before been engaged in a racial war, were great enough to rise above
these past antagonisms, to make an agreement and abide faithfully
by it. Is the same magnanimity not possible in Ireland? I say to
my countrymen who cry out for the complete separation of Ireland
from the Empire, that they will not in this generation bring with
them the most powerful and wealthy, if not the most numerous, party
in their country. Complete control of Irish affairs is a possibility,
and I suggest to the extremists that the status of a self-governing
dominion inside a federation of dominions is a proposal which, if
other safeguards for minority interests are incorporated, would
attract Unionist attention. But if these men who depend so much
in their economic enterprises upon a friendly relation with their
largest customers are to be allured into self-governing Ireland
there must be acceptance of the Empire as an essential condition.
The Boers found it not impossible to accept this status for the
sake of a United South Africa. Are our Irish Boers not prepared
to make a compromise and abide by it loyally for the sake of a
United Ireland?

10. A remonstrance must also be addressed to the middle party in
that it has made no real effort to understand and conciliate the
feelings of Irish Unionists. They have indeed made promises, no
doubt sincerely, but they have undone the effect of all they said
by encouraging of recent years the growth of sectarian organizations
with political aims and have relied on these as on a party machine.
It may be said that in Ulster a similar organization, sectarian
with political objects, has long existed, and that this justified
a counter organization. Both in my opinion are unjustifiable and
evil, but the backing of such an organization was specially foolish
in the case of the majority, whose main object ought to be to allure