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The Savoy, Denham 20 Sept 1905
Dear Mr Donovan,
Thanks for your letter, I am glad the article is appearing in "Freeman" allright.
Enclosed is the Extract from Herbert Samuel's book dealing with Retribution and Ireland - you will see the force of it - especially when Mr Harry Perth
[p. 2:]
(the friend & admirer of Rosebury Asquith & Co.) says, as he said the other day that the overrepresentation by Ireland must cease.
Cannot "Freeman" quote Mr Samuel's reference, noting the terms by Mr Asquith's approving [?] preface - and so help to pin the Liberal party to their published "convictions"?
I gather that a move will be made - I tell you this in confidence - to
[p. 3:]
induce "CB" to approach Redmond to obtain from latter some public statement to show that the Nationalists will accept an increase of Ulster Unionist representation at the Expense of Nationalist seats. If Redmond makes some such pronouncement and would help "CB" - who is honest, I believe, in his wish to return to Ireland.
But I fear Redmond & Dillon are impossible - their optimist speeches spell disaster.
It seems to
me that if you play the Parliamentary game for Ireland's cause you must accept the consequences - One of those consequences surely is to alienate the Sympathies of the English, Scots or Welsh friend of Ireland. Yet the Irish party in the House during the last Sessions have lost many friends - the latest to declare against them is Sir A. Thomas the leader of the Welsh Liberals. He says he will cease to fight for Irish Home Rule because the Irish Party joined the Govt. in to coercing
[in a second hand in pencil: UCD L 10]
Wales on the Education Act. Surely it was no part of Ireland's Cause to oppose the feelings of the Welsh people on a matter vitally affecting them, and in no way concerning Irish affairs. If Irish national life is to be of less concern to our Parliamentary representation than the claims of English or Welsh Catholics - then it is goodbye to all hope of Home Rule. We have no right to sacrifice one friend in Parliament as long as we proclaim our trust in Parliamentary action and send our fighting strength
{p. 6} to that field of battle. The claims of Catholic Education in Great Britain - passed over per se to Catholic Irishmen - should not be allowed to injure the far higher claim of Irish nationality - and yet, by their action on the English Education Act the Irish Party have gravely injured, in Parliament and out of Parliament in Great Britain, the Home Rule cause.
It is an open secret over here that a large party of English Liberals "loathe"
{p. 7} the alliance with the Irish Party and find their justification in the Education Act - "[Treasury?] on the Bridge" [re.? re.? re.?] (The word "loathe" was used to me in this connection a few days ago by an English official who knows many of the Liberal leaders.)
I heard Haldane say not long ago he would be no party to handing Ireland over to "the priests".
All these latent prejudices point for their justification to the Education Act. The Education Act may be of value to English Catholics (and to Irish Catholics in England) but it is a monstrous thing for an Irish National party