Published Date:
11 May 2009
By Darryl Armitage
News Letter - May 11, 1912

SIR Edward Carson was this week a guest at a banquet hosted by the 1900 Club which was held in the Hotel Cecil in London, reported the News Letter on this day in 1912.

Among those who also attended the banquet the most notable were the Duke of Somerset, Lord Londonderry and the Earls of Ancaster, Halsbury and Malmesbury, as well as some 30 MPs and representatives of "the United Liberal Unionist, United Empire,or Constitutional and Patriots Clubs".

Sir Edward told those at the banquet that the question of Home Rule was one that the Unionists of Ulster would not back down on, they simply would not have it. He said that the people of Ulster were furious with the Government for its "filthy bargaining with Nationalists".

He told the audience that the people had made up their minds and that "no coaxing" by the First Lord of the Admiralty or "any other politician will ever divert the intention of Ulster".

He continued that he did not care whether or not Government believed that Ulster could be swayed in favour of Home Rule, only be refusing to accept Home Rule, said Carson, could "the gravest disasters" to the country be averted.

He also warned the Government that any threat of coercion would turn Ulster even more against the administration and that they would make Ulster "a hostile part" of the empire.

He denied that Unionists did not have an alternative. They did, said Carson, and that alternative was the Union.

The British Empire Is Long Gone But Ulster Is Still Here

July 3 1939

The attitude of Lord Carson on the eve of the Great War-as revealed in a letter from Sir Austen Chamberlain in a recent extract in 'The Sunday Times' -has obviously disturbed Ulster Unionism. Lord Carson was playing the old game of putting Ulster first

Carson had clearly threatened that reservists who were Ulster Volunteers would not obey a mobilisation order. Carson was not out to ruin the Union,but he saw this as Ulster's opportunity and made the most of his chance.

In a letter to 'The Sunday Times' Lt-Col Sir Wilfred B Spender KCB is at pains to explain away Sir Austen Chamberlain's 'misapprehension' which he says is probably due to the fact ''that Lord Carson made it cleat that he would not advise the men of the UVF to join up as a body until he had an assurance that no unfair advantage would be taken of them during their absence from home''. Sir Wilfred stresses the point that the cause of Ulster came first.

Britain is threatened and Lord Craigavon,Lord Carson's successor,has informed the public that in event of an emergency the B Specials are likely to be expanded. A huge army to guard Ulster.

By the evening of August 4,Britain was at war with Germany,and Lord Kitchener of Khartoum,just as he was about to board a Channel steamer on his way to Egypt,was recalled to become War Minster,an office which Asquith had held since Seely's resignation in March.

Three days later Kitchener sent for Colonel Hickman and said,''I want the Ulster Volunteers'', Hickman told him he must see Carson and Craig. Kitchener did see them,but the interview was less than amicable,for he had the poorest opinion of politicans,and took the line that Carson and Redmond were a pair of silly schoolboys who ought to have their heads knocked together.

His opening remark ''Surely you are not going to hold out for Tyrone and Fermanagh?'' was infelicitious to say the least,and drew from Carson the retort ''You're a damned clever fellow telling me what I ought to be doing''. Carson and Craig wanted the U.V.F. kept together as a fighting unit,and suggested that the word 'Ulster' should follow the name of the Division,it was proposed to raise,but Kitchener would not hear of this,and the meeting ended inconclusively.

I guess we'll have to be more selective of our loyalties in future Culzie...

Of course I only speak for myself and I realise there are those who would think differently. But Britain's attitude to the loyal Ullish people over the last 40 years has had some bearing on my thinking.