The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1886-10-26

clothes had been. Their garments
were literally patchwork. An intel
ligent Protestant Irishman sat be-
side me in the coach, and as we saw
the evidences of poverty and misery,
l asked him if these were not cx-
tremc and exceptional cases of pov-
erty even for Ireland. He answered
no. He declared that those children
in their rags were fair representa-
tives of the children generally Y in that
part of Ireland, and said that it was
simply impossible for the people liv-
ing in that poor country to pay their
rent and obtain sufficient food and
clothing. why do they not go
clsewhere?" l asked. "They cannot
get away" he replied.
1t would be difficult to divide and
properly assign the blame Of the
miserable state of affairs in Ireland
where it belongs. The ownership Of
Ireland by a few landlords, the most
of whom reside in England, must. |
think, be named as the main cause
of Ireland's misery. | cannot ex-
press too strongly my adherence of
the whole system of landlordism as
it exists in Great Britain and Ire
land. 1t begins in conquest and
ends in wholesale robbery. 1t is
founded on gross injustice and in
iquitv. And time never can make
wrong right.
"Who owns this land?" | asked of
the coach driver. Lord Kenmare."
"How much does he own:" ''Oh, he
owns about all the country around
here" / was told afterward that he
owned over 60,000 acres. | asked a
boatman at Glengariffe if there was
any game over on the mountain side.
"Plenty of it, he said "Arc You
allowed to take any of it?' NO,
sir; they would put me in Jail if l
killed a hare or grouse. rs
there good fishing here in the bay"
'Yes, but we are not allowed to fish
here where there is good fishing. 1T
is reserved for Lord Bantry and his
friends"
While we were in Glengarifie one
of Her Majesty's gun-boats steamed
into the bay and anchored. There
is force oftwenty thousand consta-
bulary, and twenty-five thousand
soldiers in Ireland, and get it is i'm
possible to preserve order. THERE'S
something radically wrong. l do not
think that Home Rule would cure
the evils which ailiict poor Ireland.
A REPUBLIC.
j have been greatly surprised at
the opinion freely expressed by En-
glishmen, both Conservatives and
Liberals, that Great Britain is des-
tined to become Republic. ] do
not pretend to say how generally the
opinion prevails. can only say
that several times when the subject
has been discussed, this has been
the prevailing opinion expressed by
intelligent Englishmcn. Conserva-
tives acknowledge with regret the
drift Of public sentiment in favor of
a Republic. Liberals speak eau
tiously and with some misgiyings as
to the desirableness ofsuch change
in the form of Government, but they
think it is coming gradually. l have
heard q goodly number of English
men speak upon the subject and they |
all expressed the belief that Repub-
lican Government will finally prevail !
not only in England but throughout
Europe. Some things are quite sure
to happen in England within the
next fifty years, probably within
twenty years, which will be favora-
BILE to a change in the form of Gov
ernment
/ - DIsESTABLISHMENT.
The disestablishment of the
Church is not far off. Wales is now
in q ferment of excitement over the
question of tithes which will not
cease until the people are freed from
the burden of supporting a Church |
from which they derive no benefit.
| had the pleasure Of dining yester-
day evening with the Hon. Henry
Richard, who has been a member of
Parliament tor twenty years. He
said that he introduced bill about |
two years ago for the disestablish-
ment of the Church of Wales, and |
that only twelve more votes were
then needed to carry it through the
House of Commons. He thought
that the time is near when there will
be no Established Church anywhere
in Great Britain.
1t is an open secret here that the
Established Church is a main bull
walk of the monarchy. The mon
archy with its traditions and titles
is closely related to the Church of
England with its orders and preten-
sions. Guizot in his History OF Civ
ilization marks the correspondence
between ecclesiastical politics and |
civil Governments-Absolute Mon
archy and the Papacy; Limited Mon
archy and Episcopacy; A Republic
and Presbyterianism or kindred pol
,itics. 1t is an interesting question
for us Presbyterians to consider,
whether if Republican Government
is to prevail finally over the Mon
archy, both absolute and limited, |
Presbyterian polity substantially
will not finally prevail over both Pa
pacy and Episcopacy in its various
kinds and degrees.
PARLIAMENT.
Through the kindness Of friends l
was admitted to the House of Com
mons where | spent half night in
listening to the debates. l heard
Mr.. Labouchere in one of his caustic
attacks ON the Government, and the
able reply of Lord Randolph Church
i'll. Then came Mr.. Morley, who,
wiser than Mr. Labouchere, and with