Dividing Ireland: World War I and Partition

88 THE GREAT WAR AND NATIONAL IDENTITY
tending to bring about or perpetuate disunion or the partition
of our country.
3 To resist any attempt to force the men of Ireland into any
military service under any Government until a free National
Government of Ireland is empowered by the Irish people
themselves to deal with it.
4 To secure the abolition of the system of governing Ireland
through Dublin Castle and the British Military power, and the
establishment of a National Government in its place. 35
Eamonn Ceannt of the Provisional Committee argued that the
fallacy of Redmond’s recruiting argument was the assumption that
England had ever redressed an Irish grievance before the Irish
people had made clear their determination to take the law into
their own hands. For example, Irish land was wrested from ‘English
planters’ not by pious resolution, but by organised illegality;
Church of Ireland disestablishment was accomplished by the
Fenian conspiracy; Catholic Emancipation was won when
Wellington perceived civil war; and the placing of home rule on the
Statute Book was due to the Irish National Volunteer threat. Ceannt
believed that Ireland owed no gratitude to England, pointing out
that home rule was not yet a fact, and that Ireland needed all her
men either to stand up to an England victorious in war, or to
demand her national rights from a beaten England. 36 The
Provisional Committee also opposed Redmond’s policy on the
fundamental point of participation in the life struggle of the British
Empire. Patrick Pearse argued:
We say definitely no. In taking that stand we are taking the
historical Irish national position. Ireland has never accepted
duties or responsibilities within the British Empire. The
demand now made upon her, the demand that she should
send out her young sons to fight the Empire’s battles, is a
demand that has never yet been made upon her by her
national leaders. The making of that demand constitutes a
departure in national policy. Upon those who make the
demand lies the onus that new circumstances warrant a new
and grave departure. Upon those who call Ireland to take up
duties and responsibilities within the Empire lies the onus of
proving that Ireland’s status as a subject country has
changed. But it has not changed. The British military
occupation of Ireland still continues. A British Chief Secretary
still rules Ireland from Dublin Castle…. The doors of the Irish
Parliament are still closed. No Irish Government responsible