The Cecil Whig., 1886-06-19
A GREAT SPEECH.
Mr. j. G. BLAINE ON HOME RULE.
Delivered on Tuesday Evening, june l.,
iSSG, at The Home Rule Meeting in
Portland. Maine.

Portland. Maine.
THE SPEECH.
FeUo,c CUi.eus:-Dircctly after til
| published notice of this meeting | re
ceIved letter from venerable friend il
an adjacent county asking me, as | wa
announced to speak, to explain, if could
what the Irish question is, | apprecat,
| this request, fer on an issue that cali
| forth So much sympathy and so mucl
sentiment among those devoted to fret
government throughout the world, ant
| eVokeS So much passion among those GhC
are directly concerned in the result, thcr,
may be danger of not giving sufficient
attention to the simple elementary facts
which enter into the case.
What then is Home Itule? 1t is moth.
ing more and nothing less than that
which is enjoyed by every State and
Territory OF the United States. Ap-
plause, Negatively it is what the peo.
pie of Ireland do not enjoy. Ia Paria,
ment Of Gao members Great Britain has
JG1 and Ireland has 103. Except with
the consent Of this Parliament, in which
the Irish members are outnumbered by
more than five to one, the people of Ire
land possess 10 Legislative power what
ever. They cannot incorporate horse
railroad company. or authorize a ferry
over a stream, or organize q Gas com
pany to light the streets of a city. AppIv
that case TO ourselves. Sunnnse the
State of Maine were linked with the
State of New York in = Joint IcgisIa+nre
in which New York had more than five
members to Maine'S one. Sunnnse Won
could not take step for the imnr6vc-
ment of your beautiful city. nor the
State organize an association of any kind
or adopt any measure for it's own ad
vaucement, unless bv the permission of
the overwhelming majority of tie New
York members. How LONG do Won think
the people of Maine would endure that
condition of affairs? And vet, that illus
trates the position which Ireland holds
with respect to England, except that
there is one aggravating feature in addi-
ton which would not apply to New York
and Maine, namely, the centuries of op-
preston v hich have inspired the people
OF Ireland with a deep sense of wrong TO-
ward tuem Oh the part ct England.
Ii the Irish question were left to the
people of the United States to adjust |
suppose We should saw. atInpt the Fed
eral system. Let Ireland have her lpUis.
laturc, let England have her le0isIatnre
let Scotland have her legislature. let
Wales have her legislature, and then let
the Imperial Parliament lc.sislate for the
British Empire. Let questions that are
lrish be settled by Irishmen, questions
that are English b1 settled by English
men, questions that are Welch be settled
by WelChmen, questions that are Scotch
be settled by Scotchmcr. And LEFT ones
tionS that affect the whole EmDira of
Great Britain be settled in = Parliament
IN which the four great constituent eIe-
ments shall be imp1rtiallv rcnrpsented
( Applause. ! That wouId be our direct
shorthand method Of settI;ur the ones.
Cion. Under that system we have lived
and crown and prospered for more than
one hundred yca,s IN +Le I-nitad Sf,tes
Of America. CONTINUALLY cxnonding and
streugtheninr our institn-
lions Tapplausel, and hence we can with
confidence commend il to other Nations,
do rot r,r,ro. I,r,-o,.,,,, .,,. :. .,1a
he moro nr,,,i,;o;,n, -, ,.+-''4 S.i..a
tho c,,,ot dd.,,;1. ,lr ,.,s ~. s..
would cottIa ti,;c In a4t; L.
tranr Cot n,,;t,;, = ItN,aJ ~
nrescrihe Gnfir;tn ,nnosmIn, fnn n.i+ii1,
parliament wn,ld ha ,(,o.,,,,,,,+i,t, 90,
.,nr. ,,,,,, ,,,,,ai, e. r. T'l,:} ~ w
,la =, ,,,o,o,.;l, ,iIt. PIo
Gt,, 'iio"''Ioa iol 'tio
-nnnr. 'c''l '''' teo'' r'''o no'iIe' 81
,,n, oC c,-a,4 Eii..;'. ';',''S 1no loAo.ls -,
/ v;,od So 4,at '1''i,' ~ o'Liooi i n'i5 tne
10. ',i,'O 49, pesn t"usn'
ai ti''' - otitieieo 'ii1
p, rI;,mont ''' or, roI,,,o l,,e ut'1 VI
,In,orstI,, ~, .lt'I i1Gl u
ni;1 'I'V, o'' $500 o.T',SiJi uuiih
Cn,nnnns ,ha+ ~ ..Ii,a t,' ny ,io''so VI
I-nitrd Sfotns c,,,1d ,,ot sl,s
decIara vaI jGt - D,;td l ~ l, t5o y" po"oi
tLI Ct,l,t' ;, IA 80. ,,'' aI,,I,V oIS'"T ~
:, An,or;,., 1.nan .i, q. otey y, SCnooiuoS ~ ~
If ,bo ,,it,I St,4o.. ,+I' 'oo t.sf
IInnsa 70 ,,.i,inI, ~ .i "i.'
sinaIy, ,r;o,' it, .l va W. !"
i-'i" "iiiiei etoh
" ~, i'"U o. D'.u do "i,o'i,,i "n'Gn Is
S",s. ~ i',s'o ooculiou III '!ie h!l'lsh al
",lo' , ~ iIn a.''i1il
un law tIo I:,,itdG e4nt the iAu,.oo ,:i .,i'I
t,,,;t y i,i Va" '5,'too was 'aii'.
o,' ~ ''1"eiU vi 'ii1
VI 70 " Ilio oolGl"l
corrected him by saying, you are
wrong. The American Congress cannot
discuss any measure until two-thirds of
the Legislatures OF the States shall have
already approved it," Renewed and
prolonged laughter Admonished by
these and Ike instances l refrain from
any discussion of the details Of Mr.. Glad
stones Home ltule bill. 1t may not be
perfect. 1t may not give to Ireland all
that she is entitled to. | only know