1 Plunkett 1916 15 THE PLUNKETT HOUSE,
DUBLIN.
Telegraphic Address:
Organise, Dublin.
3Telephone No. 1090. D1507/A/16/4
PAGE 1 OF 3 4th May, 1916. My dear Carson, You have no doubt good reason to distrust my judgement
in political matters, but I do not think you have ever ques—
tioned my motives. At any rate you have always been glad to
listen to what I had to say, and, as I have a strong conviction
as to the great service which you might render to this coun—
try at the present moment, I am sure you will wish me to say
all that is in my mind. I have been in Dublin every day, since the rebellion
broke out, on public duty of various kinds. Consequently, I have
a good deal of first—hand knowledge as to what is moving in the
minds of well—informed people who are as deeply concerned as
I am to find means by which the evil consequences of this de—
plorable affair may be minimised. Many exceptional mea—
sures will, of course, have to be resorted to. But there is one
which will immensely facilitate all the other efforts to bring
about co—operation between different sections of Irishmen
which the country had never needed so much as now. Under martial law, the arms of the Irish Volunteers,
the Sinn Feiners and the Citizen Army are called in. As a
lawyer and as an Irish statesman you will realise that impossi— 2 D1507/A/16/4 16 —:2:— PAGE 2 OF 3 bility of carrying out such an order effectively. There will
be b a great transfer of weapons not, I am afraid, to the
Government. In any case, the mere fact of leaving arms in
the hands of other irregular organisations who, however
loyal to what we believe to be the cause of Ireland, are
under no governmental control, might well do nearly as much
harm as the search for weapons will do good. If a Proclamation
were issued, calling upon us all, North and South, to hand in
to the Authorities any lethal weapons we possess, except of
course such as we are using in the service of the Government,
and if this were done at once, I believe an overwhelming
majority of the people would give their cordial approval. Of
course, immediately thereafter, regulations would be published
for giving permission to use guns for the destruction of
vermin and for other necessary purposes. Such a measure would only be possible if you and
Redmond agreed to support it; and I think it would be better,
from every point of view, that the proposal should come from
you in the first instance, because it is obvious that your
followers in Ulster might say that they ought not to suffer on
account of happenings in which their Province had had no part.
But, my instinct tells me that if you came forward in the man—
ner proposed, three results would follow:— the immediate situa—
tion in all the disturbed parts of Ireland would be immensely
relieved; the mutual understanding of North and South, when 3 D1507/17/16/4 17 PAGE 3 OF 3 —:3:—
Ireland has to face the re—construction problems after
war, would be at least hopeful, and your own influence, as
Leader of the Irish Unionists, would be strengthened both in
Ireland and in Great Britain. Yours sincerely,
Horace Plunkett The Right Honble.
Sir Edward Carson, K. C. M. P.