A word perhaps is due here—­for I wish to pay respect to the opinion of every man—­to those Irishmen who call themselves loyalists.  On close analysis their language and arguments appear to me to be meaningless.  A study of the history of the world and of the origins of civil power show that there is only one thing that is recognisable as giving a good and stable title to any government, and that is the consent of the governed.

A man who is a member of a community owes a duty to the community in return for the benefit arising out of his membership, but his duty—­which he may call loyalty if he pleases—­is proportionate to the share which he possesses in the imposition of responsibilities upon himself.  The application of this to Ireland is obvious, and it explains why in so many cases a man who has been a rebel in Ireland has afterwards risen to the highest place in the self-governing communities which are called British colonies.  To put it in another way, a community of intelligent men must be self-governing, or else it will be a forcing-house for rebels.  I don’t see any third way.

As I have before suggested, the two questions that have always presented themselves to me in connection with work for Ireland have been—­first, is it right?  Second, is it practicable?  In joining the I.R.B.  I had no doubt on either ground.  As to the first, the misgovernment of Ireland, of which I had seen the hideous fruits in the Famine years and emigration, was ample justification.  As to the second, there was every likelihood of the success of the movement.  It will be remembered that during these years the great Civil War in America was going on, in which many thousands of our fellow-countrymen, were engaged on both sides, mostly, however, for the North.  A great number of these had entered into this service chiefly with the object of acquiring the military training intended to be used in fighting on Irish soil for their country’s freedom.  Such an opportunity seemed likely to arise, for during this time the “Alabama Claims” and other matters brought America and England to the verge of war.  Had such a conflict arisen, one result of it, as Mr. Gladstone and other British statesmen could not but have foreseen, would probably be the severance of the connexion, once for all, between Ireland and Great Britain.

John Ryan, knowing me so well, felt tolerably assured that no argument from him would be required to induce me to join the I.R.B.; consequently, one of the first things he did was, at my request, to administer to me the oath of allegiance to the Irish Republic, as the saying went, “now virtually established.”

After this we had a long seanchus, I telling him of all that had happened among our friends during his frequent absences from Liverpool, and he describing to me many of the adventures of himself and other prominent men in the movement, which were to me both interesting and exciting.  Among these were his assistance in the escape of James Stephens, of which I will speak later.