Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1914-07-18
Twelfth of July Passes Over
and Exposes Orange
Bluff.
Hope Still Entertained That the
Government Will Stand
Firm.
The CRITICAL POINT REACHED

While there has not been much
news from Ireland this week the
situation pertaining to the home rule
bill is rather perplexing while yet
hopeful. Cabling the press last Sun
day, Hon. T. p. O'Connor declared
that superficially the chances for the
settlement of the Irish question
never seemed more hopeless. The
changes by the Lords rob the home
rule bill of almost every form of
self-government. Control of the
police, which was to come to Ireland
after six years, is restored in per-
petuity to the Imperial Government
and the appointment of Judges is
similarly taken out of lreland's
hands. For the moment there is a
deadlock. There is the further
deadlock that Irishmen and radicals
may find it impossible when the
amending bill comes to the House Of
Commons to give 1t second read
ing, and If the second reading be
refused then the original home rule
bill will become law and the Gov
ernment will have to face threats of
civil war by Ulster extremists. But
a considerable interval remains be-
fore these things can be put to the
test, which gives hope for belief that
the Government will stand firm and
not surrender.
Despite premonitions of trouble
the Twelfth passed without any dis
turbance throughout Ireland and
made apparent and ridiculous the
bluffs of the Orangemen and OPP
ponents of home rule. Press dis
patches say the recognition of the
danger inherent in the existence of
two armed volunteer bodies seems to
have imbued Irishmen with a sense
of added responsibility, for the
Battle OF the Boyne was commemor-
ated in Ireland with tremendous
enthusiasm, but with less disorder
than in previous years. Following
the custom, procession marched
from Belfast to Drumberg, where
Sid Edward Carson, the Ulster
Unionist leader, made his now
familiar speech defying the Govern
ment either totally to exclude Ulster
from home rule or come out and
fight Lord Londonderry at Ennis
killen, and Walter Hume Long,
Unionist member of Parliament for
Strand, at Garvagh, made speeches
in similar vein to other big gath
erings of Ulstermen, but no disor-
ders were reported at any point.
The Louisville Herald, always just
in its treatment of the home rule
question, sums up the situation
truthfully, saying that first the
Orangemen and Tories prepared for
Boyne day. Then the great day ar
rived. Already we have reached the
day after. And what was the net
result? In the awful clash of Ulster
volunteers and Nationalist volun-
teers; in the staged and programmed
encounter of these earnest, sturdy
men, armed and angry, incensed and
overwrought, what of the conflict?
The smoke has cleared away; the
ambulances are ready and waiting;
the war correspondents burden the
wires with copy; the gun-runners
have delivered the goods-bring on
your dead and wounded, King Car
son; sheath your ensanguined
falchion; let us treat of peace. And
King Carson, whether he confess 1t
or not, knows and knows that all the
world knows, that 1t wasn't so much
as a sham battle; scarcely SO much
as dress rehearsal; Just ridicule-
provoking opera bouffe. The Ulster
men parade, defiant and determined
and barring few jeers, for all the
impression they make they might
have omitted the military promen-
ade. The troops are under arms In
their barracks. The Nationahsts re-
main at home. But II was a great
day for the innkeepers. Thousands
of visitors trooped into Belfast and
Derry to see the fun and witness the
fracas; they returned feeling that
the show was not up to the adver-
tisement. that they had been swim
died.
There's been a great deal OF non
sense written about an Ulster
Protestant and Unionist. At a mat
ter of fact her existing representa-
ton In Parliament is all but evenly
divided, and poll as to creeds
shows parallel results. One or two
counties are some 75 per cent. Prot
estant, and the Protestants are OF
every known variety. The remainder
favor the Catholic side, which Is not
10 say that religious line can be
drawn that shall at the same time
be a border line In politics. Were not
Isaac Butt and Charles Stewart
Parnell. home rules first two lead
ers, both Protestants? II ridiculs
can kill. the Carson fiasco should
write the doom OF movement fol
which there was never valid ex
cuse. What Is good for the rest o
Ireland will be good for Ulster, and
the terms OF exclusion alread,
granted are such as to meet al
reasonable fears.
Tuesday the House OF Lord
passed the third reading of the bill
to amend the home rule measure an'
sent II to the House OF Commons 70
consideration. which may be sivel
NEXT week. with regard to tn
>mendments adopted By the Hous