. My life-work;. , and BrownBrothers, of New York, were of Scotch-Irish descent. No one canunderstand the Irish problem who does not know its racial history?and much of my time in later years was devoted to the study ofIrish questions. I may say here that while we owe to Mr. Glad-stone the first full and frank acknowledgment of national wrong-doing to the aboriginal Celtic and Roman Catholic population ofIreland, it always seemed to me that he scarcely did justice to theenergy and moral force of the Protestants of Ulster. His scheme ofHome Rule really broke down under their determined resistan
. My life-work;. , and BrownBrothers, of New York, were of Scotch-Irish descent. No one canunderstand the Irish problem who does not know its racial history?and much of my time in later years was devoted to the study ofIrish questions. I may say here that while we owe to Mr. Glad-stone the first full and frank acknowledgment of national wrong-doing to the aboriginal Celtic and Roman Catholic population ofIreland, it always seemed to me that he scarcely did justice to theenergy and moral force of the Protestants of Ulster. His scheme ofHome Rule really broke down under their determined resistance;The cleavage between the two sections of the Irish population isdeep and ineffaceable, and baffles every attempt of British states-manship to overcome it. When racial difference is added to religiousdifference of age-long standing, it seems almost hopeless to bringabout amalgamation or even mutual co-operation. Many of uswho worked for long years under Mr. Gladstones auspices to pacify >> > P5 n 5^ ^ RETURN TO LIVERPOOL 31 Ireland, and who were willing to go great lengths to wipe out thememory of a hateful past, are now sadly aware that we attemptedthe impossible. Yet we feel we did right to make the national evils are never cured by a single coup ; but eachsincere attempt softens the friction, and makes it easier for futuregenerations to solve the difficulty. It may not happen in the life-time of a Christian statesman that He who goeth forth andweepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again rejoicing,-bearing his sheaves with him ; but it is true in measure if we takean age-long forecast of a nation :— Knowdng this that never yetShare of Truth was vainly set In the worlds wide fallow ;After hands shall sow the seed,After hands from hill and mead. Reap the harvests with somewhat of the seer,Must the moral pioneer, From the future borrow ;Clothe the waste with dreams of grain,And, on midnights sky of rain, Paint the go
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