Ireland and her Agitators. By W. J. O'N. Daunt. New
Edition. (Dublin: Mullany.)—The first edition of this book seems to have been published more than twenty years ago. Such a lapse of time makes a new edition almost a new book, and, in addition to this, pages have been added which bear upon the present Irish question. Mr. Daunt advocates a legislative separation of Ireland from England. " It is our ardent desire that Her Majesty should govern Ireland through an Irish Ministry and an Irish Legislature, just as Francis Joseph now governs Hungary through a Hungarian Ministry and a Hungarian Legislature." With this view he urges the Fenians to "discard the insane idea of substituting a republic for the Irish throne of Queen Victoria." If they follow his advice he assures them that they will become a formidable power, capable of aiding materially in the restoration of the Irish con- stitution. However, Mr. Daunt does not show very clearly that such a restoration is the true panacea of Irish ailments. He gives us some of those shameful details of the way in which the Union was brought about that have already appeared in the Sham Squire, and adds to their number. The stories of trials and duels are worthy of the Ireland of Mr. Lever, and the sketches of men who made themselves conspicuous, either by resisting the Union or promoting it, are touched off with a light hand and much freedom of language. But a good deal of the book is violent, and the invective is heavy. Here, too, Mr. Daunt shows himself a thorough Irishman.
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