AMONG THE HOME-BULERS.

Observer, Volume 7, Issue 161, 13 October 1883, Page 3

AMONG THE HOME-BULERS.

Home-Bule is not new to many of our readers. True, it is unattended by the exhilarating excitement of boycotting, landlord-baiting, dynamite, and infernal machines ; but it possesses its attendant risks in the form of broom-handles, flat-irons, and Caudel lectures. We could be more explicit on this subject, but forbear, partly because it is not relevant to the occasion, and partly because it is one with, which many of our readers are already too painfully familiar. We do not wish to harrow up their feelings. The subject is too sacred. There is another reason, in the form of a little woman who is just now engaged in darning stockings in dangerous proximity. Having become the privileged recipient of two printed cards, green and yellow — the former being a passport to the dress-circle of the Theatre Royal, and the other to the platform — we decided in favour of yellow, arid resolved to go and vary our knowledge o? Kcnao-E?Ue by listening so Mr J. E. Kedmond. M.P. for Nevr Boss. Taking down the invulnerable shirt of as ail, she brace oL vevolvers, and other little safeguards which we keep on h.iad for- such emergencies as this, w"; wendec* our v»«.y to the .one, eneonDtei-rug m- route tho Auckland Div not the Salvation. Army, which was ranAiug .ight hideous with «c '■^[■cr defiance of Home ox* auy other rule, more pjß^larly any rule of music. Passing under the^Hiway of the Theatre, and groping our way toßßde door, we triumphantly flourished the yellHr pasteboard in the face of a fierce-looking ffinerriian janitor, and; finallr emerged from th/ darkness into a JUift ghostlj lightr,ih tha mid^lof a w^^n^^sc^^^M stjage pi'obss}*tief,v •^d<^eii^j(rß^HOttfl*loiiiiß^B indiudufii ? , yntU jJa^ut»TOai^l^^e^M^^ejMH

made a solerffl^re^H^Hß^f^H^^^^^^^^^H took refuge in a cornerv^^HHHQ||^^^^^^H of the above-mentioned conspirator^T^(^P chunk out of the canvas, and surveyed the assemblage through the loophole of retreat.

It was half -past seven, and people were rapidly filing into the house. A large number of ladies were already seated in the dress-circle, and there was also a fair sprinkling in the stalls. At » quarter to eight the house was half -filled. Afc this stage a man in black stalked with the gait of a brigand across the stage, and approached the table. He was evidently bent on demolishing the liquor. We were immediately in " sympatheticaccord," and whispered, " Halves." With a look of ineffable scorn he put. something in one of the glasses, placed it in a position on the left of the table, and made his exit. An old Parliamentary reporter, to whom we described this incidenfcafter the meeting, vouchsafed the information that it was customary to mix a little poteen with the water on such occasions. Still more rapidly the people trooped in, and shortly before eight o'clock there was such an audience as would hare rejoiced the heart of a theatrical manager. A sinister-looking patriot remarked in a hoarse whisper that, " begorra, there's a hundred pounct in the house !" Then Courtney, the great diamond discoverer, waltzed in, accompanied by » swell with an eye-glass, and Pat Lannigan, and they seated themselves with calm dignity on the stage. Next came Hamil, Dan Leahy (who was specially got up for the occasion), Mcllhone, the Lynches, and a lot of others. A few sported a mixture of green and yellow ribbons on the leffc breast, but no other national emblems were displayed, savethose of an unmistakably physiognomical kind. Horace Dean, conspicuous in a warlike helmefc, made his way to the stalls, and McGinn, his broad, face suffused with unspeakable happiness, got a seat in the front row, in readiness for possible demands on his services as " chucker-out." All over the house Mick and Pat were in the ascendant, and the treacherous Sassenach was in a miserable minority. But the audience was singularly orderly. There was not even a solitary whistle,, not the stamp of a foot, not a cry of " up with, the rag!" and though all eyes were eagerly directed to the stage, the vast assemblage looked like people who had. come to listen to a sermon, rather than a stirring political oration.

There was a bnzz of eager expectation when the lights were turned fully on, and a few minutes later Mr Leahy and Hugh Mcllhone moved across the stage, escorting a gentleman attired in faultless evening costume, a liberal display of spotless shirt front, and brilliant patent leather boots. It was Redmond, the hero of the hour. His entrance was the signal for a burst of enthusiasm, which forcibly recalled bygone memories of the old Greyite triumphs, when " the old man eloquent " basked in the glare of the footlights, and the evanescent popularity of £h» fickle mob, and when the wealth and influence of Auckland graced the platform. But to-nigtit we mies those old familiar faces, those mighty orators of yore. Where are Darby, Dignan, Tole, Canning, Thompson, McKenzie, Shera, Wallis, Staines, Napier, Dr Lee, and a host of oth'ei's ? Echo answers, where? - ' " And where are they, and where art thon, My country ? On thy voiceless Bhore The heroic lay is tuneless bow. The heroic bosom heats ao more." Doesn't it? We shall. see. When the cheering has subsided Leahy is : inßtalled in the chair, ancT, with his hands resting on the table, proceeds to introduce the speaker in a speech 'which has. the one merit, of brevity. Leahy is not an orator, ancl ho knows it. There are hundreds of men in Auckland "nrho have ixox gt so far as Leahy in

The great apogfcle of JJoiac-ilulefittHHHH vrhile In-, i' <j a fc calm, inu'erburO^Hfl^H^H on the. left of' rJia chairman, acknowledgement/3 u~> the aur!ienc(i^|HHHHH feet, aad is received with deafeninj^^H^^H| other demonstrations of welcome, wl^^^^^^^l for a quarter of a minute. He is &^^H^^^| below the middle height, with a metrical frame, square, soldierly^^^^^^^^H the unmistakable air of a gentleinfl^^H^^^H education. You can -detect '^^^^^|^^^H small, well-9ha'ped hands aD 4^^^^^l^^^^^l half-dozen words he utters. jfl^^^^^^^^| expecting to meet a coarse, J^^^^^^K^^^^^^ speaking in a rustic brogue^^f^^^^^^^^^^ take in an instant. Onegj^R^^H^^^^^^^^fl scholarly face, marked j^^H^^^^^^^^^l and study, at the easy the delusion. He has^^^^H|^^^^^^^^^H which is gracefully pij^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^l oval face, which, tho^^^DH^^^^^^^^^^Hl prominent featur^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H beauty. It is the faintest trsba^^K^^^K^^^B^^^^^^^^^R upper lip. well-Bhaped, cln'n small a 9^^^^^^H^^^^^^|^|^^^H liigb. ;iO tH^^H^^^|^^^^^^^^^^^^H been c^flß^^^^^^^^^^^^|^^^^H^^H deuctej^^^^H^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H age,

or with. lie desires to point in the chain of his upon the minds of his audience. He finits his brpw3 at some ■weighty sentence, and "throws an i^ensity of expression into his face at some startlmg declaration. Once or twice he folds his -arms. But, throughout, his attitude is easy and unconstrained. He reasons and argues, enforces his allegations with apt quotations, and -draws his conclusions with unerring skill. He Merer loses the thread of his argument for an instant. He sticks strictly to business. He is at times declamatory or intensely impassioned, but at others deeply pathetic. He "does not depend on trieka of oratory. He deals with facts. If you essay to contradict him you must disprove his facts, and those facts are supported bj a weight of contemporary opinion from the speeches and writings of Bome'of the most distinguished statesmen, authors, and historians of the past and present. All his quotations are aptly chosen. He seldom descends to ridicule. It is ail close reasoning upon premises, and deductions formed on those premises.. He appeals to the reason of his hearers ; lie does not amuse, he causes you to think. Eight or wrong in bis conclusions — and it is not for us, to pronounce judgment — he is terribly in earnest, commands attention and respect, and from his fellow-countrymen profound admiration. Jffe possesses great dramatic power. If he had not been an orator and political agitator, apostle, call it what you will, he might, had he chosen to follow that career, hava become a great tragedian.

Occasionally he rests his right hand on the tumbler in a way which denotes perfect " sympathetic accord." Once the strain (not of the tumbler, but the speaking) begins to tell upon his Toice, and he becomes slightly husky ; Inifc a swig of water (was it water or poteen ?) restores him in a moment. This reminds us that there is a pub. not fifty yards away, but the rising impulse is checked by the apparition of a «tern-looking Hibernian who sits in the wings. At the mention of the names of Butt, Parnell, Henry (Si-rattan, and Dr Croke, he is interrupted by loud cheers. But his quotation from Dr. Croke, * { What is morally wrong can never be politically right " is a two-edged weapon. Murder is morally wrong, and Fenianism therefore is politically ■wrong-. But throughout the speech there is not one syllable in defence or palliation of murder or outrage, though there is a pathetic expression of regret over it. There is no disloyalty, no rebellion ; on the' contrary, a profound respect and aspiration for Constitutional Government. Indeed, he labours the point as if he were over-anxious to «lear himself from suspicion, and perhaps " he ■doth protest too much."

But if this- is a rebel, then two-thirds of the members of our own House of Representatives, and jbalf our Legislative Council, are rebels, for they Lave uttered infinitely more daring statements as to our. colonial relations to the Crown than those of "Mr Redmond regarding the relations of Ireland to the Empire. When he tells vis hearers tlaat Britain maintains an army in Ireland larger than that which |he had in Russia during the Crimean war, thesis a buzz of astonishment, followed by cheers!? These cheers are repeated when,, .passing- from . a glance at the American Constitution, -he praises the colonists for the love they enterta|h for the privilege of selfgovernment. At 't\m stage a bull-headed and excitable person, in fpeiplace usually occupied by the orchestra, resortfto the Stainesian method of applauding with a thick stick, but is promptly extinguished by withering deprecatory looks from all' parts of the house. The speaker is rather Unfortunate in his statement that in Ivelnfii. every official position, from the-^-^ey'dbwii-wards, j« filled by an*E^glishmau or a (Scotchman. MMgHVcolony it; is the other way, on. ' Every ; : from the Grovernorship down to ay the force," is occupied by an There is a compensatory law; at work the Irish, emigrants take note of this.

Redmond's, most masterly strokes of I^^^^^Mtrategy is the reference to Sir George writings proclaimed him to lie a '. Ireland ." It fairly brings down 'the orator has taken his last' which lie— we beg pardon — are riotes can't lie— (Can't they ! ! ! lying on the table, and together . for. . the perorapostscript ; it contains oiordiurn and; body of the : — , ;

let me attempt to to show. [First H^^^^^H^^^^^^^wo explain Home Rule, n -% hare c ndeavoured is reasonable in H^^^^^H^^^|^^HHH^ tests, of common I hate pot. only reaH^^^^^^^^^^^^^^HsHnarpTe advantaand the in- - *^ ie -E ngconclude, |H^^^^^^|^^H^^^^^^^H|^^mhe : ; most . is, if

■Rr/e; and iJift Imperial Government, witb^ [Piich wo do not pvopi-au in. the slightest degree to interfere, would bo h>-.r- as powerful the day after Home Rule to prevent separation as it is to-day. (Cheers.) Bat, •■ lie truth of the matter is, the great bnlk <■■';'. tho Irish people do not want, and are uoi tv-king i'or, separation ; and I am convinced of this, lluifc if Home Rule were granted, before five yen?- of its working the most extreme Separation is\ 3 iv Tvciund of to-day would become prosperous.; conteulaJ, and loyal citizens of the Empire (Obecrs.) I\ow, Sh*, the second vulgar objection io L r onv> Kulft may be summed up in the word?, Scothwxl — Hoo'land is contented with the Union, und Scotl'ind is prosperous. But well, my good b\v, does th.'v!. really prove that self-government is wrung ? ] f in the history of the woi'ld you find :v nation which is contented under the rule 01 another, does that really prove that self -government i- wrong ? or is it not rather the exception Li-.it prov-ip the ruie, that no people can bt» expect-d. to be prosperous or contented who are not masters ol th^ir own destinies in their own govermnertf. Sir, bcothu.'cl i>i prosperous; not becaxiso of Van Union, but in spite of the Union. Scotland is, in my <-, pinion, absolutely entitled to tho prineij.-lo of liomo-ltnle, and I know this very vvoli, ihat it a majority of the Scotch people dcm:!\u^<! IloTuc-Thiii 1 as we do for Ireland, they would vc-vy hoc:: obiainit. (Cheers.) They do not de:n?A-d ii . Tin' rm-umstances of the case are cntiid;, iii»T<_ rent. Jw>r .''ll practical purposes Scotland to- Jay Ik ruled by Scotchmen. In my experionc- ;i: Hie .Kou.se of Commons 1 have novor seen.,- Scotch Bill iuu-'^iuced, supported by a majority ■_.{ fbo S-i.toh members, ■which was not willfu Ay <'-:ivvu»l into law by Parliament'with jxist a.: liiiio lu-sitjiticu cts similar li-ish Bills, su|)porred i.-; ;; lu.-ifjiity of tho. Irish members, wore i^i-vsisiL-ui l v rejci'!-.-:! . Every office in the governrnmt ot hr ;u.-i!v.i i- filled by Scotchmen. In Irelr. :',"( :ho oi r " : rc. i ,iiv i;ot. f fi|^p.^ by Irishmen, and in :■ : 'it ion to all \h'<- ;>^^^^^ not wanting signs th.M.. owm,.; :•. ia:y4>^^^^S business in the House of Couimois, tb'V 7 'fime^is i not very far distant when (Scotland v. ii! :lemand, and when Scotland will most it.^.-uir^'lly obtain, the rights and privileges v> VAoh '-vi; iii.v.- d-jmantl for Ireland. (Loud cheers. ) Gi.utL'Uien. I trust you will eonsiclor that I hn\v :'i;lj'iU«-cl :uy ju-omiso to speak on this matter cnlmi; . cTi.?pa'-.-jnii;itojy,and impartially. If there bo any ]X/".stn:.i in rhi.- hall 1 who came here under tho impression thai they would hear from me an e.aiicil ?--r;w;' of exaggerated wrongs, I am afnui! fhoy will go awa}disappointed. (Cheers, during wliid 1 v.-oinejitally plead guilty.) It is one o- t]:m miisfonnnas of the life of a public man thui; he finds it a rery difficult thing on every occa.-.i.ji; to fultil V-.c .iX2>ectations that have been i .vraed of Imn. (That's us.) lam led to believe thai ih»-» good pet-pi-:- of Aiickland had formed a very docideu opiui-jii about me before I had arrived. I ton tokl Hint they believed that I "was cojup I.^1 .^ here tv j'-rea-"h dissension between colonist.-; of diiVoront Liaiionalities (a voice— lt was tin- '£cpui,\<j Siarj, to divide people of different creeds, nnd i boii-iv.' or.'S enterprising joiu'nalist wont so jar ,1^ io pay iha. I was coming here to create tlis:-':iM<-!!"i.i be: ■•-■-■^.l man and wife. (Won't Brother E)a)ue his teeth -when he reads this!) .1. un-, e.~- ■< -i.-jvely sorry that I have been obliged to '.iisnppoliit li:e ! expectations which have been f0r.;...-] ot mv. anJ ! I am sorry that all I have been ;<bi.! v.- h'V, tlic ! poople of Auckland to has be<jn cfiroiuoH-pJuoo arguments in favour of a perfectly ci a -.litnti'M.-.i reform. -Ladies and gentlemen, j'.t my mvi 1 \ shall be amply repaid if the fc:w wqj-.Ls I iiave 1 spoken here to-night (same old .stylo) i).v\o tho offect of making thoughtful men i>. ii;i.s community think over this question, (Whal; without the spons ?) It is a question Inch founer or later must come vp for settlemynb. Kir, ivj-.i.wi its speedy and iieaceful settlement bi.-i\v.;eii 1L& j two countries, I believe in my w cd ;<.<v] vt.-d- I science, deponcls the future welfare, n -i only 0: j Ireland, but" of England and the Empiro. '^■'■h out some such settlcmejit AS.thi-% I.soiv;^.-,^-!arch-no hope for the permanent n^ncat : <>n'Yi':!.! pi-e;;---perity of my count*'*jT r: i.relai?d's' mal-idy ■■• oko which mwst^iie cured by Ireland 'hersoK- i-i-\ the* j -groat interpreter' 'of- human -nature, and hujii-.n ,! passions makes' Macbeth ask of the "phys : ;Mau ; — | " Canst thou not minister to a mind dise<i3'dj I Pluck from tbe memory & rooted sorrow. Raze out the written troubles of the brcin., And with some sweet oblivious antidote Cleanse the stiiif'd bosom of that perilous grief Which weighs upon the heart ?'■' And, sir, the physician makes answer and says:—. . . . . • " Theyoin tlm patient Must minister to liiuwelf."

-7-7- *> Wow right here it is our turn to chip in. The above quotation will be found in Act 5-^Scene 3 — of ''Macbeth." -The words used towai'ds the physician were spoken by Macbeth in reference to. his wife, Lady Macbeth, who was " troubled with thick-coming fancies," or remorse, that kept her " from her rest," in consequence of her share in a foul and bloody murder. It is rather unfortunate for Mr Redmond, and bliows very superficial study of Shakespeare, when he says in the next sentence, "so we say. of Ireland." Eh, what? But, of course, he didn't mean it. Here is a quotation, only, a few lines further on in the same tragedy, -which might; hay e fitted the case better: — .'• ' -■-•"•' -•"••■ ' - "If thoucould'sydoctoiycast : ~ -■. -The water 'of my land r flnd-lier disease, • Aud.purge it to a sound.and pristine health, " I wonl'd applaud thee tothe'very echo, That would applaud again— Pull't off, I say, , Whatrhubarb, senna, or what purgative di-ujr, Would scour these English hence." And now,, having put in our. little spoke, . and aired our Shakespearean erudition, Mr Redmond .can meander along .again to bis climax.. .-;, •-.:•' '. ';.. ■ --W -•r/i ■ •• - •

*' S6;^e saj of irei^^Hfrelarid's malady baffled alj the moat' sKilf ul p'S^Hiaus of England^ Irela^'s^ibppS i's' r in itaMlf,.' '•' She'.hefseif must liiinjister'-to^ii^rself^ bind.'iip her ti lier' o^fnVdweaie;"!'' The vital mo!lsM*Wt*Wis. »^b^ c : e;Spie's- oftii^i purr

and Ireland — the Ireland of our hopes and tears and prayers — will have entered upon a new era of liberty, prosperity, and peace."

Mi* Redmond resumes his seat amidst a perfect storm of applause, and the magic spell of that voice which has held the audience for an hour and a half is broken. We have given this, the concluding portion of the speech, verbatim et literatim, partly because our contemporai'ies have made a much worse hash of it than the English are alleged to have made of Irish (Government, but mainly because it contains the real pith and marrow of the argument, and affords a fair criterion of the speaker's style. After the great gun, of course, the little pop-guns sound hollow and weak Not even the silvery-tongued McIlhone, who mores and carries a resolution pledging the meeting to approve and substantially support the principles of Home-Bule, nor the Napoleonic brevity of Eiley, who seconds the resolution, can re-kindle the sparks of patriotic enthusiasm. Now conies the real business of the meeting. All that has gone before it is as the finally -and-in-conclusion, niy dear brethren of a preacher before sending round the plate ; the hocus-pocus of a conjuror before extracting the half - crowns from your whiskers ; the cheery chatter of a dentist preliminary to extracting your back tooth ; or the tootling of a circus-band outside the sbow before the performance. Pom ! pom ! Send round the hat ! When Dan Leahy, with all the gentle and insinuating politeness of a man accustomed to the delicate manipulation of a pair of red-hot pincers, requests the audience to resign themselves like lambs to the gentleman who will go round. wij;h subscription lists, the people are seized with; sudden panic, and begin to, glide out as if tHere is a fire somewhere. .It is always, :the,^ way with these lecturers. f[ep:«eberryj • Walker, Bright, Mrs Britton, omerville, Clarke,' Proctor, Denton, Hampson, iKFojcbesf Dr Potts — temperance, . advocates, spiritjjalists, freethinkers, evangelists, lecturers, astronomers, -geologists, revivalists, -warriors, quacks — et hoc genus omnes — the end and aim of each and all is-^-"down with the dust." No ' matter whether the pea be under the thimble of pietj', patriotism, paganism, palceontology, pantheism, petticoats, pbarisnism, philanthropy/ physiology (no more lower-case p.'s. — P.D.) or — or Pandemonium. There is only one person to whom you can. safely entrust your dollars. Modesty forbids u9 to state who that person is. Suffice it to say that we mean to try thelecturing racket ourselves some day, or run for Parliament. Honesty doesn't pay nowadays. But, soft ! Here comes a ferocious looking Hibernian to levy blackmail ! " Softly, softly, let us away." Making a convulsive clutch at that patriarchal hat, we glide, like Hamlet's ghost, into the wings, grope our way out into the street, and toil painfully homewards in the flickering light of the gaslamps, to dream that we had been one of the elect who sidled round with the hat, and had vamoosed with the swag. (It was the beer.— - P.D.).