Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-05-14

electoral reform; but the obstinacy Of tho
Parliament wearied the United lrishmen,
their organization lapsed into q conspiracy
for the creation of an Irish republlc, ana
two of their leaders. Theobalt Wolfe lone
and Lord Edward Fitzgerald. a son of the
Duke of Lelnster. negotiated with the
French Directory for military aid. They
were BETRAYED. Wolfe Tone died in jail
ard Fitzgerald III combat while resisting
arrest.
Meanwhile the Irish Parliament was tot
tering TO Its fall Ireland was unfortunate
enough during this period to have as sue
cessive Viceroys two truculent scoun-
drels-Lord CORVALLIS and the Earl OF
Carhampton (Cornwallis was he OF our
Revolutionary war)-and their baeful IN
fiuence was honeycombIng the House OF
Commons Castle" " bills were railroaded
through, and coercion acts and all sorts OF
measures instiga,ed by the Nlceroy took
precedence of honest legislation, until at
last Grattan, Flood, Curran, and others OF
the patriot band Of 1882 walked out or
the historic Commons chamber IN BODY,
never TO return. They foresaw the end
and the hopelessness Of Their hght against
corruption. Currau, the illustrlods law.
yer and nudge, to whose daughter ROBERT
Emmett was betrothed, almost openly IA
yored the plans of the United lrishmen.
The end was near.
Disputes between the English and Irish
Parlaments upon the two questions OF
the regency during the illness of George
Ill. aud the navigation laws convinced
Pitt that he could gain his purpose-tGe
Unlon-by foul means If not by falr. A
million and half sterliDg-nearly Ss,OOO.-
OO0-was spent by Pitts administration IN
bribing Parliament to vote its own de-
struction. Even this immense corruption
fund, expended among class OF repre-
sentatives. majority OF whom owed their
seats to corrupt practices, secured tne
vote for the Union from the Irish Pariia-
ment only by the barest majority
TIE PAST AND PRESENT ATTITUDE OF ULSTER.
Before drawing the comparison between
Irelands last Parliament and the one 10
be granted her by Mr.. Gladstone's bill
the present attitude of Ulster deserves
some attention. The political sentiments
and action of the northern province be-
fore the union have been mentioned here,
and we see that it took the initiative
in all patriotic movements. Inc
upon Irish independence came from
Ulster. There the Volunteers were
most literally recruited. There the mighty
Dungannon Convention, in advocacy OF
free Parliament, was held. There 1T was
sought TO hold second convention TO dis
oiplinssthe corrupt Irish commons. And
there the United Irishmen were formed
/ to supplant the disbanded Volunteers. In
Ulster the cry for IN extended franchise
regardless OF class or creed was hrst heard:
Ulster. in short. was the stronghold OF
Irish autonomy.
In spite of the miscalled "loyalist" agi-
tstion against home rule which the cables
are daily describing. the recent address OF
prominent Protestant Ulstermen to Mr..
Gladstone. expressing their confidence in
his policy, shows that the old spirit OF
Ulster patriotism Is still alive. Orangeism
alist" bluster. The Orange societies did
not exist before the very end OF
the lest century, and they have
never. it would seem. done anything but
foster ssetasian yancor and discord. They