The Annual Register 1914: A Review of Public Events at Home and Abroad for the Year 1914Anonymous
History
The Annual Register 1914: A Review of Public Events at Home and Abroad for the Year 1914
Anonymous
History, Modern; History, Modern -- Periodicals; World War, 1914-1918
The debate was continued for some hours by Liberal and Unionist
members. Mr. Austen Chamberlain was not very responsive to the Prime
Minister's concessions; but Sir Edward Carson next day (Feb. 11) was
more conciliatory. In an impressive speech, which later speakers
recognised as contributing to the change in the situation, he
emphasised the extreme gravity of the statement in the King's Speech,
and the inability of the House to meet the situation by amending the
Bill. The Prime Minister gave no indication of the steps proposed, and
he thought the Government was manoeuvring for position. Its proposals
could only be made by an amending Bill. The insults offered to the
Ulstermen had made a settlement far more difficult. Ulster must go on
opposing the Bill to the end whatever happened; but if its exclusion
were proposed, it would be his duty to go to Ulster at once and
take counsel with the people there. But if the Ulstermen were to be
compelled to come into a Dublin Parliament, he would, regardless of
personal consequences, go on with them in their resistance to the end.
The Government must either coerce Ulster, or try in the long run, by
showing that good government could come under the Home Rule Bill, to
win her over to the care of the rest of Ireland. He did not believe
that Mr. Redmond wanted to triumph any more than he did, and one false
step taken in relation to Ulster would render for ever impossible a
solution of the Irish question. Hoping that peace would continue to the
end, he declared that, if resistance became necessary, he would not
refuse to join in it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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