Tffui "BRITISH WEEKLY" AND HOME RULE. fq 0 TILE FLDITOR 0,
THE "SPECTATO5...1 Sta.—One of your correspondents recently referred to the volte-foce of the British Weekly on the subject of Home Rule. flow complete has been the change the following quotations will show. On 20th September, 1906, Sir W. Robertson Nicoll wrote:— "The politicians would fain get away from the religions question, but they cannot. It will not and cannot be evaded so long as the claims of Rome are what they are. The armies of the Church are the political danger of every country which is not subservient to their purpose. Rome desires temporal power in order that she may enforce her rule. It is by physical coercion that so-called heretical opinions are to be eradicated and that con.. science, of which God alone is Lord, put in irons. The terrific history of the blood-stained Church must always be read with new horror and amazement. Sometimes one is disposed to think that violent Protestant controversialists exaggerate. But they do not exaggerate ; in fact, it is almost impossible to exaggerate."
On 30th May, 1907, replying to Mr. Stephen Gwynn, he wrote :— " Mr. Gwynn states frankly that the Liberals must yield to the Irish Roman Catholics. . . Mr. Stephen Gwynn knows history. Will he tell us of a single instance where a Roman Catholic majority has given justice to a Protestant minority ? We wait to hear."
Again, on the same date :— "Thus it is more clear than ever that Home Rule, as the Nationalists conceive it, means Rome Rule. We are quite certain that the Nonconformists in this country, properly enlightened, will never band Ireland over to Rome Rule. Even if they were to betray their trust, the Protestants in Ireland would fight to the death against a tyranny so monstrous that the most enslaved, creatures under its rule have made their protest."
There is now no more ardent advocate of Home Rule than the editor of the British Weekly. Is it surprising that he receives, as he tells us in his last issue, an immense number of letters from Ulster, where his excellent journal is widely read ? It would be interesting to know on what date the British Weekly first advocated Home Rule for Ireland. My impression is that it was first definitely advocated immediately Alter the General Election of December. 1910, in a very remarkable leading article. In this article the editor urged upon the Government the ad.option of the much-discussed "plan," that is to say, the passing of Home Rule and other "arrears of Liberal legislation" without a mandate and under a mutilated Constitution.—I am, Sir, &e., 15 Rutland Street, Edinburgh. A. G. DRNHOLN YOUNG.
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