l, while
the Protestant Short declares that the thing is not honest, and cannot
be done. The result is precisely what might be expected. The
Nationalist members are returned, and Mr. Gladstone, with his most
grandiose manner, and with the abject magnanimity he always shows when
thoroughly beaten, comes forward and declares he can no longer resist
the aspirations of a people. The Separatist sheep tumble over each
other in their nervous anxiety to keep close on the heels of the
bell-wether, and the Empire is threatened with disintegration to suit
the convenience of a party of priests. An eminent Roman Catholic
lawyer of Dublin, a Home Ruler, said to me:--

"I vote for Home Rule because the sooner the thing is settled the
better, and it will never be settled until we get Home Rule in some
form or other. The country is weary of the agitation of the last
twenty years, and I am of opinion that Home Rule would do much to
restore the freedom of Ireland. For Ireland is in a state of
slavery--not to England, but to the priesthood. I believe in the
fundamental doctrines of the faith, but I don't believe everything the
priests choose to tell me. I am ready to admit that they have more
spiritual gifts and graces than anybody else, but I will not believe
that they know more about politics, and I will not submit to their
dictation. They control the course of affairs both sacred and secular.
At the present moment they are running the British Empire. You cannot
get away from the fact that they return the Irish majority, and you
will admit that the Irish majority is now the ruling power. Let me
illustrate my point.

"You in England think we have the franchise in Ireland. Nothing of the
kind. There may be a hundred thousand in the North who vote as they
think proper, but an overwhelming majority of the South are absolutely
in the hands of the clergy, who in many cases lead or drive them in
hundreds to the poll."

Here an English civil engineer said:--"When I was engaged on a line at
Mayo I actually saw the priest walking in front of some hundreds of
voters brought into the town from the rural districts. I was driving
along in a car, and my driver shouted 'Parnell for ever!' He was
struck on the head and face, his cheek cut open, and himself knocked
off the car. How the priestly party do hate the Parnellites! I wonder
what would happen if the Nationalists got into power."

"They would exterminate each other, if possible," said the Dub