My own experience--and I have had opportunities of observing hundreds of associations formed by my friends upon the principles above laid down--does not carry me quite so far.
But, unquestionably, the association in Ireland does often become an entity as distinct from the individualities of which it is composed, as is a new chemical compound from its constituent elements.
Associations of the kind we had in our minds, which were to be primarily for purely business purposes, were bound to have many collateral effects.

They would open up outside of politics and religion, but not in conflict with either, a sphere of action where an independence new to the country would have to be exercised.

In Ireland public opinion is under an obsession which, whether political, religious, historical, or all three combined, is probably unique among civilised peoples.

Until the last few years, for example, it was our habit--one which immensely weakened the influence of Ireland in the Imperial Parliament--to form extravagant estimates of men, exalting and abasing them with irrational caprice, not according to their qualities so much as by their attitude towards the passion of the hour.

The ups and downs of the reputations of Lord Spencer and Mr.Arthur Balfour in Ireland are a sufficient illustration of our disregard of the old Latin proverb which tells us that no man ever became suddenly altogether bad.