The sun., 1892-09-22
An American Notion of Home Rule.

In the September number OF the Ontem-
pord,y Rcrier Mr.. ALBERT SHAW sets forth
what is undoubtedly the view taken by
most Americans Of the Irish demand for
home rule. The view is founded on the
recognition Of tho fact that Americans
prosper under our conjoint system Of Fed
eral and State Governments. and upon the
somewhat hasty Inference that the same
system would work smoothly il applied to
the several parts Of the United Kingdom.
and even to the multiplex sections OF tho
British empire. 1t is because this assump-
tion. almost universal on this side Of tho
Atlantic. is based upon misconception OF
the conditions OF the problem. that Amer-
lean ideas have relatively little weight even
with intelligent Irishmen. who prefer to
invite the cooperation of Mr.. BLAKE. a
Canadian ex-NIinister. rather than that Of
any American statesman.
In the whole history of federal govern
mcnt there is 10 example OF IL smooth
working and permanent confederation pro-
duced by the disruption OF Il nation pre-
viousiy unified. On the contrary, all the in
stances of successful confederntion-the
Achnau League. the Swiss cuntons, the
United Netherlands, the United States. and
the new German empire-represent the
consolidation to a limited extent and for
specific purposes OF States previously seDa-
ratc and independent OF each other. Where
n Confcdrracy is formed under such condi-
tions the powers which are lodged in the
central government are necessarily dele
gated and specific, all Others being reserved
to the constituent members OF the coalition.
cracv possesses the firmest possible guar
antees Of State rights. and OF tho con-
tinuancr Of tho habit OF scf-govern-
ment. which are compatible with CO.
hcsion and with energy for collective
purposes. 1t is hard to overcstimato the
advantages with which the experiment Of
confederation was entered upon by the
natives OF tho Swiss cantons. OF the seven
NctherIand provinces which made good
their revolt against Spain. OF the thirteen
revolcd British colonies, and OF tho States
composing tho present German empire.
Not only did all these possess at
tho outset local administrations and
the habit OF solf-government, but. as
regards the federal machinery, they
were in the position OF donors, not OF bene-
iiciaries: to the central authority they .avo
what they chose: tho rest they kept. and
any attempt upon the part OF the central
power to enlarge It's sphere OF influence has
had. therefore. to be made 4: tho risk OF
weakening oil moral right to rule. and OF
provoking n revolution.
All intelligent Jrishmen comprehend that
the political conditions OF the United King
dom represent n complete antithesis TO
4 h.,., do al, cr,,t
in confederation have been made. The
United Kingdom Is a highly unified State,
more thoroughly centralized than any State
in central or western Europe with the ex-
ccptiOn OF Franco. Indeed, until the recent
creation Of County Councils. 1t was more
centralized than France has been under the
third republic. 1t Is many hundred years
since the habit Of local lf-government
became extinct among the natives OF Eng
land and Wales; that right has not been
exercised in Scotland since the first years OF
the eighteenth century; and there has not
been even semblance Of 1t in Ireland since
the beginning OF the century now current.
That. however. is by no means the most
element In the case. for no.
body believes that Irishmen. Scotchmen.
or Welshmen have irrecover-
ably lost the aptitude for self-rule. far
more serious circumstance is the fact that
the creation OF conjont system OF Fed
eral and State Government must tako place
In tho United Kingdom under conditions
precisely opposite to those under which our
own complex scheme OF administration was
We started with Independent
States. delegating certain functions to q
central authority and reserving the rest.
In the United Kingdom they start with
political unifcation. and the po-
litical unit speaking through an imperial
assembly. is asked to delegate certain
specific legislative and executive functions
to one or more local bodies. 1t Is obvious
that here the situation is precisely the re-
verse OF that under which previous con-
ventures have been carried to
successful issue. Here IL is the central
which Is the delegating power; to 1t belong
all the functions not expressly parted with;
and. what Is even more portentous. even