THE REDMOND MISSION.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1516, 23 October 1883, Page 2

THE REDMOND MISSION.

(From the Otago Daily Times),

In another column we publish an extract from Mr Gladstone's appeal to the Irish members of the House of Commons to abstain from increasing the national hatred between England and Ireland, .which may be read with advantage by those who are inclined: to feel sympathy with the Redmond missioi" ;We suppose that thereto foolish people in this community who will be lead away by an unreasonable sympathy with Irish wrongs to subscribe money to the objects of the National Loaguo; but before they do so it is well that they should be wariiedof the purposes to . which their funds wilUe devote! Hitherto we have treated the reception of' Mr Redmond as a matter.of expediency. We have urged that ifc. ; is most unwise <to impqr| t 'these oid-world quarrels into our young civilisation, and pointed out that it is as much out of place for us to interfere with the British treatment of Ireland as it would be for our countrymen in England to interfere with our treatment of the : Maoris, These are ample grounds for leaving Mr Redmond sevecely alone. But it is hot merely a question of expediency. There is a right and a wrong in the matter. That Ireland has been terribly misgoverned by England in the past is;unquestionable, but surely every candid mind must admit that of late years the English Government has been doing all in its power to make reparation, and that the carrying out of ate reforms has chiefly been hindered by the action of the land League and its supporters. Mr Redmond may speak mellifluously of the wrongs of Ireland on this side of the water, and protest that he has no idea of redressing them by any other than constitutional means, In all probability there will be nothing in his leotures here to which exception can fairly be taken.; But these are not the views which he and his party give expression to in England,. .There they do not attempt-to.conceal the fact that theyjcqnsidCr aji ; means i'fair, to attain jis Healy, who,| in i reply to Mr Gladstone's spee%, thus expressed the 'views of

the party of which he is a prominent member: " Tim. is a quarrel of life or death, It is the struggle of the Irish people fought out in this House as our 7 forefathers fought it out in different circumstances, it is as much a war between the two countries as ever it was." Or shall we recur to the Cork speech of Mr Redmond's brother, who 'is now in the North Island, which was bo outrageous as to lead jthe long-suffering Mr Trevelyn to issue a wit against him for treason, Nor are these isolated instances. This is what Mr Redmond means when he, talks! of redeeming the . wrongs of Ireland by" constitutional means," Such are the aims, of: the party which he' represents, arid:those who attend his meeting must clearly understand that it is treason which they are supporting, and disloyalty to which they lend their countenance. Let them ask themselves whether they are likely to help to redress the Irish grievances by support-, ing the. Parnellites; whether they wish to hamper'the English Government in carrying out the reforms they have in hand j whether they wish to perpetuate the old quarrels and prolong the crimes and disturbances of the last threeyeare; instead of "to substitute a state of peace and friendship for the painful inheritance of the past" 1 But after all it is not so much the sympathy as the money of the people of Otago which Mr Redmond wants. And for whatpurpose Met those who arottiinking of contributing' ask him what has become of tile moneys which are still unaccounted for in the Land League's balance-sheet. Let them inquire what part of the Land League—bf which the National League is the legitimate child-r-played in stirring up Irishmen to crime. Let them' make certain that their. contributions will not be spent in'the maintenance of assassins and the prolongation >: of a reign of terror. : ,