ng and happy to stand down" (he was interrupted by
cries of "No, No") "if by doing so I could promote harmony."

In this there was a genuine expression of the desire which governed his
whole conduct in the Convention, to get away from the old lines with
their old traditional antagonisms, and refer the solution not to Irish
politicians but to Ireland as a whole. What followed in his speech gave
positive development to the self-denying ordinance which he had proposed
for the party machines. He asked for a nominated element--first, to make
sure that men obviously suitable, who none the less might not happen to
be elected, should find a place: and secondly, to increase still further
the Unionist representation.

He added once more a plea for quick action; dilatoriness had had much to
do, he said, with the Government's late failures in Ireland. But, if
prompt steps were taken on the path outlined, he would, in spite of all
that had come and gone, face the new venture with good heart. Yet even
in his confidence there was the pathetic accent of one who feels need to
bid defiance to despair.

"Although I know I lay myself open perhaps to ridicule as too sanguine a
prophet, I have some assured hope that the result may be blessed for
Ireland as for the Empire. ... The life of a politician, especially of
an Irish politician, is one long series of postponements and compromises
and disappointments and disillusions.... Many of our cherished ideals,
our ideals of complete, speedy and almost immediate triumph of our
policy and of our cause, have faded, some of them almost disappeared.
And we know that it is a serious consideration for those of us who have
spent forty years at this work and now are growing old, if we have to
face further postponements. For my part, I feel we must not shrink from
compromise. If by this Convention which is now proposed we can secure
substantial agreement amongst our people in Ireland, it will be worth
all the heartburnings and postponements and disappointments and
disillusions of the last thirty or forty years."

The omens were not favourable to this storm-beaten courage. When he sat
down, Sir John Lonsdale rose to reiterate on behalf of the Ulster
Unionists that they "could not and would not be driven into a Home Rule
Parliament"--and that they relied absolutely on the pledges that they
should not be coerced. Mr. William O'Brien followed. After years of
advocating settlement by conference among Irishm