As we have often said, exclusion goes to the heart
of tl,e matter because it is a demand founded on the Governments own principles—the principles on which the Bill is based. The Government cannot withstand the argument for exclusion, either in logic or humanity. The one object of all men of goodwill now should be to avoid civil war. Assuming that the Government will not grant either of the pleas put forward with such force and reasonableness by Mr. Honor Law in one of the best speeches be has ever made, we are certain that exclusion will be the only way of preventing civil war. We conteniplate the possibility of Mr. Asquith's final refusal of a General Election or a Referendum because, as Mr. Sonar Law carefully explained, he is not a free agent. "Home Rule within Home Rule" will satisfy neither Irish nor English Unionists. The extraordinary enthusiasm of Mr. Bonar Law's audience should prove to the Government the feeling of average Unionists on that point.
