COOL ASSUMPTION

Northern Advocate, 26 August 1924, Page 5

COOL ASSUMPTION

SPEAKING FOR NATION. DE VALERA'S REPUBLICANISM. DOMINIONS PATRONISED.

(Received 9 a.m.) LONDON, August 24. Replying to an address fr'om his constituents in Dundalk, County Louth, De Valera said he had never spent a happier time than when in prison, because he was conscious that he had done right and that the Republican cause would eventually triumph. lie refused to sit in either the Ulster Parliament or the Dail Eireann because they were partition Parliaments- ' A Republican Government would be willing to give Ulster a Parliament with such autonomy as was consistent with the unity 'of the Irish State. He was certain that the signatories to the Irish Treaty on both sides intended that there should be transference of area. De Valera expressed the hope that when they were confronted with those problems again, in a year or two, the Irish people would not be ready to buy a fallacious peace. All Irishmen detested imperialism and did not wish in their turn to dominate or exploit tie people of Canada, Australia, New Zealand or South Africa. Referring to the 1921 negotiations he said that political association with the people of Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, towards whom they had no feelings of hostility, was in nowise repugnant to them, but Irishmen did not want to become involved in imperialistic wars. — Router.