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The Republic
"Not to repeal the Union. but the Conquest;
not the Constitution Wolfe Tone died to abolish,
butthe Constitution Tone died to obtain."
-Fz'2ztzm Lalor.
VOL. 1.] April 18th, 1907. [No. 19.
‘ Dungannon Club, Belfast . .
The usual weekly meeting was held in the
Club rooms on Friday last, Bulmer Hobson
in. the chair. Delegates were appointed to
"represent the Club at the first convention of
the Sinn Fein League in Dundalk on Sunday,
21st April. A criticism of the position of
those Irishmen who advocate the substituting
of Grattan's Parliament for Separation from
England as the National demand of the
People of Ireland, was contributed by Frank
Wilson. The Chairman, in summing up, said
that the position of the Dungannon Clubs had
always been that they were willing to work
with the “82 men" provided tlzey were willing
to make “82" their minimum demand, but
that, failing such an understanding, it was
impossible to have any closer alliance than
that friendly co-operation which ought to
exist between all lrishmen.
The Foreign Press . . .
It is to be hoped that the hysteria from
which the Foreign Press, both in and out of
Ireland, is suffering, on account of the Sinn
Fein Movement, will not prove fatal, lest we
should lack something to laugh at in Ireland.
In place of our usual cartoon we reproduce
this week the front page of the latest leaflet
of the Irish Unionist Alliance, copies of
which can be had free on application at their
office in Grafton Street, Dublin.
John’ Butler . . . .
VVe regret to announce the death of John
Butler, of Divis Street, Belfast. Mr. Butler
was one of the men prosecuted by the English
Government last year for selling the Anti-
Enlistment Leaflets of the Dungannon Clubs.
The Situation in Egypt. . .
Lord Cromer's denunciation of nationalist
aspirations in Egypt has been exposed to
criticisms from many quarters, but the most
damaging attack on it is the news of his
resignation, which was publicly announced
last Thursday. The statement that his health
has broken down may be true, but it is not
straining facts to say that it does not cover
the whole case. If Egypt had been as easy
to govern now as it was five years ago there
is little doubt that Lord Cromer would still
be drawing full pay. But the Nationalists,
in spite of his diatribes, are a force to be
reckoned with, and he knows as well, and
perhaps better. than any man, that the British
Government in Egypt is face to face with the
gravest situation that has arisen since the
bombardment of Alexandria. In that struggle
there will be few laurels for an English ad-
ministrator, and Homburg or the Rivieria
will be an infinitely pleasanter place from
which to follow the course of events than the
British Embassy at Cairo. Lord Cromer,
however, has done his best to ensure that his
methods will be continued at any cost. That
is made plain by the appointment of Sir
Eldon Gorst, who has been trained under his
eye and moulded to his ideal, and if further
information is needed it is to be found in Sir
Edward Grey's declaration in Parliament :-
“I should like to say at once that it is the object
of his Majesty's Government to maintain that work
and to continue the policy which has been inspired
by him, and of which a most admirable exposition is
contained in his last report, just presented to Parlia-
ment. (Cheers).”
It is entertaining to remember that Eng-
land, according to herself, entered Egypt with
no other aim than to fit the people to manage
their own affairs; and her statesmen from
Gladstone down have filled countless volumes
of Hansard with tearful protests of the
honesty of their motives and hysterical
attacks on those who saw anything but the
purest altruism in their policy. It was only
when self - government became practical
politics that the mask was dropped, and now
the men who were the loudest in lauding the
desirability of national sentiment are the first
to call for stem measures to repress it. The
late M. Pobiedonostseff was not an attractive
type of statesman, but he was, at least,
honest in his opposition to democratic ideals,
