Home Rule Historiography
Conservative Party
MANSERAGH- (on Bonar Law)-no other leader “would have entered into an open-
ended commitment to Carson and the Ulster Unionists, let alone assail a
government in such strident tones.”
REES- realisation of the Liberals large majority led some Conservatives to question
“whether their party would ever hold office again”
REES- “The defence of the Union would feature prominently in future Conservative
strategy”
Physical force tactics of Conservatives
(contemp. Quote)- stirred public opinion against Liberals- accused them of “corrupt
bargain” with Nationalists
DUTTON- Conservatives detracted support from Liberals- led to “polarisation of
politics”- key to the crisis
(contemp. Quote)- LAW- speech at Blenheim Palace- Ulster Protestants would be
justified in resisting H.R “by all means in their power, including force”
LAW-Blenheim Palace speech- he could imagine “no length of resistance to which
Ulster can go in which I would not be prepared to support them”
BLAKE- B.L’s confrontational style intensified divisions between the 2 parties and
contributed to their inability to work together on the H.R issue
MANSERAGH- B.L’s violent rhetoric reflected his own personal attachment to Ulster-
did not reflect general feeling in Conservative party
MANSERAGH (cited in REES)- “Places Bonar Law at the heart of the crisis.”
Liberal Party
DANGERFIELD- H.R crisis contributed “to the decline of the Liberals”
(contemp. Quote)- was said that the whole government was “under the thumb of
the IPP”
REES- counters claims that Liberals were over-reliant on the IPP to maintain their
majority- “the reality was that the nationalists were totally dependent on the
Liberals.”
Internal splits in Liberal Government
(contemp. Quote)- CHURCHILL- “If put forward with sincerity, Ulster’s claim for
special consideration cannot be ignored by a govt. depending on the existing House
of Commons.”
Asquith
JALLAND- criticises Asquith for “wait and see” policy
REES- serious lack of intelligence on possibility of trouble in Ulster should H.R be
imposed- “In this sense the government was served badly by Birrell”
REES- “ultimate responsibility rested with Asquith…his strategy to ignore Ulster
and hope that Carson’s dire warnings turned out to be nothing more than empty
rhetoric”
Conservative Party
MANSERAGH- (on Bonar Law)-no other leader “would have entered into an open-
ended commitment to Carson and the Ulster Unionists, let alone assail a
government in such strident tones.”
REES- realisation of the Liberals large majority led some Conservatives to question
“whether their party would ever hold office again”
REES- “The defence of the Union would feature prominently in future Conservative
strategy”
Physical force tactics of Conservatives
(contemp. Quote)- stirred public opinion against Liberals- accused them of “corrupt
bargain” with Nationalists
DUTTON- Conservatives detracted support from Liberals- led to “polarisation of
politics”- key to the crisis
(contemp. Quote)- LAW- speech at Blenheim Palace- Ulster Protestants would be
justified in resisting H.R “by all means in their power, including force”
LAW-Blenheim Palace speech- he could imagine “no length of resistance to which
Ulster can go in which I would not be prepared to support them”
BLAKE- B.L’s confrontational style intensified divisions between the 2 parties and
contributed to their inability to work together on the H.R issue
MANSERAGH- B.L’s violent rhetoric reflected his own personal attachment to Ulster-
did not reflect general feeling in Conservative party
MANSERAGH (cited in REES)- “Places Bonar Law at the heart of the crisis.”
Liberal Party
DANGERFIELD- H.R crisis contributed “to the decline of the Liberals”
(contemp. Quote)- was said that the whole government was “under the thumb of
the IPP”
REES- counters claims that Liberals were over-reliant on the IPP to maintain their
majority- “the reality was that the nationalists were totally dependent on the
Liberals.”
Internal splits in Liberal Government
(contemp. Quote)- CHURCHILL- “If put forward with sincerity, Ulster’s claim for
special consideration cannot be ignored by a govt. depending on the existing House
of Commons.”
Asquith
JALLAND- criticises Asquith for “wait and see” policy
REES- serious lack of intelligence on possibility of trouble in Ulster should H.R be
imposed- “In this sense the government was served badly by Birrell”
REES- “ultimate responsibility rested with Asquith…his strategy to ignore Ulster
and hope that Carson’s dire warnings turned out to be nothing more than empty
rhetoric”
