ULSTER IN ARMS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2164, 1 June 1914, Page 4

ULSTER IN ARMS

Sir, Kindly give spaco to this short | letter ol reply to Mr. Malcolm Koss : s I letter printed in your journal, date May' I J, ana headed "Ulster in Anns." My first objection is to the use of tho word Ulster. By " what right do tho tail-ciul ol the provinco UJster call themselves Ulster? The truth of tho matter is: A recalcitrant section of Ulster, small in area and voting power, a majority of whom aro alien,to the country, are making a fuss, and by sheer otfrontory passing themselves oif as Ulster. Evidently some success is already gained by tlioni in this direction, seeing that such an intelligently edited journal as that of yours calls this impudently-audacious minority of a province Ulster. I also object to tho term "momentous crisis." Matters are not moro serious at present than they havo been often before; not moro than when Catholic emancipation was effected. Then Queen Victoria's crown was threatened «ith immersion in the Boyiie. Every Act passed in tho British Mousb of Commons benoficiai to Ireland lias beon consistently opposed by this faction. The aame fact lias taken place in connection with Acts passed in Uio best interests of tho British democracy. 'Every Irish Nationalist's succcss provokes a: vow in tho tail-end of Ulster 1 , and often as momentous as the present. Mr. Ross states that he obtained his matter at tho seat of trouble—the north-east corner of Ulster, What is contained in the letter he could comfortably obtain by reading the Homo papers by his own fireside in New Zealand. Botter still, ho could correct somo blunders ho has made. His letter contains nothing new. The reasons ho has given as to why tho tail-end of Ulster is right in fighting aro worn threadbare already,' met'in debate'on tho floor of the British Houso of Commons, and swept aside. Why? This faction have no reason to fight. For. ages past Britain pampered thom with, fat billets, privileged tliem over tho Irish people proper. In tho order of naturo the pampered.child despises his parents invariably. Now when tho parent tolls him ho must bo prepared, to oxpect privileges no longor, ho must earn his own hoi resents. ; with drivel and threats ot retaliation.

Mr. Ross affirms tho query that Ulster will fight. Ulster has fought her fight. Tho provinco has fought for Homo Rule by her votes at the latest second reading of tho Bill. The usual mention of Belfast's prosperity is made in the letter. If Belfast is prosperous, Nationalists principally have made it so. First, thoso living in tho city; second, the greater -part of tho back country, for which Belfast is a distributing centre, is Nationalist; and third, tho many ameliorating measures obtained by tho National party for thirty years past. So, Belfast's prosperity is certainly not duo' to tlio Unionists.

Mr. Boss states' religion to be at tho bottom' of everything. Others ; state that all trouble there is due to'.want of ■ religion. So says Chief Secretary Birrell, who i stilted recently that the Ulster Unionists possessed no more religion than tliero was in a billiard ball. Mr. Ross quotes statistics favourable to the north-east corner in reference to pauperism, but shies clear of the moral statistics, and well he might. Is Mr. Boss aware that were it not for the aliens inhabiting the tail-end of Ulster and tho other garrisoned .portions of Ireland, tlie nation. Ireland would present a clean slieot morally ? Immorality is an unforgivable sin in Ireland, hence the.eternal division- botwenn'-thp'-rirish people and. tlie' aliens trained Tip v in a looser moral eodc. In Ireland proper there is no neod for the oil drum, and tbu torch for social .purification.. Tho. north-eastern tail-end has introduced it there.. This fact, and' not religion, is tho Alpha and Omega of Irisli matters. Tho Irish pcoplo despise no man .becauso of his not being possessed of .worldly goods. For ages in tho past, if Catholic Ireland accumulated material wealth - , Britain , knew a means of getling at it'and was invariably successful in doing so.. Ireland proper is tremendously rich in her people, tho richest on earth to-day, so says Harold Regley in his book "The Lady Next Door," iWbich I recommend Mr. Ross to read. . To finishj 1 find Mr. Boss's'letter to be a biidget of blither and drivel. One cahread tho same matter every day in tho [Wellington Public Library, in tlie Belfast paper "Northern Whig." This alien tail-end .of Ulster have been defeated at, the polls; defeated on their own stamping ground; defeated in the House of Commons. They won't take their defeat like a gentleman; d>ut resort to tho contemptible method of corrupting "the British Armv. —I am, ctc., IRISH NATIONALIST. Greytown.