SIR THOMAS H. GRATTAN ESMONDE ON THE SITUATION.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXII, Issue 21, 20 September 1895, Page 29

SIR THOMAS H. GRATTAN ESMONDE ON THE SITUATION.

Addeessik* the constituents cf West Kerry recently, at Tralee, Sir Thomas Bsmonde spoke as follows : They bad hoped that by this time they should have had an Ir'sh Parliament sitting in Dublin. That hope had not been realised, and there was no necessity for him to explain to them why that bope still remained unfulfilled. There was no necessity for him to explain the iDB and ou:g of tbe great disappointments they had experienced by tbe rejection of tbe Home Rule Bill; but, at all events, they could cay that they succeeded through their own efforts, and through the assistance of their constituents and the assistance of the great man who then led the English Liberals, in obtaining though) at all events, the House of Commons of England the recognition of the wrong which was done Ireland in the year 1800, the recogni ion of the act of robbery which waß perpetrated upon the liberties of the Irish people when the Irish Parliament was taken away. They had hoped after that some indication would have heralded the opening of tne Irish Parliament, but in that they were disappointed ; Btill, he thought they could Fafely say ttn»r, the fact of the Bill having passed through the English Parliament, that some day or other, and, please goodness, before many years were over, they would have an Irish Parliament once more. He had seen in a great many English papers lately, and io speeches delivered by some politicians, that Home Rule was no longer a living question, that Home Rule had now been re'«gated to the bickground ani was not likely e?er again to appear. But they knew tbat as long as Irishmen remained, and as long as the Home Rule questioa was unsettled, so long would the Home Rule question remain. The m^re fact of a temporary rebuff did not mean that the Irish people were to givo up the labouis and the struggles of years past, and that they were to lay down their arms and consent to a denial of their national rights. Whether there was a Home Rule majority or not at the next election the Home Rue question would remain until it was settled in a manner satit factory and honourable to the lii6h people. So that he for one was noi one of those who took a vtry gloomy view of the present political situation. He knew they were disappointed, but disappointment did not mean defeat, and in Ireland everybody knew that disappointment did not mean despair. They had worked and struggled long enough to still maintain and preserve that feeling and tbat hope which bad actuated them all through this struggle— namely, that some d*y or other, through their own patriotism and their own labours and the spirit of tte Irish intellect, an Irish Parliament would be established in Irelani, acd Irish tffairs would be managed by Irishmen. He had njt lost ons iota of those principles or abated one jot or one tittle of that programme, and if they again elected him as theii Member he would continue to woik for them as he rad up to that, and as long as he waa able, for tbe vindication of Irish rights, and tbe rehabilitation of the dignity of his countiymen ; and he could promise those English ststesm.n wLo think there will be no more of the liisb question— he could promise them in their (nis constituents'; name at all events,— that an Irish p rty would be returned to the English Parliament in no way wanting io the eiergy or the determination of Irish pirtiei that had gone before them and wbo would keep the Irish question always preseut to the minds and tolhe Benses of the English Purliarxent and the English people, and to show them tbat there wa» on,y one way of gettlrjg rid of the Irish difficulty, and that was da tbe basis of an honourable eolution of the Irish questior, such as they refused to maku two }ears ago. He had not succeeded in all he bfped to get for the people of Kerry from the Boglieh Government. He did bis best and gave the various Go\ernment departments whe b^d to do with the administration of Irish affairs— he gava them Jat all events more trouble than they

cared for. When before long they would have a Conservative Government in England he believed it would be formed upon the basis of refusing to give Home Rule to Ireland, so that in tha matter of Home Rule there was nothing to be looked forward to in the near future, but he was n U e of those who thought that a good deal of good might still be got from an English Tory Party, and that with a vigilant, energetic Irish Party in Parliament they might be able to get a K ood many good tbings from a Tory Government. The Tories say that they are very fond of us and that if we would only have sense to abandon our wicked ways and become giod Unionists that they would do a great many things for the benefit of the Irish people. Well, they would Bhortly have an opportunity of showing how far they intended to benefit the Irish people. He did not care from what Party a benefit to his country came, he was just as ready to welcome it from a Tory Party as from a Liberal Party, and he could assure them, the Tory Party, that if returned to power after the general election— if they were inclined-they would give them every assistance in passing measures that they considered would benefit their country. The only thing that was absolutely essential to them for the proper conduct of their business, the only help they required to enable them to work for tbe bjnefit of the people was the sympathy and support— the thorough going support of Irishmen at home here in Ireland. Their party might not be perfect. He did not suppose any British party was perfect. They would be anxious to do the best for the people, and for that purpose they might safely rely on the future as in the past, upon the support of Irish public opinion. If they hud the Irish people behind them it did not matter how big was the hostile majority against them. They wanted only a good, strong, ond secure footiog at homp, and the good wishes of their own constituents, and if they had that mainstay, they could go forth into this next fight full of hope and coi firtencr, and honest determination to leave no stone unturned, and leave nothing undone to work for tbe wi,h;s and welfare of the Irish people.