in favour of it to-morrow. All sentiment, the very romance
of sentimentality. I have been in England, I have been in America, and
you could hardly believe the difference in the people's views. The
Irish are not practical enough. 'Ireland a nation' is bound to be the
next cry, if Home Rule become law under the present leaders of the
Nationalist party."

"But how about the pledges, the solemn and reiterated pledges, of
Michael Davitt and the rest?"

"I suppose you ask me seriously? You do? An Irishman would regard the
question as a joke. The pledges are not worth a straw. Their object is
to deceive, and so to carry the point at issue. Would John Bull come
with an injured air and say, with tears in his voice, 'You said you'd
be good. You promised to be loyal. You really did. Did you not, now?'
Don't you think John would cut a pretty figure? Davitt knows where to
have him. He knows that a quiet, moderate, reasonable tone fetches
him. Parnell, too, knew that the method with John was a steady, quiet
persistence without excitement. John listens to Davitt, and says to
himself, 'Now this is a calm, steady fellow. Nothing fly-away about
_him_. No shouting and screaming there. This is the kind of man who
_must_ boss the show. Give him what he wants.'

"Look how Morley was taken in. And so, no doubt, was many another.

"If England trusts the assurances of these men, and if the bill under
present conditions becomes law, we shall have two generations of
experiment, of corruption, of turmoil, of jobbery such as the British
Empire has never seen.

"Yes, I am a Home Ruler--at the proper time. But Home Rule in our
present circumstances would mean revolution, and, a hundred to one,
the reconquest of Ireland. And in the event of any foreign
complication you would have all your work cut out to effect your
purpose."

A gentleman from Mallow said, "The Gaelic clubs all over the country
are in a high state of organisation, and a perfect state of drill. The
splendid force of constabulary which are now for you would be against
you. The Irish Legislature, from the first, would have the power to
raise a force of Volunteers, and the Irish are such a military nation
that in six months they could muster a very formidable force. I am a
Unionist, a Protestant too, but I find that my Catholic and Home Rule
friends, that is, the superior sort, the best-read, the most thinking
men, agree with me perfectly. But while I can understand Irish Home
Rul