New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-04-04
IMPERIAL IRELAND

The Irish capital is to-day the capital of the
worlds greatest empire. The sovereign Of that
realm has removed her Court thither, with all
accessories of state and spendor. 1t is not for
a fleeting visit of day or two, such as she
might make in Paris or Berlin while on her
journeys. but for several weeks. 1t is not a
quiet family party like that at Balmoral, a
sojourn half incognita, In her outings in Italy
and Southern France but 1t is official migra
ton of the Court, and a transformation Of the
Viceregal Lodge and Dublin Castle for the time
into Windsor and Buckingham Palace in one.
Such an incident, unique and unexampled-for,
as we shall see, no former Irish visit of Her
Majesty comparable with ths-would be Of
commanding interest from only the personal
and the spectacular points Of view. But 1t has
other phases Of far greater significance.
We have said that Dublin is now made the
imperial capital That is for the first time in
all its history True the Court was set up in
Dublin more than seven centuries ago by Henry
II. But the great Angevin sat merely as King
OF Ireland. and of Ireland a newly conquered
realm. True likewise Victoria herself has hth-
erto held Court in Dublin though never with so
impressive state now. But then, even on the
last occasion, she was merely Queen, not EN-
press and the British Empire had not yet come
into existence There was no Indian Empire,
but only John Company. There was no Domin-
ion of Canada, and there was nc United States
of Australia. There were only the United King
dom and the scattered, unrelated and scarcely
loyal colonies. which in those days Benjamin
Disrae was saying would soon be no better
than many millstoneS around Engiand's neck.
To-day the sovereign is Queen and Empress,
and the realm is true empire From Quebec
to New-Zeaand the great elf-governing States
sending armies to support the British Crown,
and are claiming potent voice in the imperial
councils Bavaria and Prussia scarcely
more closely related In the German Empire, and
in some important respects far less, than Great
Britain and Australasia. We say Great Britain
and the British Empire. but the words mis-
nomers 1t is Great Britain and Ireland that
form the United Kingdom. 1t is Great Britain
and Ireland that form the nucleus, the mother
land, of the empire. In truth it is not only
British Empire but an Irish Empire. too. That
is the paramount fact suggested with convinc-
ing emphasis by this present erection Of Dublin
into the imperial capital.
That fact and its high purport cannot escape
the consideration Of the Irish people. No people
could be insensible TO the splendor and to the
practical and material advantage Of being not
only part and parcel but the very centre and
| soul of so great an empire. Those advantages
are seen and felt to-day in peace and pros
| perity and progress and freedom such the
| island has known before 1t seems in
! conceivable that Irishmen should deliberately
| elect to secede from the empire to the building
of which they have so largely contributed, and
| should prefer the status of a Serva or Bull
| garia to that of ruling member of the British
| Irish Empire Nor easily imagine them
wishing for a return of the days when Wolf
Tone wrote himself down perpetual drunkard,
and when Daniel OConnell denounced Robert
! Emmett a murderer we'll deserving to be
| hanged.
| What political effect this setting up Of the
| Imperial Court in the Irish capital will have we
may not predict, nor scarcely speculate. But it
might well have a far reaching and profound
| effect marking new epoch in Irish history and
| in Anglo-Irish relations, as there is simultane-
ously marked a epoch in the history of the
British Empire. We shall see If the Irish peo-
| pie are irreconclable. With greater civic liber-
ties than the English and Scotch possess with
| a greater prOportionate share in the Royal and
| Imperial Government, with greater official
| solicitude for their welfare and generosity for
| its promotion with ever increasing prosperity
and wealth. and now with the utmost cere-
| monial honors and distinction accorded to them
| as a matter of due and right, we shall see
| whether they will elect to accept the substance
| or will continue to pursue the shadow