TO WILLIAM O’BRIEN
Irish Daily Independent Office, Trinity St., 19 April 1900:
… I return the Canon’s letter. I am not at all surprised at the tone and substance of the letter. It would be absurd to suppose that the priests can accept me without some heartburning. Every day that passes makes me more certain that for all our sakes a Convention is essential. No one will dare to attempt … to create dissension at it and after it has been held it will be impossible I believe to revive disunion …5
***
The first National Convention of the UIL was held on 19–20 June 1900; Redmond was elected its Chairman. All efforts now turned to the work of making the League a nationwide organisation. Meanwhile, the chief obstacle to the binding up of the wounds of the Split was the persisting mutual antipathy between O’Brien and Healy, the former insisting on a declaration of allegiance to the League, the latter accusing O’Brien of trying to degrade the Party and using the League to dictate to elected MPs.
TO WILLIAM O’BRIEN
8 Leeson Park, 25 June 1900:
… I am strongly of opinion no time should be lost in organizing a number of big meetings … I would like to speak in Cork, Limerick and a number of other places and I think I might as well also go to Cahir with Dillon …
From all I hear the announcement of Harrington’s appointment will do great good especially amongst a class of the Parnellites who up to now have more or less held aloof …6
***
The General Election was held in early October 1900. The Conservatives, in Government since 1895, were returned to power. In Ireland, the 82 Party members returned included 49 members of the old factions; O’Brien’s envisaged wholesale purge did not materialise.
TO WILLIAM O’BRIEN, MP CORK CITY
8 Leeson Park, 15 October 1900:
I am reluctant to trouble you when, as I hope, you are enjoying a few days rest after your terrible work of the past couple of weeks, but the matter I want your advice upon is urgent.
I believe, taking the [general] elections as a whole and considering how much had to be left to chance and to a rough and tumble struggle, the result must be considered satisfactory and hopeful …7
TO EDWARD BLAKE MP
8 Leeson Park, 3 November 1900:
… The Elections, taking everything into account, have I think been satisfactory. While I did not personally approve of the policy of making peace with a hatchet, it is at least very satisfactory that the country has pronounced its opinion in such a decided way.
I think if things are allowed now to settle down, that we have a very fair chance of a strong movement, and a united Party, but if a policy of expulsion be adopted, I have very great fears of the consequences …8
***
As the second UIL Convention approached, the strife between O’Brien and Healy, often fought out in the editorial columns of the Freeman’s Journal and the Irish Daily Independent (see Chapter 12) reached new heights of bitterness. The Archbishop of Dublin was moved to intervene.
FROM WILLIAM O’BRIEN MP
9 November 1900:
… The only thing on which I am quite clear and which for me will involve the question of my membership of the Party is that the Convention ought specifically to direct Healy’s exclusion from the Party …9
TO WILLIAM O’BRIEN MP
8 Leeson Park, 10 November 1900:
… Consider well whether it may not be quite possible to effect your object as to the Party by proposing some test for membership such as adoption of League and authority of Convention, which would have the same effect as exclusion of individuals practically by name …
I would be in favour of continuing the three Trustees for the new [Parliamentary] Fund, but I think the distribution of the Fund ought to be in the hands of the Party and its own Treasurers …10
TO WILLIAM O’BRIEN MP
8 Leeson Park, 5 December 1900:
[Regarding O’Brien’s proposed resolutions for UIL Convention]
… In my opinion this resolution should be followed by one dealing with the surplus of the General Election Fund (close upon £3,000) and allocating portion of it to form the beginning of the new Fund and portion to the League.
I don’t think it reasonable to expect an early response to the new appeal and therefore out of the surplus we will have to provide enough to send the Party to London in February – that is to say at £50 a head about £2,000 …11
TO ARCHBISHOP WALSH
8 Leeson Park, 10 December 1900:
I have read your letter with much concern … the intervention of Your Grace in the direction indicated is a very serious matter; at the same time if Your Grace feels it a public duty to make a pronouncement on the political situation that has arisen I cannot take the responsibility of asking you to refrain from doing so.
I sincerely hope that the Convention proceedings do not have the deplorable consequences you anticipate.12
***
The second Convention was held on 11–12 December 1900. With Redmond trying to keep order amid fierce uproar, the Convention voted by a large majority for O’Brien’s motion to exclude Healy from the Party, all former Parnellites voting against. The decision brought peace to the Party. Redmond set about organising it for Parliamentary work.
TO WILLIAM O’BRIEN MP
8 Leeson Park, (circular letter) 1 January 1901:
… the Committee of the Party appointed to ‘consider and report upon a plan for the distribution of Parliamentary work amongst members of the Party’ has reported in favour of the appointment of Sessional Standing Committees to deal with … (1) Land and Evicted Tenants, (2) Congested Districts, (3) Labour, (4) Town Tenants, (5) Education, (6) Financial Relations, (7) Administration, (8) Local Government, (9) British Affairs, (10) Foreign Affairs, (11) Private Bill legislation.
I am most anxious at the very commencement of the Session to put this system (if approved by the Party) into immediate operation.
… I would be very much obliged if you would let me know … if you are willing to serve on committees on [(1), (2) and (7)].13
***
THE LAND STRUGGLE
From the beginning of the 1901 session, Redmond and his colleagues, in line with Parnell’s policy of realizing peasant proprietorship, made the achievement of new land purchase legislation from the Tory Government the policy priority for the Party. An integral part of this strategy was a campaign of agitation in the countryside. While avoiding outright violence, this relied on traditional methods of intimidation and boycotting to enforce the will of the UIL, which by autumn 1901 had 100,000 members organised in 1,000 branches. Among those imprisoned under the coercion laws were some Party MPs.
FROM JOHN DILLON MP
Dublin, 29 January 1901:
… I am very strongly of the opinion that the amendment on Compulsory Sale ought to be the first Irish amendment [to the Address] and ought to be moved by you …14
TO JOHN DILLON MP
Aughavanagh, 30 January 1901:
I am very glad to find your view the same as my own about Land Purchase. I am rather doubtful about O’Brien’s view from a note I had from him some little time ago … but it would be utter madness to hand over this question which has been in one shape or another our chief plank on the land question since the Land League to Russell or anyone else …
P.S.