The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-03-20
LORD ROsEBERY,s FIRST VICTORY.

AOAeAS
Lord Rosebery's recent experience shows
how very carefully the British Premier
has to weigh his words when speaking in
public and how quick his critics are to call
him to account. A single sentence in his
speech in the House Of Lords on the OPEN
ing day of Parliament came near costing
him his official head and ending his career
as Prime Minister almost before it was
begun. In the speech referred TO, COM
menting on the speech Of Lord Salisbury,
Lord Rosebery said:
The noble Marquis made one remark upon
the subject of Irish home rule with which /
must confess myself in entire accord. He
said that before Irish home rule is con-
coded by the imperial Parliament, Eng
land, as the predominant member of the
partnership of the three Kingdoms, will
have to be convinced of its justice. That
may seem to be a considerable admission
to make because your lordships know that
the English members of Parliament elected
for England proper are hostile to home
rule. But / believe that the conviction of
England with regard to home rule depends
on one point alone. and that is the conduct
of Ireland herself.
Here was al apparent admission that
Irish home rule was impossible until a
majority Of the Commons from England
proper had become converted to it. This
made the Irish and Radical members flu
rious, and the next day they dealt the
government a singing blow by a vote to
abolish the House of Lords. Probably no
person realized sooner than Lord Rosebery
himself that he had made a great blunder.
His meaning was clear enough in his own
mind, but he had not made it sufficiently
clear in his speech, or at least had not
been sufficiently guarded in expressing 1t.
Representatives of the government in the
House Of Commons lost no time in trying
their explanations were coldly received by
a large section of the Liberal party, and
were laughed at by the Unionists. Lord
Rosebery was not there to speak for him.
self. because a peer. though Prime Minis
ter. cannot speak in the AT the
Liberal caucus on the day Parliament con-
vened he had said: ~ hold that it is a
great inconvenience to the Liberal party
when a Liberal Prime Minister is not in
the House of Commons. 1t is a grave in
convenience, especially to the Prime Minis
ter" He probably experiences the incon-
venience sooner than he expected.
Lord Rosebery seized the first opportu-
nifty thai offered outside of the House Of
Commons to explain the unfortunate sem
tence which had raised such a storm. This
was in his speech at Edinburgh on Satur-
day night. In that speech he told what
he had said and what he meant. He dep
recated unfair criticism, and claimed to
be his own best interpreter. He handled
the subject with admirable tact. and. with
out retracting. gave an Interpretation Of
his own words at once so frank and so
convincing as to silence all criticism. either
among his followers or his opponents.
Without following his explanation in detail,
it is enough TO say IL was so good tenn
pered, so adroit and so evidently truthful
that II not only disarmed criticism, but
distinctly added TO his own prestige and
to the strength of the Ministry. In short.
the new Premier not only retrieved what
came near proving u fatal hlunder. but he