Life often does make on the tender-hearted an impression of coarse violence; life, nevertheless, always has its way.

What other interpretation is possible?
Lancashire, to take any random contrast, is much richer than Ireland in wealth and population; but Lancashire is not a "Question." Lancashire is not a "Question" because Lancashire is not a nation.

Ireland is a "Question" because Ireland is a nation.

Her fundamental claim is a claim for the constitutional recognition of nationality.
We have seen that in almost every conflict between English and Irish ideas the latter have had the justification of success.

This holds good also as regards our long insistence on nationality as a principle of political organisation.