The Irish standard., 1917-03-24
The IRISH PARTY and
ENGLISH ALLIANCES

In light Of the Irish Party retiring in
a body from the British Parliament as
protest against the delayal of Home
Rule, the following article will prove
OF interest to our readers:
There is probably more than meets
the eye i'll the evidently inspired par
agraphs that are going the rounds of
the English newspapers to the effect
that the breakdown in the negotiations
for an Irish settlement is not to be re-
garded as finally disposing of the mat
ter. and that on the re-assembling OF
Parliament early in October another
effort will be made to patch up some
sort of an agreement, says the Kill
kenny People and continues:
This looks plausible enough on the
face OF it, but there is, it may safely
be averred, deep purpose underlying
it. That purpose is to keep the Irish
Members in good humor until the war
is over. and so to prevent awkward
criticism and exposure of certain hap
penings in Ireland in the last five
months. The policy of the Govern
ment with regard to the Irish Party, in
| other words, is, for the present and
while the war continues, to dissemble
their love for them until the time ar
rives when they can safely kick them
downstairs. OF course they have al
ready kicked them downstairs in con.
nection with the Lloyd-George pro.
posals, and if they are weak enough
to be caught again in the same trap,
the Government, needless to say, when
it suits their purpose but not before,
will feel encouraged to repeat the
operation, and moreover will be justi.
fed in doing so.
1t is possible, however, that the Irish
Party may stand up to their fight and
refuse any longer to allow themselves
to be made the tools of clever, design
ing and wholly INSCRIPTIONS British
Ministers. We recall that in the speech
breathing modification and bitter dis
appointment delivered after the great
breakdown by Mr.. Joseph Devlin,
who made tremendous sacrifices to
AIRY through scheme intensely hate
full to his own people in the North
only to discover that he was all the
time being used for the purposes of
treachery and fraud, he declared with
emphasis that never again would he
tramp the division Hobbies to keep the
Coalition Government in office. This,
of course. is satisfactory so far as it
goes, but as policy it is purely neg
ative one. The country expects some
thing more, and, above all, it expects
that the Party will not again be caught
in the meshes of the net skillfully laid
for them by British Cabinet Ministers
who have been kept in power for years
by Irish votes.
The Irish people are sick unto death
of breakfast table pourparlers and
Downing street diplomacy, which al
ways results in the same thing-the
gradual whiting down of our national
claims. 1t is as we'll to recognize the
truth, and the truth is simply this,
that in their negotiations with English
ministers we always play losing
game. Parnell, who was no child in
these matters and the least likely tc
be influenced by soft talk or parlaver
recognized this when it was too late
and his words are worth reproducine
just now
can English alliance" Parnell said
lis no use. 1t is mistake to nego
| tiate with all Englishman. He knows
the business better than you do. He
has had better training, and he is
sure, sooner or later to get you on
a bit of toast You must keep within
your lines, and be always ready to
fight until you get what you want
l gained nothing by meeting Mr.
Gladstone. ! was no match for him
lie got more out of me than l ever
got out Of him. l kept away from
the Liberals as much AS | could.
you do not know how much they
tried to get at me, how much ! was
worried. ! knew the danger of get
ting mixed up with English states
men. They only make you give way,
and | gave way a great deal too
much. All the time l had been in
public life avoided Englishmen
and / did not want the Irish Party
to rush into English Society, as it is
called. want Parliament that we
shall be able to keep and to work
for our country, but it must be a
real Parliament when it comes"
These words appear to hit off the
present situation. Our leaders went
negotiating with English statesmen
and "they gave away great deal toe
much Thew gave awav temnOra riI u