2 NOVEMBER 1872, Page 3

Mr. Fronde has gone to lecture on Ireland in the

United States, and has been very warmly received. His notion is that American opinion is the herb which will heal the wounds of Ireland, and his object is to make this opinion sound, by showing that Ireland has herself to blame as well as England for her his- torical misfortunes. Mr. Froude's object is a patriotic one, and he will, we doubt not, deliver some admirable lectures, but we question the judgment of his mission. Suppose him entirely suc- cessful, that he convinces the Americans that the penal laws were Irish offences, or that England has entirely repented her past sins, and what would be the result ? That Ireland, instead of appealing to the Americana, with whom we can argue, and who know Irish- men as well as we do, would appeal to Frenchmen, with whom we cannot argue, and who do not know them. That was the situa- tion up to 1844, and it was far worse for England than the present one.