National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-02-10
The Duke of Westminster on the Irish
Question.
n ivprpnol NfprCurv

The Duke of Westminster on the Irish
Question.
Liverpool MUrcuryl
The Duke Of Westminster, speaking late
on Tuesday night at the annual banquet
given by the mayor Of Chester, In response
to the toast of "'The Lord Lieutenant OF the
County, said l wish for one moment to
touch upon one controversial point in con
noction with the questions which darken
our horizon, and which absorbs the thoughts
Of so many people at the present time,
namely, the state of Ireland, What do we
find tbere2 We find q body Of men, called
Parnellites, who have obtained most pow
erful hold over the people OF that deluded
and unfortunate country. lApplause,l
They have ] think, obtained that position
by the aid Of the most intense cruelty and
the emost extreme extortion; by money raised
out Of the pockets of those who could III
afford II; by the aid of assassination and
murder, and to their shame be II spoken,
with the assistance of some members OF the
priesthood Of the Roman Catholic Church.
That is how they stand. They profess that
they wish to separate the island OF Ireland
from the. kingdom of England. They know,
for they are not such fools as not to know,
that that is thing they will never get
that they never can get. Loud cheers.
And, by Gods help and our own right arm
which, heaven knows, is powerful enough
they shall never get It. [Renewed cheers
/ am led 10 believe that the common sense
of the country must know that these aims
which they profess are absurd, and that
their real objects are in their heart, OF
hearts las believe), and that these leaders
Of their party must go on obtaining money
in order to spend II upon their own selfish
ends, upon debauchery and comparative
luxury in London. Cheers. Those, then,
are their professions. But beyond this is
that Infamous bandof Irish-Amerlcans,o over
the water, ogging them, with no other
object than to create running sore In the
side Of England. But the Parnellites must
have something to show to account Tor the
money they have received, otherwise their
game would be up. We can only hope that
this game will not not be allowed to go on.
They have no spark of feeling for the well
fare OF their own deluded country. That is
the last thing the Irish-Americans think Of.
Their great object is to intiict deadly
wound In the heart and side Of England.
[Cheers.1 There is another feature In the
state OF the country which causes enormous
difficulty, and that is that the natives, de-
luded and caioled, give to these men their
support In money. Their main object Is the
land; but there are a good many objects In
various directions, creating enormous di0l-
culties for whatever government may be In
power We all wish well to Ireland; we
wish that 1t may be as prosperous as Eng
land and Scotland; and II these miserable
adventurers were only out Of the way and
Ireland had only common sense and com
mon patience to wait, there is not a man,
woman, or child in England but would do
everything in their power for the benefit,
the happiness, and the peace OF Ireland.
[Cheers.1 believe that the common sense
Of the country will not dream of yielding
one inch in the direction Of further conces-
sions. [Cheers.l l cannot conceive Of any
other course being open to us than to revert
TO those measures Of regulation and Of law
under which the country was brought TO
some degree, at all events, of order and
propriety, during the three years in which
the coercion bill was in operation. [Ap-
plause.l And II any legal government Is
practicable in that country, 1 cannot con-
ceive Of its being given without some kind
Of efficient supervision in some way or
other. II the Irish in their present condl.
ton arc allowed to work their own will,
without let or hindrance, 1t seems to me II
will he the greatest madness that could be
thought Of. [Cheers.l