New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-07-26

ness. The batting of Mr. Balfour was left to
such minor patriots Mr. Webb. Mr. Flynn.
| MIR. Power, Mr.. Jordan and Mr. Knox names none
Of which stir the blood or fire the Irish heart.
The Irish stock of adectives seems to he exhausted,
| or 1t is no longer thought worth while 70 expond
them on man who plainly does not care what
these gentlemen say of him. There was it is
true, speech by Mr.. Healy. But Mr.. IIealy
can sometimes be moderate, and on this occasion
he chose to be moderate. He complained that
| Air. balfour had not released Mr.. Dillon and Mr..
OBrien, but he hardly concealed his opinion that
be would have thought the Chief Secretary O
| fool If he had released them Coercion, said Mr..
Healy, still existed all over Ireland There was,
according to him, more liberty in Ireland
now than there was twelve months ago. True, no
coercion is practiSed, and all Ireland, few dis
ricts excepted has been relieved from the operation
of the Crimes Act but it may hereafter be practised
nnd therefore, it exists now. Such is the argu-
ment Mr.. Healy thinks good enough for the House
| of Commons The House is used to these per-
formances, and does not mind. Mr.. Healy had
! however, q surprise in reserve. He was not only
| civil to Mr. Balfour, he was almost complimentary
He thought him a wiser man than he was five
! years ago. If he be not, It is not for want of
remonstrance and reproOf from Mr. Healy and
other patriots What could be the meaning of
| all UnlS UlliuncSS! Quer1cu the puZZleO nearer
1t has been thought before now that something
like an understanding between the Ministry and the
Irish party might be reached. They game TO terms
on the Irish Land bill, and there have been other
| signs of amiabllity on both sides Mr.. Balfour's
sudden announcement toward the end of his speech
made things palmer. There have long been
rumors of q Local Government bill for Ireland
Mr.. Balfour has now, though in Parliamentary
| language, pledged himself and the Government TO
bring in such bill at the next session. He asked
whether if the Government introduced a bill based
broadly speaking upon the principles of the Eng
lish and Scotch Local Government bills, they
might expect Mr.. Healys support. Certainly
cried Mr.. Healy. :" In that case" answered Mr.
Balfour. 81 hope it may not be long
before the honorable member has an
opportunity of practically showing us the
value of the support he has just promised" The
House sat with open mouth and almost forgot
to cheer the most momentOus declaration heard
this many day. The cooquy between Mr..
Balfour and Mr. IIealy ran smoothly that it
| almost seemed to have been rehearsed. 1t has
spread dismay among the Gladstonians. They
| have had TO look on while this Government has
made concession after concession to Ireland con-
| ferred benefit after benefit upon the people OF
that unhappy country, upon the poorest classes
most of ALL They have seen grievances which
| were the stock in trade of the agitator melt
away one by one. They saw poverty relieved
by the grant of great sums of English money They
saw the tenant becoming the owner. They saw
coercion vanish below the horizon. They saw
| great system of works organized in districts where
pubic works and private wages were most needed.
| They saw order and bencicencc go hand in hand
| They saw the dawning of a spirit Of content, anu
more than the dawnng of period of prosperity
| among the Irish people. Now there looms before
| them another great measure by which ireland
| may hope for all the substantial dement's she eA-
poets from Home Rule without the name and with
| ont the danger What will there be left to the
agitator or what except appeals 90 the passlon oil
| hatred against England. Hatred is tradition,
hut even a tradition is not eternal unless IL has
something beside hateful memories to live on
The Gladstonian organ having reflected during
the greater part of two days and nights over Mr.
BaIeours Irish Local Government proposal, has
| come to the conclusion that ii cannot he safely
resisted 1t is therefore, to be supported on the
same ground as free education. You borrowed
| il from us, is the GladstOnian watchwOrd Every
good thing which comes out of Nazareth comes
through GladstOnian channels. III Is useIul
theory if not worked too hard. Inc
organ considers, however, that the more
local government the Irish get the more nome
rule they will want which is possible enough
IL IS certain tndb Ulcy VIII pc 'ol" "S WIZ
lish friends that they ought to want it, and Will be
thought very ungrateful TO Mr. Gladstone If they
are grateful for anything from Mr. Baliour Every
local authority says the organ, will, as soon as
esta b shcd cry out for complete home rule. But
this is a purely pOus opinion, which partakes OF
the nature of prophecy.
Mr. Parncll's Dublin convention OH THURSDAY
was attended by twenty Members of Parliament
There were letters of regret from three others'
SO that twenty-threc out of the eighty-1Ne lrlsh
Members appeared 10 be still faithful to the |
former leader of the whole body. Mr. Parneli |
spoke in an uncompromising tone yet that OF one |
who knew he was beaten for the present.
general who talks about meeting his Waterloo and |
dying for the honor of his country does not IN |
spirit his followers. They were perhaps still
more surprised to hear Mr. Parnell say ditto to
Mr. Ilealy lie declared that lie would welcome |
the Irish Local Government bill, and would even
join with Mr. Healy to make ii as large and com
prehensive as possible. Then would come ne"
constitution for the new Irish National League,
beginning with national self-gOvcrnment and end
ing with the reinstatement in their holdings OF all
evictcd tenants. They say unjusly evlcted, but OF
course all 9victed tenants unjusty evicted MI
Parnclls programme may not seem TO come within
the range Of practical politics, but IL does. lie
compels his opponents TO bid not less high than he
jus ioi de euppOIb VI 'iiS n'"iN 'A'AN'N
and revolutionary factions in Ireland. You never
know how far the priests will go. They
set law and morality, the Pore and the
Ten Commandments at defiance in order
to support the Plan of Campaign. Now
that they have Ireland under their feet, they may
think that they can afford to remember on week
days some elementary principles of the religion
they ought to preach on Sundays. But they have
not vet spoken out Nobody yet knows whether
they have any policy but to beat Mr.. Parnell, and
10 make the priesthood all powerful in politics.
The Tories had made up their minds to lose the
Wisbech division of CambridgeshiIe, but they do
not like defeat the better because il was foreseen
IT. had been known for months that Captain
Selwyn, the late Tory member, would resign. lie
gave lis party fair notice in ample time. buS the
intellectual energies of the party managers were
not equal to the task OF providing candidate
,i,o kon, -, ,lo ala fort fun |