New-York tribune., 1918-05-27
Ulster Is People
To the Editor of The Tribune.

To the Editor of The Tribune
Sir: have read "Tay Pays" letter, "The
Case of Ireland" in to-day's Tribune, and it
gives light TO several points concern
ing the distracted country. But may | ask
if Mr.. O'Connor is entirely frank in so
jauntily dismissng the Ulster question as
rebellion of small minority of the
Irish people in Ulster against majority
of the people Of Great Britain as we'll as
of Ireland? While it is possible that n
ajority of the people Of Great Britain arc
for Home Rule, | am quite sure that a
majority could not to be found to agree to
coerce Ulster from separating from Eng.
land against its wish! That puts very
different light upon the question If the
Irish people could agree as to what form
of government it wishes, the vexed uues-
ton might be settled with comparatively
little trouble. England has already given
Ireland free rein to adjust its own Difficult
ties, and Ireland has apparently up to this
moment failed. l cannot see why England
and the English people are to be blamed
for that.
Some people claim to find an analogy
between listers behavior and our own re-
cactrant South, but their mental processes
seem to me confused. If one of the South
crn states. Virginia. for instance had re-
had forced her to leave the loyal states
and repudate the Union, then, and only
then, would we have parallel to the action
CT Ulster. The south of Ireland, Catholic
Ireland, frankly hates England and every
thing English. 1t hates it to such an ex-
tent that it will hurt England precisely at
the time it most needs unity and strength
1t will give it a body blow as the arm of
the Hun is actually uplifted to strike The
north Of Ireland, Protestant Ireland, loves
England and everything English, is success
full, thrifty, and undoubtedly shares some
thing Of the traits of the Scotchmen as
we'll as something of the Irish. Now, why
under Heaven, if a part of Ireland is re-
morselessly set against being governed by
another part, must England force the loyal,
Engish-loving part of the country into the
arms Of the disloyal, English-hating part
Furthermore, and this | never can under
stand, why, if Ireland is SO excited about
the rights of the smaller nations, if Ireland
is, as she poses the doughty champion of
the weaker people, why does she insist upon
imposing her will upon the little county Of
Ulster? Granted that Ulster represents but
a small minority of the population of Ire
land Is she to be overridden because of
that? thought Ireland was fighting to
protect the interest of the smaller coun-
u lco, SIilFlUS W piOCecL LHe TlSHCS OF inc
minority! How can Ireland blame England
for imposing its will upon a conquered
nation when Ireland is trying to do pre-
cisely that upon Ulster, which is not, and
has never been to South Ireland even
conquered county? If the Ulster revolt is
so negligible let Ireland prove it by letting
Ulster go. If Ireland is really SO sympa-
thetic toward the feelings of the small
nations. let her give Ulster the right to
stay with England if she prefers to- Or is
it possible that Ireland wishes to impose
taxes upon the one part of Ireland that
has most to be taxed? Is it possible
that Ireland is only talking big about fair
ness and small peoples, and tyranny and
selfexpression and the like, and really in
tends to make Ulster bleed for the benefit
of Ireland's majority?
ANNIE NATHAN MEYER.
New York, May %, 1918.