‘Government of the Republic’ dismisses peace rumours and challenges actions of Irish bishops
Dublin, 7 November 1922 – A statement issued by the so-called ‘Government of the Republic’, established in opposition to the provisional government, has dismissed rumours that peace negotiations to end the current civil conflict are underway.
Late last month, as part of the daily bulletins that have been issued by the Irregular movement, it was revealed that anti-treaty members of the Dáil had met in a ‘secret session’. They accused their opponents of subverting the republic and its government, and established a rival Dáil of ‘faithful’ deputies to maintain the republic.
This rival Dáil then appointed Éamon de Valera as President of the Republic and Chief Executive of the State, charging him with nominating a Council of State. Included in this alternative cabinet are Austin Stack, Robert Barton, George Plunkett, J.J. O’Kelly, Laurence Ginnell, Seán T. Ó Ceallaigh, Seán O’Mahony, Kathleen O’Callaghan, Mary MacSwiney, P.J. Ruttledge, Seán Moylan and Michael Colivet.
A communication from the headquarters of Mr de Valera’s party states that the ‘principles which republicans are defending are by their very nature irreducible and not open to compromise. Victory for the republic, or utter defeat and extermination, are now the alternatives. The Government of the Republic recognises this fact.’
Mr de Valera has been instructed to make representations to the Vatican in Rome to curb the ‘unwarranted action’ of the Irish hierarchy (Image: Library of Congress, LC-DIG-pga-06337)
Last week, it was also claimed that the Government of the Republic had passed a resolution requesting that Mr de Valera write to the Vatican to protest against the Irish Catholic hierarchy’s stance on the ongoing civil conflict in the country.
The resolution challenges the ‘unwarrantable action of the Irish hierarchy in presuming and pretending to pronounce an authoritative judgement upon the question of constitutional and political fact now at issues in Ireland , viz., – whether the so-called Provisional (Partition) Parliament set up under threat of unjust war and by a coup d’état, was the rightful legislature and Government of the country or not, and in using the sanction of religion to impose their own political views and compel acquiesce by Irish Republicans in a usurpation that entails no less consequences than the partition of the ancient territory of our nation, the loss of its sovereignty and declared independence, and the imposition of a test oath that amounts to the disenfranchisement of Republicans, who have regard for the sacred bond of an oath, and will not take it without meaning to keep it.’
[Editor's note: This is an article from Century Ireland, a fortnightly online newspaper, written from the perspective of a journalist 100 years ago, based on news reports of the time.]
