Letter from Hugh de Fellenberg Montgomery to George Francis Stewart, 18 June 1916

Foo, Bar; Bar, Foo

Letter from Hugh de Fellenberg Montgomery to George Francis Stewart, 18 June 1916

1 Copy 18th June, 1916. My dear Stewart Many thanks for your letter. I will take your advice as regards next Wednesday's
meeting. At the same time I must say that I still regard
what has been done as strategic, and do not admit that it
amounts to an abandoning of anybody. We have not abandoned
our friends any more than France and England have abandoned
Belgium because we did not allow our armies to be annihilated
on Belgian soil. Carson seems to be the only leader of
imminent ability who has not been "Asquixiated." He is
not an Ulster man, but a representative of T.C.D. I am
sure he believes that he has done and advised to be the best
possible arrangement under the circumstances for you and
for the United Kingdom. If you take the line that he has
abandoned you, where do you look for a leader that you can
trust, and without a leader what can you do. I suppose there is not much use in arguing at the
present moment; but I must make my position clear. Yours very truly,

This is a copy of a letter from Hugh de Fellenberg Montgomery (1844-1924) to George Francis Stewart (1851-1928). Originally a Liberal and a strong supporter of Gladstone, Montgomery was also a firm Unionist, but by 1916 he believed that Ulster Unionists had no choice but to accept Lloyd George's proposal for a six-county Northern Ireland. Stewart was a land agent and unionist. He became vice-president of the Land Owners' Association and became heavily involved in southern unionist campaigns against partition and Home Rule. His willingness, with other southern unionists, to strike a deal with John Redmond (1856-1918), Irish Parliamentary Party leader, regarding partition resulted in a dispute within the Irish Unionist Alliance. This letter concerns Unionist politics and the leadership of Edward Carson (1854-1935). In the letter Montgomery seems satisfied with the decision that have been made and rejects the notion that they have abandoned anyone. He refers to Edward Carson as the only leader who has not been 'Asquixiated' - or fallen under the influence of British Prime Minister Herbert Asquith (1852-1928). He acknowledges that Carson is not an Ulster man but believes that he come to the 'best possible arrangement under the circumstances'.

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How to cite

Letters 1916, published by the Austrian Centre for Digital Humanities, Vienna, 2026 (https://letters1916static.github.io/letters1916-static/item__2249.html)