The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1910-01-22
LAME REASONING Of
PROF. GOODWIN SMITH
A Writer in the N. Y. Sun
Shows That the Englishman
Who Resides in Toronto is
Mistaken in His Views on
the Anglo-lrish Question.
VIM. E. Gladstone on Act
of Union in Reply to
Fallacious Arguments.

In a recent issue of the N. Y. Sun,
Mr.. jeremiah Murphy, of Brooklyn,
replied as follows to an article con-
tributed by Prof. Goldwin Smith Of
Toronto University against granting
Home Rule to Ireland:
It is inconceivable how distinguish
ed scholar and historian of long ex-
perience like Prof. Goodwin Smith
should persist in denying to Ireland her
inalienable right to Self Government.
In his letter in the Sun he says: ut
would be impossible to govern the two
islands on different principles, with
Ireland constantly recalcitrant. Ireland
would in fact be lost and perpetual
source of trouble"
But why would there be different
principles, if there was Justice under
the same laws and constitution. If
justice and equal rights are not ac-
corded Ireland as to Canada and Aus
tralia, would it not be in the natural
order Of things for Ireland to be re-
calcitrant and a perpetual source of
trouble? The perpetual source OF
trouble is in the alien misgovernment,
not In the Irish people. Prof. Smith
and his Tory J1nionist~ friends would
perpetuate the trouble he speaks of for
All time. They created a. condftion of
financial depression in England that
necessitated the iconoclastic and re-
markable Budget devised by England's
ablest and most distinguished states
man, David Lloyd-George. aq
The billion or more pounds spent in
the unjust South Africa wars to sub
due the Boer Republics by Chamber
lain and his Unionist party caused
such deficit in British finance that
trouble but by the construction of tho
present extraordinary Budget, and
now the Unionist House Of Lords op-
posed the remedy for the evil condf-
tion they were themselves the cause
of creating.
Again speaking Of Ireland, Prof.
Smith says: "That Home Rule is at
once interpreted by one of the Irish
leaders as carrying with it the repeal
Of the Union" That is what it should
carry with it by all right and justice,
and such an act of justice as the re-
peal of the Act of Union, even at this
eleventh hour, would not fail to be
more beneficial to England than the
continuation of injustice.
Vice. Chancellor Saurin, distin-
guished Irish jurist, said on the eve
Of the passage OF the Act of Union:
"If a legislative union should be forced
upon this country against the will of
the inhabitants, it should be nullity
and resistance to it will be a struggle
against usurpation and not resist
ance against law" Mr.. Gladstone, ad-
dressing the House of Commons. on
April 1e. 1886. said: ST win only say
that we accomplished that Union
against the sense of every class of the
community, by wholesale bribery, and
unblushing intimidation"
To those who haye resisted this ac-
cursed act of Union. we say with Prof.
Ingram. of Trinity College, Dublin:
'Then here's their memory, may it be
For us a guiding light.
To cheer our strife for liberty,
And teach us to unite"
Again Prof. Smith says about Ire
land: There is one wrong which the
Irish heart especially feels, and which
could be easily redressed. It is the
absenteeism of royalty" If the alb
senteism of royalty carried with it the
absenteeism Of its burdens and expense,
it would be just what the Irish ptople
desire. to be rid Of that nightmare.
Prof. Smith knows that Royal Com
mission. not over fifteen years ago, re-
ported Ireland proportionately overtax-
ed in support of the Empire $12,500.-
900 annually. for the past century. The
revel of royalty in the country would
be poor satisfaction for the burden it
imposes on a people whose industries