Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-04-05
eLApsToNE's LIBERAL OPINIONS.
Further Extracts from DR.. Curry's Forth
coming Book.


johnson & Co.. Richmond.l
The lives of few mes show such an ad.
vance IN liberal opinions as may be found
in Mr.. Gladstone. He who took such
view in 1888 of the desirableness OF an es-
Enlistment succeeded generation later
as Prime Minister in disestablishing O
branch of the Church in Ireland. This
change provoked animadversion and abuse
far in access of any that mere political
changes had brought upon his head.
To deprive incumbents of valuable
privileges which were obtained with
out labor or money. and which offered q
lifetime enjoyment of comfortable ease,
naturally excited i'll feeling and bitter re-
sistance. To interfere with annulties de-
rivaole from property held by the Church,
even though the property hundreds OF
years before came from conhscation or
Government grants, seems by some pc
culiar or peryerse psychological law to
awaken more bitterness than II the pro-
perty had been acquired in ordinary secu-
lar transactions between man and man.
Mr.. Gladstone became O convert TO the
theory that popular government cannot
rightly maintain o religion which is op.
posed to the feelings and convictions of
the nation, and followed his change OF
views by his grandest and most difficult
achievement. This, like other transac,
tlOun, was uOL buuucu, lOf az CAbohhca
over q quarter of century," and was in
nowise due to mental eccentricity or self
ish ambition. 1t was the logic not 30
much of events. of revolutions in society,
as Of broader principles and juster. views
of government and OF the rights OF man.
THE CHURCH IN IRELAND.
In the session of 1867 Mr.. Gladstone said
il was idle, il was mockery, to urge the
Irish people to loyalty and union unless
the words were sustained by corresponding
substance. In remarkable speech, asking
Justice to Ireland, he concluded by an i'm
passioned appeal to prudent men, to
chiyalrous men, to compassionate men,
but above all to just men, lin the
name of truth and right, bearing this
in mind, that. when the case - proved
and the hour is come, justice delayed is
Justice denied" This address became the
"platform" of the Liberal party, and Irish
Church disestablishment Was accepted as
the paramount issue of the approaching
campaign. He soon introduced into the
House of Commons series OF resolutions,
the first of which was that the established
Church of Ireland should cease to exist IS
an establishment. due regard being had
Ito all personal interests and to all indi-
vidual rights of property"
A REMARKABLE DEBATE.
Disraeli, Stanley, and other members of
the Government being strongly in favor OF
ecclesiastical endowments and opposed to
the destruction Of the Irish establishment
issue was joined. and on the 30th of March
began one of those remarkable debates
which have made the House of Commons
the theatre of parliamentary oratory and O
school of liberty.
BOLD STROKE.
| Burning the bridge behind him. Mr..
| Gladstone declared his opinion, in unmis-
taxable language, that the establishment
in Ireland should cease to exist. and de-
MED that the disendowment of the Irish
Church would be dangerous to the
English establishment. What was
dangerous to the latter was to hold
things politically dangerous and socially
unjust. The Church establishment in it,
| theory and in its aim Is beautiful and at
| tractive, yet what is it but an appropria-
ton of public property, an appropriation
| Of the fruits of labor and skill to certain
purposes? And unless these purposes are
| fulfilled that appropriation cannot DO justi-
| fed. What we have to do is to con-
slider well and deeply before we take
such as this. but having entered into the
controversy. there and then TO acquit our.
selves like men. and to use every effort to
remove what still remains of the scandals
and calemities in the relations which exist
between England and Ireland, and tc
make our best efforts. at least, to gil NJ
with the cement of human concord the
whole fabric of the British empire"
GLADSTONE SUMMONED By THE QUEEN.
The resolution was carried by majority
of sixty-fve. The Government being de
| feated, the Parliament, the last elected
under the Reform Bill of 1882. was pro-
rogued with view to its dissolution
/ Writs were issued for q new Parliament
and the returns showed q decided pre-
ponderance in favor of the Liberal party
\ There were not fewer than 227 new mem.
bers, who had not Eat before. Gladstone
being summoned by the Queen undertook
to form q new ministry. which included
/ John Bright. who thus excused his accept
ance of Office; Happily be trusted that
| the time had come when In this country
| an honest man might enter the service Of
| the Crown and at the same time might NOT
! feel 1t in any degree necessary to dissociat<
/ himself from his own people,
In 1706 Godolphin formed his govern
| ment on basis exclusively Wing; in 1851
the Wing party disappears, Its member
| ship and organization being merged in TIL
! Liberal PARTY. With afsvorabio sentiment
| in the Houso of Commons and in TIL
\ oooufrw d4nnakahliahmnm& RomfA 49,