THE LATEST FROM IRELAND.
Were the subject not so tragic and so serious„ there would be a touch of real humour about the latest suggestion of De Valera, a plebiscite in Ireland on the issue of a republic or the Free State. It is not many weeks ago since the Free State Government officially published some of his correspondence, which had been captured. The following sentence was included :—" If the people were given the decision, that would mean the worst of all, namely, turning down the republic." The change of face leads to a search for an explanation. This may easily be found. The Free State Government, after giving the rebels an amount of latitude they would certainly have received in no other country, has now been driven to executing summary justice upon those captured under anns. This circumstance, for which the responsibility rests entirely upon De Valera and his associates, has no doubt paused them to hope for a popular reaction in their favour. They would be able, in any case, to make great play about the martyrs to their cause. The sober fact is that less than six months ago the people of Ireland gave a decision at the polls on the issue of the Free State or a republic. The dice were heavily loaded in favour of the antiTreaty faction. Here and there an effort was made by armed men to prevent the verdict going in favour of the Free State. Despite these disadvantageous circumstances the people, by an impressive majority, affirmed the Treaty and the Free State. The republicans refused to accept the result. They have done everything in their power to render it void. In the process they have inflicted upon Ireland the deepest wounds that country has suffered in centuries. Now they ask for another vote. Even if they permitted the people to give an opinion without violent interference, there is still no guarantee that it would be accepted by the republicans. Therein lies the essential absurdity of De Valera's latest manoeuvre.
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New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18266, 6 December 1922, Page 10
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338THE LATEST FROM IRELAND. New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18266, 6 December 1922, Page 10
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