The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-06-29
SECRETARY MANNING.
He Thinks Home-Rnle Agitation Will Hurry
Repeal of Reconstruction Legislation.

Hor SPRINGS. Va, June 2S-Since his de
parture from Washington the Hon Daniel
Manning has been rapidly regaining his old
time vigor and strength in the Quot seciusion
of one Of the summer resorts of the Old Domln-
ion. Away up among the Virginia hills, at Hot
Springs, he is enjoying the much needed and
well-earned repose which his physicians deemed
it advisable for him to take. But even IN this Sc
clusion he does not permit himself to lose track
of what is going on in the world but keeps
touch through the newspaper md through con-
versations with persons who ,isit him there OF
what is doing at home and abroad in affairs of
governments and politics which especially inter
est him. In a casual conversation with gen.
tleman who spent some hours with him, he ex-
pressed himself very freely. In regard to the
discussion in the House of Commons OF Mr.
Gadstones homerule bill, he said that he
found great qualification in the sudden and.
what he believes to be, the permanent growth In
England of the American doctrine of States
rights and community independence, as opposed
to centralized power, whether In London or
Washington, and as opposed to the centripetal
tendencies of all governments, the evils OF which
tendencies in our government gave him much
solicitude while actively concerned in the ad-
ministraton of the Treasury Of the pending
discussion of home rule he said
1.-THE discussion across the sea over the future
government of Ireland which so profoundly in
terests those Of the Irish race in America, will
tend to revive in our own administration the
memory and the learning of the Democratic
statesmen of the earlier days, who believed and
taught that our own experiment or empire on
the American continent can only be successful
by the maintenance of local autonomy, the sew
erance and distribution of legislative and exec
utive powers over local affairs, and jealous ap-
plicaton among our own States of the principle
of the remedy proposed by Mr. Gladstone for
Ireland. am confident" continued Mr.. Man
ming, that the burning issue over Ireland will
tend to promote a repeal at Washington OF the
great body of legislation in regard to the super
vision of elections and other subjects of purely
local concern, put upon and now standing, even
at this late day, in the federal statute book,
which legislation, In the era of reconstruction,
under the influence of sectional prejudice and
passion, was placed there by Republican Con-
gress. 1t was the canvass OF Mr. Tilden, IN
1876" he added land the result of that canvass,
Notwithstanding its perversion by the Electoral
Commission, which constrained Hayes to abstain
from the longer application of unconstitutional
military force in the Southern States. and to
recognize the legal autonomy and the lndepend-
ence of the States, which recognition imme-
diatev put an end to the manifestation of hos
tile feelings against the North and restored the
Union. 1t was to perfect the Union in that
sense, ana In vlnQlcatlon OF nome RUE, tnat SO
much hard work was done in 1884 to accomplish
the election of Grover Cleveland and the defeat
of Mr.. Blaine; but the needed work of purgiEg
the federal statute book of unconstitutional leg
slation in condemnation Of home rule has not
yet been done"
Speaking as to the causes Of Mr.. Gladstone's
recent defeat Mr.. Manning said that it seemed
to him that careful examination of the text of
the bill which was refused second reading was
necessary to an adequate realization OF the DIM
culties in the path Of Mr.. Gladstone, and he
added: 1.-THE problem is most difficult oH solu-
tiop. The statesmen of our constitutional epoch
created a fourteenth government, for national
concerns, out OF thirteen existing and jealous
sovereign States, but the British Par
lament has to construct Irish govern
ment for local concerns out Of one imperial
government which has not written constitu-
ton distributing into three compartments-ex-
ecutive, legislative and judicial functions-and
providing for a Supreme Court, appointed for
life, which peremptorily decide when either
department or any one of the autonomies and
confederated States overtops its prescribed
boundaries. Mr.. Gladstone has also to encoun-
ter the peril which inevitably environs one who
is compelled to initiate and formulate plan and
submit to hostile legislative criticism. The pur-
pose Of his bill Is the establishment of legisla-
tivs body in Ireland to deal with affairs purely
Irish, without detriment to the unity and inter
est OK the realm at large. The difficulty lies in
its details rather than in its principle, and when
the details were seen by him to be unacceptable,
he endeavored to withdraw the bill for future
amendment as to details, but to obtain at the
same time an Endorsement of the principle by
the second reading of the bill. Then the oppo-
nents of the Ministry demanded definition of
the principle apart from the definition set forth
in the bill"