. An olive branch in Ireland, and its history. trait for those whohad witnessed his conduct under the spell of the Conventionwas his boast to Mr. Redmond that if he had put his amend-ment to the vote, half the Convention would have been withhim and against us. It is scarcely necessary to insist howmournfully he misread the affectionate gratitude with whichthe Convention repaid his deference to the passionate deter-mination of at least nine out of every ten men in thehall and in the country. If the decision which the Freemanitself owned to have been arrived at with practicalunanimity was not to
. An olive branch in Ireland, and its history. trait for those whohad witnessed his conduct under the spell of the Conventionwas his boast to Mr. Redmond that if he had put his amend-ment to the vote, half the Convention would have been withhim and against us. It is scarcely necessary to insist howmournfully he misread the affectionate gratitude with whichthe Convention repaid his deference to the passionate deter-mination of at least nine out of every ten men in thehall and in the country. If the decision which the Freemanitself owned to have been arrived at with practicalunanimity was not to be accepted as genuine and final,what respect would remain for the deliberative power of anIrish National Assembly, or what reliance upon its goodfaith ? It will be seen later that in the article in the IndependentReview in which Mr. Davitt manfully avowed to the publicthat he and his friends launched a determined campaign against the national policy signed and sealed by the IrishParty and its leader and by the United Irish League and 230 i. !l II CHAP. XII THE BILL PASSES INTO LAW 231 by the National Convention, he dated the determinedcampaign from a resolution of the National Directorywhich was not passed until after the Bill had become is abundantly clear, however, from Mr. Sextons letter,that he was by this time in confidential communicationwith Mr. Davitt and with Mr. T. P. OConnor, who had inturn opened up communications with Mr. Wyndham andSir Antony MacDonnell, without the knowledge of or his colleagues ; that Mr. OConnor had comeover to Dublin (it may be safely assumed on a hint fromMr. Dillon) to arrange, in concert with Mr. Davitt and , for the defeat of what was known to be resolution no less than mine, claiming theconfidence of the country ; and that, upon the failure of theattempt to induce the Convention to adjourn, Mr. Davitt,Mr. Sexton, and Mr. OConnor must have been privy to thetelegraphic communications which determined
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