The Irish Volunteer - Volume 2 - Number 23

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THE

EDITED BY EOIN. MAC ' NEILL~ ~

Vol. 2.

No. 23.

(N·e w Series.)

SATURDAY, MAY 15, 1915,

·P t.ice One Penny. :'- ~ ~

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beginping, was directed against the unionists and in favour of H orne Rule.

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country . The Party machine is, still man1;1- ,_ facturing votes of confidence. A Frenchman said once to a Swiss: "Yo~ fi<rht for n1one,: .... ' b . "' we fight for honou.r." _ "I suppose/'. wa~ tb ~ reply, " each ,of us fights for what be· needs most. " The machirie produ.ces' votes of ,co1iftdence in proportioil ;;ts the ~1eed of tben1 is .f.eLt. Where confidence exists,_ . ,;otes ·o f . confide1ice are superfluous.

I did everything in my power to safeguard Mr. Redmond's position and strengthen bis hand at that critical time, though how critical it was I was not a1lowed to know , for:, as we have seen recently, it seems to be the fixed policy of the Irish Part); leaders, when they ' * are in a difficulty, to keep thei; follow~rs and Wher~ are the wise heads now . who : thought the Irish public as much as possible in ·the movement dark. I was not then aware that the GoYern-· and said that the ··' . :frish Volunteer . ment was preparing to force the Partitionist was unwise, uni1ecessary ·: and '. pr~mature ? . surrender on Mr. Redmond. H ad it been our Gallii:ig as it was tg .u ~ ~o ·:f11~cl'. ::;om~ ~f our . purpose to ~njure and weaken Mr. R ed,mond's fellow-coun trymen . so muddle-headed 'about the · power, we had a clear opportunity. The fundarhe;1tals of · their .political posifi011', 'so' I · country was beginning to grow anxious about childlike in their prattle fibout .the 1 +.,{G~ial -! the Government's purpose and Mr. Redmond's ·· Party and the BritishDemocracy, so· belpiessl.y · .. chance of success . In January, 1914, with the improvident against those unforeseen c6my>1iC'aO'Rahilly and Mr: Gore, I went to a Volunteer tions .i!1 . British'. aff;i~~ ..aga!11st, ~\'hich ~he. meeting in Waterford, Mr. · Redmond's. con- ' original Manifesto of "the I rish Volunteers stituency. Though at that time there was no struck a note of w~rning~~H; \~'ere deterrnined * * * That- policy now holds the field, and i10 talk of the European war, and though Si r M. to take no seetion~I ~dvantage, i111d we exc~secl matter wpat ~ppeals are r).1ade·for the gratitude Nathan had not arrived in Dublin from · and pal!iat~d the ~1ieaknesses which it has' been of the ;!3 ritish Democracy or for the fidelity of · Borneo, Mr. Birrell told off a ·detective to sit the constant practice . of our 1:iow Imperialist England's Statesmen to their own treaties, even beside us in the train arrd in the hotel, but Mr. Party . lights to hold up to . odium' in their In the .. , " Volunteer M·r. Redmond, ~Mr. Dillon and Mr. Devlin Winston Ch:irchill's whole navy could no~ catch mutual controversies. at ChFistmas, r9I3, we said: Gazette/' issued now recognise, and show it in public, · that sight of the ship that, while she was stilJ'in the "There is really .no National opposition to withoLit the Irish Volunteers B:ome Rule would North Sea or Gei:man Ocean, was announced the Volunteer mornment . There are. sumc 'V:ay laden with arms in the Press to · b e on her l>y this time have become the ,laughing sto~k of people who are doubtful about ·t he pre::;ent by English Tories to fight the Governbought history: .But in December; 191 3, · these of the tnovel)J.eht, and . others v.'ho · are effect' gentlemen did not doubt that they held a · ment. A? ·innocent tel~gram of ours at tl~e ~ ~bout its , f utu·re ~ffect . · The best L loul>tful complete monopoly of political wisdo~ . · -i:he same time brought a sm,all mditary expeLlition way tO settle thesF doubts is fo·r~·tliose ~ho " Westminster Gazette,'' a spec.i al mouthpiece to Dungarvan. We call these facts · to mind' are .not doubtful ·to:g'o ·ahead ·and 111al1e sure. . when we meet the pretence, worthy of Liberal ~f the Liberal wing o;f .the English Qlig·a;·ch y, we 111~1-st' ~ . ki~dI v. ancLtender towa.rc ls · Still. i' ., : . was growling at the Trish Volunteer policy, hypocrisy, but justified by Mr. J ohn Dillon, our fellow Irishmen, ., whose abxiety for and we can form our own ideas of the tum of that our men and women are p~rsecuted and Ireland's ta1\se may coi1fuse their .purpo::;c the con~ersations that . took place in Downing prosecuted now because England. is '. at war for the ~op:ient, and we sho~l~ be p~eiJa~~d .. Street interviews, .and of the instructions with Germany. Well, · in Waterford City, to .answer their ; dm~bts. " .. -and constituents of ML prominent supporters conveyed through our great parliamentary

Following Mr. John Dillon's suggestion, offered in · his Glasgow speech as a proof of " loyalty and fidelity to Ei1gland and her. Statesmen," the Liberal Home Rute Government has evicted from his occupation Councillor J. J. Walsh of the Cork Corporation, Chairman of the Cork County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association. It was Councillor Walsh . who presided over the first public meeting in Cork in supvort of the Irish Volunteer movement. At that meeting, simpleminded men, who are .. now -1:iersuaded to cheer for the smell of Home Rule and for Imperialist domination, were led to make a demonstration against my request for cheer~ for the Irishmen who, though opposed to us. showed us the way to the policy we recommended . to the people of Ireland.

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broker; Nlr. T. P. O'Connor. The offiCial tip was to discourage the flotation of · Volunteer stock. Already the Government had launched its illegal Arms Pror;lamation, and the Irish Party had been held silent, while the Party organ~ were allowed to suggest that ·the Proclamation, issued within two years of the Unionist beg inning of ari anti-Home Rule arn1y and with1n one week of the fri. b Volunteer

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Redmond said openly to me: "We are standl<· * * ing by Mr. Redmond and the Irish Party, ):Jut And so we Sa)' now. The I~is)1 .;ilol~1~1teer it is idremendous strain on .us." At that time, · policy, d iscouraged by :Mr. Redrilo!~Cl, ,\,as the:· it was not known that the Govern111ent·il'ltended right policy in the winter -of I9i 3, and ·l\fr .. ,; to violate its pledges and;· to con1pel Mr. Red, Redmond's policy ' p~oved f~tile ancfled him -tb ", mond to submit. ,., disaster. The Irish Volunteer p~_l{cj, i{ s,t~i1_·", ·x* * the right policy, ·arid Mr, Reclmon9's policy., ... 1decJ '" Last week has rlemonstraterl how far Mr: as we S:1W tas.t Wfek ,' st{Jl in\,ites· hi_g h<h::i1_ Redmonk1 posse~ses ~lie renl ·conf1de1ice of Lhe co1iteni.pt .for .l.rci a.nll .. · B ~1(· l\J r·~ . ·R:ct1 1i1o nc1 is ··'

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The Irish Volunteer - Volume 2 - Number 23 by An Phoblacht - Issuu