Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1893-02-16
MIR. GLADSTONE SpE 4

LONDON, Feb. l3.-There vas
rush to-day to hear Gladstone ..
Mr.. Gladstone entered the Honp
Commons at halt-past 3. Every Iib1
and Irish Nationalist in the ~
stood up and greeted him with
longed end enthusiastic cheers, NJ
Mr.. Gladstone arose at IS minutes
to introduce the home rnle
there was another demonstrates
earnest, so enthusiastic and irren,
| iDle that it was several minutes hat
he could be heard.
Mr.. Gladstone spoke as follows !;
clear, strong and resonant voice:
may, without improprietv, Remind
| House that the voices which n"nI
| pleaded the cause OF Irish self-ooyer,,,u
In Irish affairs, have within these wa
during the last seven years, been aIn'
entirely mute. L return, therefore. tn
| period OF 1885, when a proposition Of
kind was submitted on the part of tGa J
the House of the position then TAKEN
all the promoters Of these measures
| said that we had arrived at a p0;I,t in
| transactions with Ireland whpra
two roads parted. "lou bav
we said, ''to choose one
the other" One is the way Ct ~
autonomy according to the conception|
have just referred to; the other IS the u
of coercion. That is our contention
will be the recollection of the House N
| that that contention was most StOutv
largely denied. 1t was said over
| over again by many members oppos
eve are not coercionists; we do
reject that alternative, and neither can
adopt it." ministerial cheers. II
assertion of theirs was undoubtnt
sustained by the proposals, especI
| ly from the disSentent l,iberU
of various plans dealing with Fri
affairs. Those plans, though thN
fell entirely short in princi
and in scope of Irish selt-goyemme
| yet were of no trivial or mel
| Importance. They went far beyond viii
| had here tOfOre been usually proposed n
the way of local self-government for 4
land.
Well, what has been the result of d
| dilemma as 1t was then put forward on ii
| side Of the House and repealed by II
! other? Has our contention that the cho
| lay between autonomy and coercld
been iustisfied or not? Liberal cheers
! What has become of each and all of tho&
important schemes Tor giving IreaI
| self-government in provinces, aI
| giving her even a central 4
| tablishment in Dublin with Limit
| powers ? All vanished into thin air, Id
| the reality remains. The roads We're still
! there-autonomy or coercion. The choi0
! lay between them, and the choice MADE WI
| to repel autonomy and embrace coercion
| You cannot always follow coercion in a
| absolutely uniform method.
| In 1886, for the first time, coercion Wa
| imposed on Ireland in the shape of q pei
manent law added to the statute boob
| This state Of things constituted an offend
| ing against the harmony and traditions q
| self-gOvernment. There was distinct an
violent breach of promise OF faith 5}
which union was obtained. That pem$
Eent system Of repression inflicted up0H
the country state of things which c0uII
| not continue to exist. 1t was Impossible
to bring the inhabitants of the comuj
under coercion into sympathy with the I'd
IL is I to o HE astonishing that so it'll
weight is attached by many to the fad
that before 1SSi-bcfOre 1885, lndeed-lrSI
wishes of selt-government were repld
sented only by small minority. Sincl
1885, when the vide extension of TN
franchise was protected by the Secr9
ballot, Ireland's position has been inn
proved in Parliament. In 1886 there Werl
So NationaIists, or more than tiVc-eighthS
[Cheersl. They have been reduced from
IS to 80 under circumstances somewhat
peculiar [hear, hearI; and | must frankly
own to myself, among others, for reason'
totally and absolutely unmtehlglbe
Loud cheers. Let us look at the state OF
the case as it now stands. There are bu
so out of 100: that is to say, the wishes O
Ireland for Irish self-government in lrlsf
matters are represented only "
four-ffths. Laughter. The honor
able gentlemen seem to have no re
Spect for such a majority as thai
Do they recollect, sir, that never In En-
gland has there been such majority
[Cheers. No Parliament of the last my
years has come within measurable distance
of it. If there be anything in, TN
great principle of self-government' whlc en-
if it be reality, never o can work and * <
the laws of representation, at any rate tn
voice of the Irish people, the TerSlS'enc
Of the Irish people in delivering tna' voice
and the peaceful CONSTITUTIONS. c.:rEn
| stances under which it has beer colV;;e
ministerial cheers and Opposltloh li"s'
ter constitute a great fact in history. 49,
1t is said-and | admit with trutIJlha
Ireland is not a united country, do? n
deny that the division which eAlI,
is q fact of great moment i
III uUlls WC1C uhlpSu' ~
that can render Ireland formidable W0uI
become much more formidable. WeI
Ireland united all opposition would van
ish, as shadow. Hear, hear: lrelan
is not united in this sense, that IN one pol
ton of the country not mere ma]GrlIy ~
the higher classes but considerable pol
ular feeling is opposed to the present LID
tIonai movement.
l will not attempt to measure TINS lun aoi
ical strength of the minority. IL IS s St
by the party opposite that the mln lO [a
in the North of Ireland Is array ro
in unalterable opposition 10 no Cf"
rule. Unhappily at the Successs % u
instigation OF those whose plot 1t was t tbe,
vide the people of Ireland When t ann
were united at the close of the laSt c'l u
fury, through the medium NANNY oni
Orange lodges and through religious az, az,
mostly, there was an alteration OF !eeli ~
but the Protestants of Ireland, duIing o 'nt
period of the independent Irish PaTil'liIhm n
were themselves not only Willing 5c VI ~
Jealous and enthusiastic suppofl;e..po o Il
Irish nationality. Inasmuch as tllel Ilpp HbiII
teal life was at that period more 1 Hastho
developed. they led on the Roman n,' o"'pN
lie population in the political m lCnanrs
which distinguished that period: oh nisfnr,
This is written broadcast upon the ir,ent
OF time. Genuine national SEN llli'"hh had
in the sense of national uhiGy, ~ n
at one time prevailed among the NolV noe ~