IRISH UNIONISTS UNDER HOME-RULE.
LTO THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR." J
the Spectator of February 4th, you printed two letters,—one deprecating, as premature, any discussion as to 'the effects of Home-rule upon the policy of Ulster ; the other i consoling Ulstermen with the assurance that if Home-rule s granted they will very soon "regain their present constitu- tional position and leave the delights of third-rate misgovernment to the Celtic elements of the British Islands:" With regard to the second of these, I do not believe that if the English Parliament passes Home-rule, there is any responsible party in England that would intrigue and help Irish Unionists to rebel against the law of England. Assuredly, if the latter were so foolish as to seek such aid, they would have bitter cause to repent it. As to the first letter, there are many Unionists who have not the happiness to live in Ulster; and without in the least pre- aiming to say what Ulster ought to do, we may be permitted to see what the effect of Rome-rule would be upon them. My former letters were not addressed to Irishmen, but to English- men, and were intended to warn them that the Home-rule Bill, instead of relieving England from difficulty about Ire- land, would inaugurate a new and more formidable political movement, in which those who now cling to the Union will End themselves obliged to load the struggle for complete separation and real national independence. The Home-rule Bill has been published since then ; and I challenge any Englishman to read it as if he were an Irish- man, and were affected by it, and say whether he would be content with the position in which it would leave this country. He never would. And I say that Home-rule, if carried, will leave all patriotic Irishmen, whether Unionists or Nationalists, but one line of action respecting England,—and that is, agita- tion for a complete separation and for a real national inde- pendence for Ireland. Moreover, it will have put into their hands the certain instrument of working out this end. Let England make the experiment, if she so desire : she has at least the warning. No Irishman, be he Unionist or Nationalist, will feel bound to respect the limita- tions placed upon an Irish Parliament for English purposes, or to pay tribute for objects in which Ireland will have ceased to have any real interest.
Englishmen may think that Irish Unionists will still cling to England in hope of protection against oppression by the Irish Parliament. They are mistaken. They will have learned that the Imperial Parliament cares nothing for them ; and if it reject their allegiance now, they will not be so foolish as to expect it to become generous and self-sacrificing then. They will prefer to fight their own battle, and to do so without respect to English interests.—I am, Sir, &c.,
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