ulster unionist resistance

Edward Carson

• leader of the ulster unionists

• originally a southern unionist

• skilled lawyer

• loves the act of union

James Craig

• deputy of UUP

• northern unionist

• skilled organizer

• very focused on ulster

Carson’s aim in 1911

save all of ireland from home rule and use ulster to do this

letter from Carson to Craig July 1911

• wanted to make sure unionists were serious about resisting home rule 

• parliament act was about to recieve royal assent 

• carson - ‘ i am not for a mere game and unless men are prepared to make great sacrifices, which they clearly understand, the talk of resistance is no use’ 

parliament act

• introduced in February 1911

• passed in August 1911 

• the house of Lords could no longer reject a bill they could only delay it for two years 

Craigavon demonstration

• 23rd September 1911

• craig wanted to show carson unionists were committed to resisting home rule 

• 50,000 attended from orange lodges and unionist clubs 

• marched from centre of belfast to craigs house 

• first time carson had addressed a large crowd of rank and file ( ordinary) unionists 

carson quotes from craigavon demonstration

• outlined a programme of action to defeat the liberal govt. and “the most nefarious conspiracy that had ever been hatched against a free people” - corrupt parliamentary bargain 

• “we must be prepared the morning home rule passes ourselves to become responsible for the govt. of the protestant province of ulster” - making plans to remove ulster from uk instead of accepting home rule  

• carson to lady londonderry “ if anything is to be done ulstermen must do it for themselves”

Anti home rule declaration 

• 25th september 1911

• adopted by the ulster unionist council in belfast

• “we solemnly pledge that under no circumstances shall we acknowledge any such govt or obey its laws. we promise to stand for our leaders in any action they take” - trying to reassure carson

british reaction to carsons speech at craigavon

• his language captured the attention of the british press

• his passion impressed those at craigavon and a bond was established 

• the UUC was spurred into action 

• 3rd october 1911- churchill to his dundee constituents “ the govt intended to introduce a home rule bill in the next parliamentary session and would press it forward with all their strength

carsons speech in Dublin - october 10th 1911

• carson was facing criticism for ignoring the southern provinces as a southern unionist

• the establishment of a prov govt added to this 

• he wanted to reassure southern unionists that he was using ulster to kill home rule for all of ireland 

• “if ulster succeeds, home rule is dead”

• his focus on ulster is a tactical move 

Bonar Laws speech at balmoral

• 9th april 1912

• crowd of 100,000 unionists

• referred to Belfast as the “besieged city” comparing it to the siege of Derry

• said “Ulster is the key to the empire”

• bonar law and carson held hands symbolising the bond between conservatives and unionists

third home rule bill introduced

11th April 1912

agar robartes amendment

• liberal backbencher

• had strong protestant convictions 

• stated the 4 N.E counties of ulster should be excluded from Home rule 

• carson encouraged unionists to back the amendment as a wrecking device hoping it would destroy home rule entirely 

solemn league and covenant

• 28th sept 1912

• craig came up with the idea of unionists taking an oath to signal their determination to resist home rule

• a week of activities took place starting in Enniskillen- carson spoke to a crowd of 40,000 describing resistance to home rule as a “duty” to be carried out by loyal ulstermen

• in belfast city hall carson signed the covenant with a silver pen presented to him by craig

• 218000 men and 228000 women signed the convenant

result of solemn league and covenant

• was a huge propaganda success

• created the illusion of an ulster that was uniformly opposed to home rule 

• even though almost half of ulster was nationalist 

• “ in britian the image was of a homogenously protestant ulster”

unionist position on home rule - end 1912

• carson was still using ulster as a wrecking device to destroy home rule 

• explains UUP support for the agar robartes amendment

• prepared to use any means to resist home rule eg force and to not recognise a home rule parliament 

Carson’s amendment

• 1st jan 1913

• proposed to exclude the whole province of ulster from home rule

• was a tactical amendment and viewed as a wrecking device

• carson wanted to focus on ulster’s hostility to being subjected to a Catholic parliament

• was a tactical amendment as carson believed it would create divisions between liberal MPs which it did

third reading of the home rule bill

• 31st january 1913

• was passed in house of commons by a majority of 110

• immediately thrown out of the house of lords

formation of the UVF

• 31st jan 1913

• unionists felt it was essential at this point to demonstrate that they had both the desire and the means to resist home rule 

• orange men has already begun to drill across ulster with wooden rifles

• men aged 17-65 who signed the covenant joined the uvf 

• grew to 90,000 members by end 1913

• was declared the army of ulster and “the strong right arm”

• Laffan - “ the formation of the UVF put the gun back into irish politics 

British league for the support of ulster and the union

• formed march 1913 by lord Willoughbhy de broke

• signed by 100 peers and 120 mps

• propaganda effect was that it heightened awareness of the ulster crisis in England

Lord Loreburn letter

• 11th of sept 1913

• had served as lord chancellor of the liberal govt until june 1912

• he was one of the hard core home rule supporters in cabinet

• in the letter to the times he urged party leaders to meet for direct talks so they could reach a settlement

• he believed failure to secure an agreement would result in serious disturbances in ulster

bonar law meets with king george at balmoral in scotland 

• 13th sept 1913

• Bonar law was pressing the king to dissolve parliament and call an election 

• he told the king that home rule could not be forced on ulster - some form of partition was required as a compromise 

King George sends a memorandum to Asquith

• king george stated he felt that there should be a general election before home rule became law

• ask Asquith of the possibility of the army being used to suppress potential disorder in ulster given that a large number of senior officers were sympathetic to the unionist cause

• asquith replied that the army would follow orders

Carsons change in approach sept 1913

• 23rd sept 1913 - wrote to bonar law stating “my own view is that the whole of ulster should be excluded but the minimum would be the six plantation counties”

• now accepts exclusion

• Russel Rees - “the exchange of letters confirmed that bonar law and carson took a much more moderate stance in private than their public announcements suggested”

meeting of the UUC 23rd sept 1913

• 23rd sept

• carson could sense the govt’s resolve weakening so he was eager to push forward

• carson approved plans for the establishment of a provisional govt if home rule became law

• he believed nationalists would prefer a general election over partition 

• craig on the other hand was taking a more aggressive stance and was preparing to use the UVF to threaten the govt

Churchill at dundee

• 9th oct 1913

• “ ulster’s claim for special consideration, if put forward with sincerity cannot be ignored”

unionist position at end 1913

• sanctioned violence - uvf

• plans for the formation of a prov govt

• new approach - exclusion of six counties