Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-09-28
ORANGE:|NEN SIGN
SOLEMN C0VENAN7 I
Will Never Recognize an
Irish Parliament Nor
Pay Taxes.
CARSON SIGNS FIRST.
Solicitor General Gives Reason For
Course of Those Opposed to Home
Rule In Ireland.

Belfast, Sept. 2S.-Thousands of
Orangemen today signed solemn
covenant never to recognize an Irish
Parliament, to obey it's laws or to
pay any taxes it may impose. Sir Ed
ward Carson, former solicitor general
of England member of King
Georges Privy Council, permanent
advisory branch of the Cabinet, ana
leader of the anti-Home Rule cam
paign, was the first to place his name
upon the roll.
In an interview given to the United
Press just before signing Sir Edward
said:
at is in no spirit of defiance that
we take this pledge but in the determ-
ination, with Gods help, to keep what
we have got, defeating the wickedest
conspiracy against civil and religious
liberty that ever endangered free
blameless and God-fearing people.
"The government, for party pur-
poses, proposes to deprive US of our
constitutional. rights. 1t says we
must submit . a substitute constitu-
tion which never has been submitted
to US or to the electors of the United
Kingdom.
"The thing is absurd. We have
equal rights. We have an equal share
in all that belongs to the British EN-
pire. We receive equal justice. That
is what we are asked to give up in or
der that there may be in this country
ascendancy of one religion over an
other, an ascendency which we have
been attempting to put down through
all these past centuries.
eve are asked to accept what is adj
mittedly subordinate place under the
empire, to dissolve partnership with
the richest exchequer in the world, to
surrender our part in the direction of
imperial affairs, in the expansion Of
which all who have gone before us
have shed their best blood, and to have
our daily lives managed by those who
have never been anything but dis
loyal faction and no part of the great
United Empire.
eff this policy is persisted in, there
is no length to which we may not be
compelled to 60, no sacrifice we may
not be compelled to make.
"You cannot eoerce nation for be-
ing loyal. This question arose at the
time of the American war, when or
soldiers were sent to coerce our own
fellow subjects. History may repeat
itself and it is worth remembering
that when our troops were last en-
ployed in fratricidal strife the natural
result was disgrace and disaster to
British arms"
After Sir Edward Carson had signeN,
the Duke of DevGnshire the Marquises
of Londonderry and Salisbury, Ad-
miral Lord Charles Beresford, Lord
Hugh Cecil, ex-Irish Attorney Gene
raj James H. Campbell, and F. +
Smith, leading conservative membe,
of Parliament, affixed their names
The leaders having signed, the ranf
and file trooped forward in thousands
to add their signatures to the roll.
The signing of the covenant Wa:
preceded by services at all the Prot
estant churches in Belfast and ther
by a Union service in Ulster Hall, al
ter which the Orange forces marchee
in monster procession to the City hai
to take the anti-Home Rule pledge
City Hall Square was guarded pS
$500 men. One thousand small tap
les were provided for the signing o,
the covenant, so that the filling IN O.
the lists progressed rapidly. In
Duke of Abercorn was to have pre-
sided over the gathering but IN nj
absence, due to illness, the Marques
of Londonerry acted for him.
Throughout Ulster similar gather
ings were held, news Of them beln!
transmitted to Belfast by heliograph
flag wig-wagging and automobile am
bicycle messengers.
In Belfast hundreds of extra police
men were on duty, two thousand of tn
Royal Irish constabulary were KEEP
under arms in barracks and the Ches
hire regiment, with ball cartridge
and sharpened bayonets was hold i
readiness to be called out at me
mentS notice.