death to them to resist it to the uttermost?

But as I have said, the great line of cleavage is religion. Here I
know that I shall be accused of "Orange bigotry." But I am not afraid
of the charge; first because I do not happen to be an Orangeman; and
secondly because I regard bigotry as the outcome of ignorance and
prejudice, and consider therefore that a calm examination of the
evidence is the very antithesis of bigotry. In order to make this
examination I desire in the first place to avoid the mistake that
Grattan made in judging the probabilities of the future from the
opinions of personal friends whom I like and respect, but who, as I
know (and regret to think), possess no influence whatever. I consider
that there are other data--such as works of authority, the action
of the public bodies, statements by men in prominent positions,
and articles in leading journals--from which it is safer to form
an estimate. The Ulstermen are content that the country should be
governed, as far as religion is concerned, on modern principles--that
is to say, in much the same way that England, Australia and New
Zealand are governed to-day. The Nationalists, whatever they may
say in England or the Colonies, have never in Ireland from the
commencement of the movement attempted to deny that their object is
to see Ireland governed on principles which are totally different
and which the Ulstermen detest. As long ago as 1886, the _Freeman's
Journal_, the leading Nationalist organ, said:--

"We contend that the good government of Ireland by England
is impossible ... the one people has not only accepted but
retained with inviolable constancy the Christian faith;
the other has not only rejected it, but has been for three
centuries the leader of the great apostasy, and is at this day
the principal obstacle to the conversion of the world."

And as recently as December 1912, Professor Nolan of Maynooth,
addressing the Roman Catholic students at the Belfast University,
said:--

"Humanly speaking, we are on the eve of Home Rule. We shall
have a free hand in the future. Let us use it well. This is
a Catholic country, and if we do not govern it on Catholic
lines, according to Catholic ideals, and to safe-guard
Catholic interests, it will be all the worse for the country
and all the worse for us. We have now a momentous opportunity
of changing the whole course of Irish history."

Then another