THE VERDICT OF IRELAND

Evening Star, Issue 18045, 12 August 1922, Page 3

THE VERDICT OF IRELAND

MR CHURCHILL’S READING. Speaking in the House of Commons immediately .after the assassination of Sir Henry Wilson, Mr Churchill (Secretary for the Colonics) thus referred to the elections in the Irish Free State: The Irish people have pronounced—and I beg the House not to underrate the significance of the pronouncement. Look at their difficulties. A doubtful pact between Mr Collins and Mr De Valera—a pact doubtfully made, doubtfully kept—robbed the .Irish people of the power to contest a great number of constituencies. In others the candidate stood, and the electors voted under the duress_ of many abominable forms of intimidation. Proportional representation cast its baffling cloak over the defeated minority. (Laughter.) But ? in spite of all this, the will of the Irish nation has become abundantly plain. Any candidate of whatever description who stood for the Treaty received strong or_ overwhelming support. Any candidate of whatever description who opposed it was rejected or only scraped in through the operation of this complicated system of voting. The Irish people on this first opportunity they have had of expressing their' view seemed to single out particularly for their reprobation persons like the ferocious Countess Markievicz and that renegade Erskine Childers. (Cheers.) Moreover, not only were the first preferences of the electors given in a vast majority for the Treaty candidates, but the second and third preferences were bestowed always from one point of view—the plain _ and simple point of view of the kindly, goodhearted multitude of decent honest Irish men and women who, across all those horrors and difficulties, stretched forth their hand at the only opportunity open to them, by the only means open to them, in favor of the Treaty of Peace which, within the circle of the British Empire, gives # them power to manage their own affairs. If I were to attempt to interpret the will of the Irish nation as expressed unmistakably at this election, 1 should sura it up as follows:—‘‘You have given us our freedom, wo wish to give you our friendship; you will help us towards a united Ireland, we will help you towards a United Empire.’ (Cheers.) That, I believe, is tho true reading of the verdict of the Irish nation at tho polls, and that indicates tho road along which we are marching, and along which we are going to inarch. Do not let us bo drawn from it; do not let us bring into confusion the wishes of the great masses on both sides of the Channel. (Cheers.)