New-York tribune., 1900-12-02
THE NEW IRISH SECRETARY
GEORGE wYNDHAMs FITNESS FOR THE
POST AND THE PROBLEMS He MAY
HAVE To DEAL WITH.

ooih IN connection with the administration of
ihe much abused War Department and as its
eloquent and persuasive champion in the House
or Commons that mingled disappointment and
dstonlshment were manifested when il was an
nounced the other day that while his two fellow
Under Secretaries in the Foreign Office and the
colonial Department had been promoted to first
class Cabinet offices. one Of them being placed
IN control of the War Department and the other
being put at the head of the Admiralty. he had
been transferred to the post Of Irish Secretary
IN succession to Lord SaIisbury's colorIess and
inefficient nephew, Gerald Balfour, who had
Leeh advanced to a more exalted Ministerial
post II had been eTuected in many quarters |
that MIR. Wyndham would receive the Secre-
taryship for War in recognition of the fact that
1t was largely due to his efforts that the Gov |
ernment had been able TO dispatch an army OF |
quarter million men TO South Africa within |
the space of a few weeks without unduy weak |
enins the defences of other parts of the vast /
British Empire greatly disturbing the mari
time trade of the nation by the sudden tax upon
lis resources for naval transport That he |
should be taken from a department where he |
had achieved brilliant success and relegated to |
the Irish Office seemed not only Incompetent |
slble, bat also an act Of gross injustice.
II now turns out. however. that Lord Sails |
bury showed wisdom and good judgment in as |
Wyndham. whose nomination is likely to prove |
one Of the most important of the new Minis |
terial appointments for there are signs that /
the Irish question is again about to become /
acute, after having remained in the background /
since the death of Parnell Divided into a num-
Ter Of dissentien factions for the greater part OF
TIE last decade, the Nationalist party has /
become once more united, and, as in the days /
Of Charles Stewart Parnelrs leadership. presents
.t,rF1
tainship Of William OBrien. one of the most
restless and aggressive of Irish politicians.
An indication Of the extent to which he is bent
upon pushing the Irish question TO the front
nay he gathered from the announcement he has
made Of the intention of the Nationalist party
u abstain from attendance at the special Par
liamentary session opening tomorrow and to
treat the Queens summons with contempt. In
order to emphasize further this Irish boycott Of
the Parliament al Westminster the National
lists have chosen this particular time for holding
a convention at Dublin. so that the world will
be treated to the spectacle of an English, Scotch
and Welsh Parliament in session at Westmin-
ster and exclusively Irish Parliament de-
flying the authority of both Crown and Govern
ment, sitting in Dublin. This boycott how
ever is only for the special session at Westmin-
ster. and when the House Of Commons meets
again in February il is probable that the Ma
tOnal contingent OF eighty members VIII be on /
hand to give :he deciding vote in moments Of
legislative crises il frequently able to
do in the days of ParnelTs leadership.
But the NatiOnalists are not the only foes with
whom the Government will have to reckon in
connection with Ireland. IL likewise finds it.
self confronted by a campaign started against it
by T w. Russell Member for South Tyrone
who has resigned his administrative post of
Parliamentary Secretary to the Local Govern
ment Board and severed his relations with the
TTniOnist Cabinet to place himself at the head
Of a movement having for its object the COM
f,usory sale Of lands TO the Irish occupying ten
ants at a cost to be Immediately borne by the
State His plan is that the landlords all over
ireland be forced TO sell. and that the Govern
Tnent lend the money upon the security of the
rates As the idea is a popular alike with
Irish tenants and with the small fry Of Irish
landlords he has had no difficulty in organizing
a strong movement in that part of Protestant
Ireland which has until now supported the Ad-
ruiutsfration against the Nationalists Mr..
RusselI's scheme has had the effect Of uniting
for the first tine the Nationalists and the
Orangemen, Of bringing together Ulster and
Munster and Of confronting England with an
Irish coalition that is full of menace to the
I'ni0nist Cabinet
il is for this reason that an exceptionally able
man viii be needed the helm OF the Irish
political bark In the stormy waters through