The Unionist Conference, which met on Thursday, was opened by
a brilliant speech from Lord Derby. The only danger was, he said, the danger of granting Home-rule out of sheer impatience of the question, and the sickness of heart with which it fills people. The only security against that danger is to make people clearly understand that the concession of an Irish Para- meat would settle nothing ; that the very cheapest price at which you could boy any sort of Nationalist content is the grant of a Colonial independence at least as complete as that of Canada, which no statesman in his senses would concede, and which even Mr. Gladstone showed no disposition to concede. It would be mush easier to secure content by convincing the Irish that Home-ride is out of the question, just as the Southern States of America were contented by being convinced that Southern in. dependence was out of the question. Even Mr. Gladstone and his colleagues have never professed to be willing to satisfy the aspirations of Irishmen, but only what they call their legiti- mate aspirations. "They are not fighting," said Lord Derby, "by their own admission, for what the Irish people may think best, but for what they may think beet for the Irish people. Well, so are we." As regards Coercion, he supposed nobody liked needless Coercion, "though Coercion in some form is only another name for civilisation," but he agreed with the man who said that he was all for doing away with the death-penalty, "only, let the murderers begin." He thought Coercion might cease as soon as the National League ceased to coerce.
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