The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1897-10-23
THE QUEEN AND HOME RULE.

THE QUEEN AND HOME RULE.
At the time Of the Queens jubilee
celebration last June the English peo-
pie and their American COUSINS" the
Anglo-maniacs, criticised the Irish rath-
er severely because of their refusal to
join in hosannas to Victoria for reign
ing as queen for sixty years. The Irish
saw no cause for rejoicing for her
reign, instead Of being blessing. was
a curse to tholr country. John Dillon
spoke for the Irish race in the British
parliament when he declared in earnest
tones: "You have the power to refuse
us the rights given to Canada. New
Zealand and Australia. Those rights
you have the power to deny us; but
you cannot, and this house cannot,
draw lis to rejoice at the wheels of your
triumphal chariot. You may conquer
us by force and hold us down, but you
cannot conquer the hearts of the Irish
people, and you cannot and will not
make them join in your rejoicing"
These brave words of the Irish leader
found an echo In the heart Of every
true lrishman the world over, but he
was charged with lack of gallantry
for declining to honor an old woman,
who was merely figurehead of royalty
and not responsible for the evils that
fell on Ireland during her long reign
But the phlegmatic dame. though nom
inally a ruler, had never manifested
any interest in the welfare of Ireland,
and the Irish people and their repre-
sentatives knew that fact thoroughly
we'll. Hence they did not join in offer
ing incense at her shrine, but complete
ly ignored her as their queen and let
her British subjects worship her to
their hearts content.
1t has recently cropped out that the
Irish nationalsts were entirely justi-
fled In the attitude they assumed at
the time OF her majesty's celebration.
In a memoir OF Lord Tcnnyson, the
English poet laureate. which has Just
been published by his son, the fact has
come to light that Queen Victoria WAS
bitterly opposed to tile granting OF
home rule to Ireland by Mr. Gladstone.
In letter to the late poet laureate
which is withheld in the book Just pub
lishcd she refers to the question ~
Irish home rule and clicits the follow
ing reply from her correspondent:
Al,
disastrous policy Of he day. may say
that wish may be in my grave. be-
You'd sight and hearing, when an Eng
fish army fires upon the loyalists OF
Ulster"
These so-ralled loyalists were the
OranScmen who were threatening terri
Bile things If home rule was granted,
Just as they threatened to kick the
queens crown into the Boync" in tho
days of the church disestaH.;silment
but did not. If home rule was givsn
and the loyalists did not behave them
selves. the government troops would be
called into requisition to compel them
to be law-abding subjects. and Lord
Tennyson told his Tory queen that he
would rather die than see the follow
ers Of King William shot for disobey-
ing the law. What tender. poetic feel
ings he must have had!
1t was said time and again during
her majestys diamond jubilee that Vic
tora was not personally responsible
for the bad laws which had pauperized
and depopulated Ireland during her
reign; but her letters to Tennyson
prove conclusively that the plea was
entirely false, and that she is a Tory
of the most rabid type SO far as Ire
land is concerned. The whole tenor
OF the correspondence now given to the
world seems to justify the suspicion
that the queen had placed herself at the
head of the anti-Irish fanatics In Eng
land and the Orangemen in Ireland,
and there can be little doubt that to this
fact was due the detection Of some of
Mr.. Giadstone's colleagues and con-
siderable section Of his party, while it
must have strengthened and encouraged
the house of lords III their fierce re-
solve never to pass che bill granting
home rule to Ireland.
Some time ago the genealogy of Vic
toria was given to the effect that she
had royal Irish blood coursing through
her veins. If she has she would possess
more of the milk of human kindness.