THE ULSTER COVENANT

New Zealand Tablet, 24 October 1912, Page 45

THE ULSTER COVENANT

UNIONISTS* METHODS STRONGLY CONDEMNED The following letter from a Presbyterian clergyman appeared in the London Times of August 31: Sir.—ln your leading article of the 22nd inst., 'The Ulster Covenant,' the following sentence occurs: ' The whole Protestant population, without distinction of class, of political antecedents, . or of denominational, distinctions, stand behind it as one man.' You are referring to the movement in Ulster, led by Sir Edward Carson, to resist Home Rule, and especially the ' Covenant' by which he and those who follow him are to solemnly bind themselves on September 28. As I feel confident you do not wish to misrepresent, but rather to give full expression to the facts, I write to say that there is a very substantial and considerable body of Protestant opinion in Ulster, including NorthEast Ulster, that is not, so far, finding expression either in the press or on the platform, and because it is not thus being expressed it is assumed that it does not exist, and this opinion is utterfy opposed to that of Sir Edward Carson and those who act with him. I am a Presbyterian Minister. I am not a politician, but I represent a very considerable portion of the Protestant population of Ulster, lay and clerical, who do not want Home Rule, who do not like it, but who think it is inevitable, and are determined to make the best of it if and when it comes. As Christian men and law-abiding citizens, we cannot submit to the leadership of one to whose utterances and methods we strongly object. While most of us do not like Home Rule, we do not distrust our Roman Catholic countrymen, and we deeply deplore the sectarian bitterness and strife that are being engendered by Sir Edward Carson and his followers. We not only deplore, but are ashamed of the things said and done in the name of religion, as we feel that the religion thus exhibited is not the religion that has made the men of Ulster what they have stood for throughout the civilised world in the past. We feel confident that if the Protestants of Ulster, instead of taking the irreconcilable hostile attitude that is the popularly presented one at present, would allow their native sanity and their Christian faith and charity to assert themselves, they would have a say and influence in the future of their country far beyond their numerical proportions. As proof of my contention that Protestant Ulster Does Not Stand behind the movement led by Sir Edward Carson ' as one man,' but has a very considerable proportion of her citizens who decline to follow his Readership and .will certainly not sign his ' covenant,' I shall give two illustrations. First, the governing body of a Presbyterian Church is the session. The session of my church consists of eight members. Of these seven are strongly opposed to Sir Edward Carson's movement, and will not sign his covenant. They are men chosen by the people for their intelligence and character. With one exception, they are business men or professional men. I doubt not but that there are very many sessions of the same mind throughout Ulster. Second, at The Meeting of the General Assembly of our Presbyterian Church, held at Belfast last June, in the report of one of the most important of our committees it was proposed that the Assembly should make

a 'pronouncement; against ; Home Rule: The Assembly; met ; on. Monday* and Friday was fixed as the day for the discussion on Home Rule. " Amendments were handed in and printed ,early in the week calling on the Assembly to decline to make any pronouncement on Home Rule. :'The matter was much talked of by the members during the week, and on Thursday evening, so alarmed were those responsible for the proposed resolution, because of the volume and strength of the opposition to it, that they sought a conference with those responsible for the amendments. The conference was held at 10 p.m., and it was unanimously agreed that there should be no pronouncement on Home Rule the next day. And there was none. -.•.-.-., ■ While I believe a great majority of our Presbyterian people do not want Home Rule, many of them being vehemently opposed to it, I feel assured that not half of our ministers or people approve of the movement which Sir Edward Carson leads, or will sign his 'covenant.' I shall be greatly obliged if, in the interests of truth, you will kindly insert this letter..