• They knew, he went on, that any attempt to
arrest Sir Edward Carson and the other Ulster leaders would lead to civil war. They had always recognized in their hearts that Ulster was entitled to special treatment, yet for two years they had persistently denied that claim, but by publicly recognizing it now they had absolutely justified the action of Ulster. Mr. Boner Law described the constant see.saw of concessions and withdrawals that had gone on since Mr. Churchill's Dundee speech. Whenever they showed signs of yielding Mr. Redmond put his foot down. The wathorized offer, which Sir Edward Carson had correctly called a hypocritical sham, was only authorized by the Nationalists and made by the Government because they knew it must be refused. In this long policy of drift the Government stuck to one principle only—to retain the Nationalist vote at all costs. Mr. Bonar Law concluded his powerful and impressive speech by declaring that if there was a chance of peace the Unionists would take it, but "if the Government will have war and push our loyal countrymen to the last extremity, then we shall win that war." The Govern- ment had the power to injure, perhaps to ruin, the country, but they had not the power to compel, and they never would compel, the Loyalists of Ulster to accept the domination of a Nationalist Parliament.
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