h
lies and false expectations."

Accordingly, upon their liberation, just before the surrender, the
Colonel was profuse in his gratitude for the most unexpectedly generous
treatment he himself and his fellow-prisoners had received at their
hands.

Such stories came as rather awkward comments on the indiscriminate
prosecutions that followed when the tables were reversed, and it was
rather a relief when English Conservative papers were at last forced in
the name of Empire to abandon the attitude taken up by Irish Unionist
organs in the name of the Castle; for it must have been compelling
evidence indeed that made the _Daily Mail_, of all newspapers, come out
with the following, so to speak, unsolicited testimonial, which many an
Ulster organ would have preferred to close down rather than publish:--

"The leaders were absolute blood-guilty traitors to Britain, but in some
ways their sentiments were worthy of respect," said the writer. "Theirs
was an intense local patriotism. They believed in Ireland. They believed
that she would never prosper or be happy under British rule. They knew
that there were 16,000 families in Dublin living on less than one pound
a week. They saw the infinite misery of the Dublin slums, the foulest
spot in Europe, where a quarter of the total population are forced to
live in the indescribable squalor of one-room tenements--I quote from
official records--and they believed that this was due to England's
neglect (as, indeed, it was), and that the Irish Republic would end
these things. Therefore they struck, and as far as they could exercise
direct control over the rebel army they tried to fight a clean fight.
They begged their followers not to disgrace the Republican flag. They
posted guards to prevent looting. They fought with magnificent courage.
Nevertheless, their control was not far-reaching, and they were
disgraced by the anarchy of some of their followers. But it is necessary
to point out their virtues, because it is those and their ideals that
non-rebel Irishmen are remembering to-day."

FOOTNOTE:

[1] Cf. the telegram received by the Prime Minister from the man in
whose discretion the whole British Legislature had placed its absolute
confidence: "Mr. Skeffington was shot on morning of 26th April without
the knowledge of the military authorities. The matter is now under
investigation. The officer concerned has been under arrest since 6th
May."

CHAPTER THE SIXTH

SINN FEIN--GER