THE IRISH VICEROYALTY.
AFTER allowing all the weight it deserves to the argument that nothing ought to be done without absolute necessity to increase the chronic irritation of the people of Ireland, it is difficult to see any good reason for keeping up the Irish Viceroyalty. With a domestic Legislature in Ireland, it was found to be a mere instrument of corruption; and without a domestic Legis- lature, it has proved a mere expensive and useless bauble. The Irish Viceroy must do what his masters here order him. The Irish Viceroy is placed in the very worst position in the world for obtaining a just notion of the wants and wishes of Ireland. He is an unfortunate object of delusion, exposed as a prize to the cleverest kisser of the Blarney Stone. The Lord-Lieutenancy of Ireland is an ingenious invention for keeping a double staff of officials to do what might be better done by one. Practical utility there is none in the Viceroyalty ; and it is productive of this mischief—it keeps up the appearance of separate nationality. England and Scotland, go- verned by the same Home-Office, feel themselves one people ; but Ireland, with its Deputy-Executive, feels that its Union has not been of the kind that makes two one. And the only plea for re- taining this useless and mischievous institution is, that the Irish might be angry if it were taken from them : give the child the poison it cries for, lest it should fret itself. The truth is, that the day has gone past for pleasing Ireland by mere deference to its whims. The Irish appear to have come to the conclusion that conciliatory and stern British Ministries are alike hostile to them. They are thankless for concessions. The statesmen who are to bestow peace upon Ireland must make up their minds to have their motives misrepresented—to meet with vituperation in return for benefits. They must take the abuse in the mean time, trusting that at some distant period—perhaps among some future generation—an experimental sense of the ad- vantages derived from their policy will extend tardy justice to their memory. The Irish Viceroyalty is a nuisance, and it is sheer wait- ing till the broad stream runs dry to wait for the time when no Irishman,will 'manufacture a grievance out of its abolition.
Previous page
