The Henson Journals

[64]

Saturday, June 7th, 1924.

Sir John Ross told me that, in his earlier life, he had lived in the Balkans, and had been impressed by the resemblance of the Slavs and the Irish. Both are highly devotional, and very savage peoples. In Ireland there were two races – the civilized and the uncivilized, the "wild Irish" as they were commonly called in the 16th and 17th centuries. The abominable outrages, which disgraced Irish warfare, were explicable by the savagery of the people; & the same fact went far to explain the wanton destruction of property. But what could be more ridiculous than to confer "self–government" on such people? He thought that the Ulster "rebellion" had been justified, for all the 3 conditions of legitimate rebellion laid down by Suarez were present, viz: an intolerable grievance, a good chance of success, and capacity to keep order among themselves. In Southern Ireland, the last condition was certainly lacking. Sir John spoke with much severity of the cowardice of the Roman Hierarchy in refraining from any frank condemnation of murder. He ascribed it to their fear of the priesthood, who were drawn from the peasantry, & shared their point of view. He had himself remonstrated with Cardinal Logue, but to no purpose. The Church was, he thought, really losing influence, and this circumstance was the more regrettable as there was no tolerable substitute. The "gun–men" from America were mainly "Bolshevists:

[65]

After breakfast a considerable addition to the house–party was made. Lord Londonderry arrived, & brought with him Lord & Lady Dufferin, the Countess of Wilton, and several others. Mine hostess took me for a walk round the gardens, which are more extensive than I had supposed. After lunch, the weather changed for the worse. In spite of this, Lord Hugh Cecil and I walked in the rain for an hour and a half, talking hard. He has a subtle mind, and a strong conviction: but he is too hostile to critical methods to be able to understand the positions which he attacks.

At dinner I sate beside the Countess of Wilton a pretty & vivacious woman. She told me that she had been converted to Papistry, but did not agree with the narrow doctrines of her church. She would not have her children brought up as Catholicks: nor did she believe in Papal Infallibility: nor would she go to confession. She said that Dick Sheppard had wanted to marry her. I was much interested in her talk, but of course one must not take these bright ladies too seriously. After dinner, Carson told some amusing stories. He said that an Ulster soldier in the Italian debacle, when the Italian troops fled like hares before the Austrians, observed to a fellow–Ulsterman that he supposed these fellows were the sort they made the popes from. "I would have you know, my lord, that we will not be poped" was written to Ld Londonderry this morning à propos of the Education Bill.

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