The Irish standard., 1912-03-02
Winston Churchill in His Belfast
Speech Scoffa at Idea That
They Are Unfit to Rule.
In English Speaking Countries They
Are Influential Out of Proport-
ion to Their Numbers.
Home Rule For Ireland Would be a
Blessing to the Empire. Says
First Lord of Admiralty.

We quote herewith at considerable
length from the speech delivered by
Mr.. Winston Churchill before the
meeting arranged under the auspices
of the Belfast Liberal Association on
February s. This speech is destined
to become landmark in the history
of the Irish struggle for self-gcvern-
ment on account of the sentiments ex-
pressed, the position Of the man who
expressed them and the dramatic cir
cumstances in which they were deliv-
cred. In part Mr.. Churchill said:
l am glad to be with you today. Con-
tact with ireland is contact with his
tory. And how can we tell that this
great meeting. which Is assembled
hero under circumstances Of such pe-
culiar Significance this afternoon, may
not in future years be looked back to
as a bencficent landmark in Irish and
in British history. I come before you
as tho representative OF Govern
ment which, for moro than six years,
SS@>a
which has provided for six years of
peaceful progress and the six best
years OF trade which these islands
have ever known. a Government which
has passed great legislation, which
has had to deal with powerful untag-
onists. and which has usually sue
ccedcd in its undertakings and
come to you on the eve of a Home
Rule bill. We intend to place before
Parliament our plan for tho better
government Of Ireland. 1t will be
plan harmonious with Imperial inter-
csts, and we are resolved that it shall
be a plan creditable to its authors.
We do not desire to be responsible for
the fortunes Of q measure not serious
ly intended to become the law of the
land. We have consulted, and shall
follow, the leaders of Irish puoTc
opinion. But the decision rests with
us, and the bill we shall introduce and,
l believe, carry into law will be bill
| of u British Government designed to
smooth the path OF the British EN-
pire and liberate new forces for it's
services. In making this clear we put
| no strain on the confidence of our
Irish friends For more than 25 years
Home Rule has been the adopted child
whole generation in office or in oppo-
sition, in good luck or in bad, Liberals
have been taught by Mr.. Gladstone
to believe that the best solution Of
Irish difficulties lies in the establish
ment Of an Irish Parliament with an
executive responsible to 1t, and every
year the reasons upon which they have
relied have been strengthened by new
facts and by new experience, and have
marched forward with the general
march of events.
Three Homo Rule Arguments.
Ladies' and gentlemen, the case for
Homo Rule as it's stands today, after
the controversies of so many years,
rests upon three main sets of argu-
ment--the Imperial argument, the
House of Commons argument, and
tie Irish argument. Let me survey
these very briefly. I take the largest
anu the widest first. and I leave that
wl1. ch is nearest home to the end. I
take the Home Rule argument. A Set
tt ment Of the long quarrel between
the British Government and the Irish
people would be to the British En-
pire boon-a pleasing treasure ship,
a wonderful reinforcement precious
beyond compare. In their own island
the Irish race have dwindled. While
the populations of Europe have over
flowed that of Ireland has ebbed away,
but elsewhere all over the world they
held their own, and in every country
where the English language Is spoken
the Irish are a power for good or
power for i'll, power of harm or a
power to help us, a power to unite us
or power to keep us asunder. What
can we say Of these Irishmen who,
we are assured. are. in their own is
land, incapable of managing their own
u affairs, but who, in every other part
Of the English speaking world. have