The herald., 1895-08-04
If Salisbury Revives Co
erciOn There Will Be
Trouble
OPINION OF THE LEADERS
DR.. Thomas Emmett COunsels Peace,
Unless the Tories Go Too Far.
What John D. Crimmins
and Others Advise

Irish affairs have taken a new turn.
1t is believed that the question in Amer
jca, having hung fire since the death of
Mr.. Parnell, will be actively revived up
on the old lines. The election OF the Tor
les to office will have tendency to unite
ali factions against common Toe, partlc-
uIarly as the policy of Lord Salisbury IS
we'll foreshadowed by the appointment OF
his nephew, Mr.. Gerald Balfour, as chief
secretary for Ireland.
Mr.. Parnell checked the extreme party
IN Ireland and harnessed the war steeds
OF revolution to his parliamentary char
lot. Whether these will be now uLloosed
is a question of supreme interest. There
is a feeling on all sides that the agitation
will be renewed and the lr ish representa-
ton in parliament cut down in proper
tion to her population. which has fallen
by A, 900, 900 within a period of fifty years
Ireland has now 153 members and Lord
Salisbury says she ought to have only S3
if each Irish mem Der represented rs
many people proportionally as does an
English or a Scotch mem ber. p
Since the l. aberal majority was only "a,
Lord Salisbury holds that if Ireland
wasn't over-represented there would be
no majority at all in favor of home rule
and the Tories propose to legislate upon
that assumption, according TO the best
and most reliable advices. tnder these
Instances the question, What ought
the Irish do? was asked OF number OF
prominent men representing the Irish
cause. their answers are herewith ap-
pended and furnish a-choice and inter
esting symposium OF timely nature. IN
view of tbs, result OF the recent Engllsh
elections.
DR.. Thomas Adds Emmet, the grand
nephew of Robert Emmet, the patron
saint of IRISH independence, said: The
Irish people ought to stand by the Llber-
ais for two reasons. First, because OF
their fidelity TO home rule In surrender-
ing power in 1856. the Liberal party hav-
ing gone out of power in defence of that
measure and then faithfully taking up
their pledges whore they were forced to
WELD owing to the Cham berlain detection.
and finally passing home rule bill as
the first measure on their return to office
in 1892.
"Secondly, because in now supporting
the Liberals the Irish party will not only
retain their character. but they will also
curtail the Tory maj )rity and strengthen
the Irish party by sending toward their
own retention of the balance of power.
To back the Liberal party is the prudent
course as well as the becoming one. and
in pursuing it in the new parliament the
IRISH party will be observing both good
faith and good politics.
The duty of the Irish in America is
of course TO sustain the party in Ireland
and to recognize the fact that under the
most adverse circumstances the masses
in Ireland have ever since the split in
1891 done their best to suppress faction
and to enforce thel majority rule. Let
me prove this. At the time of the Par
nell affair thirty eight mem bers went out
with Mr. PanIell as leader. Between
that date and the general election Of
1892 there were four by-elections. In
eacn case the majority candidate was re-
turned. And again at the general cleo
tion OF 1892. the power OF faction was cut
down to nine members, the number of
which issnow likely to be reduced still
further.
''In the by-elections that have taken
place since 1892, namely, East Wicklow
and Cork. both contests being fought
under disadvantages and the latter
actually under coalition OF Tories and
Parnellites- principle of majority
rule was well sustained: Not in single
instance has Ireland departed from the
duty of suppressing faction. She has
nobly stood by her principles.
What would the Irish do if the Tories
renewed coercion?'' the interviewer
rather unexpectedly inquired. desiring
above all spontaneous reply from the
gentleman who distingui shed himself
year ago by the famous declaration that
the condition OF Ireland with home rule
was far to be preferred to the voluntary
cession by England of her independence.
As the significance of the question first
struck him, DR.. Emmett hesitated a
moment then slowly and firmly said:
ain such a contingency the Irish people
will repeat the past in other words. they
will meet force with force. Every at
tempt at coercion, continued the doctor,
in slow and measured language, will be
met in the same defiant spirit that con-
fronted MIR. Baltour i'll 1891 and Mr.. Eos
ter nine years before.
"How will an unaImed people, with
out money or the munitions of war, meet
force with force?" ventured the inter
viewer.
"As in the past, was .Iho Dr. IT. Emmets En- me
will defend Irish interests in the house
of commons and, if need be. upon the
soil of Ireland. Mr.. Gladstones invi
tation to the Irish people to submit their
grievances to constitutional debate was
accepted in good faith, not only by the
Irish people in Ireland. but by the Irish
race all the world over. During these
many years no physical force has been
attempted, and the Irish controversy has
resulted in a verdict of the house of
commons which iustifes lreand's de-
mands.
awe accent the vote of the house of
commons upon the home rule bill AS the
seal upon the proof and as the sober YER
dict of the elected representatives OF Great
Britain, in whom we have every conf
dence and with whom we have every de-
sire to live in peace. But ii Lord Sails
bury should attempt by coercion to re-
move the IRISH question from the fJrum
to the field. while we would still rely
upon the English democracy to DO us JUS
tice. failing that II may be that the
present quiet state of Ireland, as testified
to by all competent authorities. would
also once again become disagreeable TO
the government.
Major John Bvrne, chairman of the
National Federation of America, said
The Irish in America should support
the home rule cause as in the days of
Parnel, and the best way to do this is to
support the majority party which sus-
tains the principles and the policy OF
Parnel. This is the duty of the Irish all
over the world.
In case Lord Salisbury renews coercion,
they should support the Irish people in
maintaining a constitutional position
while awaiting the opportunity to securt
their rights through Legislative action
II Lord Salisbury succeeds with a stronG
majority his policy as in the past vii
be to goad the Irish people to overt act
ana thereby procure an argument con
vincing the English people that the lrisi
are unit fer government. lielanC
and Irishmen have been too peacea bl
and lava Didng for some time back e
suit the Tory book, but their continued
restraint even in the presence of provoca
ton and Indictment furnished by thu
Tory party itself will be an excellent op
norfunitv 10 again demonstrate the III tel