Afterwards they asked his fellow-diner what he thought of the author.

"Well," he replied, "I believe that that man wrote 'The Vicar of Wakefield,' and, let me tell you, it takes a lot of believing." Similarly when we in Ireland learn that Great Britain has founded on the principle of local autonomy an Empire on which the sun never sets, we nerve ourselves to an Act of Faith.

It is not inappropriate to observe that a large part of the "founding" was done by Irishmen.
But the point of immediate interest lies in this.

The foolishness of England in Ireland finds an exact parallel, although on a smaller scale and for a shorter period, in the early foolishness of England in her own colonies.

In both cases there is an attempt to suppress individuality and initiative, to exploit, to bully, to Downing Street-ify.