IRISH LOYALTY PAST AND PRESENT.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 250, 20 October 1921, Page 7

IRISH LOYALTY PAST AND PRESENT.

(To the Editor.l Sir,—We have read and heard dpal lately about the disloyalty that exists in the South and West of Ireland. But it was not always thus: there was a time when the South was just as demonstrative in its professions of loyalty to the Throne as the North appears to be to-day. I have in my possession a copy of the "Belfast Commercial Chronicle" of date August 15, 1821. Commenting on th a arrival in Dublin of His Majesty King George IV., the editor says: "We have this day the pleasure of communicating to our readers the gratifying particulars of the safe arrival of His Majesty in Dublin on Sunday last—his birthday. Though it was not what is technically called a public entrance into Dublin, yet the ardent demonstrations of affection, manifested by all classes of his Irish subjects who happened to be present on the occasion, and the grace, condescending affability, and even kindness, with which His Majesty received the tokens of respectful attachment, afford a most pleasing ground for anticipating the happiest effects from that auspicious visit of His Gracious Majesty." Describing the scene on the arrival of His Majesty, the same paper states inter alia:—"Exactly at half-past four o'clock the Lightning, steam-packet. Captain Skinner, ran alongside, and came to at the projection on the west point of the pier. There was now a breathless suspense of a couple of minutes, the hearts' of the anxious spectators beating high, when some persons in the crowd recognised His Majesty on board, when they enthusiastically exclaimed 'The King!' 'God save. God bless the King! , and these cheer-s and exclamations were loudly and heartily re-echoed by every person present. On landing the King made his way through a cheering crowd to the Royal carriase, on entering which the cavalcade made its way to the lodge in Phoenix Park. His Majesty was cheered by admiring crowds all aioiig the route." In fact, the whole description reads like the accounts given in recent issues of Belfast papers when our Gracious King George V. came to Belfast on Junt 22, 1021, to open in person the Northern Parliament of Treland. Contrast the 18»1 description of loyalty and affection with that of 1021. when the Sinn Fein Parliament met in the Mansion House, Dublin, on August 10, 1021, exactly 100 years after the fervid outburst of loyalty to King George IV. ' The "Belfast Xew-sletter" of August 17 last gives a good description of the meeting of the Dail:—"There was no oath of allegiance to the King; instead, they took an oath of allegiance in which the Sinn Fein members pledged themselves to 'support and defend the Irish Republic and the Government of the Irish Republic, which is Dail Eireann, against all enemies, foreign and domestic' " Let us hope and pray that ere another 100 years past North and South may be found again allied in their loyalty and affection to the Throne of the British Empire—the greatest Empire the world has ever seen; an Empire of which we all are justly proud.—l am, etc., G. W. BLAIR.