On December 23th, Mr. Dillon addressed a Nationalist meeting at
Lurgan in words which even he will find it diffi- cult to explain away. He told his audience that he would explain to them why "we are not encouraging any [land] agitation in the country now." His explanation was per- fectly frank. "Because there is a Government in power who are doing their best to give us the whole government of the country into our own hands, and of course we, like reasonable men, would rather settle the Irish land question by law, as it ought to be settled, peaceably and reasonably, than by violent agitation in the country. If we can get Home-rule, we will settle all these matters very soon. But if the Tories ever get back into power before we get Home-rule, I believe there will be one of the biggest land agitations that has ever been seen yet, and then will be seen the necessity of dealing generously with the evicted tenants." And yet the Gladstonians tell us we are most unfair to the able and moderate statesmen who lead the Anti-Parnellite Party, when we venture to suggest that they cannot be trzsted to deal with the Irish land question. It remains to be said that we quote from an extract from the Freeman's Journal of Decem- ber 27th, 1893, reprinted in "Notes from Ireland."
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