New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-03-05
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
OPPOSITE VIEWS OF HOME RULE.

OPPOSITE VIEWS OF HOME RULE.
LETTERS ON UNIONIsT DELUsToNs. BY W DichH
lone, pp. 100. London: Macmillan q 10
yRELANDs CAUSE IN ENGLANDs PAkLi MY EN-, =.
BY JUSTIN MCCARTHY. NJ r., vn 20 're $780, rct,
BoYtE O'RRIILY l6mo, PIP l32 Bss'oh' ioA
nor 4 CO. 80,
Tho literature of the Irish question:, whlie
steadilv increasing in bulk is improving In quar-
itv. temper and workmanship these two VoU
umes present in compact form ana In schoiar'E
nc we'll as logical mannec u" argument a3n'hsO
and In favor Of legislative autonomy; ana IL Is
nv no means an easy matter to decide which IL
The more incisive or the better-tempercd s''ioe
ment of the case. The Irish question has De-
come wearisome to newspaper readers, who, since
Mr.. Parnell entered upon his Parliamentary
career. have been surfeted with details OF legis-
lat,on debate and agitation. Probably there are
hundreds of men Of letters and thousands OF
men of the world who would consider it happy
release from tedious controversy If they could
be spared for the remainder OF their days inc
necessity Of writing or reading anything more
about this interminable conflict Still, as Mt
Gladstone has sad the Irish question has the
field" II is the core Of English politics TO-
day. as it has been for decade; and unless IL
be carefully studied what is Of supreme lmpor-
lance in the public life Of the United Kingdom
will be neglected. These two volumes are all
ADEQUATE idea of the present state OF the lrlsh
uuestion-of the best plea which fair minded
Irisbmen can make for q separate Parliament ana
of the strongest objections which an equally far-
minded Englishman can urge against Home
Rule
Professor Dicey's volume is made up OF letters
contributed to "The Spectator" for the purpose
of strengthening the Unionst cause AFTER the
elections of $50. In previous volume, entitled
England's Case Against Home Rule" OF which
thousands of copies Were circulated during the
electoral canvass, he rendered much assistance 10
Mr.. Gladstone's opponents. In these letters he
has cndeavored to prevent OBJECTIONS from the
Unionist column by sharply defining the real
issues which were decided in 1886. In TINS
shirt he condemns every effort for bringing into
closer relations the warning sections of the Lib
eral party He demonstrates that the concessions
which Mr. Gladstone has been importuned to
make in order to rcunite that party would be
ruinous to his scheme OF Home Rule. Ihab
scheme had two chief merits, in Mr. Dlcey
Judgment: there was an attempt In the Land
Purchase bill to save English honor ana TO deal
Justly with landhoders; and the removal OF The
Irish members from Westminster was an earnest
of the refrigeration Of the British Parliament.
If Land Purchase be discarded and the lrlsh rep
resentatives retained in Westminster. the policy
OF Home Rule is not made better but infinitely
worse by concessions which entail dishonor on
the Nation and arm the Parnclites with power
IN govern England as well as Ireland. Mr. d.
cey's argument points TO Mr.. Gladstones scheme
as the best possible form OF the worst possible
policy for England He holds that concessions
and compromises will simply deprive II OF lts
merits and convert it into the worst possible form
of the worst possible policy.
With equal candor and cogency the author ar
cues that the refusal to Ireland of separate
parliament is the outward and visible sign of
the unity of the Kingdom, whereas the creation
Of an Irish Parliament, endowed with even the
most limited powers would be an open acknowl-
cdr,nent that the Irish Nationalist had carried
their point In like manner he contends that
federalism is more dangerous to England IMAM
Irish Independence that Home Rule in this guise
Of federalism means not the close OF coilllcn
but the opening of a revolution; that any scheme
of local self government will not only fail to
satisfy Ireland. hut will weak n the Govern
nent in its contest with lawlcssness; and that,
in short. there is no substitute for Mr. Gladstohes
scheme which will not be rejected by the Irlsh
people and enormously increase the difficulties OF
Crown government in Ireland Compromise
in a word, is worse t,an surrender, and conse-
ouently the loyal Unonist must fight with the
Tories TO the bitter end against Home Rule
MIR McCarthy's work, while less controversial,
is equally free from can't and sophlstry. lie
too presents the facts Of the case with naked
edge precisely as they are. lie shows that Home
Rule does not involve necessarily the dissolution
Of the United Kingdom, since the countries
were indissouby joined together when there
were two pariaments; and, consequently, that
there is nothing revolutionary nor even mover III
the demand for the restoration of the Irish leg
isIature He explains how Ireland lost her Far
lament through no fault nor crime nor treason
of her own how the Act Of Union was forced
uron her by infamous means without her con-
sent: how her people have never ceased TO de-
maud the restoration of their ancient rights; ana
how her present representatives in Westminster
have followed the nobleSt traditions Of her pat
rjotic history. lie contends that Irish Catholics
are willing to give every statutable security Tor
the protection of the Protestant minority that the
wit of man can devise and proudly aflrms that
the island is now practising the great art OF sell
government and training itself in every way Tor
the duties and privileges Of national lie. FOR
inmate is the most unfortunate OF islands IN haV-
ing so eloquent and so tranquil historian as
Mr. Mccarthy to plead its cause. While MI
Dicev views with CONSERVATION and despair the
prospect of separate Parliament, the Irish leader
calmly looks back upon the vistas OF history Dc
fore and since the Union, and knows no fear