Washington sentinel., 1900-03-31
An Irish Opportunity,
LohN Redmond IN the arena.

The reunion of Irish Nationalists is an
event whose Importance and tar reach ng
consequences it is quite impossible 20
exaggerate. The British Empire is
governed by the House of Commons,
aud the very essence Of this government
is the party system, whereby office and
power vest in each Of the two great
parties in turn as either OF them secures
majority in the popular assembly.
Great Britain and Ireland nominalIy
constitute a monarchy, but monarchy
so limited--so tempered by the growth
OF popular institutions-that the Gov.
ernment responds to the will OF the
people with more closeness and certainly
with more rapidity than is the case with
many nations whose form ofgovernment
is republican. The British Government
depends for its exis tence from day to
day and hour to hour upon a majority
OF the House of Commons elected by
the people. Let that majority disappear
by ever SO small margin, on anv matter
OF real moment, and that instant the
Ministry must resign office, or IN the
alternative appeal to the people by
dissolution OF Parliament and a general
election.
In practice it has been found that
power oscillates with fairly even regu.
larity from one party to the other. What
Lord Salisbury once called 1.-THE swing
OF the pendulum" has been steady.
Large maJorities have been rare excep-
tions, and the party system-crude
though it be--has worked well. II is
however, open to one serious weakness.
From the very nature of the case it
leaves the House of Commons, the
Ministry and the executive Gov srnment
of the Empire at the mercy of any third
party that might arise, and, for some
ulterior purpose of its own, might be
prepared, irrespective of the merits, to
transfer its support from one side to the
other at a moments notice.
At present Great Britain is delirious
with war fever. She is in no humor to
count the loss or to apportion the
responsibility, but the time is rapidly
approaching when the delirlum will
subside and reason will return. The tens
of thousands of valuable lives lost, the
hundreds OF millions OF treasure squau-
dered, the costly and dangerous prob.
lens opened up in the future of the
Dutch and British races in South Africa,
the reckless and INSCRIPTIONS diplomacy
that led directly and inevitably TO this
ss,s1 l.
lead to a reaction against the present
government. It may be said that it is
idle to speculate upon the future; but
if it be even permissible to Judge Of the
future by the past, it is safe to predict
day OF heavy reckoning for the present
government. What seems as certain as
anything in politics ever can be is that
the next administration will depend for
its existence upon a comparatively small
majority in the House of Commons.
Then Ireland's party of So men will once
again be the most powerful influence in
the Empire.
The reconciliation OF Irish societies
did not come an hour too soon. Between
now and the date oithe general election
they must devote the mselves to building
up their strength again, The Irish
people at home have to reconstruct a
great popular organization to replace
the Laud League and the National
League ofParnell, They have to restore
the confidence of their countrymen in
America in their honesty and their
power for good. They have TO increase
and to strengthen the ranks of their
Parliamentary party--diminished by the
lOIs of seats owing to internal discOrd
and demoralized by what was really a
ten years civil war. They have begun
this work The union that has been
effected is genuine, To have patche d
up peace two, three or four years ago
would have been useless. The operation
of inevitable causes during these years
has gradually but thoroughly removed
the real obstacles to reunion. The
Liberal Alliance, which was the great
bone OF contention, crumbled away Of
ITS own accord and has disappeared
Time has assulged those personal ami.
mosities which grew out Of the most
terrible crisis tnat ever tired mems souls.
Some scars remain; but time has soltened
all bitterness, and / feel convinced that