BY THEMSELVES ALONE

Today, for the first time in modern history, St. Patrick's day will be celebrated on both sides of the Irish Channel: in Ireland, because there is now something tangible to celebrate: in England, because of the widespread relief that at last the Irish burden is shifted to other shoulders and Britain has washed her hands of the whole business.

There always has been an Irish Question. As Disraeli said, "It may the the Pope today and potatoes tomorrow, but there will always be an Irish Question,--and a burning one!" What has been definitely accomplished, and what the whole world,--except that international nuisance, the Professional Irishman,--celebrates today, it that the Irish Question is at last left to the Irishmen themselves to settle, without direction from the outside. Even the spirit of the more enlightened British administrations, inspired by the idea embodied in Cromwell's proclamation of 1649, that Ireland was to receive all the benefits of a free, reformed English government if only she would behave and let her house be put in order; failed to make the average Irishman in the least enthusiastic. But now Ireland is in the business for herself. It may that a civil war will result; if so, Ireland is at least fortunate in having her internal struggles at the beginning, instead of after a century of, her existence as a separate state. It is interesting to speculate how much further advanced the United States would be today if the issues of our Civil War had been settled in the critical period following the American Revolution. It may be in Ireland that the solution attributed to Sir Horace Plunkett will be applied; that everybody with any ideas as to how Ireland should be governed should be put into one great convention hall and the doors locked; after allowing sufficient time for argument the doors should be opened,--and the survivor would rule the country! Possibly the Irish may reach a point where they find Bismarck's suggestion the only possible way out. He is supposed to have said. "There is absolutely nothing to this Irish Question! If I had the say-so, I should simply move all the Dutch to Ireland and all the Irish to Holland,--and then cut the dikes!" At all events, the Irish are now masters of their own destiny, and the world on this St. Patrick's day pauses to wish them god-speed.