The Irish standard., 1888-02-11
SATURDAY. FEBRUARY IA. 1888.
OPENING OF THE BRITISH PAR
LIAMENT.

OPENING OF THE BRITISH PAR
LIAMENT.
To-day Thursday the British Parl'a.
ment ccnyenes for the transactlon ol
business. We have not been told what
the Speech from tho Throne will TORE
shadow, but it is quite easy to surmlse.
The Tories will fiatter thems lives that
the condition of Ireland has improved
and that a satisfactory solution OF the
Irish problem has been arrived at
This is only supposition, but the ego
tism displayed by the Tory ministers
affords reasonable grounds for ths hy-
Dothesis while in fact the Irish ques-
t;on was never further away from a
satisfactory settlement, according to
their ideas, than at present. The CO.
.ercjon bill is now nearly yearin active
.oparation. and can anyone assert
truthfully that it has accomplished the
purpose for which it was promulgated.
III ia true that hundreds Of lrishmen
have been cast into British dungeons
but they have come forth from the
prisons just as confirmed as previous 10
their incarceration that Ireland must
nave legislative freedom. Has tne
British Government gained favor with
any foreign nation by the manner IN
which it has dealt with the Irish ques-
tion 4? The question admits OF only one
answer. To-day the mere ment1on OF
yre]and's name evokes sorrow IN the
hearts Of all right-thinking men, VINO
cannot but sympathize with the lrlsn
race in their martyrdom.
The Irish people are just as deter
mined to-day as ever not to ylela 20
persecution. The executloner may
continue his work, but the Irish people
will march onward with a. conscious
ness of right until their prayers are
heard. and they are placed in the posi-.
zion which God and nature intended
for them.
The iqnominious failure OF the 10
r;es in their attempt to overthrow
the irish National Land League should
,ffard them considerable food for re-
f,ection. The League has successfully
combatted the attempts made to render
it powerless, and to-day it stands one
third stronger In numbers than
what it did 3 twelvemonth ago. 1t
now bids defiance to dublin Castle
rule and filings back its threats in utter
scorn.
The significance of the forthcoming
session of Parliament in relation to
irish interests cancotb be overestlinated.
Tt is only a few weeks ago since the
Irish leader stated that he believed
grave dissensions existed in the ranks
If the coercion party. Later events
have demonstrated the truth OF the
assertion. 1t is doubtful If the
Tories will! be able to hold their
own until the end OF the ses'
sion. The unholy alliance existing
betweeu the dissidents and Lord Sails
bury's party is not likely to be of long
The only object the former had
in Joining the Tory party was 10 forward
their own selfish ends, and in this they
have been foiled. Salisbury knew that
he could not depend upon them, and
besides this he had too many hungry
Office seekers in his own party whose
claims could not be overlooked, Con
seouently while the Tories have been
farine sumptuously the Unioaists nave
had to content themselves with the
crpmbs that fell from the table OF the
Prime Minister and his pets. Under
the circumstances it is not unreason-
able to suppose that before the Torres
are in thorough working order tney
will be shattered by the withdrawal OF
those who have kept them in power for
the past year or so. Lord Harrington
Is not the man to stand silently by and
let everything pass just far enough
Iaway from him to do him no good. a
it,ouse DIVIDED, and chafng under sucn
fa,mlper cannot stand very long; and
:thee first to rejoice att destructlon
most most likely will be the man who, above
mi others, contributed most in rearing
5s.,a, 4. 4 structure to completi ion.