Federalism and Home Rule (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1910 Excerpt: ...discreditable. The Unionists would be ruined with the country, for the country is rightly sceptical of the sincerity of conversions from which the convert clearly anticipates a flow of benefits to himself. They would be ruined among themselves, for they would have lost confidence in their own honour. And what advantage would there be to put into the other scale? Simply some conjectural party profit on a bargain with the Irish members in the Imperial Parliament, and with the Irish voters in the English and Scots constituencies; a treaty of unnatural alliance, for the purpose of jobbing ourselves into office; a coalition--following the fashion--a new coalition, weaker, and more exposed to insult and derision, than the present one; a combination not so much political as purely factious; an untidy bundle THE WEAKNESS OF A COALITION 23 of opposites, bound together with a string incapable of bearing the strain, as it might be by a child. A fine contrivance to stand the weather An excellent foundation on which to start building up a bold policy of Imperial union And has anything occurred lately to change our old feeling for coalitions suddenly into love, to excite our admiration for their success, or our envy on account of the dignity, and comfort, and convenience which they bring to Ministers? Surely Unionists have not lost hopes of a victory, and surely we should not regard it as a victory if we came into power dependent upon the support of the Irish party or of any other party? We have never accepted the opinion as a sound one which assures us that the "group" system has come to stay. We rather agree with the Westminster Gazette, which says very wisely that Liberals and Unionists will never win victories by masquerading in one another's clothes; tha...