New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-23
ROYAL DUKE FOR ERIN
ViceroyaIty of ireland No
Longer a Party Office.

Copyright. 1-2. ny tic Brentwood Comp.nv,
Ireland's viceroyalty is TO undergo
radical transformation. However rou,,
the Unionists may differ with tho Asoy,s
administration about other Irish matter,
they are agreed upon this point
Hitherto the Viceroy has always hoe,
a conspicuous member Of the pol,,i,,I
party in power and has retired from a.,
flee with the fall of the Cabinet Hence
forth the viceroyalty is to be non.p,r,L
san.
| The Lord Lieutenant Is 10 have A 6vo.
| term Of office for six years, wholly indo
pendent OF the tenure OF Office of IN,
| imperial administration, is 10 rcmai,
| wholly aloof from party politics and
to be on precisely the same footing =,
the Governor General OF Canada. of SOM,
| Africa, of Australia and of the Dom,nn,
| Of New Zealand. In the bin Drawn n,
| for the reorganization OF the vicarsga.
Office, and TO which Liberals and Union.
| lists are agreed, IL is expressly stated
| that the Lord Lieutenant shall IN m.
discharge of the duties of his Office con.
| form to the accustomed practice Of Nh.
1
minions."
This is destined to pave the way for tho
appointment of prince of the blood IA
the viceroyalty Of Ireland, and it Is cuits
possible that when the Duke OF Con-
naught leaves Canada he may become III.
first royal Lord Lieutenant in modern
times to hold court for the King Ia Dub.
lin Castle
The royal family have always been popu-
lar in Ireland since the days when Geors,
w held such festive court in Dublin. his
good temper there being brought to the
trimming over stage by the to him so
welcome news Of tho death OF his VIE
Queen Caroline, whom he abhorred. The
Irish people have always endeayored tol
show-particularly the inhabitants Of Dub.
lin--that they have no quarrel with the
members Of the reignlng house and tina,
whatever bitterness there has been in
Erin in connection with British ruls
has been directed against the government,
rather than against the throne. Kius
George and Queen Mary, both prio, and
subsequent TO their accession 10 the
throne; King Edward and Queen Alley.
andra and Queen Victoria have always
been welcomed with the most unbounded
cordiality and enthusiasm whenever they
have visited Ireland, and throughout the
years that the Duke OF Connaught span.
in Dublin as commander in chief Of the
military forces of the Emerald Isle, Meth.
er he nor his wife and daughters ever
received an unfriendIy word or an IN
friendly look; nothing, indeed, but kind
ness from the Irish people.
Approaching this, queen Victoria, King
Edward and now King George have al
ways hitherto turned a deaf ear 10 the
suggestion that any member of their
family should hold court in their name
as Lord Lieutenant at Dublin Castle as
long as the viceroyalty remained a pot-
zeal party office. The sovereign. as a COLI
stitutional ruler, is often forced to give
way to the wishes of Parliament and to
those Of the administration for the time
being. and to sanction things rcpugnant
TO the occupant of the throne But the
monarch has not been able 10 see any
advantage 10 be derived in identifying
himself or the royal family more than is
absolutely necessary with acts of policy
that are sometimes dictated more ~
partisan spirit than by q sense Of justice
or public interest.
The popularity Of the royal family In
Ireland would have suffered grievoIsly
had d prince of the blood been Obliged
as partisan Nlceroy to assume the obi
UNI of the distasteful measures devised
by a Liberal or a Cnionist Cabinet in
Downing Street and to identify himself
with its views. But when the yiceroyalty
ceases to be a partisan Office and its &C.
cupant is required TO hold aloof from
party politics there will be no more OBJ
lection to its being held by a royal prince
than there was 10 the appointment Of the
Duke Of Connaught as commander in chief
in Ireland.
A Very Ancient Office.
The Viceroyalty of Ireland is yery
ancient office. which dates from the reiga,
of Henry II. the first OF its incumoentt
being Hugh de Lacy, in l172. There have
been several occasions, especially during
the latter half OF the nineteenth centuryp
when IL has been proposed 10 abolish ~
but this has always been opposed by thv
Nationalist, who regarded the mainten'S
ance OF a separate court at Dublin sss
emphasizing their separate existence from
Great Britain.
Since Ireland has always been more Or
less ruled from the banks OF the Thames
even in the days prior 10 the Union. when,
there was an Irish Parliament IN Duolin.'
the Lord Lieutenant has had relatively.
little real power. The latter has oeens
vested almost wholly in the hands OF Ms
principal secretary, who, occupying scar
in the Cabinet, has been virtual master OF
the island and minister for Ireland The
result of this anomaly has been that II has
been difficult TO find men OF high oTder
Of craftsmanship willing TO accept the rolS
OF Lord Lieutenant, content to act a.
scapegoat for unpopular measures or theh
political party. in the framing OF when
they have had no voice and in this exc
cutiou of which they have no real au'
thority. Many of the vlceroys have been
such Intellectual mediOcrities as sadly &c
diminish the prestige Of the once 10
spite of the eXtravagant amount or speh
dor and etiquette with which IL has oee@
environed.
Some lords lieutenant have been re-
nowned for their drinking habits In q
country where convivialty il the ruN