New-York tribune., 1886-01-10
HOME RULE.
III.
Mr.. GLADsTONE's SCHEME AND ITS REcEP-

atatemcnt
scheme does not in the least diminish the genera
interest in the disclosure. Tho Engiish puoiio %
mt bepun to concern itself with details "h"'
interests the English public is the question wnetnor
Mr. Gladstone has or has not resolved on poi'oy
of Homo Rule for Ireland with an IRISH rarHalon'
in Dublin Everybody believes that no mas "
does not deny it bis friends asseit H. iheio 10 "
fact no doubt that he has lie coud nave Acp. 'l,
soc-e, 10 bo had choson He could, OF course nave
,.servcd the announcement of it for great speech
ON a solemn occasion. fIo has preferred 10 io' "
leak out. 1t is the most momentous dec'sio" any
Enolisl. statesman in this generation has TAKEN
The .onseonences of it are incalculablo Why does
Mr. ,;l.dstone choose that it should become KNOWN
it, this furtive wayS
do not presume to say what tho reasons are ny
which 10 Iustfes this singular course 10 h'hi'ei'
All | can do is to repeat what is sA'd oF po'p'o
here i'll London. They treat 1T as a party moFo'
and the common Judgment is that thls cna"oo
revelation Of his purpose is meant 10 eio'ii''
Lord Salisbury. and TO win movo III tho t""h0
now playing. and to played out next January or
February in Parliament. That IS view WHICH u"eS
ininstioe to Mr. Gladstone. No doubt he wants 10
settle the Irish question. No donbt lie did want
In turn ont tho Tories. But this is matter III
which it would have been to hs advantage 10 'et
his epro,.cnts make tho Grst move. AS party
leader, ho would naturally have waited uii LOT"
Salisbury had met Parliament and saia wha' nc " "'
going to do or not going to do. lie mas '""e" %
holder course There is even reason 10 oeioVe '"''
Lord Salisbury informed by Mr' ullus'oho
visit OF this new departure. That IL not tho ac' VI
a man who desires merely to dish his adversary.
The Tories have no reason to complain. III any
body has reason to complain it is Mr. OladsIohoS
colleagues Two OF three of them have been con
s,ltel The othcrs have not. OF those VINO nave
beep taken into their chiefs confidence ono mas
approved: tho Others have disaPproVed. one Ut
two leading Liberal newspapers were aiio"eu y"
know in advance something OF what was III tno
wind; in order that they might trim thelr salis III
time TO catch it, as they did But upon tho 'u'o
Cabinet rs a whole upon the party as whole
nppn the country. this announcement comes aS
scrushing surprise. 1t Is but two weeks since MI
C,1s,ono apnealod to the constituencies OF
ENGLAND and Scotland 10 givo him majority great
enouob, to make him ndcpendcnt oi Mt farnoi''
and enable him to settle tho Irish difficulty on hiH
own terms Tho constituencies oil England anu
Scotland did not give him the majority Nc aSho"
for and Mr. Gla lstono's next public appearance. IL
would seem, is in the character oil Mr' farho"s
obedient servant. lIo has in his pocket scheme
for liome Rule rs to which one thing is corta' tna'
II is intended to meet Mr. Parnols views. If it can
be carried it can be carried Ivy Mr. Parnels heip'
and not otherwise. 1t is q singular commentary on
the Midlnthiao declaration. A month ago there
was vital danger to the Empire il the lrisn domand
were not to be dealt with by q majority IN the
House of Commons perfectly independent oi the
Irish vote A month makes all the difference Inc
Irish demand is now to be dealt with by majority
in which tho Irish vote is an essential ingredient
Aud tho danger to the Empire must be supposed
to have disappeared altogether.
NV own conjecture about Mr.. Gladstones motive
for letting his conversion to Homo Eulo be known
IN not at all that he wanted to steal march on tho
Tories think il far moro probable that ho wanted
To force the hand of his party. III lac fails, 1t
becomes clear that he cannot carry his party with
him into Mr. Parnell's camp, he has left himself
possible path tor retreat. He might dsavow the t9o
jealous organs which have begun to play the Home
Rulo tune. 1t not he who gave them tier cue.
There will be nothing record against him. save
to his own conscience. and to his own conscience nc
will have an easy answer; that he has done his beat
to give ehect to his convictions and has failed But
from this time on every sign and every straw that
moves on the Liberal side will be watched with
keen anxiety for evidence of the drift OF Liberal
opinion on this question.
It is already evident that Mr. Gladstone has not
set himself nm easy task. If he could hopo ior
support anywhere inside the Liberal party 1t woaid
naturally be from the Radicals. Two of the Radi-
cal leadcrs-more accurately speaking. the two
Radical leaders spoke yesterday, and beth declared
AGAINST Mr. Gladstonos scheme for Home Rule.
Tbey do not make their declaration moro blunt
negative like mine, but their meaning is none the
less clear for being wrapped up in civil crcumlocu-
tions. Sir Charles Dixie. who though not consulted
knows perfectly well what has been going on at
Hauarden. protests against being driven, either
backward or forward, from principles he had
before proclaimed advantageous TO the Empire as q
whole. He ignores sMr. Gladstono's proposal, and
contents himself with saying that the scheme foI
rla trela Nd NNh T. he a
before his constituents at the elections is the one tc
which be adheres. 1t would have received, he
says a very large measure of support III Ireland q
fow months ago, and bo is not inclired to rocod'
from it because that support is no longer to b'
had You will find 1t interesting to compare this
cautious statement with the much more full an'
definite one on the same subje which l telc
graphed you last week.
Mr.. Chamberlain has spoken at greater length j,
tho ssine sense and with many most slgnii CAL
comments on the new departure Z" / hope" h
said Yesterday to tho Reform Club of Birmingham
sI hope We are agreed that we should not lEo
Liberal Government TO hold Office at the mercy o
MI Psrnell.r Mr. Chamberlain is willing to for
give or to forget, the help lent by the Irish cade
10 the Tories in tho elections. though ho remind
i'm with so;no Sharpness that by his conduct be ha
sienated and embittered all sections Of the Libera
party. Nay, though the Radical would like to Sc
Engiish ana lrlSh lhdIch sh"iucI 10 sh"uluci uI"l
the paths of political freedom and progress. Nj
Parneli, SAYS Mr.. Chamberlain. has do"e much t
delay such result perhaps to make it impossible
Still national questions must not DC prcjudiced b
prrsonal considerations But Mr. Chamberlai
himself is 10 ,rty he tolls lis. to any negotiation
now proceeding with Mr. Parnen, and there i no
word of truth in tne statement that he Ia
approved them. lie is still. lie has always beer
and in Mr. Gladstone's own woids ready to give tl
largest possible measure OF local government {
Ireland subject to the integrity of the Empire an
tho supremacy Of the Crown. L" But it is right it
due to the Irish people. to say that all sections