Under the Gladstonian constitution her foreign policy is to be wholly regulated by a British Parliament in which sit no Irish representatives; she is not to have the right either of raising an army or of endowing a church; she is in fact to surrender any claim to the rights of a nation in consideration of receiving a certain number of State-rights.

In all this there is nothing unreasonable and nothing blameworthy.

One part of the United Kingdom is prepared to accept new terms of partnership.

But this acceptance, though reasonable and fair enough, is quite inconsistent with any claim for national independence.

A nation is one thing, a state forming part of a federation is quite another.