The Progress of the World. 



399 



action of Ulster : it is also a departure 

 from one of the most important sources 

 of this country's past strength. The 

 right of large bodies of our race to hold 

 an opinion, to proclaim it, and if neces- 

 sary to enforce it, has never before 

 been treated with derision. We may 

 or may not agree with the views which 

 such bodies of citizens hold and express, 

 but we cannot afford to ignore, and we 

 should not dare to ridicule, them. It 



IChidVO 



polenta "Xcagac anb (LovcnanX. 



>''.j convinced In our consciences that Jfcme !AuU 

 wfutd be disastrous to tbe mutcrul ffell-bcmg of l^ljttr 

 us well a5 of tt}C vt)ole of "Jrelun^ subversive of our 

 civtl an^ religious freedom, destructive of our citUensl^tp and 

 perilous to the unitf of tlje "tr:ipire. we whose names are under. 

 written men of iClster. loyal subjects of Ifis (Sracious ^Rajestf 

 jAing (Seorje V bumblv relying on the <&od wbcm cur faiticrs In 

 da»i of stress and trial confidently trusted he bereby pledge 

 ourselres in solemn Covenant tl>rou9(Kut this our time of 

 tl^rcatened calamity to stand by one another m defending for 

 Ourselves and our children our cherished position of equal citixen* 

 ship (n tbe Ignited 3\ln3dom and m usln^ alt means which may be 

 found necessary to defeat the present conspiracy to set up a 

 "Jfome ^^ule ^Parliament in "jreland <I "S.nd m the event of 

 such a "Parliament beln^ forced upon us we further solemnly and 

 mutually pledge ourselves to refuse to recognise its authority. 

 *i 7n sure confidence that <5od will defend the rljht we hereto 

 subscribe our names. <i TAnd further we individually declare 

 that wc have n^t already signed t^t> Covenant 



Ch* above 905 signed by me at 

 Klster "Pay" Suturdo;. 281b September 1912 



(3o& Savz th/c "liiit^. 



is, we confess, somewhat startling to 

 find those organs and persons who are 

 supposed most truly to represent the 

 Nonconformist conscience of this 

 country taking the line which they do 

 about the determination of the Ulster 

 men t(j-(lay. This most compact sur- 

 vival of ("romwcUian action land Crom- 

 welHan thought is now cursed and 

 flouted by those who ought to, and do, 

 regard the advent of Cromwell in British 

 history as the most significant and vital 



of facts. It would seem a negation of 

 their fundamental ideals. Cromwell es- 

 tablished his colonists with the one obj ect 

 — that of freeing Ireland from the Catho- 

 lics ; Cromwell's followers to-day seem 

 bent upon reversing his policy. We do 

 not say that they are right or wrong, 

 but think it of importance to mention 

 here what must strike them forcibly if 

 they think seriously. We are in favour 

 of Home Rule — more, even, we are con- 

 vinced that Home Rule must come, 

 in one form or another ; but we do not 

 allow our belief to carry us to a point 

 where we are prepared to ignore, or 

 trample on, the opinions of a solid mass 

 of British citizens. To do so would 

 mean to our minds a negation of British 

 principles. We regard the determina- 

 tion of the men of Ulster as in some 

 ways a very cheering sign that even in 

 these days of slipshod national ideas 

 amongst indi\'iduals there exist a con- 

 siderable mass of citizens who not only 

 know what they want or what they 

 don't want, but are prepared to put 

 themselves to considerable inconveni- 

 ence and risk further trouble for what 

 they believe. We rejoice that the spirit 

 of Hampden still remains amongst us. 



To say that there 



Common-sense would haVC beCU nO 



Covenant and no united 

 protest if Sir Edward 

 Carson had not organised the inarticu- 

 late desires of Ulster is of no more 

 value to the discussion than would 

 have been a remark at tlio court of 

 Charles I. of England that there would 

 have been no trouble with Parliament 

 if there had been no Hampden and no 

 Cromwell. All massed expressions of 

 national feeling demand a rallying 



about 

 Home Rule. 



