Daniel Desmond Sheehan

“ Let us consider what will satisfy Ulster. No British party will ever again restore the Protestant ascendancy. Neither must there be a Catholic ascendancy. Let us, then, come to terms on a business basis.
THE PROPOSALS. “You Protestants are roughly one fourth of the Irish population. We are willing you should have at the outset at least something more than your proportionate degree of political power." And what are the proposals of the party of conciliation in Ireland? ”

“ You want to protect and secure yourselves against legislative and administrative aggression. We likewise seek to secure that the individual liberties of every Irishman – no matter what his creed or class – shall be safeguarded and assured. ”

“ My purpose in writing this article is to show that there are reasonable proposals which might be met with friendly compromise and that there are men of influence and representative positions in Ireland as well as in England and Scotland who are earnest and resolute in their advocacy of them. ”

“ Nay, more, a compact and united body of this number putting forward a reasonable and rational Irish policy might very easily attach to itself the thirty or forty additional members sufficient to constitute a working majority, but, in any event, it would be in position of such power and influence that neither administratively nor legislatively could an Irish parliament or an Irish Executive oppress it to treat unfairly those whom it represented. ”

“ While this is the matter of immediate interest and moment in Ireland, Lord Hythe is resolved to press forward with his British campaign. He has made a magnificent beginning - one which has greatly impressed me. as an Irishman. He believes that if the moderate men of all parties could be got to listen to a non-party presentation of the case for settlement by consent they would unanimously favour a settlement on these lines, as they did so enthusiastically at Hythe and Bexhill. ”

“ We take what we modestly contend is the more statesmanlike and soundly patriotic attitude. We say to the Protestants and Unionists in the northern Irish province: “Rightly or wrongly, you scent danger to your liberties in the present Home Rule bill. ”

“ These are some of the things we have been saying in Ireland and which we think it would be well if they were more well known in England. We know that our Ulster fellow-countrymen attach little support to “paper safeguards”, and we can sympathise with their very natural fears. ”

“ EPOCH-MAKING GATHERING. The resolution, advocating a settlement of the constitutional controversy on the lines of conference and consent, was proposed by Lord Hythe, seconded by a Methodist minister, who also happens to be chairman of the local Liberal Association, supported by the chairman of the Conservative Association, by a Liberal and a Unionist farmer from the district, and spoken to by Mr. J. A. Murray Macdonald M.P., a Scotch Radical representing the Falkirk Burghs, and by myself, an Independent Irish Nationalist who has represented Mid-Cork for the past thirteen years. ”