New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-06-14
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
HENRY GRAYpkw

i "A short life OF Grattan has long Fheen needed.
The nve-voiume biography. by his souss practiceIy
beyond the reach Of the maJor}vs and, more
pver, it-is so badly written, 80 warped ana DIS
Eeured By passion and prefudiee, IS TO DO On
unsafe guide notwithstanding los fulness OF dsta1l
II muse remain the chief magazine OF facts Tor
GraSsan and his times. but this is its NAN use
Mr. Leciy, IN his Leaders Of Puhafc OPINION IN
krSlsnd,n has given us an sdmsraoie essay on
Henry Gresham, bus h does not pretend TO follow
bis career -sith Asegsuphdc exaetness. MI. Konert
punlep, IN preparing Che present volume Tor the
International Statesmen Series. has, therefore, en-
Icyed speaisl opportunity, and ne has made gooo
use. Of il. BE writes with funess of information,
,arefplnessas tostatsmsnt and srgeimparttalty
and the result lisa refrestingly clearsnd impartial
narrative Of D most interesting and exciting
asriod. Gsasoane relatsons TO which are defined
sxsfA suficiene baidnesste animate and give vivid
hess 20 the picture
I Henry Gaastau will always be an attractive
personality to Those VINO admire integrity, intel
iecsnal force and unsefish patriotism. Circum-
stauces and especially the Kaleidoscope shifting
Of Irish politics, did much for time to obscure
Ids services to his country. For q considerable
serSod IL appeared that his lfe-work was sbut
kshor OF Sisyphus, and that he was ever doomed
10 witness the complete undoing OF all his EFFORTS
bofore hespasse6 from the scene. Evan were this
sse case ths example of his devotion and fidelity
sxouid be-a eprecious inheritance, while the ongnt
ccnsrast Of his uprishtness with the shameless
canality OF the elements among which he suoVe
gou4d forever dignity and elevate the story OF
his sptendid<failure. But,Henry Grattan does NOT
s1and alono IN this. Mr.. Dunlop observes
sHomo1sr we choose TO account for II, tnere 49,
psshaps, no feature in modern Irish history moro
striking than the apparentinsufhciency and mliure
NJ almost every remedial measure, whether eman-
sting from the English or Irish Parliament 70 give
complete and final satisfaction 70 Ireland. NO
NADER how honestly that legislation may have
bean intended, no matter with what degree OF
satisfaction il may have been at the time re-
cefved, the result hes always proved ~ 10 haEo
been incomplete and inadequate
:, One explanation of this, no DOUBT 'hesSfn inc
fnct that in modern times at least, Irish opinfoN
bas5neyer been united but. on the contrary every
MEASURE, by whomsoever proposed, mas hau 10
RIM the pauntlet Of bitter opposition, IN ireiaho
as well as in England Henry Grattan no douot
made mistake in assuming that the Consu'uson
Of l7s2 was hnslity. and that the commercial
concessions would be accepted denniUSey. puO
his error really lay in an excess OF cohhbeHoo
natural TO a man Of scrupulous honor. he coubd
not realize, even Though he knew its. eonsctn-
ton. how hopelessly corrupt the Irish Parliament
xvas When at last this truth was forced upon
him he retired in disgust and almost IN despair
Yet the Parliament that sold Ireland was so con.
stituted that nothing better could have been ex.
pected from it, and the real hopelessness OF The
patriot agitation consisted in the impossibiBy OF
obtaining Parliamentary reform save from the
pIaeemen and corruptionists, whose PERSONAL In
terests banded them solidly against every change
holr matt (,afh
olio nor Protestant Ireland could eSpect anything
The so-called Protestant interest" indeed nominal
~ governed the National Legislature but on behalf
Of the Beresfords snd their minions and not on
behalf, of the Prote slant masses. Grattan and the
Pcnsonbys. Flood, aud the rest OF the Opposi.
tion also. represented most frequently Protestant
cpinion; for it was the time when as yet the
Catholics were not permitted to express them.
selves or to be represented constituttOnaly.
Grattan's popularity eliminated in 1882, with
The supposed establishment of Irish Independence.
BE was then unquestiOnably the most influential
man in Ireland. Floods speedy doubts as TO the
adequacy Of the repeal of the sixth Of George
the First 10 establish Irish Independence sowei
shs seeds Of distrust in the public mind, and
events before long confirmed that distrusb in sew
eraI ways GrattaR.wonld not sdmit'tha he had
been too sanguine, nor would he cobutcnance
enoes Of Dungannon had created an indtscribeble
impeession, and one which the orator himself
had helped TO deepen, 10 the effect that conces-
esons which persuasion could not elicit. might be
obtained by the menace of armed revolt II
would not perhaps be difficult 70 trace all Tho
Subsequent attempts at revolt to this beginning
But Gfattan, after having taken the position thar
nhe cession Of Independence was due % the Vol
untesf movement and not to q recognition OF the
justice Of the Irish cause, ever after refused 10
recognized the Same principle when applied 10
agtati tons sst on foot by others. IL is not to be
imputed 20 him for Jealousy that he SO acted but
IL must be perceived TO have been inconsistent
and II proved source Of constant embsrrass-
mens almost 70 tbs end of his career.
+, II would be idle now to speculate upon the
Srobable result 20 Ireland had either. Fox or
Pitt had free hand in dealing with the country
tThe stubborn prejudices OF George the Third in
che FIRST place and the vicious determination Of
the Castle clique in the second place fettered
both those statesmen in turn, and aggravated
AL the evils which were affecting the ISish body
votiic until Parliamentary opposition, foiled and
dung back by purchased majoritjes, became q
mere futile formally and until the puhlic opinion
that could not find representation manifested
itself IN the machinations Of secret societies, IN
IsreAnized outrages, IN negotiations with the
French, and finally. in overt acts of rebellion.
Taking their rise in Parliamentary corruption, and
abe sel6sh measures Of greedy tDeasury-leeches all
these disturbances served TO increase rigorous
and stll more rigorous coercive legislation, cul-
Sninatfng in scenes OF anarchy and violence which
agsin afforded pretext for insiStence upon the act
of Union. Every step in this betrayal was
resisted by Grattan with magnificent elocnsncs
and fierce. His speeches distinguished no
bessbythe cogency and cIoseness of'thctrTeaSouing
thsa by the fine and spirit which infused them.
Bus the truth Of the sttustton il disclosed by
ms monotonous record Of the ms3urfttes which
cYuahed his every proposition, motion, and amend
nert. Eoquence was worse than wasted when
nddrsssed 20 men who had received thetr 'instruc-