Letter to Edward Carson, 15 May 1916 Letters 1916-1923

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Letter to Edward Carson (1854-1935). Carson was a prominent Unionist Politician. Originally a practicing solicitor from Dublin, Carson's opposition to the proposed third Home Rule bill made him the figure head of Unionism throughout the island. He was the centerpiece of the speaking tour that culminated in Ulster Day (28 September 1912), when just under half a million signed Ulster's solemn league and covenant pledging to use ‘all means which may be found necessary to defeat the present conspiracy to set up a home rule parliament in Dublin’. Carson inaugurated the Larne gunrunning in 1914 which armed the UVF, many of whom Carson would encourage to join the British Army throughout the First World War.

 Public Record Office of Northern Ireland Carson Papers, D1507/A/16/19 https://letters1916.ie/item/4313 English 1916-05-15 Edward Carson House of Commons, Westminster, London, S.W., England Politics Easter Rising Ireland 1916 Politics

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 Bangor, 15th May, 1916. Dear Sir, The apparent presumption in our addressing you directly is lessened by the fact that we believe the Ulster Volunteers generally are interested in the subject matter of this letter in the same manner as ourselves. When the present war broke out Ulster Unionists had been for some time the victims of the most lying slanders from the Radical Press the mouthpiece of the Government and also from members of the Government itself which had even gone so far as to use His Majesty's Ships and Soldiers in an attempt to terrorise us. The Home Rule Bill, to resist which we had banded ourselves together, had been made an Act of Parliament,notwithstanding all our protests,and if there a section of the people in the Empire who were entitled to hold aloof - as our adversaries were wont to do, and took no little credit for it, before they were paid their price for coming in or pretending to come into the Empire with the rest - it was Ulster Unionists. You, however, gave the lead of the Empire first and that all the above considerations should be subordinated to this supreme interest, and your lead was followed, with the result that there are now thousands of our fellow volunteers with the colours, while other assistance given by Unionist Ulster ranks first in this Country. There have been some very disquieting rumours of late especially since the Nationalist Rebellion - as we prefer to call it, for we all know perfectly well that the present so called Sinn Feiners are nothing more than Mr. Redmond's former followers who refused to put on the loyal mask along with him when he had got his Home Rule Bill - the more important of which is that some sort of negotiations are going on with the object of setting up immediately a Home Rule Parliament. This may be and probably is untrue but it opens up a possibility as to which the Ulster Volunteers are much concern- ed and they are anxious to know exactly to what extent they are going to be lead on this principle of the Empire first. Their loyalty has already been strained very considerably in the circumstances above mentioned and the question they are asking themselves is whether it is going to be strained further, and is the good of the Empire to be again pleaded for the purpose of inducing them to make further sacrifices in the shape of surrendering principles,which are part of them- selves, tearing up their convenants, and submitting to a Home Rule Parliament without demur. In other words we are anxious to know the entire length to which our Leaders would have us go in the interests of the Empire, so that we can consider the matter carefully and make up our minds whether we are prepared to be led to such a length or not. We would like if you would kindly agree to the publication of this correspondence as being the easiest way of informing our fellow Volunteers of it, but of course we will not publish it unless you wis. We enclose the card of one of the signatories to whom the favour of your reply may be sent,and we would be glad if your reply would comprise a statement of your opinion as to the real nature of what we have called the Nationalist Rebellion. We are concerned in a remark made by you in the House from which it might be inferred that you were under the impression the Rebellion was entirely outside the Nationalist movement and could not be traced to it in any way. We are, Dear Sir, Yours faithfully. Jos. C, Stuart 1st Batt. Down U.V.F. Jos. Templeton 1st Batt Down U.V.F. Stirling Lent 1st Battin Nth Down Regt VVF The Right.Hon.Sir Edward Carson,K.C. M.P. House of Commons, Westminster, London,W. House of Commons, Westminster, London, S.W., England Letter to Edward Carson, 15 May 1916 Edward Carson Letter from David Lloyd George to Edward Carson, 29 May 1916Letter from Sir Dawson Bates to Edward Carson, 2 December 1915Letter from William Robert Young to Edward Carson, 9 July 1916Letter from Alexander McDowell to Edward Carson, 20 July 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 Edward Carson, 9 June 1916Letter from Frederick Hugh Crawford to Edward Carson, 8 March 1916Letter from Edward Carson to Thomas McGregor Greer, 12 July 1916Letter from Sir Edward Carson to Sir Robert Ponsonby Staples, 10 December 1915Letter to Edward Carson, 19 November 1915Letter from William R. Young to Edward Carson, 2 November 1915Letter from J.M. Wilson to Edward Carson, 3 November 1915Letter from Turner Oliver Read to Edward Carson, 12 November 1915Letter from William R. Young to Edward Carson, 12 November 1915Letter from Harold Tennant to Edward Carson, 17 November 1915Letter from Henry Mulholland to Pembroke Wicks, circa November 1915Letter from Wilfrid Spender to Edward Carson, 25 November 1915Letter Wilfrid Spender to Edward Carson, 3 December 1915Letter to Edward Carson, 4 December 1915Letter from Robert Thompson to Edward Carson, 18 December 1915Letter from W.T. Bailey to Edward Carson, 22 December 1915Letter from General Nevil Macready to Edward Carson, 1 May 1916Letter to Edward Carson, 2 May 1916Letter from Horace Plunkett to Edward Carson, 4 May 1916Postcard to Edward Carson, 4 May 1916Letter from D.P. Barton to Edward Carson, 5 May 1916Letter from Edward Carson to Herbert Asquith, 9 May 1916Letter from Herbert Asquith to Edward Carson, 10 May 1916Copy of a letter from John Crozier to Edward Carson, 9 May 1916Letter from J.M. Wilson to Edward Carson, 11 May 1916Letter to Edward Carson, 15 May 1916Letter from David Lloyd George to Edward Carson, 3 June 1916Letter from G.L. Moore to Edward Carson, 6 June 1916Letter from sir William Robert Robertson to Edward Carson, 7 June 1916Letter from Nevil Macready to Edward Carson, 8 June 1916Letter from Arthur Warren Samuels to Edward Carson, 14 June 1916Letter from Frederick Stringer Wrench to Edward Carson, 15 June 1916Letter from Somerset Francis Saunderson to Edward Carson, 15 June 1916Letter to Edward Carson, 17 June 1916Letter from Somerset Francis Saunderson to Edward Carson, 17 June 1916Letter from Charles Clements to Edward Carson, 21 June 1916Letter from Ronald McNeill to Edward Carson, 22 June 1916Letter from John Crozier to Edward Carson, 26 June 1916Letter from Charles F. Down to Edward Carson, 28 June 1916Letter from Charles Clements to Edward Carson, 29 June 1916Letter from Archibald Salvidge to Edward Carson, 30 June 1916Letter from Charles Clements to Edward Carson, 1 July 1916Letter from Charles Clements to Edward Carson, 3 July 1916Letter to Edward Carson, 5 July 1916Letter from Horace Plunkett to Edward Carson, 5 July 1916Letter from Charles F Down to Edward Carson, 8 June 1916Letter from Herbert Samuel to Edward Carson, 13 July 1916Letter from William Martin to Edward Carson, 13 July 1916Letter from Travers R. Blackley to Edward Carson, 11 July 1916Letter from Travers R. Blackley to Edward Carson, 13 July 1916Letter from Pembroke Wicks to Edward Carson, 14 July 1916Letter from Somerset Francis Saunderson to Edward Carson, 15 July 1916Letter from Edward Carson to William Martin, 17 July 1916Letter from Herbert Samuel to Edward Carson, 21 July 1916Letter to Edward Carson, 21 July 1916Letter from John Strachey to Edward Carson, 27 July 1916Letter from Alexander McDowell to Edward Carson, 5 October 1916Letter to Edward Carson, 7 October 1916Letter from Sharman D Neill to Edward Carson, 7 October 1916Letter from John Strachey to Edward Carson, 7 October 1916Letter from Rosalind Hamilton to Edward Carson, 10 October 1916Letter to Edward Carson, 14 October 1916Letter from David Lloyd George to Edward Carson, 14 October 1916Letter from J. Beatty to Edward Carson, 16 October 1916Letter from Edward Carson to Richard Dawson Bates, 21 April 1919