Evening journal., 1914-03-24
WHY ULSTER MEN
Threaten FIGHT
Claims Of the Opposing Par
ties in Ireland Stated
by PartiSans
BOTH SIDES ARE
FIGHTING FOR JUSTICE

FIGHTING FOR JUSTICE !
John f. Redmond, leader OF the
Irish Natonalists has time and again
set forth the reasons why ireland de-
mands home rule.
"The Irish demand is. in plain and
popular language" said Mr.. Red
mond. that the government of every
purely Irish affair shall be controlled
by the public opinion of Ireland, and
by that alone We do not ask any
alteration Of the constitution or SUI
premacy OF the Imperial Parliament.
We ask merely to be permitted to
take our place in the ranks of those
other portions of the British Em-
pire-some 2S in number-which, In
their own purely local affairs. arc
governed by free representative in
stitutions OF their own
In opposition 10 The present condi-
tion of affairs and as evidence of the
inefiiciency of the union of 1900, Mr..
Redmond cites the decline in popula-
ton of ireland. the numerous cOcr-
cicn acts. in particular the one per-
hitting the Lord Lieutenant at his
arbitrary will. to suspend trial by
jury. personal liberty. freedom of
discussion and the right Of public
meeting all over the country and the
rapid decline of industrial pros
perity.
Demanded as Act Of Justice.
Home rule is demanded as an act
&C mple justice to a people who, the
Nationalists assert, have been op-
pressed and their development him
dered by alien government but the
demand is also based on the right of
Ireland to local self-goyernment ac-
knowledged In the act passed in the
reign OF George III providing that
"the right claimed by the people OF
ireland TO be bound only by laws en-
acted by his Majesty and the Parlia-
ment Of that kingdom in all cases
whatsoever shall be and is hereby de-
clared and ascertained forever and
shall at no time hereafter be ques-
toned or questionable"
II is the right Tor which Irishmen
have fought for more than hundred
years and which they have no idea of
yielding. no matter what the cost
The crisis is brought about by the
prospect of the final passage Of the
bill, the revolt" being listers final
protest against being brought under
control in local affairs of an Irish
Parliament Uulster having, been for
hundreds of years strongly English
and the dominant province in Ire
land.
Why Ulstermen Are In Revolt.
Tho position of the Ulstermen was
stated by Sir Edward Carson in his
speech when hisNwas the first name
signed TO the Ulster covenant on
September 2S, 1912:
ut is in no spirit Of defiance that
we take this pledge II is in the de-
termination to keep what we have
got. defeating the wickedest conspir-
acy against civil and religious lib-
erty. that ever endangered a free,
blameless and God-fearing pcople.
"The Government for party pur-
poses. proposes to deprive us OF our
constitutional rights. Il says that
we must submit to a substitute con-
stitution. which never has been sub
mitted to US or 20 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
I is what we arc asked to give up in
order that there may be in this coun-
/ try ascendancy of one religion over
another, and the ascendance which
we have been attempting TO put down
/ through all these past centuries.
/ we are asked to accept what is
admitted a 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 10 have our daily lives
managed by those who have never
been anything but a disloyal faction
and no part in the great united en-
pie"
Following is the Ulster covenant:
Inasmuch as we. the duly
elected delegates and members Of
the Ulster Unionist Council, rep
resenting all parts Of Ulster, are
firmly persuaded that by no law
can the right TO govern those
whom we represent be bartered
away without their consent: that,
although the present Govern
ment. the services and sacrifices
Of generations of our race having
been forgotten, may drive us
forth from the constitution which
we have ever Loyalty upheld. they
may not deliver US bound into
the hands of our enemies: and
that it is incompetent for any
authority. party or people TO ap-
point as our rulers a government
dominated by men disloyal to the
empire and to whom our faith and
traditions are hateful.
And inasmuch as we reyerently
believe that. as in times past, il
was given our fathers to save
themselves from a like calamity,
so now it may be ordered that our
deliverance shall be by our own
hands; to which end It is needful
that we be knit together as one
man. each strengthening the
other, and none holding back or
counting the cost.
Therefore we. loyalists of Ul-
ster, ratify and confirm the steps
so far taken by the special COM
mission this day submitted and
explained to us, and We reappoint
the commission to carry on its
In