On that basis the Convention could never have been brought together.

The Prime Minister's letter of May 16th which proposed the Convention suggested that Irishmen should meet "for the purpose of drafting a Constitution for their own country." On May 22nd Mr.Lloyd George had said, "We propose that Ireland should try her own hand at hammering out an instrument of government for her people." The only limitation was that it should be a Constitution "for the future government of Ireland within the Empire." Then he turned to the argument that all the sacrifices were asked from Unionists.

Let us weigh them, he said.

What sacrifices had been made by the Irish Nationalists, since this chain of events began ?--Then followed a passage which I recapitulate, not necessarily in full, but in phrases which he actually used, and I noted down: "Personal loss I set aside.

My position--our position--before the war was that we possessed the confidence of nearly the entire country.