he fear of civil war? These
statements, made in the _Gazette_ five months ago, have not been
contradicted. The rank and file of the English Home Rule party know
nothing of this--and by what their priestly allies would call
"invincible ignorance" they may be excused their inability to believe
in stern resistance to anything. The party of surrender are totally
incapable of understanding that men exist who would lay down their
lives for a principle. Mr. Gladstone and his Items, like the Irish
leaders and their dupes, are easily overmastered. You have only to
stand up to them, and they curl up like mongrel curs. But for this
fact were would be no Home Rule Bill. Of the two parties the Irish
were the stoutest, and the weakest went to the wall. The English Home
Rulers cannot conceive that their conquerors could be easily beaten,
or even that men can be found to meet them on the field. On the
contrary, the men of Ulster who know these heroes hold them in deepest
contempt, and in the event of an appeal to arms would treat them as so
many mice. Spite of their Army of Independence, the Nationalists
tacitly admit this, and would defer separation until they have first
by legislative enactments driven away "the English garrison," or
compelled Ulster in self-defence to declare against English rule. And,
strange to say, they propose to use to this end the force of English
arms. They calculate on the resistance of Ulster as a measure of
assistance to their own ultimate purposes. "All we have to do is to
stand by while British soldiers shoot them down like dogs." That is
their expectation, as expressed by one of themselves. Their plans are
well hid. But "The best-laid schemes o' mice and men Gang aft agley,"
as the priest-governed schemers may find to their cost.

A second and more recent sojourn in Ulster deepened the impression
given by my first visit. Throughout the province the feeling is still
the same--an immovable determination to resist at all hazards the
imposts of a Dublin Parliament. They will have no acts or part in it.
They will send no members, they will pay no taxes, they will not
accord to it one jot or tittle of authority. They will offer armed
resistance to any force of police or Sheriff's officers acting under
warrants issued by the College Green legislators. Resistance to the
Queen's authority they regard as altogether out of the question. But
it remains to be seen whether British troops will "shoot them down
like d