The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1916-07-01
Edward Carson became a rebel. He

Edward Carson became rebel. He
summoned around him the Orangemen
of Ulster. He established that for
which Pearse and the others were
shot, namely, Provincial Govern
ment. He drew up Solemn League
and Covenant, reminiscent of Puritan
ism and of rebellion against ones law
full king. He encouraged gun-running,
drilling, marching and countermarch-
ing, and his motto was: ulster will
fight and Ulster will be right" Now,
here at last was Redmond's heaven
sent opportunity. This was the hour
toward which parliamentarianism had
been ripening for a generation. Had
O'Connell or Parnell sat in his place,
what would they have done? Surely
they would have risen up and demand
ed, before an applauding world, the
impeachment of Carson for high trea-
son. And they would have met the
objection that he was guilty merely of
treason-felony-which was enough to
transport John Mitchel-by appealing
to an Irish Parliament, on the imme-
date setting-up of which they would
have insisted with all the might of
united race and an enlightened public
opinion at their back.
A bold stroke of this kind would
have prevented the instruction, COM
PEELED England to show her hand, and
unmasked her double-dealing before
the world. But since John Redmond is
not of the stuff of those by whom sal
walton is wrought in Israel, nothing
was done. Sir Edward Carson was
neither arrested, nor imprisoned, nor
executed. Quite the contrary-he was
made Cabinet Minister in the Coali-
ticn Government. Such is the punish
ment of Liberal Government, the
friend of Ireland, metes out to those
who conspire against her dearest inter-
ests! After the passing of Home Rule
Mr.. Redmond returned to Ireland, and
in the midst of the Ulster fanfaring,
began what he called campaign of
protest against the procrastination of
British statesmen. True to his his.
torical fnstinct-which, as we have
seen, is not that of the thinkers of
the nation-he opened that campaign
at Cahirciveen, O'Connell's birthplace
Identifying himself with the great Lib
orator in his speech, he gloried in the
final triumph of that cause for which
the latter strove. Needless to say,
there was no mention of Poyning's
Act, or the 23rd of George the Third.
He poured abundant ridicule on the
head of Carson, with his wooden guns
and wooden soldiers. In Ireland ridi-
Guile is a lethal weapon, so deadly that
according to the testimony of Mr.. Biz
rell, it had almost exercised the
spirit of revolution; but it did not sue
coed in killing off the provisional
Government" of Ulster. In this case it
proved boomerang: it is Carson's
turn now to laugh at Mr.. Redmond.
There was, however, one man who
saw clearly that platform oratory is
no match for loaded rifles. This was
Mr.. Eoin MacNeill, professor in the
National University. A close student
of Anglo-Irish history, this Irishman
realized that the only way to offset the
pernicious activities of the Orange
men, and thwart the secret machina-
lions Of English Ministers, was to arm
the nation. Accordingly, late in 1913
he issued call to arms, which met
an instantaneous response all over the
country in the formation of the Irish
Volunteers. The primary purpose of
this organization was to keep the
Home Rule Act on the Statute book,
and another, to use the words of his
manifesto, was ito unite the people of
Ireland on the basis of Irish national
ity and of common national interests;
to maintain the integrity of the ma
ton. and to resist any measures tend
ing to bring about or perpetuate dis
union or the partition of the country"
The enthusiasm which greeted this
. new idea surprised and startled Mr.
Redmond; and he determined at any
cost to capture the organization in the
interests of parliamentarianism. At
first the Volunteers were under Pro-
visional Committee, few of whom were
active in politics; but Mr.. Redmond
succeeded in gaining majority control
by placing on it twenty-five of his own
henchmen. This occurred in June,
1914. On August 4th war was declared
In Europe, and at once Home Rule was
shelved. How did Mr.. Redmond take
this new blow to his hopes and those
of his people? He stood up in the
House of Commons, and delivered that
now famous speech in which he
pledged Ireland to the cause of British
Imperialism. This Spontaneous, pa
triotic, courageous, but British"
speech, to quote the words of Mr. Bir-
rell, had several results. First, it split
the Volunteers into two hostile camps
destroying at one blow their useful
ness as national organization. Sec
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