Mr. Childers, in a speech delivered at Wisbeach, on Wednes-
day, replied with great courtesy, and apparently with some hesi- tation, to our criticism on his proposals for conciliating Ireland. He said that a Militia, even if hostile, could do nothing against a regular army ; and that a hostile Militia could, under present arrangements, hardly be raised in Ireland unless the Army itself were commanded by men who were in sympathy with the Irreconcileables. But the truth is that our remarks applied much more to the Police than to the Army. How, for instance, are the landlords to be defended against wholesale confiscation, by a police who would not only be themselves in sympathy with it, but whose superiors would be in sympathy with it, and would openly advocate it P Nay, more, what evidence has Mr. Childers that such half-and-half conciliation as he proposes would con- ciliate,—would do anything at all to stop the violence of the anti-British feeling which seems at present to be the special note of Irish patriotism ? Mr. Childers proposes what would be excellent if Mr. Parnell resembled Mr. Childers. But that assumption, unfortunately, is the reverse of true.
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