Copy of a letter to William St John Brodrick, 15 June 1916

1 PRIVATE> 15th June 1916. Dear Lord Midleton, I am very glad to hear that there is a prospect of
vigorous opposition to the impudent efforts of our so—called
Coalition Government to instal a Sinn Fein administration in
Dublin as the aftermath of the landing of Casement and the
horrible outrages in the Irish capital in which many British
officers and men perished. No-one has dared to advance any
serious argument for the monstrous proposal, but for one
reason or another unintelligible to the onlooker, we are
exhorted to acquiesce in this cowardly capitulation. It is
surely one of the most pitiable events of our time, which is
saying a great deal, and all of a piece with the record of
the Coalition. After the many painful experiences we have
had in recent years Unionists have no right to be surprised
at any betrayal of principle by their leaders, or rather
misleaders. However it is not from the party point of view
that one regards this or anything else as such a crisis, but
from the national point of view. It is not a question con—
fined to the Irish factions, whether in the North, the South, the 2
East or the West of the country. It vitally affects the
whole United Kingdom and the British Empire, to say nothing
of our Allies. If the War has taught us anything it is
surely obvious that we cannot afford to allow a hostile
Government to be established on our flank, either from the
military or the naval point of view, as with the probable
development of arrangements in the future, aviation and sub—
marines, etc., the position will become ten times more
dangerous than in the past. As you well know, the Sinn
Fein movement is very formidable and very widespread in
many parts of Ireland and we are, in the old familiar
phrase, asked to provide a revolution with its "armed
plant". Dillon's "indiscreet" and infamous speech in the
House of Commons gave us a glimpse of the spirit by which
the new Irish Government would be animated. It would be
superfluous to mention the inevitable effect on Egypt and
India of the premium which Asquith and Co. propose to
place on treason. In the present state of Parliament with its pain—
ful lack of independence in both Houses, especially in 3 the Commons, it may be difficult to arouse opposition, but
I would most strongly urge that every effort should be made
and that it should not be confined to Irishmen alone,
because Englishmen have an immense stake in this question. It is too long to discuss in a letter but there is
one point which I would particularly urge, namely, that in
past years the House of Lords was the cock—shy of Demagogues
for its supposed subservience to the Unionist leaders, and
was wont to be described on Radical platforms as "a branch
of the Carlton Club". Now it has an opportunity of showing
its real independence by throwing out a measure as danger—
ous to Great Britain as the Declaration of London is now
seen to have been, and one which is recommended to the
House of Lords by the Unionist leaders or rather misleaders
no less than by the Radical confederates with whom they
are now hand in glove. Yours sincerely, Please forgive typewriting, which is due to writers' cramp.