A SUPERB FUTURE.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIII, Issue 16, 7 August 1885, Page 19

A SUPERB FUTURE.

Thb Boston Evening Traveller contains an interesting account of an interview which one of its representatives hal just bad with Mr. John Boyle O'Reilly of the Boston Pilot as to the probable effect of a war between England and Russia. Tbe following passages are taken from the reported interview :—: — "Do you think England- could -satisfy Ireland by any meanswhatever ? " "I am sure that Ireland could be joiced to the Biitlsh empire,, voluntarily and loyally, by fair treatment, by giving her the national government of 86 years ago. England never can control the Irish race. They are now as strong, numerically, almot-t as the. English, and they are highly pcteatial in many countries. England's own rapid growth in population during 50 years is largely owing to the enormous numbers of Irish within her own borders. There ar«, proportionately, more Irish and their descendants in England than in America. There are at least a million Irish people in London. These scattered elements have one point of contact, one principle in common— love of Ireland, and its opposite, hate of England. The future is assured for Ireland ; nothing can prevent her from becoming a rich and important country." " But Ireland is too small to be great — is she not?" " Not at all ; many of the greater countries of the earth's history have been insignificant in size. Ire and is larger than many free countries in Europe, even without the enormous strength of her exiled millions. She is larger than Norway and Sweden, Denmark, Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, Bulgaria, or Greece. And she is the best-placed country in the world. She is set down in the mid-stream of the world's commerce. She has the Atlantic side of England, and that is the cause of the Irish question. The commerce of the Atlantic would pass into her ports if they were free. Ihe Irish have tried for a hundred years to cut a ship canal through their country, which would drain four million acres of bog-land, thereby more than paying for the canal, and the shipping of the world going to Liverpool would be saved forty hours of sailing through the English Channel, where most of the wreckage of the world takes glace. England will never let this canal be cut till Ireland hastome Rule, because it would ruin Bristol, Southampton, and the Southern i nglish ports. You see, the Irish question is far more a material than a sentimental one. Men would not fight for a little country for nearly a thousand years, as the Irißh have fought for Ireland, unless it was worth fighting for. Ireland can be and will be the richest little country in the world. Her people are capable of making her one of the most distinguished in art, learning, and every refined and exalted development. Theie is no nation or race with a more superb future than the Irish."