Incidents of my life, professional, literary, social, with services in the cause of Ireland / by Thomas Addis Emmet.
- Thomas Addis Emmet
- Date:
- 1911
Licence: In copyright
Credit: Incidents of my life, professional, literary, social, with services in the cause of Ireland / by Thomas Addis Emmet. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.
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![period of life when he usually comes into his inheritance and greater importance from having charge of public affairs. Certainly this representation gives no indication of any susceptibility to the subtle influence of argument; so my pen sketch of John Bull is within the meaning of the accepted picture. If I am correct in regard to the existence in England of a feeling of annoy- ance that such prominence should be given constantly to Irish affairs, a desire for relief must of necessity come in time; and to gain therein any com- promise, short of dismemberment of the Empire, will be Anally accepted, both by the government and by the English people. There was never a greater necessity than at present for keeping Irish affairs prominently before the public, even ad nauseam. There are many in England at present fully satisfied that eventually Home Rule must be granted to Ireland, and they are prepared to accept the inevitable when forced to take the initiative. An early knowledge by the Government of the intended organization of the party called the Sinn Fein [and it is possible that its establishment may have been made in the interests of the Government and with the hope of dividing the Irish people] did doubtless mislead the Government, if it did not itself, in regard to its importance; and this misunderstanding may be also responsible for the recent milk-and-water consistency of the last governmental offering towards the relief of Ireland. But all who have any accurate knowledge of Irish affairs have no fear of division at the present time, for the Irish people were never more united. No political party nor movement in the United States, nor in England, nor in any other country can claim to have reached so nearly a unit as the Irish party in Ireland at the present time, and this union has continued for years in- creasing in strength. Differences must arise in every movement, and these should be fully discussed as the Irish people have done; but, when the majority has come to a decision, the minority must yield all individual opinion as the only means to secure success. I am free to acknowledge that when I left home and for some time previously I had lost all hope of the possibility of Home Rule for Ireland being gained in my lifetime. I had lost no faith in the honest effort of the Irish leaders, nor had I ever any doubt as to the final result being a favorable one for Ireland. I was, however, ignorant of what I now believe to be the true condition of affairs, and I returned home with a gain of strength both in body and in political faith. If the case be considered on its merits it seems unjust that a movement like the present one in Ireland should be criticised in regard to its results, when the game has yet to be played out to a finish. Bad as the present state of Ireland is known to be, no one ignorant of what it was previous to twenty years ago can now form any idea of how much has been gained by the per- sistent efforts of the Irish members of Parliament. Therefore, the subject is not worthy of discussion regarding the greater necessity now existing for keep- ing every Irish member of Parliament at his post for the protection of Irish interests. With the exception of an open outbreak in Ireland, it is believed](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b28034776_0598.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
