The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-03-29
THE TROUBLE IN ULSTER.


-~s.-s a-e TWO issues involved In the cues
ssna 9. iris home rale. which has reached
szs4e So crucial as 10 threaten England with
rarx. wa--oae Of politics and one Of religious
rrsss1 Tie majority Of the people Of Ireland de-
grxza re r3gAt to control the affairs of abe
,c-sr1ry sA-ouzh . government OF their own-a
sx-sssz.a-t-as does Canada, and this majority
ss @. cz-Ao,ic faith. Ulster however, in which
II Jo.atea some 81 Trelaud's largest cities. Is
peoplea largely by Protestants, who hold the
beEes that neither their commercial interests
pcr their religious liberty would be safe in the
hands OF a parliament composed so largely, IA
It walld be. OF Catholics These known
ss OrangeG1en.
To go back and review the matters which
have brought about this situation would mean
delying too deeply into the pages Of history. for
which We have NOT the space, and likely most
Of our readers are familiar with IT, Suffice it
to say tie feeling has always been bitter and
seems likely to continue through the ages,
1t seems that only the four upper counties of
Ulster really oppose home rule and under the
plan presented by the powers that be, these
would be permitted to remain Independent of
the Irish parliament. and under the complete
protection Of the national parliament for n
period OF six years. Meanwhile there viii be
two general elections IN the United Kingdom.
enabling the voters to declare their will. The
four counties Of Ulster would lose none of their
rights and would waive none OF their privileges
In this period, and. the heat of tumult having
subsided all factions could temperately discuss
the issues. but Sir Edward Carson and the
Unionists have rejected the governments plan,
Insisting that nothing short Of the permanent
exemption of Ulster from home rule will suffice
The Liberals In the national parliament think
they have GONE about as far as they can con.
sistently go In the matter of compromise; they
see that the protest against home rule arises
from a minority, while the masses Of the people
Of Ireland--the Catholics-are imbued with the
longcher1shed passion to govern themselves. The
Liberals are tremendously concerned with the
social and economic reforms they are bringing
to pass, and I'm these they find united opposition
in ireland, both from Catholics and Professionals
Burke once said; THE religion most pre-
yIleuf IN our northern colonies Is d refinement
OF the principles of resistance; It Is the dis
s3dence Of dissent and the protestantism Of the
Protestant religion" That statement comes
home with peculiar force TO the people OF Eng
land In the present situation. Men will fight
quicker over their religious convictions than
for home and freside. and the result may be
civil war England is determined: so are the
Unionists The Protestant minority fears the
rule OF the Catholic majority just as Catholic
ireland hates the rulo OF Protestant Ireland II
n a situation at once as grave as It IS unique.
Chancellor -i4loyd-George recently summed up
the situation thus
sThe country is confronted with the rravest
Issue in she history of democratic goverrlrre nj
since the DAYS Of the EtuarLs. Representative
government in this land is at stake. / am here
on behalf az the government to say we mean to
confront this defiance of popular liberties with
resolute and unwavering Determination what
ever the hazard may be. We are not lighting
shout Ulster or about home rule. We are
fighting for al that is essential to the civil
liberty of this land"
Loyal army officers have resigned and state
Of characterization exists in Ulster bordering on
armed rebellion. Unless the Liberal leaders and
the Ulster Tnionists get together civil war
ID inevitable. though II is to be hoped that the
mother country will be spared this experience