New-York tribune., 1913-09-14

any means in his power TO avert that
danger, But Ulster was not the decid-
ing factor
As my friend seemed 10 hesitate
about going on. I told him | had lately
been talking with a man just returned
from a fortnights visit to a we'll known
fisherman. During the fortnight he
had met many men Of position, leaders
in the Unionist campaign. men who
knew all about the organization They
talked freely and openly. and this in
substance was what they said:
we are with Sir Edward Carson to
q man We ell say with him: We will
not have Home Rule We will not SUBJ
nit 10 q Dublin Roman Catholic Ma
tionalist Parliament. We shall resist
by every means in our power. We shall
refuse to recognize It's authority. We
shall refuse TO pay taxes. We are armed
and organized and drilled. We are pre-
pared 10 take ali the consequences of
, resistance because no consequences can
be SO fatal TO us and our interests as
I submission.
And when this Englishman said TO
them he wished TO hear both sides they
replied
Then you mus go elsewhere In
Ulster there is only one side"
All Of which my friend listened TO
decorously: and gravely said:
Yes. all that has been laid before
the King and has had due weight. But
this is business in which neither
Ulster on the one hand nor the Min
istry on The other has the last word.
The King became aware that ii was
the Army and Navy who would have
the last word. \ matter in which not
only the Unity of the Kingdom, but the
life Of the Nation and Of the Empire is
at stake. II pressed 10 the bitter end,
cannot finally be settled otherwise than
by force, and when il comes to that.
the Army and Navy will take i hand"
He proceeded to use still plainer Ian
guage:
The King, with all his qualities and
virtues. is not q strong ruler. He has
been, for the most part. under some
influence or other. Lord Knollys turned
his mind 10 Radicalism. but from Lord,
Knollys's tutelage he has emancipated
himself. In November. 1910 Mr. AS
Quith, taking advantage of his mex
perience. eXtorted from him . promise
10 create. if necessary Peers enough
20 carry the Parliament Bill through
the House Of Lords. Partly by cajolery
| and partly by threats Mr.. AsQuith es-
| tablished over the mind of his Sow
orcign an asceudancy 50 complete that
| the Sovereign has been made an ac-
complice in the series of Ministerial
been trampled on and the House Of
Commons degraded TO be the tool Of
Ministerial ambition. The King has
been dragged down into the arena. The
/ Crown has become a Ministerial play
| thing. The name and prestige OF the
King have been pressed for the first
/ time during seventy years into the ser
! vice Of party politics. He has been the
| tool Of the Coalition: Coalition the
| like Of which had not been seen since
Fox sold himself to North in 1855"
It was not my business to protest.
but | thought this strong language
and said SO.
Yes il is strong language. and be-
fore this crisis IS over YOU will hear
stronger both in private and in public
| e.. nh
facts. il was evident that the King
must be convinced he was putting in
peril not only the country but his King
ship. He must be made TO see that his
! Ministers had led him TO the edge Of
precipice; another step or two and
over he would 90. He had yielded TO
pressure. Other pressure had 10 be ap-
piled. 1t had to be made clear to him,
and il was. that the forces on the side
! of Union were stronger than the forces
on the side Of Disunion. once per-
suaded OF that he yielded. He saw, at
last. that the Ministry shrank from
submitting Home Rule 10 the People
because they knew the People were
against IL. And he saw that i'm
prcgnablc as Minister'S position might
be in tho House Of Commons, the King
and his People together, with the
armed forces Of the Kingdom behind
them, were more than match for Mr..
Asquith and Mr.. Redmond"
The proposition stated in that form
becomes sclf-evident: 80 evident that
the only remaining question is whether
the statement be accurate. Ny friend
made it in good faith and with en-
thusiasm. He was equally sure that it
had been put TO MIR. Asquith in that
form; in substance. though not in the
words have quoted. The Prime Min
lister has gone TO these lengths belicy-
ing himself sure Of the King using the
King in the way briefly set forth above,
and never dreaming that. once the
Veto of the House Of Lords had been
ovcrriddeu, a second Veto might stand
I'm the way. II is not supposed he will
give way without an effort TO regain
his ascendancy over the King. But TO
this my friend replies that pledges
have been given which the King has
no wish and no power 10 recall. And
he ended as he began. I'VE have won.