Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1893-06-01
GoLDsBoRo. N. c.. MAY %, 1898
HISTORIAN LEcKY ON HOME
RULE.


observer of events occurring before
his eyes, La the Contemporary
Reuieao for May he discusses
"Some Aspects of Home Rule"
with a false logic of which only
the hopeless Tory mind is caps
able.
By way of illustrating the ty-
rannical methods Of the Irish
Nationalist he says Con the second
page of his article):-
ut was only a few weeks ago
that a gentleman who mixed much
with Irish farmers told me how
often substantial farmers said to
him, we dread this Home Rule
business. sir. Just as much as you
do, but what can we do2 If we
sign a petition against it we should
not dare to appear at the chapel,
and no one would be allowed to
buy from us at the MARKET"
This is very reprehensible con-
duct of the Home Rulers. if we
accept the story at third hand; but
what shall we think of Mr.. Lecky
when he quotes a precisely similar
expression, at first hand, from an
opponent of Home Rule, and
quotes it with approval ION the
ninth page of his article):-
81 am a large farmer and grsz'er,
and / do not see what fear there
is in saying a few words of honesty,
and what | know is in the mind of
many of my class.
"There is not one solvent nan of
my class that I know who is in
favor of this bill. At fairs and
markets one bears nothing but
words of dread about it.
mo one dare hold a meeting in
favor of the bill in the town of
Thnries tomorrow. All the mer-
chants and shopkeepers l know are
dead against it,"
Here We have the remarkable
picture of a body of "substantial
farmers who dare not oppose
Home Rule, and, side by side,
another of ''large farmers" in
whose vicinity nobody "dare hold a
meeting in its favor" Mr.. Lecky
does not tell us why that which is
wicked when practised against
farmers of the ''substantial" species
is commendable when practised by
agriculturists of the Large" de-
nomination against their less cor
pulent fellowscitizens.
But Mr. Lecky has a still more
potent argument, to wit: that Caths
Ole as well as Protestant landlords
are opposed to the measure.
.Many of them," he says, shear
names that have been conspicuous
in dark and evil days for the purs
est and most self>sacrifcing patri>
otism, and the son of O'Connell
and the grandson of Grattan are
among them, Does Mr.. Lecky
offer this in sober earnest as an
argumer.2 American readers, at
least, will smile at such a queer
reasoning. Some of the purest and
noblest men in u history had
grandsons who took the wrong
vide when the crucial test of pas
I1riotism GersuS pocket was made
in 1861. Mr.. Grattan devoted
his whole life to the defence
of Home Rule. O'Connell con-
centrated all his energies to the
repeal of the Union. The sins OF
the children are not to be visited
upon the parents even to the first
and second generation, as Mr.
Lecky's inverted Scriptures a.
have them.
Thus far Mr.. Lecky is merely illog
ical and amusing. When he comes
to treat of Mr.. Gladstone's person
atty, he parts not only with phil
osophy with common sense and
common decency. To his disor-
49,
dered vision Mr.. Gladstone is a
monomaniac, and on what sub.
.ject2 Why, on that of blind hatred
of the nation which be has made
great and which has. rewarded him
with honors unpreceden ed in its
history. Here is what Mr.. Lecky
says of the veteran -
.His mind is evidently under the
complete and uncontrolled empire
OF q single idea. Those who have
watched his career Of late years
can have no difficulty in perceive
ing how completely he Is alienated