The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. TUESDAY, JANUARY 5, 1802.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 3038, 5 January 1892, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 5, 1802.

Q?w)i™<'.r!'rstai- ; r.r m:.suasion', religious or poii-i.-.M.

AnsKXCH of serious crime in Ireland has extoudeil over such a lengthened period that tho news of tho attempt to talco tho lives of several high officials by blowing up tho Council Oliambow iu JMbliu Uasilo, uoinoa

to us somewhat sis a surprise. This is more tlio case than it otherwise would bo from llio great majority of men having i,nven tlio Irish questions up an being- insoluble, and in con.sequence a disturbing element <o bo banished from the mind. So long as there were no murders, or other outrages, the subjects oE Her Mivjesty, not Irishmen, have boon quite content to allow tho two factions consequent on the fall of Mr Parnell, to vituperate and break each other's heads so long as the game amus«d them, wo except of course the active politicians of the Old Coudtry. The Gladstones look to regaining power by means of the Home Rule question. The Conservatives and Liberal Unionists are determined that tho measure shall not be named, at any rate in the form of the Bill of 188G, which meant dismemberment of the empire and nothing less. A general election must take place nest year and the modern gunpowder plot is due no doubt to Hie idea that it would take from Mr Balfour the credit of having restored ordor and vindicated the law. Neither s&ction of the Irish party will of course express approval of the deed, neither will the followers of Mr Gladstone, but

:hoy will not hesitate to use the outrage as a means to bring discredit upon their political opponents. Tho fact that quiet has been restored is a most bitter thorn in the

=ido of the Home Rulers, and they have exercised their ingenuity most

industriously to find any other reason for quietness and comparative content in the country than tho firm administration of the law by Mr Balfour and the officials aider his control Loid Spencer ■in the '2Gth November last, in the course of an address to (riadstonitea at lv-.imsbo L tnin, said, " With regard to the government of Ireland, ft was true there was very littlo crimo in Ireland. They had no loubt had to contend against the National Loaguo and puf. into force their measures wilh regard to con•sjuracy, and had had exceedingly liificult operations to carry out. Ho was not willing to give the credit of that change to tho Government, but believed it to be due to tho good feeling which had sprung up between the English and tho Irish. Tiio policy of Mr Gladstone had driven uespiir from tho mind of r.lie Irish poople, a despair which had suggested crime and boon the oauso of "much of the trouble and clilliijulty which has occurred from time ro time.' . As we are not in the slightest tleirreo inclined lo accept ijordSpeneor's statement, it would be llogic-al to argue that the Nationalist party aro in despair that the r'orrn. of Home lUile they ask, and

with which only they will be satisliwl, caii (iVf-i , bo forced from the Parliament oi Great Britain; we. arc, nevertheless, convinced that -■Lich is the case, mainly for the reason that the people of Ireland ■in', beginning to feel the advantages of a lirm, conciliatory, and just policy. Further, judging by the performances of their hitherto leaders, those of the Irish people who think must lie convinced that hi independent Parliamentin Dublin '•omposed oE these, men and their followers lacks altogether promise of improvement —on the contrary, the inference is natural that their Inst state would be worse than the first. The Parnell Commission notwithstanding, no sane man believes that there is not a laoit alliance between the constitutional leaders in Parliament and the party of dynamite and outrage. Not, perhaps, as

regards tho perpetration of any particular crime, but generally that an outrage now and then—which the parliamentary division could outwardly condemn—was calcu--1 i ted to give force to their arguments, or rather extort by fear that which tho good senso of Parliament teaches should never be grunted, if fi;r no other reason than consideration fur tho welfare of tho Irish people themselves. Recent events go ro clearly show, that if a Parliament woro giMUlo.l to Irolanltuo majority of its members would be tho croatuvoaof tlirs priesthood and the country in fact trnv.'i'ued by a systom which history clearly demonstrates can only onil in disaster and a revolution, mm'o or less bloody, in order to cast oft tho yoke. Mr Gladstone has much to answer for. H • aud the agitators who aro keeping the country in a state of ferment, in order to bring aluut the result wo liiivo depicted are most dim inci ly tho encmius of tho people. That Ireland in tlm past has previous wrongs no man irho JUae V*aO history will dispute,

but those cl.iys have passsil Toil .".y Irishiin'!) onjoy quite as much fri'inlinii us any other peoplo of the Empire. Tho evils oi ! tlio land policy in tho pnst arc being gradunlly roinediod. If Air Gladstone in his thirst for power would drop the sontimnntal question of Home Rule, and the political loaders dovoto their energies and abilities to aiding in tho good work, the Irish poo pie wuiild hare much cause to rejoice. Wo arc sure that wo express the filings of the whole of tho thinking people of ihe Empire when we sincerely condole with Ireland in her last disgrace, and trust that the people will be so disgusted at tho dastardly outrage as to review the position and at last recognis." tho fact that those who pose ;is their friends are in reality their enemies. They may rely upon it that tho use of explosives is not calculated to nement the friendship which Lord Spencer very truly states has grown up between Irishmen and thi! other nationalities of the Uritish Kvnpire.