The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-08-28
History of the Home-Rule Agitation and the
Political Steps by Which He Sought to
Place the Controversy on True Basis.
The Writer Considers and Treats of the
Lessons of the Recent Elections.
Mr.. Sexton Delivers an Earnest Speech in
Support of the Parnell Amendment-The
House Votes to Sustain the Government.
THE IRISH QUESTION.
Mr. Gladstone on Home Rule and the Les
SON of the Late Elections.

of the Late Elections.
LONDON, Aug. 27--Mr. Gladstone's brochure
on the Irish question was published to-day 1t
contains ffty-eight pages. and is similar, in the
excellence of its style, to Mr.. Gladstone's
pamphlet on the Bulgarian atrocities. At the
outset Mr.. Gladstone compares it with the apol-
ogy he wrote on his change of attitude regarding
the Irish church But he continues sin the
present case have no such change to indicate,
but have only to point out the mode in which
my language and conduct were governed by uni
formity OF principle. have simply followed the
various stages by which the great question of
autonomy for Ireland has been brought to the
stage of ripeness for practical legislation"
The brochure is under two heads. The first
is the History of an Idea" in which Mr.. Glad
stone summarizes the following conditions un-
der which, alone, in his view, home rule became
possible.
First, the abandonment of the hope that
Parliament could serve as possable legislative
instrument for ireland; second the uneuuivocal
and constitutional demand of the Irish MEMBERS
third. the possibility of dealing with Scotland in
similar way In circumstances of equally clear
desire"
MIR. Gladstone then passes on to defend himself
from the charge of having sprung the home
rule measure unon his friends Replying to the
charges Of Harrington and Chamberlain, that he
had conceived the idea precipitately, and to the
charge of Mr. Bright that he had concealed it
unduly, he denies that it is the duty of Min
lister to make known, even to his colleagues,
every idea forming in his mind, which would tend
to confuse and retard, instead of aid business.
He continues: what is true is that had
not publicly and in principle condemned it. and
also that had mentally considered it; but / had
neither adopted nor rejected it, and for the very
simple reason that it was not ripe, either for
adoption or for rejection"
Mr.. Gladstone then goes on to point out that,
during all the earlier years of his public life the
alternatives were repeal onthe one hand, and on
the other the relief of Ireland from grievances.
1t was not possible he says, at that time, to
prognosticate how, in short time, Parliament
would stumble and almost writhe under its con-
stantly- y-accumulating burdens, or to pro-
nounce that it would eventually prove in
incapable of meeting the wants of
Ireland Evidently there was period.
when Irish patriotism, as represented by
OConnell, looked favorably upon this alterna-
tive policy and had no fixed conclusion as to
the absolute necessity for home government,
and seemed to allow that measures founded in
justice to Ireland might possibly suffice to meet
the necessity of the case. It was as early as
1877, Mr.. Gladstone says, that he took the first
step toward placing the controversy on its
true basis He opposed Mr. Butts scheme be-
cause the alternative described in the last para
graph had not been exhausted, but even at that
time he did not close the door against recogni-
ton of the question in different state of
things, for instead Of denouncing the idea of
home rule as one in its essence destructive of
the unity of the Empire, in the following words
he accepted the assurance given to the contrary:
Let me do the promoters Of this movement
the fullest justice. always speaking under the
conviction, as they most emphatically declare,
and as I fully believe them, that the union
of these kingdoms under her Majesty is TO be
maintained, but that Parliament is TO be broken
up"
Similarly, in 1874, Mr. Gladstone accepted,
without qualification, the principle that home
rule had necessary connection with separa-
ton. When Mr.. Shaw succeeded to the home
rule leadership in 1880, Mr.. Gladstone hailed his
speech as showing an evident disposition to re-
spect the functions of the House of Commons
and the spirit of the Constitution. In 1881. at
the Guild Hall, he announced that he would hail
Vith satisfaction and delight, any measure of
local government for Ireland. Coming to the
electoral campaign OF 1886. Mr. Gladstone says
his great object was to do nothing to hinder the
prosecution of the question by the Tories, but
to use his best efforts to impress the public mind
with the Importance and urgency of the ques-
tion. It was in this spirit that his Midlothian
address was written. The Irish ques-
ton was severed from the gen.
eral subject of local government, and il was
pointed out that it would probably throw into
the shade all other important measures which
were ripe. Once ripe the time for action had
come just as if it had been corn-ield, we
were not to wait until it was over-ripe. The
healing of inveterate sores would only become
more difficult, the growth of budding hopes more
liable to be checked and paralyzed by the frosts
of politics. For England, in her soft arm chair,
leisurely, very leisurely consideration, with
adjorunments interposed. as 1t had been usual
SO also would it have been comfortable. But for
Ireland, in her leaky cabin, 1t was of consequence
to stop out the weather
In the second portion of tbs pamphlet. s.The
Lesson of the Elections, Mr. Gladstone begins
drawing certain lessons from the elections as
they affect the Liberal party. In the course of
some full calculations, no estimates the loss to
the Liberal party from the Unonist schism at two
sevenths of the whole, but this fraction is dis
tributed, he points out, very unequal among the
classes. 1t has commanded ive-sixths he says,
of the Liberal per cent. but not moro than one
twentieth of the Liberal workingmen Mr.
Gladstone points out that even now the Tories
have failed to secure an absolute majority, and
draws the final conclusion that at the first mo-
ment liberalism is again united it must again
become predominant in Parliament Mr. Glad
stone sees further ground for hope in the abate-
.nent that has already taken place in the Tory
opposition. HWe hear no more pot-valiant Ian
guage.a he says; mo more of the Hottentots, aad
no more Of the famous twenty years during