Mr. Chamberlain during the contest has addressed a letter to
a Southport elector in which he very truly says that the danger of Home-rule still remains, and will remain until the Liberal leaders formally repudiate the doctrine of Home-rule for Ireland. Up to the present time "no euch confession and pro- mise of repentance has been made by any of the leaders who went astray with Mr. Gladstone, and who are responsible for breaking up the Liberal party." No doubt they remain silent, while some of their followers declare that Home-rule is dead ; " but they will give no pledges themselves, and nothing is more absolutely certain in politics than that they will be forced once more to take up this question by their Irish allies, if from any slackening of zeal on our part they should secure a majority at the next election." That is, of course, the literal truth. The mass of the Liberal party may for the time be sick of Home-rule, but their leaders still drag the chain about with them; and their first act on returning to power must and would be the framing of a new Home-rule Bill.
Previous page
