Cit. Marx. Cit. Mottershead has given a history of Gladstone. I 
could give another, but that has nothing to do with the question 
before us. The petitions which were adopted at the meetings were 
quite civil, but he found fault with the speeches by which they 
were supported. Castlereagh was as good a man as Gladstone and 
I found today in the Political Register**’ that he used the same 
words against the Irish as Gladstone, and Cobbett made the same 
reply as I have done. 

When the electoral tour commenced all the Irish candidates 
spouted about amnesty, but Gladstone did nothing till the Irish 
municipalities moved. 

I have not spoken of the people killed abroad, because you 
cannot compare the Hungarian war with the Fenian insurrection. 
We might compare it with 1798*** and then the comparison would 
not be favourable to the English. 

I repeat that political prisoners are not treated anywhere so bad 
as in England. 

Cit. Mottershead is not going to tell us his opinion of the Irish; 
if he wants to know what other people think of the English let him 
read Ledru-Rollin* and other Continental writers. I have always 
defended the English and do so still. 

These resolutions” are not to be passed to release the prisoners, 
the Irish themselves have abandoned that. 

It is a resolution of sympathy with the Irish and a review of the 
conduct of the government, it may bring the English and the Irish 


“A. A. Ledru-Rollin, The Decline of England, 2nd ed., London, 1850.— Ed. 
b See this volume, p. 83.— Ed. 


412 Appendices 


together. Gladstone has to contend with the opposition of The 
Times, the Saturday Review, etc., if we speak out boldly; on the 
other side, we may support him against an opposition to which he 
might otherwise have to succumb. He was in office during the 
Civil War and was responsible for what the government did and if 
the North was low when he made his declaration, so much the 
worse for his patriotism. 

Cit. Odger is right; if we wanted the prisoners released, this 
would not be the way to do it, but it is more important to make a 
concession to the Irish people than to Gladstone...“ 

Cit. Marx had no objection to leave out the word “deliberately”, 
as a prime minister must necessarily be considered to do 
everything deliberately.” 


[IT] 


Cit. Marx said if Odger’s suggestions were followed the Council 
would put themselves on an English party standpoint.**° They 
could not do that. The Council must show the Irish that they 
understood the question and the Continent that they showed no 
favour to the British Government. The Council must treat the 
Irish like the English would treat the Polish.