The Irish standard., 1919-11-01
-: do that is to try to win
,'rotestants, because, as Mr..

movement in Ireland. following your
revolution here, and therefore we find
there that this division is purposely
kept alive by England, and the moment
England's hand is removed that Ques-
tion will disappear; just the same as
if, we will suppose, here, you had a
small minority, let us say, of Republi
cans, a small minority, with the major
ity of the people against them, and
if that small minority felt that there
was a power going to back them up,
not by argument, because in the last
elections the Unionists did not argue
with us; they said we need no argu-
ments; We have got behind us five
million arguments, and each one of
them armed with a bayonet. And If
that is the argument on which they
rely, and if minority in this country
and, really, am taking an impossi-
BILE case, and you see at the very mo.
ment mention it, you see at once how
unnatural it is-and yet that is our
position in Ireland, that political par
ty will do that which you will see was
awfully impossible, once l refer it to
one of your political parties. Suppose
a small minority of one of your politi-
cal parties were to feel that it was to
be backed up from the outside in any
unreasonable position it took up. 1t
would take up that position if it was
to consider party politics above the
interests of the country as whole,
and it is obvious, the moment l NEIL
tion it to you, that no party here in
this country could be capable of it,
and you see, therefore, if you see how
you would feel about a party here who
would be capable of that-you can feel
how number of the people of Ireland
feel towards the political party of Ire
land that will put the interests of the
country as a whole below their own
selfish interests and below the inter-
ests of nation which was not their
nation.
Now, have touched on this question
only to point out that this is ques-
ton of the minority, an unreasonable
minority, against the majority. And
as far as the minority is concerned,
YOU cannot allow the minority to veto
the majority. We recognize minority
rights; we believe they have rights to
equal citizenship. that they have the
right to the same law. We have given
them all-all. We are willing to grant
them everything that your constitu-
ton will grant to any individual i'll
your nation and to any group within
your nation. They are not satisfied,
and the reason they are not satisfied,
again, is because they know they will
be supported from without But the
moment that support from without was
taken away, they would take up the
reasonable attitude that political par
ty would take up here if the majority
are against them. They would simply
fall in and let the majority rule and
try constitutional methods within the
nation.
| Now, there are number of other
points that we are misrepresented IN,
but the time is short and l will be
| able only, at the very best, to touch
on them here and then. 1t is very
difficult thing to remove the misrepre'
sentations that are being carefully
! spread by organized propaganda for
number of years. Mr.. Boland. for in
stance, pointed out to you what our
attitude in the war was. He pointed
out to you that, if it was really war
for liberty, we were partakers in that
war. If it was not war for liberty,
our attitude was one that we were not
going to be deceived, and we Thought
| in any case, whatever was the result
of the war, that we for one nation
could feel we were striking at imperl'
alism, an imperialism that we knew
an Imperialism that we had come to
know about, because our experience
with it was that we were striking that,
and if it was world war for freedom
we we're partakers in it. If other peo-
pie were going to be deceived that we
were not
Now we are here asking for the rec
ognition of the republic. We have CIV
en- you our reasons, and we nave
shown you that if you want to estab-
lish permanent peace that you Will
have not merely to profess that you
want it, but that you will have to act
upon it. If you refuse to recognize the
republic, to recognize the situation OF
the Irish people, you will clearly have
been adjudged of having been unwlll'
ing to act where you could act.
Remember, Mr.. Boland pointed out
| to you that you, being strong nation
could act fearlessly, that you could do
that which you considered right, know
| e. Al.ok x,o,, 1r,o~o CT onOuph tO 0O