THE COERCION OF ULSTER.
[To TIM ED/TOR OF THY " SPROTATOR.".1
Sin,—With the greatest respect I venture to question the wisdom of the advice you give in the leading article under
the above heading in last Saturday's Spectator. I respectfully submit that it is no part of the duty of Unionists to help the Government in the smallest degree to extricate themselves from the position in which they have involved themselves through their corrupt and scandalous bargain with the Irish Nationalists. Any conference will only be used by Mr. Asquith as a trap, to try and shunt some of the responsibility for civil war on to the shoulders of the leaders of the Unionist Party. He played exactly the same trick with the Conference about the Parliament Act, and our leaders incontinently fell into it and were completely fooled. If civil war is to come, let those who have involved their country in it. in pursuance of a corrupt bargain, take the full responsibility for it. No one can deny that revolt against a corrupt Govern- ment is justifiable in certain circumstances ; and certainly no Liberal will deny that William of Orange was justified in waging war against James II., or Cromwell against Charles L Civil war may be a great calamity, but the tyranny of a greedy caucus and the dissolution of the United Kingdom may be even a greater one. At least, so think the Ulstermen, and they are prepared to back their opinion. And then we are calmly told that the British Army is to be ordered to fire upon the Union Jack in support of the very men who loudly cheered in the British Parliament for the defeat of our troops at Colenso, lit bonfires on the tops of Irish hills for Modder River, and freely hurled their scurrilous abuse at " England's coward Army." The Army swears to fight against the King's enemies and not against his loyal subjects. Our soldiers are human beings, our regiments have long memories and hold cherished traditions, although the individuals composing them may change; and Mr. Asquith will be able to wait and see whether British troops will fire upon the Union Jack, even with Captain Moonlight and Ford's Skirmishers to help them.—I am, Sir, &c., C. 0. PENROSE-FITZGERALD, Admiral.
Previous page
