The San Francisco call., 1909-10-03
DUBLINCASTLE CLOSING
ITS GRIP ON IRELAND
By HUGH SUTHERLAND
(Twenty eighth Letter.

tIWenty-el
4 n INEVITABLE result of the sys-
n tenn which Great Britain has in
flieted upon Ireland-the invasions
and plantations from the twelfth to the
eighteenth century and the Dublin
castle government of today-has been
to divide the people into two hostile
camps.
1t should be observed that the sepa-
ration is not one of race for the chem
istry of time has fused English, Nor
man, Danish and Celtic strains mex
tricably; nor is it to be defined strictly
by religious test, since there are pow
erful Catholics with the minority and
many of the most famous leaders of
the majority have been Protestant The
DIVISION is rather material than racial
or religious
Those who have for centuries held the
land. the wealth and the political power
OF the country are determined to keep
al they can of what they consider
their rights; those who have been sup
pressed, excluded, Disseminated
against. are fighting to establish a
Ialrer, more democratic system, which
Will give them the share in the gov
ernment to which their numbers entitIe
them.
Geographically. the division is the
northeastern part or the province of
Ulster against all the rest of Ireland.
Numerically. it is one-fourth fof the
people against three -fourths. Po1itf-
cally 1t is unfonism against national
ishl-the policy of perpetuating the
present system against the policy of
establishing free Irish parliament.
Those who uphold the existing form
or government, including Dublin castle.
with all its hoary evils. are the modern
representatives of the garrison of old
Among them will be found most of the
landlords, the exceptions being such
broad minded men as the earl of Dun
raven. With these reactionary descend
ants of the planters, upon whom
various soverefgns conferred lands
confiscated from the Irish stand a horde
of ollowers-lawyers, agents. bafliffs
and other employees; also large num-
ber of the prosperous middle class,
manufacturers, businessmen. attor-
neys, and so on, who. like their fore
fathers, have found profit and security
in clinging TO the skirts of the ruling
oligarchy.
A second and important section of
the unfonist group is made up of the
Ulster Scotch, descendants OF the set
tiers planted there by James 1 and
William III on lands seized from the
original owners. Altogether. there are
about 1,250. 600 of these unionfsts They
are prone to insist that they are not
Irishmen, but British loyalists; they
are, in fact. more loyalist than the
king. more English than the folk across
the channel. BY loyalty they do not
mean devotion to the country where
most of them were born, where they
reside and make their living, but 10y
atty to the union, to the system under
which they impose their will upon
three-fourths of the inhabitants of the
country.
incidentally. it may be said that
Ulster presents a problem distinct from
all the rest of Ireland 1t is infinitely
more prosperous. As a center of manu-
featuring it rivals the factory districts
of England. The people-we are speak
ing of the northeastern part-are bet
ter fed, better housed and in every
way more thriving than those of most
of the rest of the country
Protestant Ulster, as part of the as
tendency. benefited by every form of
legislative encouragement which the
garrison" could devise; for 100 years
virtually every means of business and
professional livelihood was closed to
men not of the Protestant religion.
Ulster thus obtained lead which the
rest of the country has never been
able to overcome. Industries can. not
be established offhand: they require a
long time for, development of natural
resources and the training of skilled
labor. During the period of discrimi-
mating protection to one class of the
people they built up manufacturing
interests which can not be disIOdged-
They may well be proud of their sue
cess, but not TO the extent of con-
demning as impotent their fellow
who suffered so long under
the handicap of exclusion.
The same discrimination ruled in
agricultural affairs. From the begin
ming Ulster has enjoyed the inestima-
Bile advantage of tenant right under
the ulster custom" BY this enact
ment the tenant in that section has
always held proprietary interest IN
Improvements made upon his rented
land by his own labor. it was not until
1870 that the same right was conferred
on tenants throughout the rest of Ire
land.
Yet Ulster. now so passionately 10y
alist," or anti. .lrish. has twice been In
arms. In 1852 Ulster was the backbone