The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1911-01-28
|RELAND'S NEW
POLITICAL SITUATION
MIR. Redmond Says Result of Late
Election Was Unprecedented
Triumph.
He Believes the Masses of British
People are in Favor of Irish
Autonomy.
Ridicules Ulster Cry and Says
Movement is Not Sectarian
but National.

movement is NOT Sectarldn
but National.
Mr. John Redmond, NJ p, has con-
tributed lengthy article on "The New
Political Situation" to Reynolds
Newspaper; the editor of which has
kindly given permission for the pub
lication OF a number of extracts, says
the Weekly Freeman (Dubhn).
Mr.. Redmond says: "The result OF
the general election of December,
p19ao, may fairly be claimed as great
ssand an unprecedented triumph for
the Progressive and Democratic
forces of Great Britain and Ireland. 1t
has sealed the doom of the veto pow
er Of the House of Lords and it has
given a clear and unequivocal man.
date to the premier to settle the Irish
question finally, and with the least
possible delay by the concession to
tue Irish people of full self govern
ment' In all purely Irish affairs. Ever
since the Act Of Union compelled the
presence Of Irish members at West
minister they have been the friends,
the champions and often the pioneers
<xf a
Britain az we'll as in Ireland. It is
long since patriotic Irishmen came to
recognize that their quarrel was not
with the Overwhelming masses of the
British people-the enlightened mid
Gle classes and the oppressed workers
struggling nanfully towards emanci-
pation-but with the obligarchy of
peers and plutocrats and landlords
who monopolized the power and
wealth and land of the country, and
who until now were able by fraud
or force or guile, or by all these COM
bined, TO speak and to act in the
name Of the British people. At every
SldSC CAC bdCLlC kOl 101Oi" LII 1u6-
land the Irish members have been
distinguished by their sympathy and
cooperation with the popular cause.
They believed that once power was
transferred from the few to the many,
from the peers to the people in Great
Britain, the Irish difficulty would be
Sr1v k~ &h4 +;nfna of 1~IL
countries. Therefore, in supporting
the British democracy in their strug-
gle against the veto of the House of
Lords the Irish party and the Irish
electors have been anxious to aid the
masses of the British people. But 1t
would be absurd to deny that we were
also Influenced by the knowledge that
the destruction Of the veto would in
evitably mean the concession of Home
Rule to Ireland. We all believe that
the masses of the British people are
il favor of Irish autonomy, and that
the veto of the House Of Lords alone
stands between us and free and con.
tented Ireland. We believe that in
the recent elections we did an enor-
NOUS service to the masses of the
British people, but we also recognize
with profound qualification that the
masses Of the British people have also
done an enormous service to our
country, and l hope that from this day
forward the two demooracies will
walk hand in hand to the achieve.
mont of their full rights and liberties.
The decisive character of the national
judgment against the veto of the
House of Lords cannot be too strong
ly emphasized. A majority of 124 in
January, 1910, and majority of 1926
in December, 1910, are conclusive"
In proof of this Mr.. Redmond quotes
a passage from speech of Gladstone
in 1881, instancing the many great re-
forms that have been carried through
Parliament by the narrowest majori.
ties. Dealing with the contention that
the Irish votes ought not to count in
the decision: "The absurdity of this,
he says, "is manifest, especially com.
ing from the mouths of so-called
Unionists; but, take them at their
word, and how does the majority
stand? Leave Ireland out altogether
and there is British majority of 60
against the veto. This is conclusive.