TOPICS OF THE DAY.
IRISH COLONIZATION: OBJECTIONS AND OBSTACLES.
EACH of" the two great parties which divide the state" has seen fit to employ a Commission for the purpose of investigating the social ills of Ireland and devising remedial measures. There was first a Liberal Commission, appointed by the Melbourne Go- vernment, and known as the Archbishop of Dublin's : then came the Conservative one, called Lord Devon's, of which Sir Robert Peel was the author. The Archbishop and Lord Devon there- fore are high authorities on a question of Irish economical policy. Either of them alone would be a high authority : agreeing, they form the highest authority to which it is possible to appeal. Now, on one matter relating to the condition of Ireland, these two authorities not only agree, but cooperate. They concur in earnestly recommending to the Government, not the principle merely, but a matured plan of Irish colonization. Such a pro- posal so stamped naturally excites a lively interest ; it must at least be discussed in Parliament; and it may give occasion to voting not without result. We therefore return to the subject, with a view of noticing certain objections to the measure which have been urged during the week. 1. The proposal comes too late. Certainly, for this year : that is, too late for effects this year, but not too late for legislation with a view to effects next year. This year is provided for by the grant of a British million a month for soup, and the poor-rate of as much more as can be squeezed out of Ireland in her present state of social anarchy. With the measures of the Government for this year, Lord John Russell's memorialists do not propose to inter- fere. Their suggestion relates exclusively to next year and the years following. They do not beg the Government to increase its provisions for this year, but to take some precaution for the years to come. With a view, however, to results so early as next year, legislation this year is necessary. If Mr. Godley's plan of Irish colonization had been adopted by Parliament last year, British America would have produced this year the greater quantity of food required for so large an immigration, and other indispen- sable measures of preparation would have been cared for: so, of course, unless Pailiament act this year, the objection of" coming too late" will be as valid for next year as it now is for this. This objection, therefore, is in truth a reason for prompt action. 2. The proposal is tantamount to " Hell or Connaught" : it means Canada or the Grave. This is Young Ireland's objection, urged by the Nation. And a valid objection it is, provided al- ways that the grave is preferable to Canada. But is emigration worse than death from want of food ? We ask the question seri- ously, because the only answer to it converts this objection into a recommendation. We believe that the famine-anarchy of Ireland will so much decrease production as to render the population ex- cessive after the horrible thinning of this year ; and therefore, if Mr. Godley's plan were adopted without delay, there would next year be a choice between Canada and the grave. For hundreds of thousands, perhaps for millions, there is unhappily no such choice this year. And what is the meaning of " Canada," ac- cording to this plan of Irish colonization? It means a country, and the only country, in which the Irish race would have fair play. In Ireland, the land which they inhabit is the property of another race, and their religion is robbed and insulted by an- other : in Great Britain and the United States, they are but tole- rated aliens : in Canada they would own the land on which they dwelt, and their religion would be subject to neither wrong nor degradation. In Ireland the Irish are not a nation, but an infe- rior order, a base class : it is proposed, without making their po- sition in Ireland worse, to let them form a nation in America ; and to this the especial organ of Irish nationality furiously ob- jects. Well ; perhaps it is because the Irish are incapable of being a nation, that they are what they are in Ireland. 3. This political incapacity of the Irish is the objection of the Times, which spits upon the Celt, and prays that Canada may be spared the "irritating ulcer " of a Milesian colonization. But is the race hopelessly feeble and turbulent ? It appears to be so in Ireland ; but would not people of any race exhibit such defects if they were placed in the same incapacitating circumstances ? When England conquered the Irish, took their land from them, degraded their religion, and neither amalgamated with them nor exterminated them, but preserved them as helots, she inflicted on them the bad qualities of feebleness and turbulence: and feeble and turbulent they will remain in Ireland until they shall acquire some fair proportion of the soil of Ireland, and until their religion shall in Ireland be placed on a footing of real equality with others. But what the Irish are in Ireland is not the question. What would they be in Canada—that is, when surrounded by circumstances calculated to make them energetic and peaceful ? One of the greatest merits in our view of the plan of colonization submitted to Lord John Russell is, that it carefully provides on behalf of the emigrants against the circumstances which neces- sarily make the Celtic Irish feeble and turbulent at home. The Objection of the Times, therefore, does not apply. It appears to be suggested by a blind scorn and hatred of the Irish. 4. Yet this very objection is urged in society by official persons, who have not been accustomed, like the Times, to exhibit scorn and hatred of the Irish. It is an objection of the Colonial Office as well as of the Times. It is the only objection that the Office for the promotion of Colonization could well snake ; and it is the only objection made by the Times. Put this and that together, and it may appear that neither scorn and hatred of the Irish nor tenderness for Canada is at the bottom of this objection. On Colonial questions the Times is now often semi-official. Supposing it to be so in this instance, the objection may be but a cover for another, which could not be mentioned, thougbi t may be deeply felt. The present Colonial Minister has committed himself against an Irish colonization that is not "spontaneous." On the 31st of December last, he instructed Lord Elgin to carry into effect in Canada a system of colonization which he had elabo- rately formed. By another despatch, on the 29th January, he withdrew those instructions and pulled his own plan to pieces. In that despatch, and in the House of Lords on the 15th of last month, he earnestly pleaded against anything like system in co- lonization, and in favour of that wretched emigration which has been justly called "a shovelling out of our paupers." Lord Grey therefore is committed against Mr. Godley's plan. He will not change his mind twice within three months on the subject of colonization. We consider his opposition to the plan to be in- evitable, and therefore warn its promoters to be prepared for this really formidable obstacle. Whether Mr. Charles Buller and Mr. Hawes agree with Lord Grey in his new preference of mere emigration to careful colonization, remains to be seen. If it should prove so, the saying, that "being in office makes all the difference," will be signally verified. 5. There is a class of objections which may be termed friendly, inasmuch as they point out obstacles for removal. It is said, for example, that the Roman Catholic clergy of Ireland may reject the offer of endowment in Canada. But the offer has not been made. At present it is but an hypothesis. Suppose an offer of marriage made hypothetically, so that "Yes " from the lady would commit her and leave the gentleman free even to laugh at her if he pleased : of course she would say "No." The question is, what would the Irish clergy say to Mr. Godley's proposal if it were made by Lord John Russell or Sir Robert Peel, with the as- sent of Parliament, and with a schedule of the amount of endow- ments, and the number of clergy, bishoprics, and archbishoprics! They would perhaps say very little ; but that they would ac- cept a positive offer may be safely presumed. The natural shyness, therefore, of the Irish clergy with respect to a mere suggestion of endowment for their faith in Canada, is not an objection, but a difficulty to be removed by suitable handling. There are other difficulties of a similar kind. It is not to be ex- pected that the Imperial Parliament should adopt a plan of Cana-, dian colonization at the risk of its rejection by a Provincial Legis- lature : common discretion suggests that means should be adopted for ascertaining beforehand whether such Imperial legislation would be agreeable to the North American Colonies, and to which of them it would be the most agreeable. In like manner, the Irish Roman Catholic clergy in the United States bordering on British America, should be discreetly consulted and conciliated with regard to that part of the plan which proposes to increase employment for Irish labourers in Canada by means of the re- moval into Canada of Irishmen who have acquired capital in the United States.
6. The Standard decries even a Canadian endowment of the Irish clergy, on the ground that it would be a step to their endow- ment in Ireland. And the force of this objection must be ad- mitted by those who do not deem it unjust and impolitic to degrade and starve the clergy of the Irish in Ireland. To others, the objection will be a recommendation. Nor is this the only - objection of that sort. It is said that if this plan of Irish coloni- zation were fully carried out, Canada would draw all the Irish out of Ireland. And what then? The process would take place by attraction, not compulsion ; and if all the Irish were drawn to Canada by the attraction of a flourishing Irish nationality, why, so much the better for all the Irish. But neither "all" nor even too many of the Irish could by possibility be drawn cut of Ire- land ; for the removal of enough would leave those who remained so comfortable as to deprive them of a wish to emigrate. Still this objection is a compliment to the plan ; a valuable admission, like the semi-official objection to making Canada Irish, that Mr. Godley's plan is deemed fit to accomplish its avowed and very desirable aim.
Previous page
