I challenge his Majesty's Ministers to deny this plain,
unanswerable statement.
I further challenge his Majesty's Ministers to deny that their home
rule policy, if carried into effect, will make slaves of one part
of Ireland or another.
If their bill for the better government of Ireland reaches the
statute book without the amending bill it will make slaves of the
Ulstermen. It will deprive them of half of the representation to
which their population entitles them in the House of Commons, thus
reducing them to a political inferiority, as compared with the
peoples of Great Britain, which can hardly be distinguished from
political slavery, and it will further compel them to accept the
administration of a Dublin Parliament which they fear and detest in
all matters relating to their local government. I have often
wondered how any one rejoicing in the inheritance of old Liberal
traditions could for a moment suppose that any group of free men
would ever accept such dishonoring conditions.
Again, if the Home Rule bill is passed with the amending bill
tacked on to it, the chains of slavery from which Ulster will be
relieved will be riveted on the rest of Ireland.
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