The Northwestern standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1885-1886, 1886-01-23

Is Ee Fighting Now For The Survival
Of the Fame that Once Belonged
to Him.

Parliament with supreme control With
in the Irish seas? asks United Ireland
Of the 10Th uit. His own circumlocu-
tory explanations are the surest evidence
that he was. The only question that
will bear discussion is: Has he been
terrorized out of bis plans by the ignor-
ant cutlery Of the Cockney press, and
by the ebulitions of malice or nulish-
ness among his own followers? To be-
lieve SO would be to believe the great
est force in contemporary English poll
tics to be al ancient baby. England
and Scotland have given him majority
of eighty-six votes over the Tory nnl-
istry; a majority which the Irish party
could reduce to impotence, but which
they could also have it in their power
to swell to d majority Of liz. What is
be to do with that omnipotent power,
ready to his hand? Doze away his last
years on an opposition bench in con-
fessed failure, and see his Liberal bat
talions humbly yoked to his rivals
chariot wheels and dragged through all
manner Of tinsel Disraelian adventures
at the heels of a minority? Those who
know Mr.. Gladstone, know that sooner
than play dingy role he would use his
axe to chop off his own arm instead of
the HaWarden oaks. But there is alb
solutely nothing else for him to do with
his majority except to set to work man
ufacturing an Irish Parliament. He
could not otherwise bulge an inch to-
wards office in the present Parliament,
and were the present Parliament dis
solved he would go to the country with
the ignominious reputation of having
planned an Irish Parliament and aban-
doned it because the Times meWed and
Mr.. Chamberlain was in the sulks. He
is, therefore, on pain OF closing his
life in abject impudence, bound to go
on. Is there anything in the reception
of his repnted scheme in Great Britain
that need daunt him? No influential
politician cares two straWs for the gab-
ble Of the Cockney press Lord Ran
dolpb Churchill a few weeks ago argued
brightly for his OWE chances from the
mere fact that the Tinas was virulent-
iy ,sgaiIlou ii1i; and, OF course, Ills
chances grew brighter, and, of course,
with their brightness came the grovsl-
ing homage OF the Times. The Daily
News was a few weeks ago poisononsly
anti Parnellite; it is now penetrated
with the urgency OF All Irish Pariia-
ment, since the word was passed to the
man at the wheel. The truth is that
with two or three splendid exceptions,
the London newspapers are simply rich
news shops, and, while the most pomp-
ously pretentious press in the world,
are in reality the feeblest in initiative,
and the most servile echo of the opin-
ions of ciiqnes and party wirepullers.
In Irish affairs, the dull malignity of
their writings has done more to an
ger and estrange the two countries
than the sword OF Cromwell or the lash
of fifty crimes acts. Their leading ar
ticles, when read out to an Irish
audience, have more effect in exciting
detestation Of the English name than
'O'Donovan Rossa's most lurid haran-
CUES. Their objections to Mr.. Glad
stones home rule projects are not a til
tie as venomous as were once their
screams against disestablishing the
Irish Church or clipping the seignorial
privileges Of the Irish landlords.
Everybody knows that ifa bill for crea-
ting an Irish Parliament were running
through the House Of Commons with
maiorities of no, the Liberal London
journals would industriously join in
the claque in it's favor, and, even if they
did not, nobody would be particularly
the worse of 1t. Their cautious hos
tility may, therefore, be- dismissed as of
no account; the more especially as the
provincial Liberal papers, such as the
Scotsman, which represents more votes
than whole clubful of Cockney jour
| mails, have accepted Mr.. Gladstone's
policy as the only one which can give
| peace TO the empire and save the Liber-
al party from nothiugness. ButWe are
| told that Mr.. Gladstone'5 own followers
are mutinous at the thought Of an Irist
Parliament. AS if it were something
| new to Mr.. Gladstone TO fnd Mr. Cos
chen and his couple of brother-sore-
heads going into corner and gnashint
their teeth, Or as if anything ever cams
of their suiks and eantrips! Lord Har
tington, too, forsooth, has not all a
once gushed over with Irish National
ist sympathies. He has written let
ter which appears to have given pro
/ digious relief to the Tories. but which
simply means that he has not committel
himself to home rule and does not Ik
the look of it. That was precisely hi
attitude with respect to every bold pro
posal OF Liberal reform of recon
4 years. lie has a constitutional objec
| tson to everything at first sight, but
| still stronger constitutional objection
TO drifting into an obscure Tory sui
| lieutenant by separating himself an
4 his class from their last hold upon TIL
4 English democracy. The attitute o
the Radical leaders, who last jsumme
proposed to come over 10 Ireland to hey
out q home rule project amidst th
plaudets Of the wild Irish, is considera
! bly, more dIscleditable. Sir Charlie