1891] The French Defeat at Tonkin 51 



Chamberlain in 1885, and his acceptance of a local government scheme, 

 also to the part played by O'Shea, Dr. O'Dwyer, and Cardinal Manning 

 in the appointment of Dr. Walsh to the Archbishopric of Dublin. They 

 had all, according to the letter, guaranteed Dr. Walsh as a sound 

 champion of law and order. ' Law and Order,' however, meant an- 

 other thing in 1885 from what it has meant since. Monsignor Stonor 

 says that Cardinal Moran was already appointed to Dublin and on his 

 way from Australia to Rome, when his nomination was reversed and 

 Dr. Walsh appointed instead. He laments now the ignorance of the 

 Vatican, which sees in Ireland only a faithful Catholic land oppressed 

 by a Foreign Government. I am staying on at the Minerva, Anne and 

 Judith having gone home straight from Naples. 



" 25th April. — To the Irish College where I saw my old friend the 

 Monsignore Rector, who spoke despondingly of Ireland, praying only 

 that God's will might be done. Not so Prior Glyn and Archbishop 

 Walsh whom I next saw. They are very confident of beating Parnell 

 out of Ireland, and winning the English elections (next year) ; if not 

 they agree that the cause of Home Rule is hopeless, for Irish America 

 would not continue to support a parliamentary struggle, but would fall 

 back on secret societies and assassination. Dr. Walsh estimates 

 Parnell's party in Ireland after the elections at sixteen out of a total 

 of eighty Home Rule Members. Prior Glyn's last words to me 

 were 'We shall meet again at College Green when the Parliament is 

 opened.' 



" 2&th April. — Called on Dufferin at the Embassy, who showed me 

 a number of drawings he had made in former times, including one of 

 his mother, done at Athens in the year of our first acquaintance, 1859. 

 He talked a good deal on Eastern subjects, but he skilfully avoided 

 politics, making it clear that he wished the visit to be one of friendship 

 only." 



At Paris I stayed four days, principally with the Lyttons, the talk of 

 the day being of the French failure at Tonkin. 



" 2,0th April. — To a coiffeur in the Rue de la Paix to be trimmed and 

 washed and combed after the fashion of the country. The man who 

 attended me was very voluble, having been a soldier in Tonkin and a 

 blood-thirsty one to boot, by his own showing. ' Ah, Monsieur,' he 

 exclaimed, ' quel gouvernement que le notre, tin gouvernement qui ne 

 sait rien faire marcher. Figurez vous qu'on vous envoie des civils 

 pour gouverner la Colonie, des hommes de science qui s'imaginent que 

 totts les hommes sont freres. Ce n'est pas cele qtt'il fatit a la Colonie, 

 en agissant avec des brutes il faut etre brutal. Si j'avais ete nomme 

 gouverneur pendant un mois setilement, j'aurais extermine tout ce 

 monde Tonquinois. II faut les assommer, Monsieur, corame fait le 

 gouvernement Anglais aux Indes. Voila un gouvernement qui a la 



