The Wilmingtonian., 1886-06-12
SATURDAY JUNE IL, 1856.
The Home Rule nafent.

The bill for Irish Home Rule was de-
feated in the House of Commons in its sec.
ond reading Wednesday night by combin-
ed Tory and Liberal majority of thirty votes.
1t is deleat-but, only for the present.
The theory of Home Rule is impossible of
obliteration. Its motto is ''iesurgam, it
will rise again pbenix-like.
Wednesday night was most momentous
one in the annals of English history. The
debate on the question was battle of the
giants. Every inch of ground in Westmlns-
ter hall was packed. All the estates OF the
realm were present. Dukes, marquis, es, earls
and barons, all the historic names of England
among peers and commoners were ranged in
packed pbalanxes in the great hall.
The prominent speakers of the night were
Gladstone, Goschen, Parnell, Chamberlain,
and Hicks Beach.
AS was well known beforehand the posi-.
tion to be taken by the opposition was that
of distinteg a,on If the empire. Such
claim put forward was the wiliest and most
strategic of any that could be selected by
the opponents of Home Rule. In one sense
it was uuauswerable. Mr. Gosehen drew
from Mr.. Parnell the assertion that ''th,,re
was no halfway house between legislative
autonomy and the disseve arue of Ireland" !"
Undoubtedly that assertion influenced
against Mr.. Paruell large share of the thir-
ty votes that defeated the measure. The
more's the pity, not SO much that Mr. Par
nell allowed himself to be trapped into thus
discovering his views at that most critical
moment of the debates at the time when their
retention might have assured the passage of
the bill and their naked expression do nanght
but arouse the suspicion of those who were
inclined to make some allowances in the di-
rection of federal union. The fea.s of those
who saw greater good in making concessions
than in perpetuating coercion we're rudely
disturbed by Mr.. Parnel's uusagacous bold
ness.
The peroratiou of Mr.. Goschen's speech
undoubtedly touched the patriotic feelings Of
the majority of the English members He
concluded =
81 implore the House by the traditions Of
which we are the heirs, by obligations Of
duty and honor, by our hopes of the future
of the empire, by our duty to the Queen, to
look to it that those who come after us NAV
bear witness that we have not betrayed our
trust"
But what have we, Americans, to do with
all this bother ani squable of English poll.
tics Here we have, or a certain number OF
us, been sending over messages of cougratu.
lation and cheer to one party and the other
messages of sympathy and pecuniary aid
what for? For the purpose of making radi
cal if not revolutionary changes in the Brit.
ish constitution.
Who are we, and what are we? Are W,
irishmen, or English, or Scotch or what
We should be Americans and that alma
Have we any right to position in the prem
ises. Americans have taken the floor upor
aquestion of domestic British politics. ant
strange to say have been recognized bv tb,
chair Mr.. Gladstone).
Did the world ever behold such A move
picture of international conditions
Americans should have more respect
more thorough recogniti m of their FOREIGN
ness in, and too, this question than to hay,
iniulged themselves in the peculiar eccen
tricity of attracting the Grand Old Man
over-willng attention. 1t should be remem
bered that he is the Prime Minister of Emo
land and that in an exchange OF direct per
sonal political views we, as Americans ar
establishing most mschievous precedent
that may nlteriorly, when the convers
opportunity offers, innure greatly to our dis
advantage
Suppose, for instance in the question a
the Panama Canal VIII ch is bound in III
future TO give Us serious trouble how ca
our Secretary Of State deny the qne,tionn
and or tIcisu Of foreigners.
They must be directly answered by MI
Bayard, just as Mr.. Gladstone has ace de-
TO the words Of Americans.
Aud in questions Of inte,nat onal stgniR
canee 'leading questions" are extremely en-
blrrassing.
Americans ave no business in Ennlis
politics and the sooner they lecosniz, tha
fact the more Decent aud honorable aud re
specialize shall we be in the eyes of th
world aud in 'ur own ,tmatrou,
EquRIizer-Not a Socialist.