UNITING IRELAND.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 98, 14 April 1908, Page 4

UNITING IRELAND.

BRJ-AKIXU DOWN THE RELIGIOUS BAKKIKKS. HUME IU'LK'S HOPEFUL OUTLOOK.

When Mr. J. Devlin, the Home Kille advocate and Nationalist M.l\, spoke in New Plymouth last year he assured us that in the North of Ireland it was abundantly evident that there was a Mending of the orange* and green for i Home Kule. Kev. ,l. Laird, who arriv ' ed here l'rom Ireland on Friday, not only confirm?) this statement, hut. in a cuuverastiun with a " News" reporter, staled that the movement was spreading. "There is in Ulster," lie *ays, "a movement among the Protestants fur JloiiU' Kule, or at least a measure or Home Kule." During the past live years or so, he says, a great change has heen gradually working iu public opinion, The. old lines of Catholics for Home Kule ami Protestants against are being broken down, and elections are being fought on political grounds. Scores of thiuking men who for years opposed the movement have now changed their views. This could he seen from the fact that several of those who were hostile to the late Mr. Win. Gladstone 3 Bill were now for devolution. in this category are placed Lord Dunravcn; Lord Dudley, Lord-Lieutenant, of Ireland, IWU-IUOO, under the Conservative (loverninent; Mr. T. AV. Russell, M.l\ for South Tyrone, who took an active part in the House and in the country against the Home Kule movement- years ago, and was the founder of the new land movement in Ulster; Mr. T. 11. Sloan, M.P. for South Belfast, au Orangeman; Mr. Win, Moore, M.P. for North Antrim, and a. powerful debater, Mr. Sloan was practically the leader of those Orangemen who seceded from the Order and formed au Independent Order of Orangemen, the cleavage being brought about by the adherence of Mr, Sloan and his friends to the Home Kule cause.

"Ireland must have Home Rule," said the Rev. Luird, because it will take Home Rule to settle her difficulties; because it will make the Irish Nationalists more loyal to England, and they will think more of her; because it will remove a lot of supposed grievances, and show to Ireland that lingland is her friend." (Jur visitor speaks approvingly of Mr. liirrell's Itill, and says that it will have the support of the majority 111 people in Ireland who view the question with anything approaching unbiassed mind. To grant complete selfgovernment would, he thinks, be a mistake. The country is not ready for it. •T don't mean,'' he said, "that the Irish people are more backward than any other. Hut no people could take such a step, ell'ect such a radical change in one movement and make a success ot it." Having been so long held under the domination of the British Parliament and other influences he expressed the opinion that a lull measure of Home Rule would overload the system. Jjet the Irish (people take over these departments as provhled by Mr. liirrell s ilill, anil then, having administered those, lake over more departments, extend the working, and thus, by giving the people some interest in their own atl'airs, work out their own salvation. There is 110 question of the litness of the people, but it was imperative that the great change must be effected gradually. Speaking of the Milcss of the people, Kev. Laird said that the cattle-driving incidents were popularly believed to be a practice designed to draw attention to the need of llome Kule in Ireland, and was calculated to l>enetit the cause. It had an entirely opposite ell'ect. When a case of cattle-driving; took place it was reported in the Irish and English papers. Then some Unionist M!\, by asking a question in Parliament, woiTid ciidixiviir to create an impression that the people in Ireland were a lawless lot and not lit to control their own internal affairs. Very often the altair was greatlv exaggerated, too, and from these' 1 speeches ill the House the people of England received their idea of what cattle-driving was. Our informant explained the meaning of th c term. in the North, under the new land purchase Acts the tenants liave a fixed tenure, and are content. There the cattle browse in peace. Jiut in the middle districts, in the west and in the south, the old stvie of landlordism still reigns. The landlord leases the grazing rights of a tract of country for only eleven months, and retains possession of the land. This system the people are seeking to determine, and they are going lo work in the same way as the discharged weaver-, nought- to prevent the general introduction of looms. the holder ot one of these short-term leases is warned uot to renew it. Should he neglect the warning he will surely wake some tine morning to find bis nerds dispeised to the four winds. 'J his procedure the men think will induce the landlords to sell their estates to the Government for re-leasing and purchasing by thc tenantry , "It's foolish, of course, remarked the rev. gentleman; "they'll never mauage it that way." He inclined to the view that this cattle-driving was instigated by a certain section of thc peop] e in authority with the direct intention of disparaging the Irish people of these districts in thc eyes of others and thus hindering the Home ltule movement. leaving the Home Rule question, 3\e\. Uii'd said it was frequently remarked that the Irish, however unsuccessful in their own country, made excellent colonists and were amongst the best workers in other countries than their own. It seemed to indicate to him that the Irish people had to some extent lost heart in their own land, but, under more favorable conditions, expanded to their fullest development. Meanwhile, Erin was losing some of her best blood by immigration. The people were going in battalions to America, and sometimes so great was the exodus that the steamers could hardly accommodate them.

Concluding, lie remarked, "What Ireland wants now is a loader—a leader in the true sense of the word. Parnell, wore he living now, would work wonders, for the time is ripe."