South Canterbury Times. TUESDAY, MAT 15, 1883.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 3156, 15 May 1883, Page 2

South Canterbury Times. TUESDAY, MAT 15, 1883.

Mb Charles Hamilton Bromby is a gentleman whose intellectual calibre, cultivation, and chivalrous sincerity are at once apparent, and from one. standpoint we enjoyed his lecture last night. It consists of a compilation of historical facts, and a series of deductions which we must own to be well founded ; and the graceful composure, the genuine descriptive power, and the rhetorical beauty of the discourse were very effective. Mr Bromby is no mob-orator. He is a student and an enthusiast. He produces an array of facts, and he deduces arguments which are equally philosophical and sincere. No one who heard him last night could impugn his accuracy or his logic. But, as to the expediency of his utterances, or the sufficiency of his deductions, we are not quite so sure. His facts consisted of a narration of the evil doings of the English in Ireland, stated with marked insistence; his deduction was that the wrongs, which were admitted, ought to be at once redressed. Now it seems to us that a gentleman of Mr Bromby’s undoubted ability and knowledge of his subject, ought to be careful not only of the correctness of what he says, but of the expediency of saying it. He knows quite well that the Irish agitation has reached a climax, and that it now demands consideration of itself, without reference to the past. The minds of a number of the people are already inflamed to a dangerous extent against England, and there is now no saying where the fury of the people may pause. The present crisis demands action of a soothing and repressive character ; the temporary abandonment of legislative reform, and the immediate pacification of disturbed minds. Is this a fitting time in which to feed the passions of the people by dilating upon the horrors of the Cromwellian era? Certainly not, for such insistence can only pour oil upon the destructive fire. It is merely not wise or politic to dwell so warmly upon the vendettas of past ages, and the atrocities of by-gone days. Even Mr Redmond, it appears, does not take up this position—and he is the accredited agent of the Land League 1 So far of the expediency of his utterances. We take exception also to hip deductions as incomplete. His logic is too narrow. If a wrong committed some centuries ago was a wrong then, it ie a wrong now and ought tP he instantly redressed. We do not gainsay this proposition in the abstract, but we go further. A sure and effectual redress of grievances cannot be obtained by

rash and hasty legislation, which indeed would precipitate the crisis it sought to avert. A measure of redress of an extreme character would only lead to a general combustion. Cures of all kinds must be gradual to be effectual. The wrongs of ages cannot be redressed iu a day. For our own part we frankly confess ourselves at one with Mr Bromby .as to the reality of Irish grievances, but we would ask that gentleman or any intelligent Irishman whether Mr Gladstone and his Cabinet have not really done their best to render justice to Ireland. Where have their efforts been thwarted ? Only by the landlord class. A bill that gave redress to Ireland on the land question after a stormy passage through the House of Commons, was mutilated and rendered well-nigh unrecognisable in the House of Lords, for there the interest of the landlord was paramount and that of the tenant was poohpoohed. The House of Lords is in “ the sere and yellow leafit is dying by inches ; it is an effete thing. Any of its members who now hold distinguished positions in the estimation of their countrymen, owe it, not to hereditary right but to exceptional talent. Yet this House, which wears the faded robes of ascendancy, possesses also a measure of real power in the legislature, and this is the citadel of the landlordism which is the curse of Ireland. There is wonderful solicitude in that House about the interests of the property holders, and only disdain and indifference concerning those of the peasant. It is not until that last vestige of feudalism is abolished that Ireland will regain her rights. And that abolition is slowly but surely coming. It should be the aim of those who seek Ireland’s welfare, to bid the people rally round the Liberal Government that now sits in power in England ; for, bad as they may appear, they do indifinitely more for Ireland than a Conservative Cabinet would do. The redress of Irish wrongs is proceeding—it is not wise to interrupt it by inflammatory references to the past. The English peasantry, the Scotch—these, too,have their wrongs,and only time can set them right. We deprecate at the present juncture any references to bygones, Betrospection is needless while there is so much in the present to deal with. Mr Bromby dwelt at some length upon the desire of the Irish people that their country might become incorporated as an integral and independent part of the British Empire. We cordially long for this consummation , and with Mr Bromby we believe it is “ only a question of time.” Meanwhile, we deprecate all utterances calculated to keep alive old feuds, with which the people of the present age have “ no part nor lot,”