The Irish standard., 1895-09-28
QUIET ]. LEADER | |. u j |
An Irishman Born in italy Is
England's Greatest &
Diplomat. &
A Classic, an Oriental Scholar. z
Sailor, an Athlete and Fel-
low of Various Societies.

| arch, He Has Governed the
Greater Portions of Earth.
! There is no doubt that Lord Dufferin,
| the British ambassador at Paris, is de-
sirious of retiring from diplomatic life,
and it is an open secret in diplomatic cir
cles that he will withdraw from the
Elysee and from active service as soon
as Lord Salisbury can settle the difficult
question Of his successor, says London
correspondent of the Chicago Times
Herald
The probability is that the late au-
tnmn will witness, the retirement Of the
most gifted Of British diplomats. There
is, of course, q contingency OF Anglo
Turkish complications that might rem
der 1t necessary for him to hold on a
! while longer. But this is doubtful
| Lord Dufferin is now in his seventeen
year. His career has been long and
splendid No man since Talleyrand has
had such qualifications for diplomacy.
His experience Of it has very greatly
| transcended that of the famous French
man.
| No European or other diplomatist of
! this age has had anything like Lord
Dufferin's opportunity Of studying the
borderland of civilization those coun-
tries whose races are slowly melting
down into nationalities, OF absolutism at
its zenith, as at st. Petersburg, and in
process of dissolution as at CONSTANT
nople. ~
India was the seat of Lord Dufferin's
greatest activities and his most splendid
achievements. The period Of his vice roy
atty, 1884 to 1885, witnessed the solution
of some of the most complicated and
serious problems that have grown out Of
British administration in India. To him
more than to any other man before or
since, was due the settlement on COM
paratively satisfactory basis Of the land
tenures in a country <where they are as
various and 1nultiform as its religious
beliefs. From the beginning Of Eng
lands rule in India to the date OF Lord
Dufferin's withdrawal, there had never
been day when the vice-regal govern
ment had not been occupied in some
part of the territory with the investiga-
| lions of systems of rent or land revenue
and with passing laws to settle disputes
! or agricultural grievances. To this rela-
lively colorless but absolutely important
task Dufferin brought all the experience
gained during the many years Of active
participation in the discussions of Irish
agrarian questions. The resemblance
between these questions and similar
problems in India was not lost upon him.
In India the fact that there is no Eng
lish landlordism has kept these issues
free from ENHANCEMENT with the rivalry
of races, but there, as in Ireland, the
conflicting interests of ownership and oc-
cupancy in agriculture interests lying
! now, as of old, at the basis Of civil So
cjety--perpetually defy all legislative Of
forts to prevent periodic strains. The ia
nous Bengal tenancy bill, which Duffer-
in caused to be passed a few months
after his arrival in India by the legisla
tive council has now been working for
ten years and is at last accepted on both.
sides as fair adjustment of the terrible
grievances it was designed to remove.
Further legislation was needed to devel-
op the law and extend its application, but
the credit Of first embodying its principle
in legislation for the benefit Of her mai
estys millions OF Indian subjects, is Lord