The men with whom he had to deal were principally Professor MacNeill and Sir Roger Casement.  His first proposal was to replace the existing Provisional Committee by another, consisting of nine members, with Professor MacNeill, who was regarded as a general supporter of Redmond’s, in the chair.  Oddly enough, the negotiations broke down because Redmond nominated Michael Davitt’s son along with Mr. Devlin and his own brother to be representatives.  The young Davitt had at an early stage expressed dissent from the movement, and this, coming from his father’s son, left bitter resentment.  The existing Committee now proposed to call a National Convention of the Volunteers.  Such a body would clearly have become a rival, and a powerful rival, to the National Convention of a purely citizen type, and Redmond felt himself forced to take drastic action.  In a public letter dated June 9th he wrote: 

“I regret to observe the controversy which is now taking place in the Press on the Irish National Volunteer movement.  Many of the writers convey the impression that the Volunteer movement is, to some extent at all events, hostile to the objects and policy of the Irish party.  I desire to say emphatically that there is no foundation for this idea, and any attempts to create discord between the Volunteer movement and the Irish party are calculated in my opinion to ruin the Volunteer movement, which, properly directed, may be of incalculable service to the National Cause.

“Up to two months ago I felt that the Volunteer movement was somewhat premature, but the effect of Sir Edward Carson’s threats upon public opinion in England, the House of Commons, and the Government; the occurrences at the Curragh Camp, and the successful gun-running in Ulster, have vitally altered the position, and the Irish party took steps about six weeks ago to inform their friends and supporters in the country that in their opinion it was desirable to support the Volunteer movement, with the result that within the last six weeks the movement has spread like a prairie fire, and all the Nationalists of Ireland will shortly be enrolled.

“Within the last fortnight I have had communications from men in all parts of the country, inquiring as to the organization and control of the Volunteer movement, and it has been strongly represented to me that the Governing Body should be reconstructed and placed on a thoroughly representative basis, so as to give confidence to all shades of National opinion.”

Redmond’s proposal was that to the existing Committee there should be added twenty-five representative men from different parts of the country, nominated at the instance of the Irish party and in sympathy with its policy and aims.  Failing this, he intimated that it would be “necessary to fall back on county control and government until the organization was sufficiently complete to make possible the election of a fully representative Executive by the Volunteers themselves.”