Letter from Edward Carson to Richard Dawson Bates, 21 April 1919 Letters 1916-1923 Edward Carson

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 Public Record Office of Northern Ireland Ulster Unionist Council, D1327-18-19 https://letters1916.ie/item/4882 English Edward Carson 1919-04-21 Orion, Birchington, Kent, England Richard Dawson Bates Male 1935 Politics

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 COPY ORION, BIRCHINGTON Labour cottages obair APL. 21. 19. My Dear Bates, As I will not be present on Wednesday at the StandingCommittee owing to an important engagement in London I desire tomake one or two observations for the consideration of the Committee. 1. I should like to draw the earnest attention of the wholeProvince to the necessity of placing our organisations on a thoroughlydemocratic basis. It is essential that in the future we should avoidall friction amongst those who deem the maintenance of the Union as ofparamount importance for the prosperity and happiness of the Province.Complete unity can only be secured by taking care that all classesand all views are thoroughly represented in our local organisationsand that opportunities are taken to keep in touch with the feelingsand requirements of the people. The outcome of the war must lead toa great progression of democratic forces and ideals and this we mustencourage and make effective by a complete understanding of the wantsof the people. It is by unity alone that we can expect to maintainour position in the councils of the State and enforce our policy ofobtaining for Ulster all that is thought essential for the democraciesof Great Britain. I venture therefore to express the hope that thismatter may have the serious attention of the Committee and that steps -2-may be taken which will prove effective in the direction I haveindicated. 2. No observer of the general unrest throughout the worldcan fail to realise that advantage is being taken of it undervarious pretexts to further the political aims and ambitions of cer-tain sections of the community for their own ends, and I have nodoubt that our separatist opponents are working diligently both hereand in America with a view to harnassing to their cause variouselements of unrest in order to influence public opinion at home andabroad in favour of the policy of what is called an IndependentIreland. I have had numerous letters from America pointing out howactive our opponents are in that country in the Press and on thePlatform in trying by the grossest misrepresentation to bring aboutan ante-English feeling in relation to Ireland. I am convinced that the time has come when we shouldestablish an active propaganda department by which the true facts asregards Ireland and especially as regards Ulster should be madeknown. We must recollect that after nearly five years a great dealof our Educational work has been forgotten and with a new and enlargedElectorate and a new Parliament the work must now be restarted andcontinued if our case is to be properly understood. Whether this work should be carried out under the UlsterCouncil or jointly with the Unionist Alliance is a matter thatshould be seriously considered. -3- 3. Finally I would like to point out that we should notshut our eyes to the serious condition of affairs existing in theSouth and West of Ireland. The open avowal of the leader of themajority of the Irish people that their policy is the establishmentof a Republic in Ireland and his undisguised threat to Ulster inthe event of Ulster's refusal to abandon her loyalty to the Kingand her citizenship in the British Empire must bring home to eachof us the necessity of being prepared for all eventualities. I havemyself but little trust in politicians or political parties inrelation to Ireland, and I say once more as I said at Craigavonwhen I was/elected Leader of loyal Ulster that in the last ersort itwill be found that we must rely upon ourselves. This I believe weare prepared to do. Yours sincerely, (Signed) EDWARD CARSON Orion, Birchington, Kent, England Letter from Edward Carson to Richard Dawson Bates, 21 April 1919 Richard Dawson Bates Letter from Sir Dawson Bates to Edward Carson, 2 December 1915Letter from Richard Dawson Bates to Willis, 17 June 1916Letter from Hugh de Fellenberg Montgomery to Sir Richard Dawson Bates, 23 June 1916Letter from John Boraston to Richard Dawson Bates, 15 February 1919Letter from J. Mackay Wilson to Richard Dawson Bates, 19 April 1919Letter from Edward Carson to Richard Dawson Bates, 21 April 1919Letter from Richard Dawson Bates to John E Walsh, 11 February 1919 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