Chapter VIII: The Convention and the End (4)

But as the mists of passion clear and deeds rather than words come into sharp light, it will be seen and realized that for a thousand Irishmen who risked their lives to defeat Redmond's effort there were fifty thousand who at his summons took on themselves far greater hardships and faced dangers far more terrible. By them we take our stand--we who followed Redmond, who believed and still believe in his wisdom. We wish no word of his last years unspoken, no act undone by that great and generous-hearted Irishman in the supreme period of his life. In his defeat and ours, we accept no defeat; we shall endeavour to keep our will set, as his was, for a final triumph which can mean humiliation for no Irish heart. Tangled as are the threads of all his policy, he leaves the task far nearer to accomplishment than he found it; and if in the end freedom and prosperity come to a united Ireland, they will be found to proceed--however deeply overlaid by years and by events may be the chain of causation--from the action which John Redmond took in August 1914, and upon which his brother, with a legion like him, set the seal of his blood.

To have served long and faithfully without reward--to have given all of life to one high purpose--to have faced a great crisis greatly--these are claims enough for Redmond that the allegiance of his comrades and followers may be justified when it is judged. The grave has closed over him, and the rest is for us to do, that a coping-stone may be set on his life's labours, and that reparation final and conclusive, for what he suffered undeservedly, may yet be offered to the dead.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 10: When ultimately we did meet, these were the elements which assembled.]

[Footnote 11: His notes here are only references to quotations. I supplement on this page by my own notes.--S.G.]

[Footnote 12: He was knighted for his work in connection with the war.]

[Footnote 13: These are my notes, jotted as he spoke.--S.G.]

[Footnote 14: Subject to the publication of a Report signed by Bishop O'Donnell, and these in agreement with him reaffirmed their view.]

[Footnote 15: The following, though unavoidably absent at the critical moment, joined with us: M.K. Barry, Cork County Council; J. Butler, Kilkenny County Council; Patrick Dempsey, Belfast; M. Governey, Carlow Urban Council; M.J. Minch, Kildare County Council.]

INDEX

Agar-Robartes, Mr., 68-69
Ancient Order of Hibernians, 259
Army--
Irish Brigades raised for the War--
Sixteenth Division,
staffing of, 174, 187-188;
development of opinions in, 188;
10th Division made up from, 194-195;
proceeds to France, 200-201;
in action, 230, 241;
Messines, 264-265;
Ypres, 306
Tenth Division, 195
Tyneside Battalions, 190
Ulster Division, 201;
on the Somme, 240;
Messines, 264-265;
Ypres, 306
Irish Nationalist attitude to, 140-141
Irish recruiting--
Redmond's efforts, 154-155, 158, 176-179, 185, 191-192, 199, 202,
207, 211;
efforts handicapped by Government, 163, 175-6, 177, 190-191, 206;
letter to Birrell, 160;
Sinn Féin propaganda against, 219
Irish Regulars' achievements, 150;
in Gallipoli, 195 ff.
Ulster sympathies of, 83, 99, 104 ff.;
the Curragh incident, 105-109
Ashe, Thomas, 300-2
Asquith, H.H.,
struggle of, with House of Lords, 43-46, 50;
on indivisibility of Ireland, 69, 72;
Ladybank speech, (Oct., 1913), 85
War Minister, 109
response to Redmond's National Defence offer, 138, 143
on Ulster preparations for resisting Home Rule, 148
fails Redmond, 153, 167
recruiting speech in Dublin, 155-157
the Coalition, 192
Redmond's letter to, against conscription, 208-209
the Rebellion, 226
reports on his visit to Ireland, 232
breaks faith with Redmond, 239-240
displaced, 244
estimate of, 87, 93
mentioned, 30, 34, 41, 73, 138, 139
Aughavanagh, 37-39, 267

Balfour, A.J., 55-56 Balfour, G., 23 Barrie, Mr., 271, 304, 308, 321 Beatty, Admiral, 158 Bernard, Dr., Abp. of Dublin, 272, 310, 318 three points of, 291 ff. Biggar, Joseph, 6 Birrell, A., Redmond's letter to, on the Volunteers, 160 on Kitchener's attitude to Irish National Volunteers, 162 _Appreciation_ of Redmond quoted, 162, 184 the Rebellion, 219-220 mentioned, 31, 69, 139, 198 Blake, E., 24 Brade, Sir R., 203 Budget of 1909-10, 42, 47 Butler, Sir W., 5 Butt, Isaac, 6

Campbell, Sir James, 219
Campbell-Bannerman, Sir H., 34, 337
Carson, Sir E.,
the Covenant demonstrations, 72;
moves exclusion of Ulster, 75;
on Ulster and the Army, 105;
on possibility of persuading Ulster, 114;
the Speaker's Conference, 121;
attitude to Home Rule enactment, 148-149;
joins the Coalition, 192-193;
interpretation of exclusion proposals, 234;
refuses joint platform at Newry, 200;
kills Volunteer Bill, 208;
on conscription for Ireland, 210, 211;
final victory against Redmond, 240;
temperamental attitude to Home Rule, 96-97;
quoted, 67, 71, 80-81, 83, 100;
appeal on Ulster's claim, 97-98;
mentioned, 89, 229, 260, 263
Casement, Sir Roger, 116, 221, 223;
quoted, 115, 118
Castletown, Lord, 24
Cecil, Lord Hugh, 50
Cecil, Lord Robert, 115
Chamberlain, Austen, 102
Churchill, Winston,
Belfast speech of (1912), 62, 67;
devolution proposal, 71;
Bradford speech (1914), 103-104;
the Larne gun-running, 113;
mentioned, 77, 84
Citizen Army, the, 180, 183;
the Rebellion, 218
Clark, Sir George, 271-272
Clarke, ----, execution of, 224
Clancy, J.J., 269, 318, 332
Coalition formed, 192-193
Coercion, 8-9, 16, 82
Colthurst, Capt., 228, 231
Commons, House of,
Parnell's obstruction in, 6 ff.;
payment of members, 52;
scene after passing Home Rule Bill, 152;
disgust of, at Redmond's defeat, 240;
Redmond's estimate of, 12;
his familiarity with, 111
Congested Districts Board, 28
Connolly, James, 183;
the Rebellion, 218, 224
Conscription,
Redmond's opposition to, 208 ff., 242, 247-248;
application of, to Ireland, 334
Convention, _see_ Irish Convention
Craig, Capt., 51, 70, 105;
quoted, 95
Crooks, Will, 152
Crozier, Dr., Abp. of Armagh, 198, 272, 279, 300, 302, 310, 330
Curragh incident, 105-109
Curzon, Col., 187

Dalton, Miss (Mrs. John Redmond), 14, 20
Davitt, Michael, 8, 19
Davitt (young), 116
de Robeck, Admiral, despatch of, 195-196
de Valera, E., 268, 269
Desart, Lord, 273, 318
Devlin, J.,
in Redmond's "inner cabinet," 25, 36;
his supporters' disappointment on compromise, 109;
recruiting successes of, 177, 179;
indispensable in Ireland, 183;
carries Belfast Convention for exclusion proposals, 235;
on the Irish Convention, 269, 304, 310, 322;
estimate of, 21;
Redmond's estimate of, 235;
mentioned, 48, 84, 155, 263
Devolution, 28, 71
Dillon, John,
relations with Redmond, 25, 36;
on coercion, 82;
an Irish Volunteer movement, 115;
speech on suppression of the Rebellion, 231;
declines to serve on the Irish Convention, 269;
mentioned, 16, 100, 109, 121, 129, 155
Doran, Capt., 274-275
Doyle, Sir A. Conan, cited, 131-132
Dublin strike (1913), 90, 273
Duke, Sir. H.E., 240, 275
Dunraven, Lord, 27, 28, 77;
on the Convention, 273, 282, 317-318, 330

Ewart, Sir S., 108

Field, William, 24 Financial Relations Commission, 24, 75 Fingall, Lord, 174 Forster, W.E., 79 Franchise Bill (1917), 302, 304-305, 311 French, Sir John, 107, 108 Friend, General, 198

Gallipoli, Irish troops in, 195 ff.
General Elections--
1906, 43
1910 (Jan.), 43-44
1910 (Dec.), 49
1918, 231
George V, King, 121
George, D. Lloyd,
non-Irish preoccupations of, 41-42;
Conciliation mission after the Rebellion, 232;
agreement with the Irish, 234;
agreement thrown over, 239;
Redmond's hopes from, as Premier, 244-245;
on Irish distrust, 246;
supports the "two nations" theory, 255;
the Convention, 260;
letter to Plunkett, 324;
conference with Convention representatives, 325;
proposals to the Convention, 326 ff.;
quoted on Ulster, 73
Gladstone, W.E., 11, 17, 42, 130, 317;
breach with Parnell, 18-19;
retirement, 23
Gladstone, W.G.C., 66
Gough, Gen., quoted, 105 ff.
Government, delays of, 185, 236-237, 244, 247;
general attitude to Redmond, _see under_ Redmond
Granard, Lord, 273, 282
Grey, Earl, 78
Grey, Lord (Sir Edward), Ulster proposals of, 85, 86;
speech on outbreak of War, 128-130;
quoted, 66;
mentioned, 30, 108

Harbison, Mr., 270
Harty, Abp. of Cashel, 270
Hayden, Mr., 38, 130-131
Hazleton, Mr., 14
Healy, T.M., returned for Wexford, 7-8;
attacks on Redmond and Nationalist Party, 34, 273;
opposition to county option, 100, 111-112;
declines to serve on Convention, 269;
quoted, 256;
mentioned, 15, 16, 47, 49
Hickie, Maj.-Gen, W.B., 201, 265
Hulk, Maj.-Gen., 268
Hobson, Bulmer, quoted, 115,159
Home Rule Bill (1912), demonstrations for and against, 62;
National Convention, 65, 66;
Ulster's attitude, 65, 67 ff.;
exclusion proposals, 68, 78, 84, 99;
devolution proposals, 71;
Unionist converts, 73;
in Committee, 68, 74;
financial arrangements under, 74-75;
Report stage, 75;
Third Reading, 77;
in the Lords, 77 ff.;
third Introduction (1914), 99;
inadequate private discussion of, by Irish Party, 100-101;
the Amending Bill, 121, 126;
the Speaker's Conference, 121 ff.;
amending Bill postponed, 126;
operation of, to be deferred, 148-149;
Royal assent, 151;
Asquith's move towards securing immediate operation of,
after the Rebellion, 232;
O'Connor's demand for, 249
Hopwood, Sir Francis, 275

Industrial depression in Ireland under the War, 184
_Irish at the Front, The_, quoted, 201
Irish Brigades, _see under_ Army
Irish Convention--
Committee of Nine, 304, 307, 310
Financial considerations, 285, 286, 293-295, 307, 309;
Lord Midleton's proposals, 312-323;
Lloyd George's proposals, 326-332
First meeting of, 271
Fraternization between representatives, 286-287
Grand Committee of Twenty, 301, 303, 307, 311
Inception of, 258, 260
Intermediate Authority proposal, 285-286
Land Purchase Sub-Committee, 304, 317
Personnel of, 271 ff.
Preliminaries, 269
Procedure adopted, 280
Reports presented by, 330
Sinn Féin attitude to, 263-264, 267-268
Spirit of, 279-280
Ulster representatives, attitude of, 321;
attitude to Redmond, 323;
Report presented by, 330
Irish Council Bill (1907), 31 ff., 78
_Irish Independent_, 273, 330
Irish Party, discipline of, 12-13;
personnel of, 59;
Redmond's relations with, 59-61
Irish relations with England most cordial (1916), 213
Irish suspicion, 189-90
Irish Volunteers, Redmond's policy repudiated by, 155-156;
collisions with National Volunteers, 180;
Rebellion of 1916, 218 ff.
(_See also_ National Volunteers)

Jameson, Andrew, 271, 298 Judge, M.J., cited, 132

Kavanagh, W.M., 274, 318
Kelley, Dr., Bp. of Ross, 270, 293, 310, 323
Kenny, Dr., 38
Ker, S.P., quoted, 202
Kettle, Prof., T.M., 14, 93;
recruiting work of, 186;
killed in action, 241;
estimate of, 185
Kitchener, Earl,
attitude of, to Irish Volunteers, 138-140, 153, 160, 162, 175, 181;
Redmond's interview with, on recruiting, 198-199, 205;
letter on Irish recruiting, 199;
estimate of, 138
Knight, Mr., 294-295

Labour Party, 44, 87, 108 Land Act (1909), 41 Land League, 8 Land Purchase, 17, 27-28 Lang, Dr., Abp. of York, on Ulster, 78-80 Lansdowne, Marquis of, 29, 236, 238 Larkin, James, 90, 183, 273 Larne Gun-running, 112-114 Law, A. Bonar, speeches of, on Ulster, 65, 70; Ulster policy, 77, 83, 87, 99, 163; protest against enactment of Home Rule, 149; quoted on Major Willie Redmond, 245; estimate of, 56; mentioned, 132, 178 Liberal Party, 13, 29 Lincolnshire, Marquis of, Volunteer Bill of, 205, 208 Liquor trade in Ireland, 42 Local Government Act (1897), 24 Long, W., quoted, 216 Longford Election, 257, 259 Lonsdale, Sir John, 263 Lords, House of, Veto controversy, 42 ff., 50, 52, 57; Conference, 48 Loreburn, Lord, 84 Lynch, Arthur, 129 Lysaght, Edward, 273, 282, 296, 301-302

McCarthy, Justin, 13; quoted, 26 McCullagh, Sir C., 284 MacDermott, Dr., 272 MacDonagh, 201; the Rebellion, 218, 224 MacDonnell, Sir Anthony, devolution scheme of, 28-29; supports Home Rule Bill, 78; in the Convention, 273, 282, 310, 317 McDowell, Sir Alexander, 272, 303-304, 307-308 MacNeill, Prof., promotes Nationalist arming, 93; volunteer following of, 180; the Rebellion, 219; cited, 164, 180-181; mentioned, 64, 116 MacRory, Dr., Bp. of Down and Connor, 270 MacSweeney, Capt., 153 Mahaffy, Dr., Provost of Trinity, 272, 330 Maxwell, Sir John, 225-226 Meath, Lord, 158, 169 Midleton, Lord, 271, 273, 285, 296, 304, 308; Customs proposals, 310 ff. Mooney, J.J., 21, 38 Moore, Lt.-Col. M., 159-160, 203 Murphy, W.M., 273, 282, 295, 304, 315, 317

Nathan, Sir M., 220
National Volunteers,
establishment of, 91-92, 94-95, 99;
Redmond's adhesion to, 114;
formidable character of, 114-115;
committee difficulties, 117 ff.;
Bachelor's Walk affair, 123-125;
Redmond's offer of, for National Defence, 134 ff., 203 ff.;
general response, 136-138;
demand for recognition, 153, 159-161, 202-203;
refused, 153, 162, 167, 181, 203, 207-208, 222;
secession of Irish Volunteers from, 155;
Asquith's pledge regarding, 157;
Review of, in Phoenix Park, 204;
Bulmer Hobson's _History_ of, quoted, 115, 159
O'Brien, Patrick, 38, 267
O'Brien, William, attacks by,
on Redmond and National Party, 34;
opposition to Budget (1909), 42, 47;
to Home Rule Bill (1912), 74;
to county option, 100, 111-112;
to the Convention, 263;
declines to serve, 269
O'Cathasaigh, Mr., cited, 91
O'Connor, "Long John," 38
O'Connor, T.P.,
Canadian tour 1910, 48;
recruiting successes of, 190;
motion for immediate Horns Rule, 249;
cited, 203;
mentioned, 25, 100, 130-131
O'Donnell, Dr., Bp. of Raphoe, 270, 284, 294, 303, 304,
308, 310, 312, 330;
speech on Papal Decrees, 299-300
Oranmore, Lord, 313, 319

Paget, Gen. Sir Arthur, 105ff. Parliament, _see_ Commons _and_ Lords Parnell, C.S., 6-13, 17-19, 92; property of, 7, 37; power of, 58; anecdote of Willie Redmond and House of Commons, 249 Parnellites, 19-21, 23-25; fusion of, with anti-Parnellites, 25 Parsons, Lt.-Gen. Sir L., 170ff., 200-201, 204-205 Pearse, Patrick, speech of, in Dublin, 63-64; Limerick speech, quoted, 94; secedes from National Volunteers, 118; the Rebellion, 218, 222-223; execution, 224 _Phoenix_ Park murders, 14 Pigott, 18 Pirrie, Lord, 293 Plunket, Count, 248 Plunkett, Lord (Sir Horace), Conference scheme of (1895), 23; the Convention, 274, 302, 309; as Chairman, 279; Lloyd George's letter to, 324 Poe, Col. Sir Hutcheson, 145 Pollock, Mr., 272, 299, 308 Primate, the, _see_ Crozier Primrose, Neil, 68-69 Primrose Committee, 270, 293-294 Protestant Ascendency, 86, 96, 101

Raymond Le Gros, 2-3
Rebellion, Redmond's attitude to, 3
Rebellion of 1916, 218-219, 221, 227;
denounced by Redmond, 223-224;
suppression of, 224-229;
Government's fomentation of _disaffection_, 227-229;
comparison with South African Rebellion (1914), 225
Recruiting, _see under_ Army
Redmond, John Edward, 4
Redmond, John--
Ancestry and family of, 2-4
Career--
education, 5;
clerkship in the House, 6;
returned for New Ross, 8;
Parliamentary _debut_, 9-11;
Australian and American mission, 14;
marriage, 14;
second American mission, 17;
imprisoned (1888), 17;
chosen leader of Parnellites, 19;
returned for Waterford, 19;
attitude to Roman Catholic Church, 20:
widowed, 20;
second marriage, 21-22;
work with Plunkett, 23-24;
on Commission on Financial Relations, 24;
Chairman of United Irish Party, 25, 58;
his inner cabinet, 25, 58, 100;
attitude to Irish Council Bill, 31-33;
campaign for Home Rule (1907), 34-35;
House of Lords controversy, 45-46, 57;
"Dollar Dictator," 48;
the Nottingham Meeting (1912), 73;
Home Rule campaign (1912) following Carson, 84;
on proposed exclusion of Ulster, 85-86;
attitude to National Volunteers, 92;
speeches on the Ulster position, 98, 99, 102, 109-111;
the Ulster gun-running, 114;
relations with National Volunteers thereafter, 114 ff.;
the Speaker's Conference, 121-122;
speech on outbreak of War, 132 ff.;
offers the Volunteers for national defence, 134ff;
Recruiting manifesto, 151;
refuses office in Coalition Government, 192;
interview with Kitchener on recruiting, 198, 205;
Conference at Viceregal Lodge, 198-199;
visits Irish troops at the Front, 201-202;
opposes Conscription for Ireland, 208 ff.
letter to Asquith, 208
Rebellion of 1916, 219 ff.
Government breach of faith, 238-240;
moves vote of censure, 243;
criticizes Lloyd George, 245;
renewed opposition to conscription, 248;
the Smuts dinner, 257;
the Convention, 258, 261-263;
death of his brother, 256;
death of Pat O'Brien, 267;
in the Convention, 278-279;
relations with Nationalist representatives, 283-284;
speech in Belfast, 289 ff.;
at Westminster, 304;
speech on vote of thanks to the Forces, 305-306;
Meetings of Committee of Nine, 307 ff.;
ill-health, 257, 282, 312, 322;
attitude to Lord Midleton's proposals, 316, 318-321;
tables motion conditionally accepting, 321;
withdraws owing to Nationalist opposition, 322-323;
illness, 325;
operation, 328;
death, 329
Characteristics--
Ambition, lack of, 40, 336
Caution, 282
Courtesy, 26, 35
Eloquence, 41, 88
Lucidity, 41, 53, 59
Moderation, 3, 11
Modesty, 36, 336
Optimism, 74
Peaceable temperament and tolerance, 21, 25, 26, 35, 88
Rest, love of, 38
Reticence, 37
Romantic strain, 37
Self-abnegation, 278, 280
Sensitiveness, 243, 282
Tact, 88
Trustworthiness, 194
Comparison of,
with Campbell-Bannerman, 337;
with Parnell, 338;
position compared, with that of Botha, 158, 172, 184, 212, 224
Estimate of, 335;
Birrell's estimate, 194;
Healy's tribute, 256;
estimate as leader, 59-61, 283, 310, 338;
estimate of his work, 338-341
Government slighting of, and disregard of his advice, 153, 163, 167,
175-176, 190-191, 220, 226, 229, 238-239;
instances of bad faith, 153, 239-240, 246;
recruiting efforts handicapped, 163, 175-176, 177, 190-191, 206
House of Commons life of, 111
Imperialism of, 15
Irishmen, attitude towards, 27, 63
Military sympathies of, 107-108
Oratorical style of, 5
Recruiting efforts of, _see under_ Army
Status of, in Ireland, 171-172
Social isolation of, 13
Stephens' attack on, 276-277
War policy of, 132, 216
Redmond, Major "Willie,"
Australian mission and marriage, 14;
imprisoned (1888), 17;
returned for East Clare, 20;
War service, 182-3, 185, 213-214, 230;
position in his regiment, 188-189;
speeches in the House quoted, 215-216, 245;
advises resignation of Parliamentary party, 259;
last speech in the House, 249-254;
killed in action, 51, 265;
estimate of, 249;
mentioned, 4, 13, 19, 38, 118, 128
Redmond, Major William Archer, 4, 185;
on the Somme, 240;
wins D.S.O., 306;
returned as Nationalist in 1918 election, 231
Redmond, William Archer, 4, 5, 7
Richardson, Gen., 163
Roberts, Lord, 176
Roman Catholic Church, 49, 187
Russell, George ("A.E."),
in the Convention, 274, 282, 304, 310, 312

Sclater, Sir Henry, 204-205 Selborne, Lord, 236 Seely, Col., 108-109 Sexton, Th., 16, 24 Shaw, Mr., 6 Sheehy-Skeffington, Mr., 228, 231 Sinn Féin-- Convention ignored by, 263-264, 267-268 Demonstration by, at funeral of Thomas Ashe, 300 Electoral successes of, 231, 257, 268, 278 Growth of, from May 1916, 232 Propaganda, suspicion fostered by, 189 Rebellion of 1916, _see that heading_ Smith, F.E., quoted, 95 South African War, 24 Stephens, James, quoted, 276-277

Taylor, Capt., J.S., 27 Tennant, H.J., 198, 206 Thomas, J.H., 108 _Times_ forgeries, 18

Ulster--
Administrative autonomy proposal, 85, 86
Arms importation by, 81, 94;
Larne gun-running, 112-114
Asquith's moratorium concession to, 149
Belfast Convention (1916), 235
Churchill's speech (1912), 62
Convention, the (1917), representatives at, 271-272, 285;
their attitude and procedure, 281, 299
County option proposals, 77, 85, 99 ff.;
difficulties of the scheme, 101
Covenant, the, 72;
military covenanters, 83
Exclusion proposals, 68, 78, 84, 233-234;
embodied in the Bill, 99;
time limit discussions, 101-103;
Council of 1916 accepts exclusion proposals, 235
Favouritism applied to, 95, 120, 123, 125, 164, 169, 170, 174
Friendly relations with Nationalists, 51
Home Rule, resistance to, 65, 67 ff.;
Parliamentary majority for, 77;
distribution of Home Rulers, 101
Inseparability of, 69, 76-77, 84
Lloyd George's scheme, 234
Protestant ascendency, 86, 96, 101
Provisional Government formed, 80, 83
Rebellion preparations of, 148
Redmond's efforts to conciliate, 76-77, 109-110, 114
War, attitude on outbreak of, 130
mistrustful of Irish Volunteers, 142
United Irish League, 58, 259, 261
University Act (1908), 41

Vatican Decrees, 49

Wallace, Col., 299 Walsh, Abp., 257 War-- Outbreak, 126 ff. Redmond's policy regarding, 132, 216; Nationalist criticism of, 276-277 (_see also_ Army, recruiting) Ulster's attitude, 130, 142 Ward, Col. John, 108 Waterford, 19 Wexford, 3 _What the Irish Regiments have done_ quoted, 202 White, Capt., J.R., 90-91 Whitley, H.T., 320 Wicklow surroundings, 37-39 Wimborne, Lord, 198, 199, 205 Windle, Sir B., 282, 330 Wyndham, G., 27-29

Shall a man understand,
He shall know bitterness because his kind,
Being perplexed of mind,
Hold issues even that are nothing mated.
And he shall give
Counsel out of his wisdom that none shall hear
And steadfast in vain persuasion must he live,
And unabated
Shall his temptation be.

JOHN DRINKWATER, in _Abraham Lincoln_.

End of Project Gutenberg's John Redmond's Last Years, by Stephen Gwynn