LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
[Letters of the length of one of our leading paragraphs are often snore read, and therefore snore effective, than those which lift treble the space.]
TIE GRAND MISUNDERSTANDING.
(To Ins EDITOR or TEL 8PECTLT01."1
Sea,—Thank you for your very courageous article on " The Grand Misunderstanding." You are absolutely right, both about the main cause of English mistakes in Ireland and about the position and character of Ulster. When the English journalist or public man comes to Ireland Ile almost inevitably falls into the hands of a clique who stuff him with all the newest inventions of the ingenious Irish political imagination. As an Irishman, I perhaps understand the working of this imagination somewhat better than you do. To the English mind, which has discovered the facts, it seems pure lying. Not so to the Irish. The Irish mind has an extraordinary faculty of half-belief. When anything exciting occurs, or is expected, the Irish imagination weaves out of a Multitude of impressions and suspicions a whole history of plots, tyrannies, basenesses, and heroism, and. for the moment, takes it all for fact. And, what is more curious from the English point of view, tells it all for fact. In addition, the Irish enjoy nothing more thoroughly than humbugging the English inquirer. I am not an admirer of "George Birmingham's " writings. but in presenting this element of Irish life—it is the theme of all his more popular works—he is quite true to life, except that he is apt to caricature. At the time of the Home Rule and Ulster (draggle, before the war, Ireland was buzzing with humorous tales, told with infinite gusto, of how the guileless Radical journalist was taken in. I could mention the names of writers whose articles and books produced a great impression in England at that time, and at whom Ireland chuckles to this day.
But it may be said, Is not all this a reason for letting the Irish manage their own affairs P Perhaps it is. But it is not a reason for letting them manage the affairs of Ulster. Ulster, from long experience, understands the position thoroughly and will never consent to be ruled by the type of mind which controls the popular movements of Southern Ireland. The meaning of the present outburst of fury against Ulster is simply this: The Sinn Peiners are wrecking the Convention, and the astute Home Rule politicians of the South are preparing to throw the blame of that disaster on Ulster. The insinuation which is sometimes made that Ulster- men are now prepared to accept Home Rule in order to escape taking their share in the burdens of the war is a base and foul slander. Ulster has been willing to bear her full share all along; and, no matter how basely she is slandered, her loyally will not
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