her eyes are opened.

Birmingham, August 16th.

No. 62.--CIVIL WAR A CERTAINTY OF HOME RULE.

English supporters of Mr. Gladstone affect to ridicule the fears of
armed and organised conflict between the rival races and religions of
Ireland. Their attitude in this respect is doubtless due to a slavish
following of their master. They keep their eye upon their figure-head.
When it frowns they become serious. When it smiles they try to be
funny. When it assumes an aspect of virtuous indignation, the tears
immediately spring to their eyes, and they go about saying what a
shame it is. They remind you of Professor Anderson and his
Inexhaustible Bottle. Like Paddy Byrne's barometer, they are "stuck
fast at Changeable." They are always on the move. Like Virgil's lady,
they are _varium et mutabile_. Like Shakespeare's gentlemen, they are
Deceivers ever, One foot on shore and one foot on sea, To one thing
constant never. Every morning they nervously scan the journals to see
what change of sentiment is required. Without this precaution they
would run the risk of meeting their political friends with the wrong
facial expression. The reason for all this is well known. Their motto
is _ad exemplum regis_. To-day Mr. Gladstone believes (or says he
believes) that if Ireland were left to herself, and the disturbing,
domineering, tyrannising influence of England were removed, the rival
races and religions would live together in perfect harmony and
brotherly love. His followers eagerly adopt this belief. But yesterday
Mr. Gladstone believed (or said he believed) "That the influence of
Great Britain in every Irish difficulty is not a domineering and
tyrannising, but a softening and mitigating influence, and that were
Ireland left to her own unaided agencies, it might be that the strife
of parties would then burst forth in a form calculated to strike
horror through the land." His followers believed that too, and they
would believe it again to-morrow if their leader harked back. The
quotation is from Hansard, and commences, "It is my firm belief." What
do Mr. Gladstone's infirm beliefs resemble?

Putting aside the changeable Premier, gyrating like a dancing dervish,
and his Penny-in-the-slot party, let us call respectable evidence; let
us hear the opinion of competent and trustworthy witnesses; let us
examine the character of the forces which will be brought into
antagonism; let us observe what steps have been taken in view of
poss