Letter from Hugh de Fellenberg Montgomery to Hugo, 27 June 1916 Letters 1916-1923 Hugh de Fellenberg Montgomery

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This is a copy letter from Hugh de Fellenberg Montgomery (1844-1924) to 'Hugo'. 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. In the letter Montgomery discusses Hugo's health. He goes on to discuss Irish politics and the loyalty of John Redmond (1856-1916), Irish Parliamentary Party leader, stating that while he acts loyal to the British government he winks to his followers in Ireland. Montgomery notes the loyalty of the followers of Edward Carson (1854-1935), Unionist leader, comparing the recruitment of Unionists and Nationalists into the British army. The state of the army and police force in Ireland is also reviewed in the letter, with Montgomery noting the loss of power by John Maxwell (1859-1929), commander-in-chief of Ireland, and the disillusionment of the army and the police due to the fact Herbert Henry Asquith (1852-1928), prime minster, visited the barracks in which injured Irish rebels were treated yet did not visit injured soldiers.

 Public Record Office of Northern Ireland Montgomery of Blessingborn Papers; D/627/429/48 https://letters1916.ie/item/2250 English Hugh de Fellenberg Montgomery 1916-06-27 William Stuart Hugo Male 1924 Politics Politics

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 27th June, 1916. My dear Hugo, I am very glad indeed to hear that you have startedgoing upstairs again. I did not worry about you to the extentthat your mother & your wife did, as I was quite sure that youwould get due promotion in time; but I am glad that it has notbeen longer delayed. I am inclined to think you had betterstick to your job & leave Irish politics alone till the waris over. If you had been in this country trying to do whatyou could to make our rotten system of recruiting work, youwould not be so impressed with the loyalty of the officialIrish party. Of course one does not like to say publiclywhat one thinks. It is no time to indulge in party polemicshowever severely ones temper is tried. To us here it appearsthat John Redmond made just as many speeches & statementsas he though necessary in order to provide sufficient eye-washfor the British elector, so that the repeal of the Home RuleAct should not be his first demand after the war; but hardlyany of his followers did a hand's turn to help recruiting, &the results of such recruiting meetings as have been held driveone to the conclusion that while he posed before the Britishpublic as very loyal, he winked the other eye at his followers here. Carson's followers provided a while division of verygood material, though they did not get very much encouragementand were left with arms & equipments for a long time after they -2- would have been otherwise ready to go. They have also providedreserve battalions while the so-called Irish Divisions arenotoriously very short of Irish recruits, and unfortunate fellowshave been sent over from Wiltshire and other places in Englandto fill the ranks. Of the Irishmen who are serving in the so-called Irish Divisions (the 10th & the 16th) a very substantial lproportion are protestants and unionists; but Redmond & Cohave braged of the doings of these divisions as if they were allNationalists. I got from one of the Chaplains the officialcensus of religions of the 10th Division which gives one a goodrough idea of the political constitution of it. I do not knowactually how matters stand in the 16th Division; but I believenot far otherwise. At the last recruiting boom it was ascertainedthat of the recruits obtained in Ulster just 3% were NationalistsIf we spoke publicly about this we should be help as incorrigiblebigots, & accused of making little of the undoubted and conspicuous gallantry of Irish Roman Catholic troops; but the otherside are allowed to claim credit for the distinguished conductof all Irishmen, as if all Irishmen were Home Rulers, & wemust show no resentment. Over and above all this Redmond's loyalty whatever it isworth was strictly conditional at the beginning of the war. Itwas conditional on the King being made to assent to agree to theHome Rule Act being put on the Statute Book by a gross breach ofthe party truce, and a Ulster Unionists, who, notwithstanding flocked to the colours. Redmond also expected hisadvice -3- advice to be taken in the Government of Ireland. His advicewas taken, & the taking of his advice was the direct cause ofthe success such as it was that the Rebellion had. Now havinghad a large share in bringing about the Rebellion he says thatresult is that he cannot maintain his loyal attitude, or keepup among his followers a loyal attitude during the rest of thewar unless Home Rule is brought into operation for at leastthree-quarters of Ireland at once. The responsible &irreplaceable Government having said this was necessary the UlsterUnionist Organization has agreed; but what the result to thecountry of this direct encouragement to pro-German Rebellionwill be I do not know. If appears that Sir John Maxwell's powers have already beengreatly curtailed, & that whoever is carrying on the Governmenthas resorted to the old principle to snub loyalty & vigorousperformance of duty, and reward the opposite. I hear the policewho on the whole behaved very well during the Rebellion arerapidly becoming disaffected under the effects of this treatment,& the English soldiers in Dublin are in the worst possible temperat various things that have happened, beginning with Anquith's visitto the Barracks where there were wounded rebels & wounded soldiersand where he ostentatiously made much of the wounded rebels &did not as much as look at the wounded soldiers. I hope the nextRebellion, which is not likely to be long delayed will not provea serious hindrance to winning the war; otherwise it might not be a -4- good thing for it to come soon as if the country had to bereconquered it might lead to the establishment of a form of Government. Is the 28th Battalion London Regiment, Artists and Riflesin your army corps? as a supporter of mine at Aughnacloy namedWright has a son in it - Private 5564 R. A. Wright, for whom hewants a commission. He is a clerk in the India Office, Londonand has been in the Officers Training Corps for some years. I hope Hughie is in a moderately healthy place. Yours Affectionately. Hugh de Fellenberg Montgomery Letter from Hugh de Fellenberg Montgomery to William Coote, 25 March 1916Letter from Hugh de Fellenerg Montgomery to Edward Carson, 31 May 1916Letter from Hugh de Fellenberg Montgomery to Edward Carson, 9 June 1916Letter from Hugh de Fellenberg Montgomery to Willis, 10 June 1916Letter from Hugh de Fellenberg Montgomery to Edward Carson, 9 June 1916Letter from Hugh de Fellenberg Montgomery to 'Canon', 10 June 1916Letter from Hugh de Fellenberg Montgomery to W. G. Vance, 13 June 1916Letter from Hugh de Fellenberg Montgomery to Vernon, 15 June 1916Letter from Hugh de Fellenberg Montgomery to Willis, 15 June 1916Letter from Hugh de Fellenberg Montgomery to Hamilton, 10 June 1916Letter to Hugh de Fellenberg Montgomery from Walter Long, 2 June 1916Letter from Hugh de Fellenberg Montgomery to George Francis Stewart, 17 June 1916Letter from Hugh de Fellenberg Montgomery to James Stronge, 3 June 1916Letter from Hugh de Fellenberg Montgomery to John Edward Fowler Sclater, 3 June 1916Letter from Hugh de Fellenberg Montgomery to James Stronge, 9 June 1916.Letter from Hugh de Fellenberg Montgomery to Mr Glasgow, 18 June 1916Letter from Hugh de Fellenberg Montgomery to George Francis Stewart, 18 June 1916Letter from Hugh de Fellenberg Montgomery to Hugo, 27 June 1916Letter from Hugh de Fellenberg Montgomery to Maurice Headlam, 19 June 1916Letter from Hugh de Fellenberg Montgomery, 1916Letter from Hugh de Fellenberg Montgomery to Charles Hubert Montgomery, 30 June 1916Letter from Hugh de Fellenberg Montgomery to William Hovenden Ffolliott, 2 August 1916Letter from Charles Hubert Montgomery to Hugh de Fellenberg Montgomery, 29 May 1916Letter from Hugh de Fellenberg Montgomery to John Ross, 27 May 1916Letter from Hugh de Fellenberg Montgomery to William Coote, 27 May 1916Letter from Hugh de Fellenberg Montgomery to William Coote, 22 May 1916Letter from Hugh de Fellenberg Montgomery to Waldron, 26 June 1916Letter to Hugh de Fellenberg Montgomery from Sir John Ross, 2 June 1916.Letter from Hugh de Fellenberg Montgomery to Sir Richard Dawson Bates, 23 June 1916Letter from Hugh de Fellenberg Montgomery to William Coote, 9 Spetember 1916Letter from Hugh de Fellenberg Montgomery to Walter Long, 31 May 1916Letter from M. E. Sinclair to Hugh de Fellenberg Montgomery, 18 September 1916