The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-03-24
AN AMERICAN VIEW OF HOME
RULE.

Mr.. G. W. Smalley, the London CORE
spondent of the New Yorl- tribune, sym
pathizes entirely with the conservative
side of the question of home rule for Ire
land. AS tbs interesting to see how the
case presents itself to an intelligent
American, who blieves ina republican
form of government, we copy the follow
ing from his letter of March 18th:
"DO Americans who sympathize with
home rule, and applaud Mr.. Gladstone's
methods, realize what it all means? Do
they understand that this home rule bill
proposes a change of the organic law of
the kingdom, which in America could
only be effected by constitutional
amendment? Do they ever draw the con-
trast between the enforced deliberation
the series of leisurely legislative pro-
cesses, the obligatory reference to State
Legislature, the long period of time
which in America must necessarily elapse
before any contested amendment may be
aGopted-do they, ask, contrast with
the railroad speed at which an imperOus
minister in England has been trying to
rush through revolutionary measure?
ut is more than aqueshon of principle
1t is a question of public opinion. Eng
land is admittedly hostile to the change.
Great Britain is hostile. The opinion
and will of Great Britain are to be over
ridden by the Irish vote. The contract
of legislative union between Great Brit
ain and Ireland is to beSset aside at the
will of one party to it, and that the
weakest party, against the oft-declared
and indsputable desire of the other and
stronger. The more the bill is studied
the less it is liked, and the stronger
grows the opposition to it, both in Ire
land and in England. The strength of the
opposition to the home rule swell in
Ireland itself each day. Ulster is doing
something more than protest. She is
org anizing. The Ulster defense union
is founded, and Ulster is presently to
elect council of 600 members, with an
and a complete system of resistance. The
strongest names in the province are
signed to this new bill of rights.
1.-THE meetings in Dublin might con-
vince those who will not listen to Ulster.
There was on Wednesday meeting of
the synod of the Church of Ireland. the
primate of Ireland presiding and the
bishop of Derry speaking IN terms seldom
| heard from the Episcopal bench. Out of
1929 church parishes in Ireland, 100 have
protested against the home rule bill.
| Oui of $4,000 members of the Irish
church, thirty members are in favor of
home rule. That is the unchallenged
statement of the bishop of Berry, one of
the most eminent of Irish bishops. He
took care to add that the $4,000 Presby-
| terions, great proportion of them liber-
ais, are equally unanimous against this
| measure.
THAT is Protestant testimony. / do
not know that Protestant America need
! discredit it because it is Protestant. If
you do, what will you say to the Lem
ster hall meeting, next day in Dublin,
where Roman Catholics joined hands
with Protestants? In the words of an
eyewitness "all that is substantial and
intelligent in Dublin, all that is eminent.
all that is prosperous, is represented.
The great hall was crowded from floor
to ceiling. The head of the most pros
! Porous business in Ireland, Lord Iveagh
presided. The meeting unanimously
adopted resolutions declaring home rules
menance to the lives, the liberties and
the property of the loyal people of Ire
land. A great meeting in Waterford, the
most Parnellite city of Ireland was held
the same day and expressed the same
conviction. The general assembly of the
Presbyterian church met in Belfast, also
on the same day, and solemnly declared
its belief that under Dublin Parlia-
ment neither persons, property, nor re-
| ligious belief would be safe. offer you
these testimonials out of some forty, all
within one week, and l ask you: Do
you in the face of such evidence, believe
that home rule is likely to bring peace
and concord to Ireland, or discOrd and
civil strife"