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Irish unionism and the Russellite threat, 1894-1906

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2016

Alvin Jackson
Alvin Jackson*
Affiliation:
Department of Modern History, Queen’s University of Belfast
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Extract

Whether as a unionist, or as an independent, T W Russell was never taken lightly by the parliamentary representatives of late Victorian unionism: directly, and obliquely, his contribution to the evolution of their movement was immense. As a popular unionist missionary in Britain between the first two home-rule bills, and as a protégé of Joseph Chamberlain, Russell was a valuable medium of communication between the British and Irish unionist parties. Moreover, he was both a champion of unionist farmer demands and a loyalist member of parliament; so Russell also created a vital bond between Irish unionism and rural opinion. As a member of the parliamentary Ulster party, Russell worked unstintingly for its success, provoking flexibility among both the more obtuse landed elements in the commons and among radical farmers in the counties. Yet, when he left unionism, his influence (now indirect) remained. Confronted by the spectre of presbyterian farmer militancy led by Russell, Irish unionist members of parliament meekly tailored their public pledges; and when, between 1900 and 1902, his agitation peaked, these members went further, revising the structure of their party in order to deflate his criticism and restore old loyalties. As one of the most significant forces in moulding twentieth-century unionism from nineteenth-century toryism, Russell merits special attention: his relationship with the unionist leadership in the strategically crucial years between 1894 and 1906 is examined here at length.

Type
Articles
Information
Irish Historical Studies , Volume 25 , Issue 100 , November 1987 , pp. 376 - 404
Copyright
Copyright © Irish Historical Studies Publications Ltd 1987

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References

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9 Balfour to Leonard Courtney, 13 Feb. 1892 (B.L., Arthur Balfour papers, Add. MS 49830, f.530); Balfour to Russell, 3 Nov 1891 (ibid., f. 343); Balfour to Montgomery, 14 Sept. 1889 (ibid., Add. MS 49828, f. 277).

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18 J.S. Mairs to Balfour, 3 Mar 1894 (Whittingehame, Arthur Balfour papers, TD.83/133/32/50).

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26 Hansard 4, xxiii, 305 (12 Apr. 1894, Harland), col. 308 (Russell), cols 397ff (13 Apr., Smith-Barry, Russell, Johnston).

27 Brodrick to Balfour, 25 Dec. 1894 (B.L., Arthur Balfour papers, Add. MS 49720, f.9).

28 Report from the select committee on the land acts (Ireland) together with the proceedings of the committee ., pp xxix–lviii, H.C. 1894 (310), xiii, 29–58.

29 Ibid.

30 Macartney to Montgomery, 7 Aug. 1894 (P.R.O.N.I., Montgomery papers, D.627/428/248).

31 Hansard 4, xxvii, 425 (19 July 1894).

32 Ibid.

33 Ibid., col. 674 (23 July 1894, Chamberlain), col. 708 (Macartney) and col. 718 (Russell).

34 Lansdowne to Devonshire, 7 Nov. 1894 (Chatsworth House, Devonshire papers, 340/2576); Brodrick to Balfour, 25 Dec. 1894 (B.L., Arthur Balfour papers, Add. MS 49270, f.9).

35 B.N.L., 28 Apr 1894.

36 Ibid.

37 T W Russell to Chamberlain, 28 Apr 1894 (Birmingham U.L., Joseph Chamberlain papers, JC.5/75/16).

38 Chamberlain to Balfour, 25 Apr. 1894 (B.L., Arthur Balfour papers, Add. MS 49773, f.63). Cf. William Johnston’s diary, 24 Apr. 1894 (P.R.O.N.I., Johnston papers, D.880/2).

39 B.N.L., 5 May 1894.

40 Ibid.

4l B.N.L., 29 May 1894.

42 Chamberlain to Montgomery, 9 Oct. 1894 (P.R.O.N.I., Montgomery papers, Τ 1089/261).

43 N.W , 13 Oct. 1894.

44 Ibid.

45 N.W. , 18 Oct. 1894.

46 B.N.L., 8 Nov 1894.

47 B.N.L., 6, 21 Nov 1894.

48 B.N.L., 8 Nov. 1894, N.W., 9 Nov 1894. Cf. William Johnston’s diary, 6, 16, 17, 23, Nov 1894 (P.R.O.N.I., Johnston papers, D.880/2).

49 Brodrick to Salisbury, 18 Oct. 1894 (Hatfield, Salisbury papers).

50 Balfour to Brodrick, 14 Oct. 1894 (ibid.).

51 Brodrick to Balfour, 25 Dec. 1894 (B.L., Arthur Balfour papers, Add. MS 49720, f.9). Cf. ’Memorandum by Joseph Chamberlain on the proposed compromise over Morley’s evicted tenants bill’ (Birmingham U.L., Joseph Chamberlain papers, JC.8/5/1/18).

52 Salisbury to Balfour, 29 Dec. 1894 (B.L., Arthur Balfour papers, Add. MS 49690, f.97).

53 Hansard 4, xxxi, 335 (4 Mar 1895, Rentoul), xxxii, 810 (2 Apr., Barton), col. 1044 (5 Apr., Dane).

54 Ibid., xxxii, 1054 (5 Apr., Sexton).

55 Ibid., col. 1067 (Balfour).

56 Horace Plunkett’s diary, 2 May 1895 (Plunkett Foundation, Horace Plunkett papers). This is partly quoted by Gailey, Andrew in ‘Unionist rhetoric and local government reform, 1895–9’ in I.H.S., 24, no. 93 (May 1984), p. 55.Google Scholar Dr Gailey slightly modifies his argument concerning unionist commitment to reform in 1895: Ireland and the death of kindness: the experience of constructive unionism, 1890–1905 (Cork, 1987), p. 143.

51 B.N.L., 17 July 1895.

58 Ibid.

59 B.N.L., 22 July 1895.

60 Salisbury to Balfour, 28 June 1895 (Whittingehame, Arthur Balfour papers, TD.83/133/71); Balfour to Salisbury, 29 June 1895 (Hatfield, Salisbury papers, E/Balfour/495).

61 B.N.L., 17 July 1895.

62 Ibid.; Russell to Salisbury, 2 July 1895 (Hatfield, Salisbury Papers).

63 Russell to Salisbury, 4 July 1895 (ibid.).

64 B.N.L., 17 July 1895.

65 For Russell’s period at the Local Government Board, see Stead, W T, Coming men on coming questions, pp 235–6Google Scholar; for Russell and financial relations, see Gailey, , Death of kindness, p. 104.Google Scholar

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67 Edward Saunderson to Salisbury, 19 Mar. 1895 (Hatfield, Salisbury papers); Hansard 4, xxxi, 997 (13 Mar. 1895).

68 Balfour to Salisbury, 20 June 1895 (Hatfield, Salisbury papers).

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73 Salisbury to Russell, 5 Nov 1900 (Hatfield, Salisbury papers). The italics are mine.

74 Cadogan was moved to label the prime minister ‘the champion of the Ulster landlord interest’ Cadogan to Salisbury, 22 Apr 1900 (ibid.).

75 Saunderson to Salisbury, 23 Sept. 1900, Abercorn to Salisbury, 9, 18, 25, 31 Oct. 1900 (ibid.). See also Murphy, Desmond, Derry, Donegal and modern Ulster, 1790–1921 (Londonderry, 1981), p. 203.Google Scholar

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83 N.W, 17 Jan. 1901.

84 Ibid., 9 Feb. 1901

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88 Hansard 4, lxxxix, 746 (21 Feb. 1901, my italics). Cf. Russell’s Cookstown speech in Irish News, 3 Dec. 1900. For evidence of Russell’s growing support among nationalists, see ibid., 3 Dec. 1900; Coleraine Chronicle, 6 Apr 1901, N.W, 10 Apr. 1901

89 N.W., 29 Nov 1900.

90 Ibid., 8 and 19 Jan. 1901

91 Coleraine Chronicle, 6 Apr 1901.

92 B.N.L., 21 Dec. 1900.

93 Russell to Salisbury, n.d. [Dec. 1900], 1 Jan. 1901 (Hatfield, Salisbury papers).

94 N.W., 8 Feb. 1901.

95 Montgomery to Lecky, 21 Nov 1900 (T.C.D., W.E.H. Lecky papers, MS 1832/1997).

96 William Johnston’s diary, 19 Feb. 1901 (P.R.O.N.I., Johnston papers, D.880/2).

97 Cadogan to Salisbury, 15 Jan. 1901 (Hatfield, Salisbury papers).

98 McMinn, , ‘Liberalism in north Antrim’, p. 20 Google Scholar; idem, ‘The Rev. James Brown Armour and liberal politics in North Antrim, 1869–1914’ (unpublished Ph.D. thesis, Queen’s University of Belfast, 1979), pp 341–2.

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101 Horace Plunkett’s diary, 8 Oct. 1901 (ibid.). Plunkett momentarily considered standing on the Russellite ticket in East Down, but declined to provide the necessary pledge on compulsion.

102 Horace Plunkett’s diary, 14 Mar. 1902 (ibid.).

103 Gailey, , Death of kindness, p. 171,Google Scholar McMinn, , ‘J.B. Armour’, p. 344.Google Scholar

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109 Ibid., 16 Jan. 1903, quoting The Times.

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112 B.N.L., 19 Jan. 1903.

113 Ibid., 17 Jan. 1903, 25 Jan. 1902.

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115 Calculations based upon figures provided in Walker, Brian M. Parliamentary election results in Ireland, 1801–1922 (Dublin, 1978).Google Scholar

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118 B.N.L., 7 Feb. 1902, p. 5; Ervine, , Craigavon, pp 125–6.Google Scholar

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120 B.N.L., 23 Mar 1903.

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l22 B.N.L., 22 Jan. 1903.

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125 Campbell, , Fifty years, p. 264.Google Scholar

126 Cf. Lyons, F.S.L. The Irish unionist party and the devolution crisis of 1904–5’ in I.H.S., 6, no. 21 (Mar 1948), p. 22.Google Scholar

127 Bew, Paul and Wright, Frank ‘The agrarian opposition in Ulster politics, 1848–1887’ in Clark, & Donnelly, (eds), Irish peasants, p. 226.Google Scholar

128 Bew, & Wright, ‘Agrarian opposition’, pp 213–19.Google Scholar

129 Ibid., p. 192.

130 Bew, Conflict & conciliation, p. 89.Google Scholar

131 Bew, & Wright, ‘Agrarian opposition’, pp 219 ff.Google Scholar

132 Brett, Maurice V and Oliver, , Esher, Viscount (eds), The journals and letters of Reginald, Viscount Esher (4 vols, London, 1934–8), ii, 76.Google Scholar

133 Ervine, Craigavon, p. 101.Google Scholar The biographical information here is taken from Who was who, 1916–1929 (London, 1929), p. 918.

134 Russell had been predicting a breakdown in British government in Ireland since November 1917 ‘in three months you’ll have to decide to govern or clear out’ (Sir A. Frederick Whyte’s diary, 19 Nov 1917, India Office Library, Whyte papers, Ms Eur. D761/1). I am grateful to Mr Christopher Collins, Nuffield College, Oxford, for this reference.

135 Marjoribanks, Edward and Colvin, Ian, The life of Lord Carson (3 vols, London, 1932–6), i, 161.Google Scholar Marjoribanks oddly describes Russell as ‘an English member who took up the Irish question’