The Queen's Call for Irish Conformity

On Saturday August 13th, 1870, The Illustrated London News published an article about a speech that the Queen made regarding the passing of the Landlord and Tenants Act, the act was passed twelve days prior to the publishing of the article. Many British citizens were upset that the bill passed, as it made certain aspects of property ownership more difficult for the British as the Irish were more difficult to abuse and extort now. In her speech the Queen made many comments about what her expectations were for the Irish moving forward now that the act was passed. The Queen asserted that she had faith in her “loyal” Irish subjects, believing that the violent outburst in certain parts of the country would subside. The statement is somewhat ironic given the fact that the author mentions that the Irish were constantly praising their countrymen that were leading the resistance effort against the British. This speech is obviously attempting to curry the favor of the Irish population as the Queen also mentions that her eldest daughter had married into an Irish family, though the occasional racist remark undermines the speech entirely claiming that only a few of the Irish were “capable of comprehending the second meaning, they would gather from the language of the speech.” The Queen asserts that “Ireland is expected to manifest the qualities on which her sovereign is supposed to rely,” meaning that Ireland was not to have its own national identity and was supposed to conform to the English way of life and that there would be consequences if Ireland did not conform. 

The author of this article writes about the Irish as if they were lucky and unworthy of this “great honor” as if being granted the most basic of rights was cause for celebration. This article very clearly captures the British attitudes towards the Irish, they are viewed as an ungrateful and racially inferior people that failed to acknowledge the “privilege” they were afforded by being governed by the British. The author truly believes that the British are being selfless by passing this piece of legislation for their vastly inferior neighbors, “for ourselves, have for so many years, and with so much earnestness, brought our efforts in aid.” This ideology that Britishness was a privilege was evident all across the British empire, this white savior complex was a part of every colonial endeavor as they believed they were civilizing the masses of “savages.”