When the singing ended, Mr. Crooks’s genial voice rose again.  “God save Ireland!” he shouted.

“And God save England too!” Redmond answered.

That exchange of words outside the period of debate is, contrary to usage but very properly, recorded in Hansard.

From this time forth Redmond was on his trial.  He had given pledges; he must make good to Ireland and make good to Great Britain.  For the first, since Home Rule could not be brought into operation, he must secure recognition of the National Volunteers, must establish and regularize their status; for the second, he must obtain recruits as Ireland’s contribution to the war.  The two proposals were in his view—­and indeed were in reality—­inseparably connected.  For both, in order to succeed, he needed to have the cordial support of his fellow-countrymen; for both, he needed whole-hearted co-operation from the British Government.  It would be too much to say that Ireland backed him cordially; but for the limitation of Ireland’s response the fault lay chiefly and primarily with the Government, which failed him completely.  The War Office could not actually and directly oppose his effort to raise troops; what they could do was to hamper him by the adoption of wrong methods and the refusal of right ones.  Yet in that part of his task which involved making good to England, laying England and the Empire under a debt of living gratitude, his appeal was made to Ireland, and he succeeded so far that only Ireland herself could have destroyed his work.  But on the other point, which involved gaining satisfaction for Ireland, the appeal was made to Government and the refusal was complete.  It was worse than absolute, for it was tainted with bad faith.  Mr. Asquith as Prime Minister accepted the mutual covenant which Redmond had proposed, and allowed Lord Kitchener to disallow fulfilment of it.

Redmond’s view was not limited to Ireland’s interest.  No man living in these islands felt more keenly for the great underlying principles at issue in the war.  His mission, as he conceived it, was to lead Ireland to serve those principles.  But it was futile to suppose that he could secure for England all that England expected of Ireland if he could obtain from England nothing of what Ireland asked.  Redmond wanted recognition for the Volunteers chiefly as a basis upon which Ireland could feel that she was building an Irish army worthy of her record in arms; and this army would be no mean assistance to the nations allied against Germany’s aggression.  Considering all the facts which have to be set out, the true cause for wonder is not the limitation but the extent of his success.