Speaking at Oxford on the Home Rule crisis last Saturday,
Lord Haldane deprecated the language used by Sir Edward Carson. But, he added, "I know how hard a battle he has to fight, and I know this too, that he has done his best to keep things quiet in Ulster. I think be has deserved our gratitude by the moderation of his counsels there." Of course Lord Haldane could nob be expected to approve of Sir' Edward Carson's policy. He had raised an army in Ulster, which had led to the raising of a counter-army in other parts. "Both forces are gross illegalities and unconstitutional, and one of the things we have had to consider was whether we should interfere with them or not and on the whole I think it has been a wise decision to leave events to take their course, we preserving our course." When after this amazing exordium —the Government which tolerates what it admits are "gross illegalities" stands self-condemned—Lord Haldane conde- scended to details, he left matters exactly as they were before, if, indeed, he did not actually disimproye the situation. For example, he observed that "there were those who said there ought to he Exclusion for half of Ulster," but he personally should be very sorry to see Exclusion. His lips were sealed on the Amending Act, but he was kind enough to tell his hearers what they would find in Mr. Asquith's speeches in the Home of Commons—viz., that the Government were prepared to make certain offers, and were prepared to consider the suggestions of the Opposition. We are not surprised to learn that Sir Edward Carson, on being interviewed before his departure from Belfast, remarked, a propos of Lord Haldane's speech : "We want plain speeches and not cryptic utterances."
