The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1886-02-05
ES PARLIAMENT,
Nr. GladstOne's Great speech Before
that BODY.

LONDON, January 23.-Mr. Glad
stones speech made an historic occasion
in the House OF Commons. He rose TO
heights of splendid oratory and delight
ed the house with his humor. Even
the Tory Ministers laughed at MS expo
sure of Salisbury's Change of attitude.
Then he thrilled il with solemnity by his
personal pledges ant appeals. He treated
the whole situation with such act and
power that he completely disconnected
the Tories, won over the Irish and pulled
the Liberals together. Only a solitary
Whig voice was raised In protest.
Mr.. Gladstone declared that his opin.
ion, expressed in his Midlothian mani
Testo, was his opinion DOW, and had
been for fifteen years He showed,
amid laughter, what grounds he had
for supposiDg until just lately that SalIs-
bury was not far from being in the
same position as himself" F" The fol-
lowing characteristic sentence was de-
llyered with tie solemn emphasis of
personal pledge, while the house was
perfectly silent Gladstone's voice was
like great bell, and could be heard far
in the long lobby : From the first my
highest ambition has been, and it con-
tinues to be-and | rebuke myself by
anticipation If / deviate by hairs
breadth from the principle-uot to say
one word of any man mingling IN this
question that can bring the elements of
wrath and passion into q debate and
consideration which nothing but pa
tieuce. nothing but seit-IestTaint, moth
Ing but the casting aside of much preju-
dice and prep0sSessiOn, and nothing but
a determined disposition TO look alone
at what candOT and justice demand Will
.ff No Z ba - -
He urged the Government to do what
ever it Is going to do with the utmost
promptitude and fTankness. AS TO the
unity of the Empire he said, addressing
the ministers, with astounding effect
upon the Irish members, 1T is an ex-
cellent thing to say that you will main
tain the unity of the Empire. In Heav-
ems name maintain il with all your
might. But we have been maintaining
II for eighty-five years, aud not only for
eighty-hve years since the Union, but
Tor six hundred years BEFORE" The ef-
feet upon The Irlshmen was that they
appreciated instantly the argument and
the subtle distinction (the reference to
the union that existed when there WAS
an Irish Parliament), which had never
fallen from the lips of an English Min
ister before. Their faces flushed with
pleasure, and they cheered madly. Af-
terward several of them said 10 me
He has taken all the venom out OF the
struggle - This was shown by Mr..
2arneli, who concluded his dignIfed
and wise speech by saying that for his
party they saw in the present position a
desire and a wish oD the part OF Eng
ltshmen 10 study aud understand with a
view to its final settlement this great
Irish question, and they were resolved
that no extravaganza on their part
should mar lhe chau-e which thlir
country possessed for the first time in
its history.
Yesterday has shown how iuconceiva-
bly, silly were those prophets who talked
about MI. GladsLone's influence being
on the wane. Perhaps he will let bis
followers stray alone for awhile, but,
like The man in GoldsmIth's poem, he
knows that when he is pleased co do so
he can whistle them back