Mr. Fowler concluded his speech by acquiescing in Lord Rosebery's
suggestion that Home-rule for Ireland ought ulti- mately to be the subject of negotiation between the two parties ; and Mr. Bompas, Q.C., one of the ablest represen- tatives of Nonconformist Unionism, followed up this appeal by a letter to Tuesday's Times, in favour of a compromise,— such, for instance, as the concession of a magnified County Council for the whole of Ireland, on condition that the Government at Westminster should retain the same practical power of controlling the Administration that it has now. That seems to us the sort of compromise which would make the Irish more discontented than ever,—which would simply whet their appetite for the Parliament and Administration denied to them. The whole meaning of Mr. Gladstone's policy is to make the Irish a separate nation. The whole meaning of the Unionist policy is to refuse the concession of this separate nationality. Between Nationalism and Municipalisix, there is no middle course which even a negotiation between the leaders of the two great parties could strike out. Between " yes " and " no," the only possible com- promise is vacillation ; and vacillation satisfies no one.
Previous page
