LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
THE CYNICISM OP THE UNIONISTS.
[To PUN EDITOR OF THN "BrzoTATos.".1
Stn,—Allow me a few words of defence against the charge implied in your editorial note. The heading, "The Cynicism of the Spectator," was prefixed by you to both my letters, though it was only connected with one paragraph in my first letter. The "cynicism" to which I then referred was shown by the attempt to taunt Home-rulers into accepting a leader whom the Spectator condemned.
My second letter, as I thought I explained, was an answer to " Ignotus," who, as I understood him, was defending the Unionist position generally ; and my only reference to the Spectator, in that letter, was to your condemnation of my use of the word "cynicism," which I understood you to condemn when applied to Unionists generally, as well as when applied to yourselves. I certainly never intended to charge the Spectator with praising Mr. Parnell's "moral courage."—I am, [We never " taunted " Home-rulers into accepting Mr. Parnell's leadership. We only said, what we say still, that the principle of the Home-rule movement requires the recog- nition of any leader chosen by the Irish. Mr. Maurice should have explained his meaning more clearly at first, and we should then have said what we say now. His first letter was certainly directed against our cynicism, and as he left his letter without a heading, we supplied what seemed to us his meaning. We did not at all understand that, even in his second letter, he drew any distinction between us and those whom he was criticising.—En. Spectator.]
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