n May 9th, 1905, he
accounted for it by the fact that "the situation in Ireland was
complicated by personal misunderstandings," producing "an atmosphere of
suspicion," which was an obvious reference, as most people supposed, to
such denunciations as that of Mr. William Moore of the Chief Secretary's
"wretched, rotten, sickening policy of conciliation." The
disingenuousness marking the whole proceeding is well shown by the fact
that although on announcing Mr. Wyndham's resignation Mr. Balfour
said:--"The ground of his resignation is not ill-health,"[23] less than
a year later, when asked during the election at Manchester by a heckler
to state the reason why Mr. Wyndham retired, the reply of Mr. Balfour
was--"He retired chiefly on account of health."[24]

From the correspondence which passed in March, 1906, between Lord Dudley
and Sir Edward Carson, and which was published in the Press, we have the
express statement from the ex-Lord Lieutenant that Mr. Balfour "never
conveyed to me any intimation that he or the Government disapproved
strongly or otherwise of my conduct."

The correspondence arose over a remark made by Sir Edward Carson, to the
effect that Lord Dudley had made statements both ways as to the
desirability of governing Ireland according to Irish ideas. Challenged
to make good the assertion, which he declared was based on a private
conversation, Sir Edward Carson went on to assert that the Viceroy had
on another occasion expressed the opinion to him that Ireland should be
governed through the agency of the Catholic priesthood. This Lord Dudley
denied as vehemently as he did the imputation of facing both ways, and
in reply went on to write:--

"That you should have formed an impression of that kind from any
conversation with me confirms my belief that the violence of your
opinions on Irish political questions make it quite impossible for you
to estimate justly the standpoint of anyone whose views on such
questions may be more moderate and tolerant than your own. It is not,
however, by violence and intolerance that the cause of union is best
served, and my experience in Ireland has shown me very clearly that the
present system of government constantly receives from its most clamorous
advocates blows as heavy and as effective as any that could be dealt to
it by its avowed enemies."

The Government tried to ride two horses abreast--to rule Ireland
otherwise than by force, and to maintain itself in power with t