[ 32 1] 
“ The word Unionist,” it writes, “ has lost its familiar 
meaning, but it will take a new and honourable lease 
of life if the Unionist Party now decides to make 
itself the champion of a United Ireland.” 
Surely Sir Edward Carson, who assured a meeting 
of seven hundred Unionist delegates from Leinster, 
Munster, and Connaught, “you need fear no action 
of Ulster which would be in the nature of a desertion 
of any of the southern provinces,” could not now 
refuse to listen to such an appeal. No reasonable 
concession would be refused which would induee the 
six counties to exercise an option they have secured 
in favour of the policy of a united rather than a dis- 
membered Ireland. 
Sir Edward Carson has declared that it is not the 
legislation but the administration of an Irish Parlia- 
ment he fears. His fear of maladministration would 
be at least diminished if he were assured of a Coali- 
tion Cabinet. There is still another administration 
safeguard which I have already suggested elsewhere, 
and which might be worth a trial. We have district 
and county councils in Ireland. There seems to me 
to be no valid objection, if Ulster so desires, to the 
creation of provincial councils as well. To an Ulster 
Council the local administration of the province might 
be safely entrusted. There is special encouragement 
in one memorable declaration of Sir Edward Carson. 
“If Home Rule is tried for part of Ireland I, as an 
Irishman, hope and pray that it may so work that 
Ulster of her own motion may come in” Can he 
not, as an Irishman, go one step further and invite 
Ulster with her wealth and intelligence to lend a 
hand in the successful working of Home Rule ? 
In the Life and Letters of Sir John Henntker Heaton, 
recently published by his daughter, an interesting 
little incident is recorded — 
« Heaton introduced his old friend and Irish rebel 
and Colonial statesman, Sir Charles Gavan Duffy, to