The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1893-02-14


House of the position then taken up by
all the promoters of these measures.
eve said that we had arrived at
point Ia our transactions with Ireland
where the two roads parted.
''You have we said, to choose one or
the other. One is the way of Irish au-
tonomy, according to the conceptions I
have just referred to, the other is the way
Of coercion That is our contention. It
will be the recollection Of the House how
that contention was most stouHy and
largely denied. 1t was said over and over
again by many members opposite We are
not coercionists; we do not adopt that
alternative, and neither can we adopt it,
(liinisterial cheers.)
THAT assertion os theirs was undoubt-
ediy sustained by the proposals espec-
tally from the dissentent Liberals Of
various plans dealing with Irish affairs.
These plans, though they fell entirely
short in principle and in scope Of Irish
self-government, yet were of no trivial or
mean Importance They went far beyond
what had heretofore been usually pro-
posed in the way of local self-government
for Ireland
''Well, what has been the result Of the
dilemma as it wss then put forward
IN this side of the House and repelled by
the other? Has our contention that the
choice lay between autonomy and coer-
zion been justified or notP QIiberal Cheers.)
"What has become of each and all of
those important schemes for giving Ire
land self-governmept in provinces, and
giving her even central establishment
in Dublin with limited powersY All van
ished into thin air but the reality re-
mains. The roads were still there, auto
nomy or coercion. The choice lay be-
tween them and the choice made was TO
repell autonomy and EN- brace coercion.
"You cannot always follow coercion in
an absolutely uniform method. In 1886
for the first time coercion was imposed
on Ireland in the shape of permanent
law added to the statute book.
"This state of things constituted an
offending against the harmony and ira
ditions of self-governmeut, II was dis
tinct and violent breach of the promi Sc
on the faith of which union was OBJ
tanned. That permanent system of re-
preston i.uicUed upon the country a
state of things which could not continue
to exist. 1t was impossible 20 bring he
inhabitants of the country under coercion
into sympathy with the coercion power. ="
Mr.. Gladstone proceeded to dilate at
length upon the circumstances under
which the act Of union was passed, the
promise of equality in the laws, and Of
commercial equality under which union
was effected
1t was then prophesied confidently, he
said, that Irishmen would take their
places in the Cabinet of the United King
dom, but it had been his honored destiny
to sit in Cabinets with no less than sixty
| to seventy statesmen, Of whom only one,
the Duke Of Wellington, was an irish
man, while Castlereagh was the only
Irishman who had sat in the Cabinet
since union.
Mr. Gladstone concluded his speech as
follows.
'Ireland has asked you to save for
| yourselves every imperial power She
has consented to accept the House OF
| Commons and the universal supremacy
of the Empire. In return she has asked
/ you only that she have the management
of her own affairs, which reason and JUS
tice, combined with the voice of her peo-
| Pile, l hope, will soon, move this nation
! to say shall be awarded her.
eff this is to be the end of the matter
l think dispassionate men would say the
sooner ended the better; the sooner we
! stamp the seal which will eiface all our
former animosities and open the era of
peace and good will-the sooner done the
better. But these are matters which hui
man vision is hardly equal to penetrating.
Il must say, however, for my own
part, that l never will and never can be
a party to bequeathing to my country
the continuance of this heritage OF dis
cord which has been handed down from
| generation to generation, with hardly
momentary interruption, through seven
| centuries--Uhis heritage of discord with
all the evils that follow in its train.
wish no part nor lot in that process. 1t
| would be misery for me if l had foregone
or omitted in these closing years of my
life any measure IL was possible for me
70 take towards upholding and promoting
the cause which l believe to he the cause
not of party or one nation, but of all par
ties and all nations.
''Viewing them as 1 do with their vast
opportunities under a living union fol
power and happiness, to these nations
say: Let me entreat you-if it were my
latest breath l would SO entreaJ you
let the dead bury their dead and cast be-
hind you forever recollecUions Of bygone
evils; cherish love and sustain one an-
other through all vicissitudes of human
affairs In times that are TO come" "
| When the cheering had died out Sil
Edward Clark, who was Attorney Gen
eral in the Salisbury administration, con
graduated Mr. Gladstone on the magni
ficent physical effort which he had just
made and then proceeded to enlarge Oh
the proposals OF the bill
The text of the bill will not appear be
sOre the end Of this week
1