The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1910-12-03
En-. Irlah l4om. RaIe.

l1OI lne5 fuBnlOnlIllEt issue. twenty
years ago It would ineyitably have!
oyershado the question of theye.
to power OF the House Of Lords.
Fifteen years ogo, IN fact, when Lord.
Roseberyis government appealed to the
people and was defeated, his lord.
ships. fort to make the fpret ions
i OF the second chamber paramount, IN
the campaign was a melancholy fail
lure. The home rule kept its sn.i
lpremacy. 5iS
Ihat important changes have taken
place is now genafally recognized
even in England; for, before the col.
lapse OF the recent conference Of mar.
ty leaders, leading Conservative joIlrs,
nails opened their columns 10 the ais
tcussions Of the possibilities OF dhonne
rule all round. The Militant editor
81 the Observer, a paper. owned by
Lord Northeliffe, who controls also the.
Londen Times and London Daily
Mail, even went to great lengths to
persuade the unionists to concede,
Irish home rule in order to eliminate
the issue, from imperial politics. 1t
is certain, wrote Mr.. Garvin, that the
battle OF home rule can never again be,
fought by any. party on the old lines.,t
Revolution in some form Is inevi.l
table, II there Is to be no change
in the unlonist9policy. a struggle upon
/. the old lines will be attempted, but
with not a shadow, OF probability, that
1t will be attended by the same sue.
cess"
In understanding the somewhat ali
tered political situation concerning
Ireland, one contemplates first Of all.
certain new condition which have ar.
fected English opinion. Ireland Ia
quieter, not because a desolation has
! had the effect Of bleeding the country
by successive British governments
have almost destroyed the old land.
lordism and placed the Agricultural,
(, population on a new agrarian basis.
With the growth of new class of
peasant proprletors, an; influence in
/ support of law and order has appeared
where none existed before, and the
basis OF a, material prosperity has
been laid which must evidently 60 far
to reconcile the coming generations
OF inhabitants to some political con.
;nection with the United Kingdom.
For, as. their grievances diminish,
the Irish people may be depended up.
on to be more impressed with the
material advantages which the British
+; connection brings to them. They
will beless and less insistent upon ABB!
solute independence and will appre.
ciate more and more the benefit Of
the British fleet. A home rule
Ireland, 20 years ogo. was believed by
all English unionlsts to mean an In.
dependent nation. hostile. in spirit
and revengeful In purpose establish.
1 ed on the flank OF the island of Great
Britain, and the military menace OF
such q condition of affairs was re-.
garded as 5intolerable. To-day, It Is
Impossible to take soserious view
of Irish home rule, inasmuch as the
Irish themselves may be depended up
on not to desire complete independ-
ence, or at any status Of nationality
iinimical to the military security Of
1.-THE British Isles. !. 5.a
| The fact that the great rival or
Britain on the neighboring continent
Is no longer q Catholic but a Protes.
tant power may be ignored, probably
In accounting for, the present state
| of English opinion. In the DAYS
when Britian,smost probable enemy
In war was France, there was more
reason for dread OF the effect OF the
possible sympathy of Catholic Ire
land with a Catholic foreign foe OF
4 the sovereign. But since Prot
estant Germany displaced Catholic
/, France as the most feared competitor
Of the United Kingdom in both peace
and war, 1t has been impossible to
run up and down the realm when u
home rule and priest ridden" Ireland
was mentioned at tory firesldes,
The notion of Catholic ireland enthu-
siastically taking up arms to support
the country that Graded Martin Luth.
er seems too fantastic to consider
seriously.
| There are on the other hand, Ger.
tain positive advantages in the for.
eign relations which England would
enjoy II the Irish question were set
tied. British relations with America
would instantly improve. They are
on a friendly basis already, but every
statesman in America and England
understands that so long as Ireland
remains in a condition to chronic dis.
content 1t is impossible to regard
Anglo-Amerfcan unity in any form MS
more substantial than a dream. Yet
Englands need of American support,
whether moral or material, has much
Increased since the earlier stages Of
the; home rule constroversy; It is d
support that can never be obtained
while the Irish race. in this country
continue to be filled with feelings Of
hatred against the British empire. 3
tWlth the passing of the years, too
the Influence Of Canada and Australia
upon British opinion has preceptibly
increased; and Canadian and Austral
ian sentiment continues to favor
home rule for Ireland. In those do
rninlons beyond the seas, the fedora
principle, has worked successfully
and his majesty's loyal subjects ii
those: distant countries fail to under
stand why a form of local self:govcr
ment could not be established among
! the Irish people inimical in no way tt
imperial interests. 1t is probable
that the successful estnhlishment NJ