Civil War in Ireland

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 170, 17 January 1914, Page 5

Civil War in Ireland

THE REAL DANGER. IP HOME RULE CUP IS SNATCHED AWAY. By Cable —Press Association—Copyright Received 17, 1 a.m. London, January 10. Lord ILuldane, speaking at tloxton, deprecated discussing the Ulster negotiations on public platforms. He declined to despair of rational people reaching something approaching a common denomination. If Mr. Bonar • Law's Bristol speech had proved unencouraging, there, was a good deal of time j remaining for the people to talk aliov.t civil war extending over the whole of Ireland, for such a war was certain if ] the cup which Ireland had waited for ] 20 years were snatched away from Tier ) lips. ]

THE OTHER SIDE. MR. BONAR LAW'S PESSIMISM. London, January 15. Speaking at Bristol, Mr. Bonar Law declared that the position at Ulster was far more, serious than the Government or the country They were drifting inevitably - to civil war, which would shatter the whole fabric of na- , liana! existence. There had been con- j versations between the. parties, but without result. The Government desired a peaceful solution of the problem, but J the position under which it held office j made it possible to take the only step .affording a peaceful solution. If the! Government went on. the issue could not be decided without bloodshed. The Unionist Party was pledged lister, and, with the help of the Almighty, intended to keep its pledge. Received 17, li.'tt a.m. London, January 10. Mr. Bonar Law, speaking at Bristol, said that if the Government can make a proposal to do away with the prospect of civil war, the Opposition were | ready to accept it, if possible, without J the sacrifice of national interests or ' honor. He thought, from the speeches I of Mr. Churchill, Sir E. Grey and ] Mr. Asquith, made at Ladybank, that '' the Government was prepared to ftice )

the facts, 'but at the first whisper of a conference, the X-ationalist leaders demanded their pound of flesh. When party discipline was so rigid, and passions so strong, that party interests .ire preferred to national interests, tiie danger to the. State was grave indeed. That was the. position now within reach. The Government knew that if an appeal was .made to the people today, and the verdict went against them, the work wherefore they had sacrificed everything, including their dignity and the traditions of the House of Commons, would all be in vain. That i; a humiliation whereto no party lender would submit. The obligation which the Government had incurred to the Nationalists was not precisely a debt of honor, but it weighs heavily with the Government. They can be true to their allies only by being false to the country. The Unionists, maintain that Parliament has the right to govern I'tsfcr, but not to sell it in-' te slavery. If the Government ceased to act as a constitutional Government of .'. free people, they were tyrants, and had lost the light of that obedience whereupon all governments exist, British troops are, said Mr. i'.onnr Law, to be nsiid to shoot loyalists in order to pay a debt to men who rejoiced over our national misfortunes, insulted the Sovereign and vilified the Army. Such an order ought not to be given by the Covernincnt, but by the declared will of the whole British people. If the Government feared a general election, they could secure a clear issue by means of a. referendmu. and the Unionist party would bow to that decision.