Wings are
painfully conscious of a universal and IT.
resistable Democratic tendency, and feel
powerless to oppose it. The important
question with them just now is not how
little they can give but how much they
can save. The Tories are not entirely
disinclined to yield certain claims, but
their historic conservatism renders it i'm
possible for them to be eager in the mat
ter of political reform. Their watch cry
is the integrity Of the Empire. In every
Monarchy they constitute the inevitable
resistance to innovation and change.
at is easy, therefore. to perceive the
kind Of antagonists which Mr.. Glad.
stone must encounter. They are many
and great, and it is never safe, when CO.
ing to battle, to underrate the opposition.
His Cabinet is a tell.tale OF the fears
which possess E%nglishmen OF the upper
classes. 1t constitutes the most striking
popularity of the hour. 1t shows that
the Premier anticipates an appeal to the
country to indorse his plans. The Cab.
met lacks Parliamentary weight. 1t is
not made up OF the strongest material
which England affords for other exigen.
cies. The heaviest statesmen did not
enter it. because they are not yet fully
convinced as to the expediency OF home
rule. Gladstone took the best men he
could get for his purpose. His choice
was limited. The question is, therefore,
pertinent: What degree Of hostility is
represented by those who did not care to
enter a Cabinet which is to decide the
future relations of England and Ireland =!
That is an i~ncalculable element in the
present problem.
"Mr. Gladstone, nevertheless, occu.
pies a very proud position, and a very
rare opportunity is offered him. Ignor'
ing whatever opposition is to be encoun'
tered, thoroughly convinced that the
time has come when England should be
fair and just to Ireland, he is called upon
to present some definite and radica'
scheme Of home rule. If he does this,
he can throw all responsibility Of accept
ance or rejection on the English people
He may succeed, and such q success
would mean nothing less than the regen
GRAFTON of a long oppressed nation. HI
may fail, but such a failure would b.
historic and magnificent.
sin the latter case the world would
proudly think of Gladstone as a man whit
dared to tell Englishmen how to do their
duty. Posterity would say in euiogy
that Gladstone was right when all Eng
land was wrong"