Home Rule

New Zealand Tablet, 15 November 1906, Page 9

Home Rule

»- There is • (according to "Livingstone) „ a' tribe of bar- • -barians in ..ftp.rkest Africa who have a motto which runneth thus : • Labor kills a maiV but strengthens a woman.' And among the ' superior.' -races there ■_ are some who believe - (or profess to believe) -that; the Horn/ Rule which strengthens the .rest of the Empire would kill Ireland 'fatally dead. I It is the only "white man's country in", all the, King's dominions which (ac- « cording to the same school of statecraft) it^ is right -and -proper to govern^iii" accordance with the wishes of a small minority or ' garrison ' that are alien in blood, J.ti religion, and in . sympathies and aspirations from the. vast bulk of the population. Happily, in this-con- * nection, 'a great change' (says Mr.. JJabbuchere- in London ' Truth ') ' has come over British public .opinion. The colonies have always been^ in; f avor ■ ■ oT' --Home ■Rule being granted. The "Irish arc steadfa'st./in- -their demand for it. In England and in Scotland," my firm belief is that there is. now a majority for it. I have always been a. Home Ruler, because- I - believe in this

wayV- alone can. "there be an'ctrten^cprdiale' between tlie i /twor islands :.= that- con,sU.t,ute ~tjie.' JD^ited* Kingdom, '?ind . this is ' -t;yeii'm"or^- r dcsiraMe-?tliraU?;:oi^eKTjetWe"enj usr „ai;d ;- France. "Tlie - Irish 15 -liave-' reason notvto » -love ir/us. ! "For centuries we treated Wmn ; as!:a^subordinate race, ] , cheated. them,.;buUie ) d^^Uiegx J/( and^, | rode roughfshpd „ over < ■t^hem. ;;.Theyf have..< J beeni;more.iifairly. ; Vg'oycrneil . of'.-^late, ; ', but' -they Naturally to-be mastersrin * their? Vown \ .ipe'si} affairs^"' j\t'e/ v 'should fW' : were ;in * : .-thc.i.r,, pqsiVion : . >; '^)n-\Uie it ! '; r ,is : [ -for'tone countoy^to:r,havc^n&. i ,#k4'iameh^. i /'^yCj^rqiand | ' and; '^reat ''Bri'taih drc* tw6^oun(fiies^^andsartj,l"qtecmed j .. T officially c "the']^i'rited"'-krnl^^ a'j V-".' f ' '"The Irish,""s ays J {ne their "own ' ! P Parliamen't,,nand. it ■.ha^sbeepme^part . of (; ,theii .^ping toj''Li'beraK'Admi'nis.tiratipn, isj; rßule^piroblem, There Vis a( - dreamyjvaguehe^'^d^l^zzin^ . the - myjstei^ousipromis^d^tMng^J^wliioh^" has : '" s Deen'^called,! " ' Adtnini&trative^HomC' liuletivlts r'^overrppt/imistiQi ajdyo-f .'c'at-bs'^Tiive'-; been*; f iving^ : wol-'ds---' into -webs i( -':of air 'J Irpund 'about i.l/^^ul (tlj) f cha)|ge th> Jmßt^pW)" 1 there is- no' :,mistaking , Tthe,:^l«aiines^rof ks '• >Tssk wj^c*(f *Jhef nebulous-"-" schemes -hiats^befenioEeceivedij by';/t?ne; „,politic'ai 'lea<iers'^-ihe" /Ifta* peopier'f <sSpeal{j I njralr>6 range, 'Mr I .^olin" : R<idra'ony l saTd : ifl'^hay l * tha t- •we ■stand s . where-. w^p alSyajsTsloo^f'We. dccl'arV'thkt', iiothj Ing" shqttf^oftj-A : *of-j llomeT-, Rule,' - and' 'jwith'an executiytr' fesi])Wisib^i:^ -it-, "'nothing short, of L \ coriiplete scifeme"" o^., ,^ jip^rie\.l^trler can ;cver ;;be V : accep ted' •as, a .settlenienCpr-.,tl^e ilnsh^flpe^tion ,; ' " 'tiiat "ii'o thing short?of 1 -"such ; .-a-.'sche'me.'^f flio J me../Rule can bring peace, -pros^erity, ;; -' ' or" -cotften-tjihent'-: :tpJ -'Ireland-X'TLatelr . on, _theVNaiiona).,Diree^ 'Mr. Re4moncl-, adpp ted . , the follo^ng^ rfcsqiution^-.-whjeH ' 'sbund& • a note as- decisive.-.and ; uncomprpmfsingtas^tn : c snapping of a steel trap :" '" Tlra'l we dcclare'in^.the'name of the people of Ireland "■the " National-'demaiid" remains' - unallt- ' ered and unalterable' for 1 .. a -native Parliament with !a .responsible executive Jiav ing power over.alL purely Irish affairs-, -'and.: i "tha.t--ju>thi-ng short;, of-", th;is',' ( ca'n satisfy ihe .aspirations of fH he irisSh" race. ; . Further, we deem fit our " duty i$ (leclar^ ;:;ih^t;;' while 1 ; -we belieVe the lri?h people- are pVepared]rto/. v giyfe.Vfayr {l eonsiSpraUdn''to ( any • _schemc for .the. '-extensionzof ...pppular pp!w,er and respon-s-i-bllrty,' 'no change Whieii does< not give to - the - freely ' elected representatives 1 'of fLtic -people'- full control- over .thp- affairs, "of Jrel^ml ,*ca.n "be ,* apcepted or treated- as.; 1 a. ' settlement of 1 the NationaL question or^can^ bring j)ca"ce * •''or*- prosperity 'to 'Ireland!'*: -L: a. .•' " S\ , ,'