The Irish standard., 1909-05-29
JOHN EDWARD REDMOND.

~ SoAiioh uoeu 10 say lIldI WHeIl tIl3
London Times complimented him on
any of his acts or speeches in parlia-
ment, he felt as If he had been guilty
of some indiscretion, for which he
made an act of contrition. When any
organ of British opinion. as the West
minister Gazette undoubtedly is. reluc-
family eulogfzes the present Irish par
liamentary leader. he must possess
qualities of a high order. In a recent
issue the London paper pays him the
following tributes:
'Mr. Rednnond's success in the house
Of commons may be taken as affording
a test Of those qualities which make
for mastery in an independent assem-
bly,. His oratoricaI power is one Of
the most precious possessions Of the
house. and his persistence, courage
and energy in pursuit of great ideal
have long since given him that COM
handing position which belongs alone
to men of character No one doubts
that If he had chosen any other career
that If. for instance, he had gone to
the bar-he would have been one. of the
leading advocates of his day. Had he
entered politics as member of either
of the great parties he would have at
tanned to a position of eminence on
the front bench. He might we'll have
hoped some day to be prime minister
of this country"
What the Gazette says of John e.
Redmond is absolutely true in every
He is leader of pre-em-
inent ability and Is recognized as such
by friends and foes alike. He is ac-
knowledged to be, without any excep-
ton, the best parliamentarian in the
British assembly; and as an orator he
has no superior in the empire over
which King Edward reigns. We have
heard Mr.. Redmond on both sides Of
the Atlantic, and it-has been. our priv
ilege to have heard the great Ameri-
can orators. from Phillips and Seward
to 1ngersoll and Bryan. and in our
opinion the eloquence Of the Irish
leader does not suffer in comparison
with that of any Of them: Redmond
does not indulge in Evolutionary flights
Of spread-eaglism nor soar afoft above
the heads of his audience. he keeps
close to the earth and speaks plainly,
but fluently and convincingly. and
presents arguments in behalf Of Ire
land that are unanswerable. In COM
mand of language he is superior to his
great predecessor Charles Stewart
Parnell. but the latter was unexcelled
as logical speaker.
John e. Redmond is 50 years old,
and in the maturity Of his physical
and intellectual powers. His father be-
fore him was member Of parliament
from Wexford, and rebel blood flows
In HIS veins. He was educated at
Trinity College. Dublin. and became
an Irish barrtster in 1887. He repre-
scented New Ross and Wexford in par
lament. but for the past 10 years has
been member for Waterford. After
the split in the Irish party over the
escapades Of Parnell, Mr.. Redmond
was elected leader of the Nationalist
party and has done effective work for
his country. With the exception of
William O'Brfen and few OF his sat
elites. including the two Healys. Mr..
Nationalist members under his leader
ship. and today he exercises as much
mastery over his followers as did Par
nell in his palmy days. All Nationalist
Ireland stands back of him and his
able lieutenants; and II he only watch
es his opportunity the day is not far
distant when the Irish tillers of the
soil will own the lands and an Irish
parliament will open in College Green
to make laws for Ireland. as in the
days Of Grattan, to build up the in
dustries which have dwindled and be-
come extinct by British free trade,
since the passage of the accused act
OF union-an act which. in the words
of Lord Byron, united the shark with
its prey
But would not the Irish parliament
be subordinate to the imperial parlia-
ment? Probably it would, but a sub
ordinate parliament is better than no
parliament at all: and crisis may
arise. as during the Revolutionary
War. when another Grattan would de-
mand and obtain parliamentary inde-
pendence. But what of absolute in
dependence? That will come in the
happy future when ireland is able and
willing to meet England on sea and
land, with or without the aid Of allies.
Redmond declared in parliament that
II Ireland was ready and able to adopt
other tactics than constitutional asita-
ton, he would not be in that house