New-York tribune., 1903-07-26
IRELAND AND TIE HNIoN.

Mr. Wyndham'S new Irish land bill has now
practically been enacted, for there is no doubt
that the House Of Lords will ratify the work of
the Commons. We call it Mr. Wyndhams bill
because he framed and introduced it in its
original FORM and he will historically have the
credit Of it. 1t has, however, been materially
altered in committee chiefly at the behest
of the Irish members. Not everything they
have asked by way of amendment has been
granted, but much has that we must re-
gard the bill chiefly of their design In
its present form it is almost wholly satisfactory
to them, and they may therefore be held to a
fulfilment Of Mr. Redmond's declaration that
the bill will prove to be the most benef1cent
ever enacted by a British Parliament for Ire
land and will lead to a complete healing of the
bitter estrangement of a century
Nevertheless, it is evident that the bill will
not, at least at once settle the whole Irish ques-
ton. 1t deals with the land question alone. 1t
should settle all social and agrarian troubles
But it will not even touch directly the political
side of the case. Mr. Parnell used to say that
political agitation in Ireland would never cease
until the last link that connected the island
with England was severed-meaning Of course
not merely dissolution Ofrth legislative union
but actual secession from the British Crown
That declaration has never, so far as we are
aware, been authoritatively repudated by Mr.
Parnells successors in Irish leadership, and we
might therefore suppose that such complete
separation from the empire was still the sine
qua non Of Irish ambition
We can scarcely believe however. that such
is the case. If it were Ireland would be cher
ishing a hope that this twentieth century is not
likely TO see fulfilled. 1t may be that there is
still some expectation of securing a separate
Irish Parliament under the British Crown but
even that is doubtful. AS DR.. Goldwin Smith,
who is a tolerably strong friend of Ireland says
Legislative union of the two islands appears
ito be the behest of nature A division of
"Parliaments would be inevitably a division
''of nations. 1t must be legislative union or
INDEPENDENCE" There is little doubt that that
is true, Gladstones ingenious theories to the
contrary Notwithstanding Certainly the over
whelming mass of British opinion is to that
effect and there is reason to believe a goodly
leaven of such opinion is working in Ireland
The traditions of the past are vanishing Not
many years ago Irishmen talked of the res
toration Of Grattan's Parliament" as though
that was what they wanted and as though it
would satisfy them. OF course the fact is that
the re-establishment of that oIigarchicaI tyran-
ny would be far more offensive to Ireland than
Gladstonian coercion at its worst ever was
Again, it used to be a stock cry that PIT
effected the union by means of wholesale cor
ruption Men are coming to realize the truth
of history, that there was no corruption in the
case but stern necessity to rescue the island
from the anarchy into which the iniauities Of
Grattans Parliament had plunged it, The only
''bribe" Pitt ever offered was that of Catholic
emancipation. He told the Catholics that in
stead OF having a Parliament in Dublin 10
which only PTOtestants were eligible they
should have a Parliament at Westminster to
which Catholics and Protestants would be ad-
mitted on equal terms That promise he sim
cerely meant and tried to fulfil, but was baffled
by the intrigues Of faction OF the Anglican
Church. 1t was reserved for later years to see
that promise fulfilled as it stands to-day The
recognition of that fact may not be omnipotent
but IL is not without its influence among the