The Irish standard., 1919-11-29
BY Eamon De Valera, President of the
Irish Republic.

The Irish question is rot religious
question at all, but that is what En-
gland tries to make you believe it to
be. The Irish question is fundamen-
tally a political question between Ire
land and England-a question between
the Irish Nation and an outside nation.
English statesmen maneuver to make
It appear to be an internal question
not political but religious-between
two sections Of the Irish people. The
basis for this is that the lines of polit-
ical division correspond by accident
roughly to the lines of religious divi-
sion. This circumstance the English
statesmen use with consummate skill
to deceive.
For national purposes in the past
Catholics and Protestants have often
united. They would unite tomorrow
similarly were the Irish Republic inter-
nationally recognized as separate in
dependent state.
Irish Republican Movement Originated
with Northern Presbyterians.
The greatest of Irish Nationalists-
the men whose memory is most revered
in 1reland-have been Protestants.
Grattan and Flood were Protestants.
The movement for an Independent
Irish republic originated with the
Presbyterians of the North of Ireland
the same Protestant stock, with the
same sturdy love for independence and
hatred of English tyranny that charac-
terized those who distinguished them
selves in Washington's army. Tone
and his comrades-Russell, Orr, Joy
McCracken were Protestants. So
were Lord Edward Fitzgerald, Emmet,
Mitchell, Davis, Smith O'Brien, Butt
and Parnell.
So, in our Republican movement Of
this day there are quite large num-
Der Of Protestants. Ernest Blythe,
Minister for Trade in the Republican
Cabinet, and Robert Barton, landlord
and Minister for Agriculture, are Prot.
estants. When they were candidates
for election to the, Irish Parliament it
was not asked what their religion was,
and the fact that they were not Cath
olics did not prevent them from being
elected by overwhelming majorities in
Catholic constituencies, nor did It later
prevent the British Government from
arresting them when they gave proof
Of their devotion to their own country
by patriotic acts. On the other hand,
the fact that Dennis Henry is a Cath
olic did not prevent him from being
elected to represent an Ulster Union
ist constituency in the Parliament of
Britain.
Irish Unionists Desire Union With
England on Political Grounds.
Americans should understand that
the Irish Unionists who desire politi-
cal union with England do so on po-
Htical and not on religious grounds.
They play up, indeed, to England's
pretense as regards the religious ques-
tion because it helps them to secure
their political objective.
They desire politically what the
English statesmen desire. They have
q common purpose-political union be-
tween Ireland and England-and so
act in unison. Like all political par.
ties the Unionist Party in Ireland uses
every means that is available to pre-.
vent its political opponents from com.
ing into power; but the moment the
contests were definitely and irrevoc.
ably decided Irish. Unionists would &C.
cept the result with as much sports.
manlike good will as the Republicans
accept defeat by the Democrats here
fn America.
It would be easy for us to show that
there are no grounds for either the
real or fancied fears of the political
minority in Ireland-the Unionists-
that they would receive unfair treat.
ment at the hands Of the majority,
either on religious or on any other
Z grounds.
Prote.t.nt. live. in Peace Where Cath.
oI'cs Arc g Minority. :
It il only in the four northeastern
counties Of Ulster that the Catholics
aIe not an overwhelming majority
OYER al other sects. And yet, even in
the areas In which they are an insig.
ntncant minority, the Prctestants live
in peace and honor among their Cath.
Ole fellow countrymen. They have
thsmselves, time after time, nobly