IRELAND AND HOME-RULE.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SFECTATOR."1
SIRA.E an Irishman, I wish to thank you for your article of October 24th on Mr. Childers's speech. Control of the magis- tracy and police by locally elected popular bodies is of very doubtful expediency anywhere ; but in Ireland, its effect would be to make it impossible for any unpopular person or unpopular class to obtain justice. There is another danger which Englishmen do not see. If the people of Ireland were to get the idea into their heads that for purposes of internal control the British Government had ceased to exist, it is extremely pro- bable that there would be an organised attempt to exterminate Protestantism over the greater part of Ireland by a system of boycotting. I believe that religious hatred in Ireland is dying, but it is not dead ; and in a time of excitement might be revived, encouraged with faint blame by the Bishops and priests, and tolerated by indifferent or sympathising Magistrates, and by a police who would know better than to show too much zeal on the side of an unpopular cause. Mr. Childers proposes, if I understand aright, to entrust the protection of minorities in Ireland to a Federal Court. How would he, or any English- man of any party, feel, if Government were questioned in the Imperial Parliament about religious or social persecution in Ireland, and were compelled to reply,—" We see these wrongs with profound regret, but are advised that we have no legal means of interference ; the aggrieved parties must sue the Irish Government in the Federal Court "?—I am, Sir, &c.,
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