It is the rule of party war. Who, then, can hope for peace where
into the strife is imported a race difference, where the division is not
of party but of people? That is in truth the vain hope. And be it borne
in mind the race difference is not due to our predominating Gaelic
stock, but to the separate countries and to distinct households in the
human race. If we were all of English extraction the difference would
still exist. There is the historic case of the American States; it is
easy to understand. When a man's children come of age, they set up
establishments for themselves, and live independently; they are always
bound by affection to the parent-home; but if the father try to
interfere in the house of a son, and govern it in any detail, there will
be strife. It is hardly necessary to labour the point. If all the people
in this country were of English extraction and England were to claim on
that account that there should be a connection with her, and that it
should dominate the people here, there would be strife; and it could
have but one end--separation. We would, of whatever extraction, have
lived in natural neighbourliness with England, but she chose to trap and
harass us, and it will take long generations of goodwill to wipe out
some memories. Again, and yet again, let there be no confusion of
thought as to this final peace; it will never come while there is any
formal link of dependence.
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