We have dealt with Mr. Asquith's , speech elsewhere, but must
mention here Mr. Redmond's reply, made at a meeting of the United Irish League in the Antient Concert Rooms, Dublin, on Tuesday,—a reply which showed how entirely ineffective was Mr. Asquith's attempt to adopt an attitude of friendly neutrality in regard to the Irish party. mr. Redmond denied Mr. Asquith's right to speak for the Liberal party. He was only a Liberal Imperialist, and therefore not the Liberal of the future. "After this war was past the Liberal party would be a party made up of men of the stamp of Lloyd-George,"—truly an inviting prospect. We would almost as soon have a party of Swift MacNeills. Mr. Redmond was specially indignant (and well he might be, for the declaration, if adhered to, would mean the utter ruin of the political hopes of the Nationalists) at Mr. Asquith's declaration that the Liberal party would never take office unless they could be independent of the Irish vote. A greater man than Mr. Asquith [Mr. Gladstone] had made a similar declaration in 1885, and yet the Liberals succumbed to the temptation. After thus taunting the Liberals with their helplessness if they rejected the Irish alliance—in reality, a foolish taunt, for if they had only the pluck to try it, the Liberal leaders would gain far more than they would lose by repudiating all and every form of Home-rule—Mr. Redmond went on to advocate the making of English government in Ireland impossible.
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