But we are bound to admit that there are only
too many bad signs as well as the nominally good one. The Government, after declaring, when the Treaty was introduced, that they would not consent to a single change in it—that it represented fmality—have, in fact, consented to changes in the Spirit and even in the letter. The Irish General Election which is about to begin is not after all to settle the issue whether the people of the South and West do or do not want the Treaty. We were led to believe that everything depended upon this General Election, which was to ascertain the will of Ireland. Now the situation has entirely changed. The Collins-De -Valera coalition which came into existence for what seemed to be sinister reasons has nominated candidates and in effect sanc- tioned intimidation against independent candidates.
