It was no fault of his if Liberalism failed to settle the Irish question at the moment when Liberal power reached its highest point.
The failure of the Council Bill had one good result, and one only.

It cleared the way for a definite propaganda on Home Rule.

But before this could be undertaken it was necessary to pull Nationalist Ireland together, for it was once more rent with division and distrust.

Mr.
Healy, who in 1901 had been expelled from the Irish party and its organization on the motion of Mr.O'Brien and against Redmond's advice, and Mr.O'Brien, who had subsequently retired from the party against Redmond's wish, were both of them formidable antagonists; and each was vehement in attack on the main body of Nationalists and their leader.

It was some time before Redmond braced himself to the struggle; but from the opening of the autumn recess in 1907 he undertook a campaign throughout Ireland which it would be difficult to overpraise.