Mx. Healy's very moderate speech on Wednesday, on county government
for Ireland,—sketching out the mode of electing county and provincial boards,—the latter to be elected by the county boards, and to take charge of the Irish Private-Bill legislation now submitted to the House of Commons,—reads like an attempt to vindicate his title to the rank of a statesman, just at the moment when the prosecution directed against his violent denunciation of the British Government as brigands, is, in his own view at least, compelling him to go to prison. The speech has no insincere ring in it, and we can hardly help thinking that it expresses Mr. Healy's actual wish on the organisation of local government in Ireland. At the same time, he may well think, as Prince Bismarck is supposed to think, that there is no better way of concealing his real convictions than to speak them out frankly. Mr. Healy may suppose that he will be given so much credit for malignity of intention, that Englishmen will at once assume his suggestions to be purely mis- chievous, and will thereby be led to reject without hesitation the very plan that would do most to cure the Irish sore. Mr. Healy may suppose that he will most effectually prevent the English people from doing the right thing, by himself suggesting the thing that ought to be done. But whatever his motive, We are persuaded that his scheme deserves very grave consideration, and has in it the elements of a statesmanlike measure. It does not do to be so suspicions of an enemy as to take all his advice the wrong way. Sometimes he will give advice that is good, in order to secure its rejection.
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