Not a few say simply that they are content to
leave the matter in the hands of Mr. Gladstone, and that as they
followed him so far, they will follow him to the end. They decline to
examine for themselves, although facilities are offered on the spot.
This must be the ruling temper of the English Home Rule party, for if
they stopped to examine for themselves, or even to hear the evidence
submitted by men of position and integrity they could never tolerate
the insane proposition of an Irish Parliament for a day. They
sometimes say that Irishmen should govern their own land, and that no
one could venture to dispute this proposition. This is their principal
argument, and some are led away by its show of reason. But what is the
truth?

"Irishmen _do_ govern Ireland. Listen. Is England governed by
Englishmen? Now Ireland has a far greater number of members in
proportion to her population than England has. These men have far more
power in the English Parliament than England herself, for they hold
the balance of parties. In every question, Irish or English, they have
the casting vote. So that they can almost always decide what is to
become law.

"Dundalk is at this moment placarded with a request that all men
should join in the glorious struggle for freedom. Unless the Irish
people were constantly told they were slaves, they would never know
it. They are fed on lies from their infancy. The current issue of
_United Ireland_ states in a leader that the prison authorities have
three times tried to get rid of John Daly, the dynamitard, by
poisoning him in prison. As if they could not do it if they liked! And
a few weeks ago, at an amnesty meeting at Drumicondra, a speaker
stated, in the presence of two or three members of Parliament, that
five of the thirteen political prisoners still locked up had been
driven mad by horrible tortures. What freedom do the Irish want? Have
they not precisely the same freedom as that enjoyed by England, the
freest country in the world? Have they not the same laws, except where
those laws have been relaxed in favour of Ireland? Have they not
religious equality, free trade, a free press, and vote by ballot? And
with all this they are told at every turn that they are the most
down-trodden nation of slaves on earth. Supposed they groaned under
conscription like France and Germany, what then?

"The English people have seen the results of the influence exercised
by the present Irish leaders. One would t