New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-19
MR. GLADSTONE.
A PAssAGE-AT-ARMs WITH LORD HARTTNd.
ToN-A PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEM.

..
Lord Hartington's style Of speaking Is some
times thought too serious by critics who would
like their opponents to be always fippant and
always easily answered But there Is one
who will find yesterdays speech at Grenock
lively reading, Mr.. Gladstone. Lord Harrington
does not often deal in personalities. lie does not
now in the offensive sense, but his f0rnef leader
went out of his way to attack him, or TO misrepre-
sent him, and Lord Harrington replies. Is
favorite device in politics TO paint the enemy 40
responding. This is what Mr.. Gladstone did
lie said Lord Harrington was thinking OF sur.
render. :" / repudiate and protest with all the
energy Of which ! an capable answers the
IiberaLUnionist leader lie could not more
strongly disown the words, which at railway
station yesterday were put into his mouth lie
goes further: Never have /. in Scotland or in
any other place, said one word which could sug.
eest that was thinking there was possibility
Of the surrender of our position That is tOlerably
plain speaking.
There is another point which cannot he dis
posed OF quite 80 briefly. II you care enough
about Mr.. Gladstone's present method to follow
the details. you will find them singularly IL
Illustrative 1t is, may add, point on which, IN
many English minds. the whole issue OF Home
Rule or no Home Rule depends. A question was
nut to Mr.. Gladstone in Midlothian this question:
considering that you stated in 1876 that the
wit of man could not devise plan for retaining
the Irish representatives in westminster now
it that you now say there are great many
modes i'm which that could be done
Mr.. Gladstone answered
The reference to my declaration Of 1885 errs
in one vital omission. | never said that the WIZ
Of man could not devise plan for the purpose
A. nf a Il
could Sec could not devise any plan that wo'ih
not be open to objections, or that would ne iree
from inconveniencies and that is exactly what
say now
Lord Harrington now gives the exact sequence
NJ events and the exact words used by Mr.. Glad.
stone. II is not denied that the first home
Rule bill intended the entire exclusion OF tne
Irish members from Westminster The Dill was
recommended on that ground; by MT. John
Morley among Others. It was thought Parliament
would Jump at any proposal which promiSen |"
relieve the House Of Commons from the presence
Of that Irish brigade which had debased fahiS
mont and detied it's rules, and trampled on all its
customs and best traditions Mr.. Gladstone said
plainly-he does sometimes, not too often' say .
thing plaiply-that when Ireland had local
legislature to manage her own anairs, the LTD"
could not come to Westminster 10 iegisia'e "Po"
English or Scotch local affairs. SO much was az
49, ,;r,o nerfectlv clear to his mind, and 70
MANY other minds. Well. then, as they WERE ho'
IN legislate on English local affairs could they
come to leCsIate on Imperial ahairs' Ihao ="
nonded said Mr.. Gladstone, on the possibility OF
distinguishing between local affairs ana I'npe'a,
oTairs Then comes what Lord Harrington wei
calls the famous and historical deciarauon a''u'
the wit of man. Mr. Gladstone said
Il have thought much, and reasoned mucn' III
ouiyed much, with regard TO that dis'ihc'ioh'
had hoped it might he possible 10 uta" us
tinction. | have arrived at the cohcius'o" '"'
il cannot be drawn: believe 1t passes 'he WI.
Of man. at any rate it passes mine, anu NOV ,''"'
alone, but the wit of mary win wno'h h'''
communicated
And he sums up percmptOriiy:
"Tberefore I believe a distraction to he impos'
s;bls Therefore I arrive at the rext conclusions
that the Irish members and the Irish peers can
not. IL domestic legislation be given TO Ireland
;ustlv retain q seat in the Parliament at west
Minister"
Not q word about objections or Inconvenience.
brt nlumo "cannot" Mr.. Gladstone's declara-
tion was positive and full free from any kind
Of qualification. 1t passed the Wit OF man. az
that time, to draw distinction between local
and immortal affairs which would permit the irish
70 retain their seats in an Imperial Parliament
.Tbe problem." saws Lord Harrington, was
fairly stated, it was fairly faced. and the con-
clusion. the inevitable conclusion, TO the argu-
ment was drawn" Circumstances have since
changed. The House, as we know, did not Jump
at the proposal 1t rejected the bill. Other con-
siderations became apparent. 1t was seen that
the Irish were excluded from the Imperial far'
lament or allowed to withdraw themselves from
Parliament, Ireland ceased to be an integral part
of the United Kingdom as before: that the con-
stitution of the Empire was shattered; that an
other constitution must he invented to replace III
in short that Home Rule could no longer he pro-
posed or defended on tie original grounds. 20,
very slowly, with hating steps, with undisguised
reluctance, and with deep searchings OF heart
and no little modification, Mr.. Gladstone aban-
doned the old doctrine and came round to the new.
But there stood on record against him his orig.
inal declaration in the House Of Commons How
was that to be disposed Of? Well, we have seen
how Mr. Gladstone now tries to dispose OF IL; ana
how complete bis failure is. II anybody elsr had
tried and failed, it is easy to imagine with what
wealth Of rhetorical invective the great master oil
redundant English would have assaied him LORD
Harrington, as his manner is, omits all the IN
vective; imputes motives, calls no names
What he does say is so good specimen Of bis man
ner that will quote 1t:
81 have adverted TO this point. not only ne
cause / think it is one of considerable consu'"-
tional Importance but also because | think II
NAV lead some of us not 10 he too much alarmed
when Mr. Gladstone lays down position WIN
the appearance of undonbted confidence, and with
every semblance Of complete conviction. What
opinions Mr. Gladstone holds he holdA ~ sns
time with the most intense conviction that nc
has at his command. But you cannot assume
when he denounces us in terms of almost un'
precedented yehemence when he lays down IN
the most positive terms certain convictions when
he has formed upon the subject Of the govern
ment Of ireland, that those convictions are UNI
alterable because they are very forcibly exc
pressed"
There remains point of some interest wblca
Lord Harrington must have had in mind but does
not care to treat How came Mr.. Gladstone 10
Il. Ia.xr NJ In nj