[To THE EDITOR OF THZ " SPECTATOR." J SIR,—As one
of the Liberal Party to whom your articles on "Home-rule" and on " Separation " seem to be addressed, I wish to thank you heartily for the courage with which you have faced the present political position. It has seemed to me that the various speakers who have begun to argue for a Parliament in Dublin (beginning with Mr. Herbert Gladstone) have too much ignored the real result of the concession they are ready to grant.
They seem to forget that the Irish Nationalist Party whom we knew in the last Parliament, were by no means agitating for reforms as a matter of sentiment, or that they ever forgot the "main chance" in their demands. We bad, no doubt, frequent outcry against Protestant ascendency on the Magisterial Bench, and against English influence in the "Castle." We had good evidence of rancour against us as a nation ; but the main aim was always to reduce payments of rent, to vote reduced terms for land purchase, to obtain subsidies, or to prove that in some way Irish taxation could claim that it was too heavy as com- pared with ours. Against this, as a party move by the Nationalists, I have nothing to say ; but it strengthens your argument that success, gained by Mr. Parnell, would not end merely in a triumph of patriotic sentiment. For such triumph alone, his followers would not have "taken off their coats."
It is, therefore, very important that we Britons should see, in the way you have explained it, that Home-rule, or separation —and the former is but a step to the latter—implies not only a complete throwing-over of the property-holders in Ireland, but also a great sacrifice to property-holders here. You estimate, the loss in mortgage interest, in contributing to our national exchequer, and in other minor payments, at about sixpence Income-tax for ever, or, say, twelve millions a year. I dare say you are within the mark ; but such a concession—greater than the war indemnity paid by France to Germany in her ;worst humiliation—would not secure terms of tranquillity, but would be only the beginning of fresh sources of trouble, if not a step, towards national disintegration. The illustration of Austria and Hungary has been already put before us as a possible solution of our terms with Ireland ; but even if the previous positions were parallel, which I cannot admit, I should still hope that England is not prepared to accept the position sug-
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