The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1911-11-04
Such is Devlin's Characterization
of the Unionist Members
From Ulster.
They Have Resisted Every Measure
Proposed for the Rights of
the People.
But Every Measure to Bolster up
Landlordism has Received
Their Support.

Mr.. Joseph Devlin was the principal
speaker at the dedication of a new
A. .. II. hall at Glenn. County Down.
October Is. In the course Of his ud-
dress he adduced some telling arsu-
ments In refutation of tho charges
made by the Ulster Unionists. We
quote In part:
Let us examine a little in detail this
proposition about provisional gov.
crnment for northeast Ulster.
Why would it be set up? To pro-
tect Protestants from an Irish Parua-
ment in College Green? But we are
told that 1t is not in Ulster. but in
the South and West. that Protestants
are prosecuted and oppressed. There
fore this proposition Is cowardly
and selfish one. since 1t would leave
to their fate those Protestan,s who
most needed protection. But what
would Ulster need protection against?
The right of Irish Protestants III an
irish Parliament to make laws for
Ireland, Parliament in which the
Protestant interest will be specially
safeguarded. Was it ever known that
any people outside q mad-housc pro
posed to take the field against an ";
tension of their own liberties? This
provisional government cannot bc Sc,
up for the whole of Ulster: 16 out Of
the SO Ulster members of Parliament
are Homo Rulers. and. with the abnIi-
ton of plural voting. 10, at least. of
the SO would be Home Rulers The
provisional government could not be
for the whole province of Ulster there
FORE In the large and important
counties Of Donegal. Monaghan and
Cavan. it would be repudiated abso-
lutey. Three out of four divisions Of
Tyrone. one each Of the Divisions of
Fermanagh. Down and Armagh. tho
Borough Of Newry. and the West di-
vision of Belfast would have to be
left out Of It, 1t could only be frag-
| mentary assembly. with possibly
Portadown as citadel. But. Of course.
IL the Carsonites claim the right to
set up a government of their own. be-
cause they are a minority. the same
right could not be denied to the Cath
olic minorities in the Ulster Counties
under Carson's sovereignty. We
should. therefore. have multiplica-
tion OF provisional governments all
over Northeast Ulster. and since ev-
cry minority might claim similar
right, the powers Of creating provi-
slonal governments might go on in
definitely.
or course. the whole thing is alb
surd. and no one knows that bette9
| than Sir Edward Carson. In five out
of the nine counties in Ulster, CATH
olics are the overwhelming majority.
In the other four counties they vary
from "a to As per cent of the popula-
ton. These would all resist Carson's
| rule. not to speak Of the thousands
Of Protestant Home Rulers from Lord
Pirrie down. who would throw in their
lot with the Irish Parliament. Whom,
then. would Carson's Parliament rep
resent? If you take away the ship
building industry, represented by
Lord Pirrie: the linen industry, rep
resented by men like Mr.. Thomas
Shllington and Sir Hugh Mack the
Protestant farmers. who repudiate
landlordism: the sweated women and
the working men. who are coming
round to Home Rule. whom will Sit
Edward have left to levy taxation on?
tIe will want an army and navy. and
police and officials, and the money will
have to be provided somehow.
The Ulster Unionists are mainly a
party of place-hunters, and there is
. certain to be trouble in the distribu-
ton of the loaves and fishes. Lord
Londonderry has been thrown over.
His interests lie in England. and he
has forfeited forever the confidence Of
the Unionist braves. by praying them
/ for Gods sake to behave themselves.
, Sir Edwards interests all lie in Eng
) land. Win he resign his hope Of pro-
! motion to the English Bench? We
know that neither he nor any other