In his political speech on the same occasion, Mr. Gladstone
repeated that all Europe condemns the policy of England to- wards Ireland. But what does he mean by the policy of Rngland towards Ireland? If he means the policy of the last century and of the first twenty-eight years of this century, he is quite right; but then, England herself condemns it more than any other part of Europe. If be means the policy of the last five years, or even of the last twenty-five years, we do not believe that Europe condemns it, and we are quite sure that England justifies it. Mr. Gladstone made a great point of the political feeling for Home-rule in New York and Illinois. Surely he knows as well as anybody that political necessities govern these demonstrations of sympathy with Home-rule, and that they mean little more than this,—that both parties, both Democrats and Republicans, in New York and Illinois are fishing for the Irish vote. Mr. Gladstone congratulated him- self very much on the election in West Fife, but seemed too sure that Mr. Wemyss gained instead of losing votes by his energetic attempt to strike between wind and water. He may have done so. We cannot tell. But it is hardly safe to assume that a candidate always knows his own interest best. There is a passion for half-and-halfness in some minds which bewilders the intellect and persuades the victims of it that everybody likes half-and-halfness as well as they do. On the contrary, we imagine that the Scotch, who are a shrewd people, see the folly of that sort of thing.
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