Thank you for correcting the text in this article. Your corrections improve Papers Past searches for everyone. See the latest corrections.

This article contains searchable text which was automatically generated and may contain errors. Join the community and correct any errors you spot to help us improve Papers Past.

Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image

SIGN, OR WAR.

SINN FEIN AND TREATY. ALLEGATIONS REPEATED. A BITTER SPEECH. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright, Received Dec. 22, 7.30 p.m. London, Dec. 21. The debate on the Irish treaty is still proceeding in the Dail Eireann. Mr. Gavin Duffy said the treaty’s vital defect was “thrusting an alien king upon us who necessarily symbolises our seven centuries of just anger and resentment.” He did not desire to minimise that effect, but it ought not to be exaggerated. The treaty gave them what they had not enjoyed for centuries, and any Government worthy of the name could place a foreign king at a considerable distance from the people. Mr. Duffy added: “The delegates on December 4 broke definitely with Mr. Lloyd George. They resumed after four and a half hours’ conference. Our representatives came to our headquarters and declared that four times they had almost broken with Mr. Llyod George, and that the fate of Ireland must be decided that night, Mr. Lloyd George having shown the ultimatum cabled.”

Mr. Duffy emotionally added: “I shall never forget that night of anxiety. Everyone who heard Mr. Lloyd George believed he meant all he said. I wonder whether you realise the monstrous iniquity of it. Our complaint is not that the alternative to the treaty was immediate war, but that we qualified apostles of peace had to become unqualified arbiters of war. We had to decide within three hours without reference to our Government or people. That, man who invited us under his roof to make a friendly settlement put us in the position that if we did not all sign hordes of savages would have been let loose in Ireland to trample, torture and crucify. Thus we were faced with the alternative of saving either the national dignity or the lives of the Irish people. That is why I signed. NO CHOICE. “I do not love the treaty any more now than when I signed, but I do not think it an adequate motive, for rejection to point out that some of us signed under duress. My heart is with the rejectionists and my reason against them, because there is no rational alternative. If the Dail Eireann rejects the treaty it will be a gamble what will happen next. No serious man wants a plebiscite, which would rend the country from end to end, leaving memories of bitterness and acrimony lasting for generations. No one who has seen it wants a renewal of war without a clear prospect of getting furthef than we have now reached. I urge you to ratify the treaty with the most dignified protest the Dail Eireann can utter, because it cannot do otherwise in the interests- of the people.” Mr. Duggan said: “I went to the fateful conference and I was not threatened by Mr. Lloyd George. He did not shake papers in my face. With the fullest consciousness of my responsibility to the Dail Eireann, to the living and to the dead, I stand by my sginature.” Mr. Cosgrove said the treaty had not sacrificed any vital principle. If the rejectionists were willing to accept the people’s decision possibly an agreement would be attainable.

Mr. Cosgrove said he preferred Dominion home rule to a republic of twentysix counties, because that made the unification of Ireland possible. Miss McSwiney, a sister of the late Lord Mayor of Cork, spoke for 160 minutes. She described Mr. Lloyd George as an unscrupulous trickster, and declared that no Government in Europe trusted his word. She adcSjd ■ “I shall be the first rebel under this t-eaty, and you will have the pleasure or pain of imprisoning me. Mr. Collins made the treaty acceptable to many, but if Mr. Collins went to hell to-morrow would you go with him?” Loud cries: “Yes.” Miss McSwiney: “Well, I have nothing to say to men who are willing to transfer their allegiance from God to the Devil at Michael Coffins’ behest.” FEATURES OF DEBATE. Features of the early part of the sitting of the Dail Eireann were the speeches of Mr. Duffy and Mr. Duggan, and the divergence between the two. Mr. Duffy, who is one of the quietest and most dignified of the delegates, said his signature was extorted by a threat of civil war, but Mr. Duggan scoffed at the suggestion. Mr. .Childers distinguished himself by the venom of his speech and continual interruptions. Professor Stockley, who is an Englishman, in a semi-coherent speech, punctuated by shrieks of anger, declared the treaty would color the face of every Englishman with shame.

Miss McSwiney’s speech was the longest and most eloquent thus far. She is a cultivated woman and she indulged in every device of oratory, including humor, irony, indignation and pathos. Dressed in deep mourning she held belaud ience for a whole two and a half hours. In a telling passage she turned towards Mr. Collins and held out her hands appealingly, saying: “Don’t be fooled. You can beat Lloyd George in the field and in the opinion of the world, but don’t be such a fool as to think you can beat him in trickery.” Apparently the debate will continue until every member has spoken. Neither side is willing to give the other the .slightset advantage. At the adjournment sixteen members had spoken in favor of ratification and fourteen against. Mr. De Valera wants the vote taken to-morrow, and Mr. Griffiths suggested the speakers be limited to fifteen minutes. FEELING EQUALLY DIVIDED. Members of the Dail Eireann who are in a position of authority forecast an equal division, stating that the anti-treaty groups have won many adherents during the debate. A number of members will vote against the treaty if they can be sure it will be carried. They want the glory of opposing it without the consequences. The rank and file of the republicans are reorganising Sinn Fein clubs on a revolutionary basis, and some battalions of the republican army are openly threatening what they will do if the treaty is ratified. —Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TDN19211223.2.45

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Taranaki Daily News, 23 December 1921, Page 5

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,004

SIGN, OR WAR. Taranaki Daily News, 23 December 1921, Page 5

SIGN, OR WAR. Taranaki Daily News, 23 December 1921, Page 5

Help

Log in or create a Papers Past website account

Use your Papers Past website account to correct newspaper text.

By creating and using this account you agree to our terms of use.

Log in with RealMe®

If you’ve used a RealMe login somewhere else, you can use it here too. If you don’t already have a username and password, just click Log in and you can choose to create one.


Log in again to continue your work

Your session has expired.

Log in again with RealMe®


Alert