Archbishop Walsh and the Irish Party / “Led to Disaster” / Lamentable Position of Home Rule

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Archbishop Walsh and the Irish Party. "LED TO DISASTER." LAMENTABLE POSITION OF HOME RULE. To the Editor "Irish Independent." DEAR SIR,—For years past I have never had a moment's doubt that the Irish Home Rule cause in Parliament was being led along a line that could only bring it to disaster. But it was impossible to shut one's eyes to the lamentable fact that Nationalist Ireland, or to speak with accuracy, the preponderating majority of those of our people who still retained faith in the efficacy of Constitutional agitation, had become hopelessly passed of the disastrous idea that "the Party"—or, to use the new-fangled term, its "leaders"—could do wrong. Fair criticism was at an end, and anyone, thoroughgoing Nationalist though he might be, who fair mark for every political adventure in the country to assail at once a easily handled epithet of "factionist," "wrecker," or "traitor." Have the honour to hold, I felt that I could most fittingly indicate my strong view of the lamentable position of the Home Rule cause by what seemed to me a sufficiently striking indication of it—absolute abstention from everything that could be regarded as expressing concurrence in the course that was being pursued. A TRULY AWFUL PROSPECT. The country seemed to be satisfied with that course :—The Home Rule Act was on the Statute Book : it could not be displaced or modified without "our" consent : the end of the War would automatically bring with it the re-opening of our old Irish Parliament in College Green ; and so on. As the necessary result of the abandonment of the policy of Independent Opposition—the only policy that can be followed with safety by Irish representatives in the British House of Commons—our country is now face to face with a truly awful prospect The Home Rule Act is still on the Statute Book. WILL IRISH NATIONALISTS BE ANY LONGER BEFOOLED BY A REPETITION OF THE PARTY CRIES, that this fact makes them masters of the situation ; that the Act cannot be modified without Nationalist consent ; and that Ireland awaits only the end of the War to find the portals of the Old House in College Green automatically opened for the entry of the members of a Parliament greater than Grattan's ? I remain, dear sir, faithfully yours, + WILLIAM J. WALSH, Archbishop of Dublin. Archbishop's House, Dublin, July 25th, 1916. P.S.—I cannot close this letter without expressing my attention to the distracted country has so long allowed its regarding the Irish Parliament that is to be, whilst an effective real consideration of this question whether the Parliament that is to come to us, is to be a Parliament in any sense worthy of the name—+ W. J. W. VOTE FOR COSGRAVE