in the some category as Belgium and Poland when the principle
of the re-establishment of small nationalities came up for discussion,
but only upon one condition, and that was "that Ireland should rise and
be able to hold the Capital for a week."

One can well imagine with what avidity such plans, with their reaction
upon the very delicate negotiations now going on at Washington, would be
received in Germany at the present moment. But his plans--or rather I
should say his dreams--appear to have been matured long before the war;
dreams dreamt in the solitude of the tropics when Europe still clasped
the illusion of universal peace.[2]

It was the Carson Volunteers that gave him the idea of the possibility
of a physical force movement. If Orangemen could drill, why not
Nationalists; if the planter could fight, why not the native; if the
hands of Government could be forced by threats and arms brought in under
their very eyes, why not take advantage of it; if war was inevitable
sooner or later, why not prepare?--any way, it would be as noble to die
for a race's emancipation as the privileges of an hereditary
officialdom.

Plan for plan, and man for man, then followed the constitution of the
Irish Volunteers--Carsonism turned on Carson--and Germany "used" rather
than "served" in the interests of Ireland.

When John Redmond, therefore, with the doubtful facility of oratory
attempted to explain away the whole rebellion with the insinuation that
the whole movement was the outcome of German gold, he must for the
moment have forgotten that he was talking to men who invariably looked
upon him as long ago bought up with American gold, and that he was
referring to his fellow-countrymen in a protest against a class he had
himself times out of number denounced as subsidized by English gold--and
Sir Roger Casement's denial of such an imputation as both insolent and
insulting was as true as it was dignified.

As a matter of fact the only thing German about the whole rebellion was
the "Prussianism" of the Castle, which was equally responsible for the
occurrence of the rising and these harsh methods of repression which
eventually--paradoxically enough--made it the moral success it has since
become in the hearts of Irishmen.

FOOTNOTE:

[2] Cf. "Sir Roger Casement"--a character sketch without prejudice, by
L. G. Redmond-Howard. Dublin: Hodges & Figgis.

CHAPTER THE SEVENTH

MINDS AND MEN

In considering any sudden yet o