ULSTER AND HOME RULE.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 14314, 27 March 1912, Page 7

ULSTER AND HOME RULE.

THE NONCONFORMIST REVOLT.

APPEAL BY SIR- EDWARD CARSON.

(noil OCR OWN CORHESPONDENT.) I LOXDOX, February 10. Sir Edtr.ird Carson, tho "King" of Lister, made a striking spoech in Lon-' don on an occasion offered by a Nonconformist Conference in tho Memorial Hal! in Farringdon street. Non-con-formity feels strong objection to the proposal to grant Home Rule to IreInrkl, though ono of its leaders, the celebrated Dr. Horton. bns just written some remarkable letters to 'The Times,''pleading for Homo Rulo as an act of justice irhich must override all tho possibilities of future oppression. Sir Edward Carson denied emphatically that there was any intolerance in •Ulster, ''ft an old phrase," ho said. '"Whenever wo talk of those who differ from us in religion we are called bigots, hut they may say anything they like about us, and .are' called 'truly fairminded, patriotic men.' (Cheers and laughter). The truth is that as regards tho Protestants of Ulster or the Protestants of Ireland, there is no ascendancy whatever. Since the disestablishment of the Church and the throwing open of every office in Ireland to Roman Catholics, wo have met them on one Feat common equality. Wo are satisfied with that, but wo will not allow any ascendancy to be set up over ua. (Cheers). I should like to speak, as I always do, with even,- respect of my Roman Catholic fellow country-men. But I deny tho right of any Church to confuse the spiritual with t'& tempornl —(cheers)—or to work the spiritual tor the sake of any temporal advantage. The position-in Ireland Is to a great extent historical, because not only haveI you tlie differences that have arisen in other countries as between Protestant and Catholic. You must remember tho Protestants were planted there by England and Scotland, and that a* great deal of the dislike and a great deal of the difficulties that havo arisen in relation to them on the side of their Catholic fellow-countrymen have been not merely owing to the fact that they wero Protestants, but also because Protestantism has been confused with British rulo in Ireland. That is tho real position. It is shown by fact that, broadly speaking, thoso who arc for Homo Rule aro Catholics, and those against it aro Protestants. "The proper solution is that you should have an arbitrator between the two. so that you may havo absolute justice between the parties. That is the only possiblo policy that can avail, unless you are to have an ascendancy on ono side or. the other. I have come her© to ask you Nonconformists—Do you really think in your hearts thaVit is possible to lend a deaf ear to those who pray "with you, worship Tvith you, and sing their hymns with you throughout the great Nonconformist Churches in Ireland? (Cheers.) I suppose .-that at tho , 'great Presbyterian demonstration in Belfast the other day there were very few who agree with mc altogether in politics. But this is a question of these people's political existence and of their religious'existence. It is a question of their defending themselves as members of.'the political, social, and religious community in which they -were born. (Hear > hear). "When you tell ma that we take extremo measures in Ulster or in Belfast, I tell you that if any one of you Avere challenged—if any one of •you* wero threatened Tvith being handedover to those whom we- are threatened with being handed over to—ryour manhood and the traditions of Nonconformity would rise up in you—(cheors>—as they aro rising in the minds of these men. whom I am proud. to represent, • and whom, please God, I shall continue to represent until this daugcr has passed away. ; (Cheers). .. ':' DR. HORTON'S. INTERVENTION. "I have tho pleasure of a slight acquaintance with Dr. Horton, and know him to be a very able nncT cultured.and a very religious man.' and-I speak of him with profound respect. Hβ says: —"It must not be supposed that ye are indifferent <o the natural fears-of our brethren in Ireland. . . "Wo foel compelled by political principle to eup-' port Homo Rule for Ireland, though, we know only too well what a Catholic Parliament may mean, and eec with perfect-clearness how different -will bo tho path of the smaller and poorer community,' thrown on its own resources and financially dependent, at least for a time, on the larger and wealthier partner. We ■ cannot feel confident or sanguine. Our attitude is rather, fiat justitia, ruat coelum. We must dare the fall of the heavens because- we.think jnstico is.tho primary consideration, the root principle of political action.' ; That, I ihink. is-a very bitter letter for your Nonconformist brethren in Ireland.' (Cboe-re.) But what does he contemplate? What is likely to happen to them in tho future? Ho eays:—'lf their feam should be realiseil and Ireland under Home Rulo should become intolerable to them, I cannot help hoping porson- ; ally that a great shifting of population | will tako place. It may bo that the j largo Irish population of our great j towns will ftrift back to Ireland to en- j joy the blessings* of a Catholic Govern- ' ment, which they-, miss here. On thoother hand^tt , may bo that Irish Protestants will'ieturn to England and Scotland, t transferring their ability and industry to the country, whoso government they 'prefeV. Such a migration would greatly' benefit England and Scotland.' Irish Protestants may not bo at home in Ireland, but here they aro always welcome and .greatly, wanted. , (Cries of TRubbish , and 'Shame!). I venture to aesert that that suggestion is opposed to every Liberal principle that has ever been enunciated. (Cheers.) What does it meanH I had a letter this-. morning from a lead'ng Presbyterian in Ireland and referring to'this.statement he asks whether they are to leave behind them the shipyards, with their equipment, the linen mills (the largest in the world), tho tobacco factories, almost the largest in the world.; "It is,' he says, 'the most grotesque proposition I have ever heard made in the controversy, and, coming from a Cougregatfonalist minister of ability and standing, is most absurd.' I prefer to take what Mr Spurgeon wrote. Here is an extract from his letter to Mr Cory, at Cardiff, who is still among us, and has again, come out upon this question of-Homo Rule:— 'I am altogether .at ono with you. I I feel especially the wrong proposed to be done to our Ulster brethren. What have they done to be thus cast off? The whole scheme is as full of dangers and absurdities as if it came from a madman, and yet I am sure Mr Gladstone believes he is only doing justice, and acting for the good of all. I consider him to making one of those I mistakes which can only be made by ; great and well-meaning men.' A PROTESTANT NATIONALIST . There are eight Protestant Nationalists is the House oi Commons. One ot them, 3. G- Swift McNeill, begs Dr. Ilortou. when he says. ''We know only too well what a Catholic Parliament may mean," to remember what Daniel O'Connell said when an Irish Protestant declared his adhesion to the repeal movement, thongh he feared its success mizkt lead to Roman Catholic asceudancy. 'Mr Swift McNeill adds: "I rrniy pernats be permitted'to-say that, as an Irish Protestant, tho son and grandson of Irish Protestant clergymen of the late Established Church, of which I am a member,.! "would ask, with a knowledge

of my Catholic fellow-countrymen which I Dr. Horton and those who think with him have not, to be allowed to set my knowledge against their fears. I "would with implicit confidence trust to tho honour and truth of my Catholic fellowcountrymen the liberties of Protestantism, my own liberty and life. I ground this conviction not merely on tho testimony of history, bu:. on my own personal experience, which coincides with that of every Irish Protestant who has thrown himself as I have done on tho Catholic people. ... I havo for 25 years been the representative in Parliament of iSontb Donegal, one of tho ,most Catholic constituencies in the British Empire. .On the occasion of my first electiou, in ISS7. I was opposed by a Roman Catholic gentleman, a Unionist, whom I beat by some thousands ot votes. I am. moreover, the holder of a chair in the National University 'or Ireland, an institution mainly established for the purpose of enabling the younger pc-opli; holding the faith of tho great mass of the- Irish race to receive the advantages of university education ■without any revolution of conscience or danger.to faith or morals- The authorities have placed mo, and not mc only but several othr-r Protestants, in positions of trr.st for tiic teaching of their students. They hnvc 'moreover, appointed mo Clerk of Coiivocation. One of the dutios of this office is to act as assessor to his Grace the of the University, tho Catholic Archbishop of Dublin. Let Dr. Horton be of good courage. In applying tho maxim to Ireland, 'Bo just and foar not,' he will find there is no ground for fear."