The Irish standard., 1912-11-16


sponsible to the Irish Parliament.
More than this, the new Parliament
was unreformed. Tho old corrupt sys-
tenn remained. the majority was influ-
enced, and largely controlled by the
Government.
Ireland had not vet secured
working Constitution, as was soon
to appear.
Grattan's Parliament was no mere
cipher, however. 1t obtained Freedom
Of Trade, Habeas Corpus Act and
a Roman Catholic Relief Act, sweep.
ing away many of the remaining
clauses of the Penal Code, and ad-
mitting Catholics to the franchise, but
not to Parliament.
A Fatal Step.
Meanwhile the Duke Of Portland,
Lord FitzWilliam and other members
of the Whig party in England, coal
esced with the Government of Pitt.
Catholics. F'tzwilliam was appointed
Lord Lieutenant Of Ireland. with in
structions to accent a Catholic bill If
pressed for 1t. His appointment was
the signal for an immediate agitation
on the part Of the Roman Catholics
Their hopes were raised to a certainty,
it1u ur,,i,.
poured in with over half Il million sig
natures. There was no opposition on
the part of the Protestants, except
few aristocratic placemen. Protest.
ant Corporations, including that OF
Londonderry, actually Detitioned for
the bill. F'itzwilliam wrote home urg-
ing full concession, and warning the
| Government against the dangers of
| refusal.
England had reached Il parting of
the ways in her dealings with Ireland.
| A false step would ruin all. That
! step was taken. Eftzwillam was re-
called, and his policy of conciliation
repudiatcd by the Government. With
| his recall the hopes of the Roman
! Catholics were dashed to the ground,
and the prospect which lately appear
ed So bright :hs.saasie suddenly over
clouded. On his departure til" City
OF Dublin was plunged in grief. All
business was suspended, while his
equipage was drawn by the citizens
to the watersidc, amid general signs
of mourning. ...
The new Niccroy returned to the
old disastrous policy OF setting Pro-
testant against Roman Catholic, and
with the aid OF bribed majority in
Parliament, resisted every effort at re-
form.
The War Of '98.
Grattan and his friends withdrew
from a Parliament where their influ-
encc could no longer make itself felt
and the country deprived OF thcil
! guidance, drifted rapidly into anarchy
Disaffection, which might have beer
allayed by Wise concessions was
famed into rebellion by the oulrages
at the exccsscs Of the military. in tho
hope of driving The people into rebel.
lion, and thus paving tho way for tho
| Act of Union. "Thc dreadful Civi
War OF 179S," says the Unionist writ.
er Goodwin Smith, was the crime
as a candid study of it's history will
provc-not Of the Irish people, but q
the Orange tcrrorists, who 'teralls
goadcd the people into insurrcction.'
The suppression Of the Rebellion
was speedily followed by the cxtinc'
ton of the Irish Parliament.
Protestant Intrigue.
So ended "Grattans Parliament,
and with it the policy for which Graf
tan stood. 1t was frustrated by tn,
seifishness of faction whose avowet
object was to establish Protestant. as
ccndancy. and to hold in subjcctiol
the Roman Catholic population tn
vast majority of their fellow country
men.
The same faction is engaged toda.
in an attempt to enlist scctarian pref
udice against the Home Rule mcasur
promised by Mr. Asquith. But tn
democracy of England is better in
structed than in the days of Mr.. Glad
stone. It cares little for scctaria
strife; but a great deal for self gov
ernment, and will see that this tim
justice is done to the people Of Ire
, land.
. General Nelson \. Miles becam
reminiscent at dinner one evening
g There is a lot of hunor real humol