IRA Part 1 of 7 · 61-7606 sect 1-5 · p.172

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slackers were whippet-racing in Ireland by this time ; but public meetings
Yet,Republican
and processions were prohibited here by Sir Bryan Mahon.
announcement of the execution of James Connolly and Sean MacDermott
graves were decorated in Glasnevin, and the tricolour floated over the Dublin
In April, too,some 200 American Congressmen,including the speaker,cabled
even visited Republican prisonersherded in Richmond Barracks.On Monday
Lloyd George strongly urging "a settlement now of the Irish Question."
he appeared out of nowhere in Belfast, and had " a full and frank discussion
Arthur Balfour visited America where, the following month,in addressing
of the situation with leading citizens.'' Tuesday he again spent in conference
Congress, he professed a great friendship for Ireland. Bloody Balfour!
with Maxwell in Dublin and next day he was sworn in a member of the Privy
About the same time, Canada declared the Irish Question must be settled..
Council. On Thursday he mysteriously presented himself in Cork, interviewed
the Mayor, the Assistant Bishop and'others under an adequate guard, and
proceeded thereafter by the Admiralty launch to Cobh, whence, that night,
3 Protestant prelates,others adding their signatures later;and a letter by
he went like a hero " by a sea route to Fishguard.""
Archbishop Walsh of Dublin, denouncing Partition and expressing the fear
that the country was already sold, contributed to win the Longford election
Back at Westminster, he unwittingly admitted the breakdown of
for Sinn Fein, by a majority of 37. Lloyd George now proposed a scheme
alien government in Ireland. Thereupon Lloyd George was commissioned
involving the exclusion of Six Ulster Counties for five years, and a Council
Five days. later he
of Ireland or, alternatively, an Irish Convention. 1
announced that the Convention would be summoned immediately.The
not to merge in the rest of Ireland. On the strength of promises of another
kind,made to John Redmond,a Nationalist Convention in Belfast agreed
to temporary Partition and the suspension of the Home Rule Act then on
the British Statute Book.Gradually the Welsh attorney declared_openly
awaiting at Wootton Heath the echo of the explosion which was to signalise a
new Allied offensive in Flanders. Major William Redmond, M.P.,lost his
Asquith, whom he soon ousted, and succeeded.John Redmond and John
life in that onset, leaving a Parliamentary vacancy in Clare, while Capt.
r , s s s
to England during the War; and the new Premier, became the architect
at home.
in turn,of an Irish Convention--to deceive the United States-of the
On Sunday, June 10th, Inspector Mills met his death through a blow
Partition Act of 1920, the Black-and-Tan reign of terror, the Treaty s0-called,
of a hurley at a Republican meeting in Beresford Place, Dublin,and Count
and the Irish Boundary Commission.
Plunkett, Cathal Brugha and others were arrested._ Arthur Balfour returned
Two organisations seeking aid for the dependents of those executed,
from the United States and was replaced there by Lord Northcliffe, who had
killed,wounded,imprisoned,or deported for their part in the Easter Rising,
made sympathetic references to Ireland-to get the ear of America.
having been amalgamated under the title of the Irish National Aid and
T.P.O'Connor and Richard Hazelton also crossed the Atlantic, incidentally
Volunteer Dependents' Fund in the summer of 1916, the Irish race responded
to advocate the cause of the Allies. On June 18th, the Irish Republican
Irish Nation League, organised in the North to resist Partition, afforded a
for their release. Following a Sinn Fein demonstration in Cork towards
very useful and propitious platform. Its objects included the release of all
the end of the month the military were called out. Already there was excite-
Republican prisoners, resistance to. Conscription, the preservation of the
ment over the Clare election, with Eamonn de Valera as the Republican
national language, traditions and ideals. Its Constitution provided that
candidate.
no member of Parliament should be eligible for its Supreme Council or for a
At Scariff on the lst July, Mr. de Valera demanded " complete and
Divisional Council; and, if a member of the Supreme Council were elected
absolute separation, a free and’ independent Irish Republic." Later, at
to Parliament, he ceased to be a member of the Council. Further, every
a rally in Killaloe, the Republican candidate firmly repeated that
Member of Parliament was to place all payments received by him from the
British Treasury in the hands of the Council, which would pay him back such
theSinnFeinclaim was for complete independence and separation from England.It wassupported
sums as it might fix. Moreover, no Member of Council or of Parliament
was to seek for himself or for others any position or favour from the British
have to go under."
The Freeman's Journal next complained of efforts to.wreck the Irish
Govermment or from any of its representatives.
Convention which,it admitted,
The bulk of the deportees in English gaols having been released by
SinnFeinhonestly declined to touch unless it was elected on manhood suffrage,was free to deal with
Christmas, 1916, the Irish Nation League and Sinn Fein were drawn more
givena pledgebytheBnitishGovernmentthat theminoritywouldbecompelled,byforce ifnecessary，
preliminary meetings which eventuated in the Nation_League becoming
to accept thedecision of the majority of such a Convention.
merged in' Sinn Fein, I was arrested, in February, 1917, when prominent

Republicans from all parts of Irelandincluding the Mayors of Cork, later
martyredwere rounded up and. deported to various centres in Engiand.
successful candidate on returning from his triumph in Ciare said, in reply to
CountPlunkett had jurt been selected to contest a Roscommon constituency
where he had a most striking victory. Forthwith he became the special
to do at the outbreak of the present war :
We are not going to fight for theblood-stainedUnionJack: we arenot going to fight so thatwe
ganised met with the envenomed opposition of the Party machine.
might helpEngland to crush other nations;we are notgoing to fight so thatwemight put England
in a position to crushhertrade rival,Germany.I donotbelieve inmincing matters,andwould say
In March, the Australan Senate, by 28.votes to 2, carried a motion
demanding Home Rule for Ireland ; later, an Australian Labour Conference
Why shouldn't it?"
repeated the demand. Pro-Irish feeling in the United States was also very
The death of Pat O'Brien, M.P., at this juncture, created a Parliamentary
pronounced, and citizens of the eminence of Cardinal Gibbons and Messrs.
vacancy in Kilkenny. Towards the end of the month, Wiliam. T. Cosgrave
Roosevelt and Taft identified themselves with it. From most of the great
was chosen as Republican candidate. In the course of the election campaign
cities of the world, indeed, lively expressions of sympathy with Irish liberty
came on the occasion of the National Festival. Hosts of able-bodied English