THE Temuka Leader THURSDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1892. THE DYNAMITE OUTRAGE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2444, 29 December 1892, Page 2

THE Temuka Leader THURSDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1892. THE DYNAMITE OUTRAGE.

THE DYNAMITE OUTRAGE. No event in Irish history since the ! Phoenix Park massacre is more lamentable than the dynamite outrage which has just taken place at Dublin Castle. The Phoenix Park massacre threw the cause of Ireland back half a century. It was just then that Mr Gladstone had begun to open his eyes to the necessities of Ireland, and had released Mr Parnell and several other political pnsouers from gaol. He had decided on a complete change of policy in Ireland ; he had recalled Lord Sponcer, and had appointed Lord Frederick Cavandisti in his stead, with a view of adopting con-': ciliatory measures. But the fiendish assassins spoiled all his plans, and con- ! sequently his arm, so to speak, was paralyzed for the time being. Just now, when on the point of introducing his measure to confer on Ireland the right .to manage her own affairs, there comes this terrible, fearful crime to thwart his good intentions for the second time. We do not believe that it will make any difference so far as Mr Gladstone is concerned, but it will have a very bad effect on public opinion. Looked at fairly and honestly it can easily be seen that the outrage is the work of some mad man who is incapable of realising its effects, and that the people of Ireland are no more responsible for it than the people of England were responsible for the fiendish conduct of Deeming, or the people of Canada for Dr Neil's villanies. But political parties do not look at things honestly. They look at things from the party point of view, aud make the most of them to secure their own ends. They will try to make the whole nation responsible for this outrage now, and as a great many people are only too ready to believe anything that is bad of Ireland, the result will be serious, so far as Home Rule is concerned. It is a pity that it should be so. It is a pity that a whole nation should be made to suffer for tho crime of probably one or two ; but so it will be, for Mr Gladstone will without doubt have to face the electors again before Home Rule becomes law. In that case the deeds of the wretched fiend or lunatic who is guilty of the horrible outrage under review will be made to do duty as an election cry, and will have the effect of weakening the influence of Mr Gladstone. Looked on from that point of view, it is a deplorable incident, for it will not only destroy the prospects of Ireland, but will also place the whole British Empire under the iron heel of Conservatism for several years. It is absurd to connect Irish political parties with this crime, but it will be foisted on them, and the whole nation will have to suffer for it. Ireland is the most unfortunate country on the face of the eart. Never has the cup of bliss been lifted to her lip 3 but some untoward incident has dashed it to the ground. We need not go beyond modern times to show this. Just as Mr Glad stone had decided on a conciliatory policy came the Phoenix park murder; again, when the Times—Pigott conspiracy was unveiled, and the sympathies of the whole empire were on the side of li-eland, the Parn ell-o'Shea exposure destroyed all. Then came the split in the Irish party, and now, when that too was on the point of being healed, and Mr Gladstone was about to introduce his Home Rule measure, comes this diabolical dynamite outrage. It takes no great effort o* imagination to attribute all this to fate, but, whatever it may be, there can be no doubt that Ireland is very unfortunate, and tile worst of it is that her prospects are darkening with every unhappy incident.