South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-12-14

I Pal iAdiltfAlA IL AheiA DC plrHtiAtu d.
an obligation Of our common hu-
mainly Surely such minor but
! time-consuming duties as the admin
T istration OF the islands of the Brit
I ish coast could be shifted from the
atlas shoulders OF the British gov
eminent by bringing Ireland into
lie with the Isle OF Man and the
channel islands, and thus "devolv-
ing" her affairs upon local bodies.
After all. Sherky island in the ken
mare river is governed. not from
Westminster, but by its king. whose
bodyguard. consisting of Il single
vigilant and energetic bull repels
invasion and maintains order much
more efficiently than the multitud-
nous battalions on the mainland.
with their tanks and aeroplanes and
gas bombs and machine guns
The Way Out Suggested.
Why not. then. call home rule de-
vOlution, and move the second read
ing in an affecting speech showing
4 that devolution. far from being the
Reputation of the union, is its in
evitable consummation as a union
OF hearts? The natiOnalists would
I vote for it because it was home rule;
I the unionists would vote for IL be-
cause il wasn't; and the British pub
. lie would applaud it as statesman
I Ike. the popular British conception
/ Of sensible craftsmanship being hum
/ bug all round. This seems so sim
/ pie and conciliatory and satisfactory
+ 10 all parties that / feel bound to
explain why, when some of the most
amiable and intelligent unionists
said surely here is the solution of
\ the Irish question" I had TO sing
+ sadly, Not there, not there, my
/ child"
What the Irish want is the free
dom of their country
/ Now you cannot make either a
country or an individual free by
making out a list Of the things they
are to be allowed TO do The list
would take so years to think out,
/ five to copy out, and 500 TO debate
/ in parliament item by item. And
even then it would be abSurdly in
complete. as it would be concerned
with every conceivably possible hu-
man activity. and nobody could re-
member half OF them. The thing
( simply cannot be done
An Agreement for Freedom.
What can be done TO make out a
. list of the things that free men are
f. always willing 10 agree not TO do
for the sake of living in a stable So
ciety where their persons and prop
critics are safe, and of the things they
are always willing to do at their
[ common expense 70 enforce and ad-
minister the arrangement. Such an
! agreement establishes freedom, not
! by binding its signatories TO do GER
tain specified things, and not to do
certain other specified things, but
by leaving them free to do every
thing else they please. II is to Sc
cure order and peace for the ex-
ercise of this general freedom that
they accept the limitations set up by
the agreement; and they are so
Jealous OF their freedom that they
never put hale the things into So
that ought TO be there. That is why
every Irishman and every English
man is today free 10 do severaI
things for which in an intelligentiy
organized community he would be
deservedly hanged There are
crimes. and very serious ones, which
nobody VIII consent TO penalize. be
cause everybody hopes to commit
them
That. however, is not my present
point. which is that the question
whether a man is free or not turns
not on the number OF laws, positive
or negative. which he has TO obey
but on his sphere OF action outsid "a
these laws. II he may not do any
thing except what the law express
Y authorizes or enjoins. then he is
"a slave. no matter how generous the
code may be. If he may do every
thing except what the law expressly
fOrbids him TO do, he is free, no mat
ter how DraConian the code may be
His residual rights not his legal OBJ
, legations or disabilities are the test
When Children Are Free.
The children who have to run to
their parents for leave when they
want TO DO anything are not free
Mother. may we go out?" What
Go you want 10 go out for?" "Only
to see the lord lieutenant. mother d"
Certainly not. stay at home and