At periods the enemy tries to stem the movement, and then the fight
becomes general and keen around a certain position. In our time there
were the Land Leagues, the Land War, fights for Home Rule,
Universities, Irish; and these fights ended in Land Acts, Local
Government Acts, University Acts, and the conceding of pride of place to
the native language in university life. Every position gained is a step
forward; it is accepted as such, and so is justified. For anyone who
grasps the serious purpose of recovering Ireland's independence all
along the line, the suggestion that we should abandon all machinery of
local government and enterprise--because they are "Government
positions"--to men definitely attached to the alien garrison is so
foolish as not to be even entertained. When our attitude is questioned
let it be made clear. That is the final answer to the man who challenges
our consistency: we are carrying the trenches of the enemy.
IV
Even while dismissing a false idea of consistency we have to make clear
another view still remote from the general mind. If we are to have an
effective army of freedom we must enrol only men who have a clear
conception of the goal, a readiness to yield full allegiance, and a
determination to fight always so as to reflect honour on the flag. The
importance of this will be felt only when we come to deal with concrete
cases. While human nature is what it is we will have always on the
outskirts of every movement a certain type of political adventurer who
is ready to transfer his allegiance from one party to another according
as he thinks the time serves.
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