Lord Iddesleigh made a speech atPlymouth on Thursday which was
in one way noteworthy. He evidently dreads the action of the labourers, but he perceives, like Mr. Llewelyn Davies, that if they vote for Home rule, it will be from a feeling of generosity. It is regarded by them as a great gift to be made to Ireland. Lord Iddesleigh therefore addressed himself chiefly to prove that the change must impoverish Ireland, through the ruin of the landlords, the flight of capital, and the new taxation re- quired to maintain the new Government. He believed that the increase of poverty in the island might be so great as to cause a vast influx of Irish labour into English agricultural dis- tricts. In the remainder of his speech he strongly advised Tories to partially efface themselves, and not make things too difficult for the Unionist Liberals, either by abusing Mr. Glad- stone or over-praising Lord Hartington. The abuse is a great mistake in tactics, besides being unjust ; but we are hopeless of much being effected by tactics. The simple rule must be to keep all differences of opinion, but act on them as little as possible for the time, postponing everything to the plain neces- sity of pre.Qerving the Union. If that is subordinated to any- thing except clear principle, it will not be preserved.
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