But Mr. Lloyd George’s speech, which had been deferred for several days owing to illness, was long before it came to Ireland, and then its tone was no way hopeful.  He referred back to the negotiations of June and July, with their “atmosphere of nervous suspicion and distrust, pervasive, universal, of everything and everybody.”

“I was drenched with suspicion of Irishmen by Englishmen and of Englishmen by Irishmen and, worst of all, of Irishmen by Irishmen.  It was a quagmire of distrust which clogged the footsteps and made progress impossible.  That is the real enemy of Ireland.”

No one could say that the transaction to which Mr. Lloyd George was referring had helped to destroy distrust:  and in view of the opinion held by Irishmen—­and not by Irishmen only—­of Ministers’ dealing with Ireland, it was natural that this passage should provoke the resentment which was evident in Redmond when he rose.

He followed Mr. Asquith, and made it clear that Ireland did not keep its praises for the rising star.  He commended in weighty words the patriotism, the reticence and the magnanimity of the dispossessed leader; he renewed Ireland’s expression of gratitude for the service done in the Home Rule Act; then, turning to the new power, he told Mr. Lloyd George bluntly that his words would be received in Ireland with the deepest disappointment.  This was to be a Ministry of quick and effective decisions; but so far as our question was concerned, they had shown every disposition to wait and see.  Was Ireland only to be let drift?  Two courses might be taken—­the statesman’s, of real remedy; the politician’s, of palliatives.  Even of the latter nothing had been said.  Martial law could be removed; untried men could be released from jail.  Yet there was no sign.  The Prime Minister intervened angrily.  He had been ill, he said.  Redmond was in no way inclined to accept the reason as sufficient, and again Mr. Lloyd George rose to say that it was “not merely unfair, but a trifle impolitic” not to give him a couple of days to consult with the Chief Secretary.

Still Redmond maintained his tone of aggression.  A radical reform was needed, and of those things that must be borne in mind the first was that time was of the essence of success.  Promptness was essential.  Secondly, Government must take the initiative themselves; they must not seek to evade their responsibility by putting the blame on other shoulders (this was his rejoinder to the allegation of paralysing distrust); there was no use in resuming negotiations, going to this man and to that man to see what he would be willing to take.  Thirdly, the problem must be approached by a different method; it must be dealt with on lines of a united Ireland.  The time had gone by, in effect, for any proposals of partition, temporary or permanent.