The Irish standard., 1907-12-21
The Prospect of Political Agreement is the
Topic of the Hour in Ireland -.
and Elsewhere.
All Factions, it is Alleged, Are Agreed on
Clauses Which Must Form Part
of the Treaty.

In a. letter from Dublin. dated De-
cember 4, to the ST. Louis Globe Demo-
crat, which appeared in last Sundays
issue OF that journal, +. X. Cullen
says:
The topic of the hour i'm Irish roliti-
cal circles just now is tlls prospect Of
a. political unity, which Is believed t."
be brighter than it has heen at any
time for the last two or three years.
The first move in the present neEotia-
tions was mado by William O'Brien,
who has been out of the party fold for
some time, and who declared publicly
that he was willing to meet Mr.. Red
,nond and Mr.. Dillon in d conference
to discuss a. plan of union. lie also
suggested that Mr.. Hcaly, who has
been running IL little party of his own,
and Sir Thomas Esmond and MIR.
Dolan, who were accommodated be-
cause they subscribed to the Sim Fcin
-heresy.. should he invited. TO this
Mr.. Redmond has replied that hc is
and he adds that he has reason to hope
that IT will be held and that the Irish
party will present an absolutely united
front at the next session Of Parlia-
mcnt.
| The negotiations have given rise to
the usual crop of r,lmors about the
terms Of agreement. and almost every
newspaper in Ireland had published It's
own plan of settlement. None of these
are correct. for no plan has been ever
sketched out yet: but ] am in a posi-
tion to- state that all the factions are
must form part of the peace treaty
One of these is the continued leader
ship Of Mr.. Redmond, for there Is no
man i'm the party OF equal skill as Il
parliamentarian or who is fitted to
conduct the delicate negotiations with
tho English politicians which must be
undertaken by the Irish leader The
second is that "a genuine home rule
bill shall be pressed forward at the
next session, and if the Liberal Gov
ernmcnt can not be induced to take II
up il will be introduced and man
aged by the Irish party themselves
Another plank in the new platform Is
that while every effort must be made
to obtain genuine and complete home
rule the party must not lose sight Of
the need of immediate legislation t.
remedy the economic and social evils
which prevail in Ireland and must bf
prepared to accept and support any
reasonable measure Of reform that Is
offered by either Of the English par.
ties. and that it must also do all in itf
power to encourage and support any
reasonable measure Of reform that j:
offered by either Of the English par.
ties, and that 1t must also do all II
its power to encourage and suppor
the Industrial revival movement In
augurated by the Sim Feiners.
am also able to state that tn
credit for the restoration of unity IL
the Irish party, il it is restored, is du'
to the strength gained by the Sin,
/ Fein movement and the detection to i
of men like Sir Thomas Esmond. There
/ can be little doubt that some of tn,
Irish leaders had been so long at West
). minister and had become so engrosset
in parliamentary. affairs that they hat
lost touch with the progress OF events
; and Of opinions at home. The suddel
growth. OF Sim .Fein and its threat Il
} swallow the party brought them to thei
senses and induced them to devot
!. more attention to what was going OF
al home than they had. done for years
One immediate result of the reunion
!, will probably be the abandonment o
the policy of cattle scattering whicl
Ihas already been condemned by man!
J. Of the most thoughtful men in t1i
party, and in Irish. life. Only q few
= days ago 1.-The most Rev. Dr.. Healy