Mr. Gerald Balfour, Chief Secretary for Ireland, on Wed- nesday
made a short speech to his constituents at Leeds, .chiefly on Ireland. He thought there was "a real and important change in the spirit of people there," which had extended even to the political leaders. He believed they would now co-operate in some degree in measures intended for the benefit of their people. He did not indeed hope to 'kill Home-rule with kindness," but he did hope there would be no obstruction, which could only lead to the abandonment of the 'remedial proposals obstructed. The tone of this address, upon which we have commented at length elsewhere, was in fact most sympathetic, and this is perceived and appreciated, not only in Ireland, but, a little to our surprise, by English Radicals also. 'The latter have hitherto been bemused by a fancy that Unionists rely only on coercion,—which is a foolish illusion. Unionists do not talk sentimental nonsense about a "Union of Hearts "—as if you could marry Britannia and Hibernia— but they believe that kindly justice shown by the strong to the weak will in the end produce a peaceful working alliance. That is as much as you can get in a world where every nation as well as every individual is separated from every other by an impenetrable veil.
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