The Temuka Leader. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1888. IRISH INFLUENCE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1822, 29 November 1888, Page 2

The Temuka Leader. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1888. IRISH INFLUENCE.

The Conservatives of England accuse the Parnellites of being the cause of the America - Canadian [Fisheries Treaty being rejected in the United States Senate. They also accuse them of being the cause of Queensland rejectiag Sir A. H. Blake. , Who can blame them for it ? Mr Chamberlain, the Conservative Plenipotentiary who went to America to arrange this Treaty, made several speeches during his B ; tay there, in the course of which he defended the atrocities committed in the name of law ,and order in Ireland, and did all in his power to alienate sympathy from Ireland in America. He returned to England and told the English people that no one of any standing in America sympathised in the least with Ireland, but the lie direct was given to this immediately by most influential meetings, which were held, and at which the leading men of the United States were present and spoke strongly in favor of Home Rule. Mr Chamberlain in this way did all he could to provoke Irish antipathy. As a traitor to Liberal principles they were naturally incensed against him, and as an upholder of the Balfour coercion tyranny he was hateful to them, but it was as a caluminator and a perverter of the truth that he provoked their hostility. " No one of any standing in America," he said, " bad< any sympathy with Ireland." It was necessary to show him that this was not true, and it could not be proved more emphatically than by treating the arrangements he had made concerning the fisheries with contempt. The basis of agreement arrived at by Mr Chamberlain was laid before the American Parliament, and out of sheer contempt for Mr Chamberlain himself ft was rejected. The Conservatives charge thfe Parnellites with having been the cause of shis. Probably , the Conservatives cannot gee it—as" a rule they are very near-sighted—but ja our opinion they gould not pay tlie Parnellites a higher I jf the Earnejlite's are' so " WerfgjTiiji America as to be able to p.. make iuu, ft , " ,",

way for the British Government, then all reasonable beings must conclude that the hour is drawing near when they must get what they want. With regard to the appointment of Sir H. A. Blake as Governor of Queensland, it is not at all improbable that bis record in Ireland has had a fjood deal to do with the objection to him. He has risen from obscurity to eminence on the ruin of his own fel-low-countrymen, for literally speaking the rungs of the ladder which he used m the ascent are red with their blood. No species of tyranny is unknown to him. He is the very embodiment of that vile and contemptible class of Irishmen who are always ready to bayonet and bludgeon their own kith and kin for the gake of Dublin Castle pay. Over one-fourth of the population of Queensland is Irish—there is no colony in which they are so strong—and it ia nothing at all to be surprised at that they have no desire to see • this calico printer's clerk, who has risen by such treacherous means, placed in the position of Governor over them. Of course we have no means of knowing whether this has anything to do with Sir Thomas Mcllraith's opposition to Sir H. A. Blake or not. The Con- | servatives say it has, and there again pay a high compliment to the influence of Mr Parnell. If the Parnellites can in this way upset the arrangements the Government makes, then the best thing the Government can do is to make peace with them. It is not the first time Irish exiles have proved disastrous to British interests in foreign countries. A notable instance is the battle of Fontenoy. There the English army had completely routed the French, when the Irish Brigade was let loose on uhem. The result was that the English were defeated, and this drew from the King of England the exclamation : " Accursed be the laws that deprived me of such subjects." And well he might. England lost splendid opportunities then through having been defeated by :the Irish at the battle of Fontenoy, and she has been losing ever since because of the insane policy she has pursued in Ireland. The admission that the Jt'arnelliteß are so influential abroad indicates that further resistance to their demands is madness. The recent trouble with, America was of a most unpleasant nature, and very little of the same sort of a thing would lead to a disastrous war. From all accounts England will have enough to do to retain possession of Canada. Public opinion iB that that country is veering towards annexation with the United States, and if the Irish element is so powerful as the Conservatives would wish us to believe then without doubt its influence will be employed to hasten Canadian secession from England. If an honest measure of Home Government were given to Ireland this disturbing element would be removed, Ireland would then turn to mind her own business —Irishmen throughout the world would turn to the politics of the country in which they live. They would besides feel that they owed a debt of, gratitude to England for having granted Home Rule to Ireland, and consequently would feel bouud in honor to do nothing which would hamper or harrass her in any way. Seeing, as the Conservatives profess to do, that the Irish abroad are powerful enough to embarrass the British Government, aad seeing also that Home Rule must come, what is the use of delaying it. The fight has been going on for the past 80 years, and the Irish have won all along the line. Thousands [ of Irishmen have died at the point of the bayonet, on the gallows, or in gaol during the struggle, but still others were found ready to fill their places. Grattan died, O'Connell took his place; O'Connell died; Butt succeeded him, only to be jostled out of the position by Parnell, and if Parnell died to-morrow the fight would be continued with equal vigot,*. What then is the use of hoping that the dispute can be settled without Home Rule? Past experience asserts that it is impossible, more especially under present, circumstances. Hitherto Ireland was fighting the battle single handed—now the Liberal forced of Great Britain are at her back. Scotland and Wales, almost to a man, have pronounced in favor of Ireland, and Liberal England is equally determined to see justice done. In reality Mr Gladstone, and not Mr Parnell, is now the Irish Leader, and in the face of these facts, is it not madness to risk the separation of Canada by postponing what must be granted in a few years? Most undoubtedly it is, and those who are responsible for it are England's greatest enemies. These are the landlords of England—a class that' is hanging to their privileges like grim death—but their days are numbered, the next generation will crush them out of existence, and then the happiness which will accrue to Great Britain from the change will be credited by the future historian to Irish influence.