They are, nevertheless, palpable, and to be deplored ;
and the question arises, can they be removed or
lessened, consistently with the Union, as a funda-
mental settlement ? If we look steadily back at the
state of Ireland from the day of Pitt to that of
Mr. Gladstone, we shall see, I believe, that the
main causes of the failures and shortcomings which
have done such mischief have not been the Union
and its mode of government, but the ignorance
of Ireland and her affairs, and the absence of sym-
pathy with Irish wants and thoughts exhibited
by too many British statesmen, and over and over
again by the Imperial Parliament. The men who
have ruled Ireland have had the best intentions ;
the Legislature has done what it thought just, nay,
generous ; but they have often been unsuccessful, and
above all, too late ; because they did not compre-
hend all the facts of the case, and because they were
under the influence of British prejudice, and of theories



326 MEMORIES AND THOUGHTS OF A LIFE

not applicable to Irish facts and ideas. One potent
means, I believe, to make this state of things better,
and to enlighten opinipn in parts of Ireland, would
be to transfer the Imperial Parliament, and the
Executive Government connected with it, to Ireland^
at certain intervals of time, and to have a session
now and then in Dublin. This plan found favour
with the Liberals of 1843 ; it was advocated by Shell
in eloquent words ; it is believed it was approved
by O'Connell ; and the good it would effect is great
and self-evident. It would be something that the
wealth of large opulent classes would flow into a poor
country ; that Irish commerce would receive an im-
petus ; and that Irish absenteeism would be certainly
lessened. But it would be infinitely more important
that British ministers, and British and Scotch members
of the Lords and Commons, would be brought into
close relations with Ireland ; they would learn what
the community is, and what are its real thoughts and
desires ; they would understand Irish feelings and
sympathies ; they would gauge the true force of Land
and National League movements, less formidable
than they seem to be at a distance. 