The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-01


1t will be remembered that during the
recent short session OF Parliament con-
spicuous Irish Nationallsts like Mr.. JOHN
DILLON. Mr.. MICHAEL DAvITT and Mr..
WILLIAM REDMOND denounced the contest
on which England has entered in South
Africa as an unrighteous war. and did not
hesitate to express the hope that the British
troops would be defeated. Tho Unionist
journals regard such declarations as trea-
sonable, and assert that no British Liberals
who profess to be patriots will tolerate
hereafter any alliance with the Home Rule
party. The Spectator says: I'VE should
recommend tho chiefs OF the Liberals to
abandon the thought Of Home Rule, even at
the risk OF alternating the Irish vote" The
National Rerie,r. for its part, ia convinced
that 1.-The utterances OF the billions the
DAvTTTs and the REDMoNDs have driven tho
last nail into the coffin OF Home Rule, and no
earthly power can resuscitate 1t in the
mind OF the predominant partner Will
the Liberals remain tied 10 a corpse?"
When our Revolutionary War be-
gan, the majorities by which Lord
NoRTH's Government was sustained in
the House OF Commons were counted by
hundreds yet the hour came when In the
same House the Ministerial majority
shrark to forty. then to two, and then
vanished. Everything depends on tho
duration OF the resistance offered by
he Beers Although. thus far, they have
appealed in vain to foreign countries, yet
II they could hold out long enough, some
movement in their favor would he al
most certain to be made. The thirteen
American colonies seemed to have not the
faintest prospect OF outside assistance
at the date OF the battle OF Bunker Hill or
even on July 4. 1879. Indeed, IL was not
until 1878 that France entered into treaty
OF alliance. The British civil and military
authorities took for granted that tho Amer
lean rebels would be subdued in one cam
paign, and they ars now making the same
assumption with regard to the Boers.
Should they prove mistaken In this in
stance also. and again find themselves
involved in unpleasant complications with
European powers, the British taxpayers,
dismayed at the widening scope and In
creasing cost OF the struggle, might decide
that Sir WILLIAM HARCoURT, Mr.. JOHN
MORLEY and the Irish Nationalsts we're
right, after all, and that Mr.. CHAMBERLAIN
was wrong. In that event it il obvious
that the British Liberals and the Home
Rulers would become more closely united
than ever.
BE the outcome of the war in South
Africa what 1t may, it is certain that Homo
Rule is far from being corpse in Ireland,
and, so long az its advocates retain ascend
ancy there, the British Liberals cannot re-
pudiate them without committing an act
OF suicide. Even should discord between
the Dillonites, Healyites and Redmond
ties continue, which seems improbable in
view OF the recent friendly conference be-
tween the two last-named factions at Dub
lin, they will still be- able to carry more
than 20 Irish seats at the next gen.
eral election; could n union of the factions
he effected, there Is no reason why they
should not recover all the SO Irish seats
which they gained under Mr.. PARNELL's
leadership. Whether, however, they shall
number 80 or only 10. they will constitute
IN the next House OF Commons q political