Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1914-05-09
Bebuked by Asquith and Peace
full Spirit Now Prevails i'm
Parliament.
Every Development Seems to
Help and Advance Home
Rule Cause.
Orangemen Find the Situation
Not Only Not Favorable
But Hostile.
POLICY OF LIBERALS and IRISH

From London Hon. T. P. O'Connor
cables the every recent development
seems to help and advance home
rule, and especially the actions of its
bitterest enemies. The Orangemen
returned to the House of Commons
bursting with pride over the success
of their gun running raid to find
the situation not only not favorable
but hostile, especially in their own
ranks, to their performance. Capt.
Craig, one of the chief organizers of
this coup, walked ostentatiously upon
the floor of the House in evident
| expectation of some big outburst of
enthusiastic applause, but he was al
lowed to take his seat without notice
and in a silence at once sepulchral
and condemnatory. AS a matter OF
fact, this outrageous violation of all
law, including the overpowering
of the police and Custom House Off
GERS and the interruption of the
telephone and the blocking of public
highroads, brought the spectre OF
utter lawlessness so directly home to
everybody that the whole situation
passed from speculative anticipation
to grim and affrighting reality. The
Liberals were so enraged that they
urged the Ministry to take stern
action against these aristocratic law
breakers, while the sober Tories
shrank back from such a devastating
example of defiance of the sanctities
of civilized life. The first effect was
to knock the bottom out of the whole
debate on the supposed plot Of the
Government to create in Ulster new
Bartholomew day.
1t was evident from his hating
and apologetic opening speech that
Austen Chamberlain, who was chosen
to lead the Tory attack, would have
run away from the debate If that had
been possible, and his speech was
labored and Ineffective. Chnrahiu
was bitterly crushing in reply and
reused Liberals and Irishmen to
thunders of applause when he de-
scribed the Tory motion as vote of
censure on the police by the criminal
classes. The Tories, abject in their
humiliation, did not howl him down
as they would have done some weeks
ago, when feeling ran fiercely
against him. When with that kaleid-
oscopic rapidity and unexpectedness
which characterizes this whole ex-
traordinary struggle, Churchill
brought surprise and dismay to the
Liberals and Irish by making brand
new offer, more extensive than any
that had gone before, of concession
to the Tories, sharp squall of rage
and despair passed over the ranks Of
the Nationalists at this apparent
surrender to the enemy in the very
moment when the Tories had placed
themselves in the wrong by their
open violation of the law. Several
Liberals for some hours talked Of
resigning their seats. Others hesi-
tated before voting for the Ministry
in the division on the Tory motion,
and altogether a wave of depression,
reaching almost to despair, swept
over the Ministry and the Irish
ranks. Soon, however, the wondrous
confidence in the loyalty and
strength of Premier Asquith, who is
row more supreme over the House
of Commons than Gladstone ever
was, made his Liberal supporters and
Irish allies feel that when he came
to speak he would restore the critical
situation.
Balfour, in speech whose
pathetic tone and delivery moved
profoundly the whole House of Com
mons, confessed for the first time that
his life work in opposing home rule
had proved failure, and gave to
Unionism it's swan song. Carson
adopted an almost similar tone OF
melancholy resignation TO final VIC
tory for Irish nationality, and for the
first time expressed the hope and
wish that the Irish Parliament would
be successful, and would ultimately,
by disappointing Orange fears, also
win the hearts of Ulster Protestants.
This created an entirely new atmos-
phere, and Asquith of course did
; not seek to return to the old acerbity,
but quietly, gently and firmly re-
lpudiated Churchill, who had already
been repudiated unanimously by the
Cabinet Council, and restored the
situation. The one thing that stood
out in boldest relief In Asquith's
statement was that no settlement
could be agreed to by him which
was made behind the back of the
Irish party.
Indeed the demand for settlement
: ig the House OF Commons Is as
strong on the Tory side as on the
Liberal. for large minority Of the
Tory members openly avow their
determination to force settlement.
4 Carson no longer is able to force his
will and his mad policy on the whole
Tory party. The policy of the LIB
erals and Irish at this moment is 10
force on the passage OF the home
+ rule bill, TO present II at the soonest
Q possible moment TO the House ol
l Lords. to put II on the statute book
n as soon as possible after rejection BY
4 the House OF Lords and then to pul
a in second and amending bill an,
g arrangements which may be reache,
e after negotiations between the dit
y ferent parties.
s Few doubt that. going on thes'