The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-01-09
And Desire to Ameliorate Ireland's Condition
as Far as Possible-Threats of Irish
Americans and Their Effect.
The Situation Very Serious, and Glad
stone Not the Man for the Time.
An Important Innovation by the Church in
Spain-German Decorations for Papal
Officials-Other News by Cable.
What 1886 Promises To Do for the Relief of
Englapd's Poor Relation.


What 1886 Promises To Do for the Relief of
Englapd's Poor Relation.
Correspondence of he Indianapolis Journal.
LONDON Jan. I've stand on the threshold
of the new year, and rarely have we had a more
vague idea of what is in store for us when the
door shall open and the new history begin. Mr..
Gladstone is the hope and fear of the time. The
heart of the nation is not with him; the intellect
of the nation has no confidence in him. If Lord
Salisbury were backed with the votes of good
majority, and had with him strong working
Cabinet, with real. constitutional control, all
would be we'll. He is a reliable Minister, and
his influence with continental governments is
great. But, unfortunately, his party is in
minority, and the Liberals are not numerous
enough to act independently. Any government
that reigned by the weight of powerful major
ity would do the right thing, because it would
be independent and have no wick to trim. No
Ministry without real power can solve the prob
lens that demand solution in the new year.
What will happen no one can tell. The stua-
tion is serious one. and it is made the more
serious by the hurried and undigniied bids for
Office which are being made by the most
turbulent Minister that ever imposed his
strong will upon England. Mr.. Gladstone
began the campaign which has just ended
with bitter denunciations of the Irish chief and
Lord Salisbury, with whitening scorn of the
rebel claims of the Parnellites. To-day he is
their apologist and would be their mouthpiec
and their ministerial friend. He has formulated
measure of home rule but he denies it's existence
because he has not put it on paper. The Daily
News, which gave up attacking the Parnellites
the moment it was seen the Conservatives could
not have majority, has gone in for home rule
with Gladstone, and on Christmas day it con-
tanned clever apologetic editorial in justifca
tion of the Gladstone position. 1T is character
istic of the English mind" says the Daily News
''even when it has come to the conclusion that
something must be done, to shrink back from
the proposal to do something definite; aud when
it has made up its mind that the time must come
for action of particular kind, to be startled at
the suggestion Sat the time has actually come
To this quality. which is the weak side of the
prudence and caution which have marked the
history of the nation, must in part be
attributed the revusion of feeling which
Mr.. Gladstone's proposal to deal at once with the
question Of home rule has excited in many
minds" In spite of Mr.. Gladstone's declaration
that he has no plan, but will prefer to wait for
Lord Salsburys first move the Liberal organ
concludes that he has, and goes on preparing the
way for it. The moderate men of both parties
are anxious to be very generous to Ireland, and
will be, no doubt but the situation is not i'm
proved by the threats of the Irish in America,
whose cabled utterances in the London dailies
are rather calculated to stiffen the back of the
nation than promote kindly feeling. Mr.. Parnell
has more to fear just now from his friends than
from his enemies The American Irish are COM
plcating rather than ameliorating the position.
They are reported to threaten revolutionary vio-
lence unless Mr. Parnelrs programme is accepted,
unless his demands are granted. At present
Mr.. Parnell has not stated what he wants. He
has promulgated no programme. Under these
circumstances, it would perhaps be wise
it would certainly be better for Mr.. Par
nell-if the American Irish waited until
the English government knows what his pro-
gramme is before they threaten to annihilate the
poor old country if it does not grant his demands
Ii Mr.. Parnell were to limit his claims within
constitutional lines, and promise to Great Britain
patriotic allegiance to her united and imperial
empire: if he were to give frank promise that
estly denounced crime, and journalistic incite
ments thereto; if he gave the government real,
broad handsome opportunity to take him by the
hand, he would then have both sides in a true
rivalry to carry out his wishes But. the nation
being in a generous mood, it will be dangerous
to trespass upon it with threats. The proposal
of the Daily News is no doubt sufficiently in
spired by Mr.. Gladstone to be taken as fair in
dcation how far the Liberals are prepared to 60.
s'An Irish Parliament, strictly limited to legis-
ation on purely Irish questions, and to legis-
lation on them in conformity with the funda-
mental principles on which the policy of
the United Kingdom is based, would in
our belief ea the beginning of pacification, and
is the essential condition Of it. Whether or not
this is the best political in itself we need
not now discuss. 1t is best ftteo ~ ~ meet the
present emergency. 1t would bring bacs 10
Ireland classes and influences whose absence
thence is in a great degree the of the pres
ent mischief An Irish Parliament in Dublin
for Irish work would have at least this great
advantage it would give the Compons time aud
opportunity for imperial affairs, and might, the
House being free of purely Irish questions de-
veiop a patriotic interest among Irish members
in the larger necessities of government and legis
lation. Apart from the Irish question, the
English outlook is far from encouraging Trade
does not improve commercial prospects are
dark. the Stock Exchange is dull, and
ward tendency. The German tariffs under
the Bismarckian regime have proved very injuri-
Gus to the English iron and other industries.
The failure of the elections to give the country a
strong and settled government has hurt England
in the East. America and Turkey will come
closer together by reason Of it, and the triple al
lance will develop into a formidable factor of
peace and war, should Lord Salisbury be de-
feated in Office which is now more than prob
able. Throughout society and among all classes
of people there is apparent that k4nd of uncer-
tain feeling which is the forerunner of great
events. The nation is waiting, as it were, wait
ing for the worst or the best, assured that the
time has arrived for something to be done" one
way or the other. What that something may be