THE New Zealand Mail. PUBLISHED WEEKLY. THURSDAY, JANUARY 27, 1898. IRELAND IN THE EMPIRE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1352, 27 January 1898, Page 16

THE New Zealand Mail. PUBLISHED WEEKLY. THURSDAY, JANUARY 27, 1898. IRELAND IN THE EMPIRE.

At the present moment, when so much is being written, and with truth, of th<i solidarity of the British Empire, we are painfully reminded, per medium of the cable, that there still remains a strong feeling if not of enmity, at least of anger, amongst a division of the people of the United Kingdom which is as far as ever from being allayed- That this is not as it should be, every man acknowledges; but how the trouble is to be met, and fairly met, is just one of those matters which have been a puzzle to the wisest and best men of the Empire. Not long since, Lord Charles Beresford, with every desire to reconcile his fellowcountrympn to the existing state of things, pointed out that not in the past, nor at present, were the claims of Ireland either rightly understood or reasonably recognised. Nothing, however, has given us more pleasure than the perusal of an article from the pen of Eobert Blake, published in Britannia —a paper published to promote the closer union of the Home Country and Colonies} a record of the movement towards National Unity. Connected with Britannia are some of the broadestminded men in Britain and the Colonies, and it may well be admitted that any 1 opinion asnressetl with the approval of fro

{editor of the journal is sharedlin by I the bulk of those who are responsible for its publication. Mr Blake dwells with effect upon the neglect of Ireland, not only by English politician, but by the reigning family. His strongest point, however, is made when he refers to the distrust—which nothing can really justify—of the Irish people by the military and naval authorities of the I Empire. Bright, the celebrated historian, has pointed out that the formation of the Highland regiments and of the Scots Guards did more to reconcile Scotland to the Union with England in a few years than all the repressive measures attempted against her had accomplished in as many centuries. And Mr Blake points out . that notwithstanding though they have this example for their guidance, though they see in the Royal Irish Constabulary an example of a force composed entirely of Irishmen, which for loyalty, discipline and efficiency cannot anywhere be surpassed, it is only comparatively recently that regiments bearing Irish titles, and as such appealing to Irish sentiment, have been created and, he adds, "we are still without a regiment of Irish Guards." The same thing applies to the Volunteers. The extension of the ! Volunteer system to Ireland, by supplying a legitimate outlet for the strong military instincts of the Irish people, would do more than centuries of Coercion Acts and tinkering legislation, not only to pacify the country, and create there an Imperial and orderly temper> but to develop a spirit of true comradeship between the two nations, onwhose complete reconciliation so much may depend in the future. As the writer truly remarks, of all the problems which confront British statesmen/this problem of the reconciliation of the Irish people is the most important. At present they are the one weak spot in the Empire, and it does appear to us that Mr Blake has hit upon the idea that will most strongly appeal to Irish sentiment. We agree with him entirely when he says that modern Englishmen should be alive to the, impolicy of treating Irishmen as if they were not citizens of the Empire, and expecting from men so treated the same loyalty to the great ideal of Imperial Unity which they feel themselves. And he rejoices that there are not wanting signs which tell that this feeling is actuating Imperial Englishmen. He thus concludes an admirable article, and one that must have its effect upon the minds of Irishmen wherever it is read: —"The frankr and full extension to all Irishmen of all the liberties of the Constitution, which appears to be the enlightened policy of the present Government, will in an incredibly short space of time remove every trace of that' disaffection which has only;been so obstinately persistent because the justification for it has never yet been entirely removed. Discontent cannot long survive if it has nothing substantial to feed upon. A people naturally so quick and intelligent as the Irish will not beslow to realise theenormous benefits which they derive from the connection with England once their attention ceases to be occupied with the degrading disabilities from which they have too long suffered; nor is there in the whole Empire any race which will more quickly respond to real confidence when they really receive it. That they are , far too intelligent to be won by any sham concessions extorted by agitation they have already snown. None the less, the growth of the new spirit of true sympathy will very soon do away with the Little-Irelanders; many of us may live to see the rise of a new Ireland, Imperial in sentiment, aspiring rather to play a great part within the ,Eiw'f>'h.-e thnivfi' by "XsVudtvi fiom it, ar>' iuoiiing bacK ou tho time wheu it was her ambition to be a petty, protected, semiindependent State, rather than a partner in the greatest Empire in the world, as a period of national immaturity, the follies of which will be remembered rather with amusement than shame."