Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-06-19
GLADSTONE SPEAKS.
TIE PREMIER OPENS TIRE CAMPAIGN
IN scorLAsD's CAPITAL.
He Makes q Powerful Speech in Favor
Of Home Government
for Ireland.

EDINBURGH, june lo.-Mr. 0iau-
stone spoke in Music Hall here to-
night. Tickets of admission had been
Issued, and the hall, which is capable
Of holding 1900 persons, was filed to
It's utmost capacity. The audience
cheered for Gladstone and Lord Rose.
berry and groaned for Chamberlain and
Lord Harrington and other Unionists.
When be began his speech Mr. Glad
stones voice seemed less powerful
than formerly. He said that lnkermsnn
vas a soldiers battle. 1t was not
wen by q generals tactics or ability
but by soldiers valor. Equally were
the present dissolution Of Parliament
and the general elections the peoples
battle. Referring to the seeding Lab
erals, Mr.. Gladstone said the question
was whether the country would resolve
with strong sense Of justice and SYM
patty for Ireland to compensate for
these defections. 81 am strongly con-
vinced," said he, that the peo-
pie have resolved to carry the
day, notwithstanding the detection
of prominent leaders OF the Liberal
party. This contest was fought against
us by officers Of our own army. The
Conservatives were content to leave the
work in the leaders hands. They call
themselves Unionists, and US Disinte-
orators. They wish to preserve pa
per union unaltered. We feel that it
| should be specially conserved so far as
| it is valuable. We seek union OF
heart and mind, which we are strug-
Cling to restore. 1t is desirable to
speedily close this great controversy
for every interest in this country. The
position of all parties will be deplors-
bic. Public business will be inter-
rupted and public confidence shaken.
Special order in Ireland will not be re-
stored unless the people speak clearly,
manfully, and decisively, such as the
question merits. ICheers.l Do not
let it be said that the ma
ton is unequal to the task
Of dealing with the question. Some
finch from the difficulty; some turn
their backs in the hour Of trouble. Let
the nation not do likewise. Rest as
sured that il the nations voice be given
| in defence of our cause, when the con-
test is settled and the excitement has
passed away, it will resemble the old
question of religious disability, parlia-
mentary reform, and free trade. The
people will wonder why opposition was
raised. AS before they forgot opposi-
ton 10 the repeal Of the corn laws and
the removal Of religious disability so
will they now forget the opposition to
the change we are striving to attain.
Tie Irish claims were defeated by
Irish agency, the Conservatives having
obtained forty seats through the sup
port Of Parnellites. DO not praise or
blame Parnell for his action. Suppose
fovty had been deducted from our oppO-
Dents in the hOme-rule division. 1t would
have made their number 30l instead Of
! 34l. Suppose the forty had been add
ed to our 3ll; it would have made US
35l instead Of 3ll. 1t is important
that the electors should realize the true
issue, which is much disputed. Is it q
choice between opposite policies regard
ing Ireland-between opposite princi-
pies of action-or choice upon the
details Of large and complicated bill 4?
Important journals urge yoo rot TO con-
slider the policy TO be pursued, but to
entangle yourselves in the details in this
or that particular method Of establish
ing that policy. The question you
are asked to decide is the propo-
sition to establish legislative
body in Ireland to manage ex-
clusively Irish affairs. 1t is a prin-
ciple upon which you are called to vote,
and not details and particulars, or even
a bill. propose to reduce the issue to
a point wherefrom there can be no es-
cape. Among the great and powerful
defections from honesty and honor,
whereof we are convinced, and which
we deeply lament, is that Of our former
powerful ally the Scotsman newspaper
misses and groansl, which has rendered
great and valuable services to the Libe-
raj policy. The Scotsman now goes to
the root Of the matter and puts the
issue in a way in which it can be met
more meritoriously just as our oppo-
nents in Parliament put the issue In a
way at one time fayoring home-rule
and the principle of the bill, and yet
voted against it because they objected
TO the details Of the measure.
Tho Scotsman puts the question
fairly and clearly. 1t says: Amy
general professions by ministeriallsts
Of a desire for self-goyernment in Ire
land will serve them. One question
will test the value or meaning Of these
professions. Let the candidate be
asked if be would in the new Parlia-
ment support Gladstone's bill if re-
| introduced with alterations explained
at the Foreign Office meeting. If he
will, he is for disunion, and ought TO be
rejected. No play upon words will
help him out Of this position. Now
mark the coming words safe self
government for ireland is the one thing
most desirable in Gladstone's bill.
But there is another most undesirable
feature" now make the Scots
man and all agreeing with 1t
very handsome offer. | am sure
when they mention safe self-govern'
ment they don't mean by safe to emas
culate the substantive. They NEAR
that with reasonable precautions the
Irish ought to have real effective con
troll Of Irish affairs. That is all w
INTERCHANGEABLE we ask of you
We never asked Parliament to tie itsel
to the details Of the bill. There is n'
part Of it that Parliament is not per
lectly free to change, If the change Il
compatible with the principle, likely t
forward the application of the principle
better than the provisions embodied Il
the bill.
We would come to accept tn
change in this as no novelty
I made this declaration on be
half of the Government. The cas-
is this: We had before us a'principl
, to establish an Irish statutory legisla