Table talk
Sir: The reply (Letters, 3 January) of Mr Chichester-Clark, MP, to Sir Denis Brogan is more than a little disingenuous. Let us look at the facts Mr Chichester-Clark adduces in support of his argument that the influence of the Orange Order on the Unionist party is less than Sir Denis believes, and that 'it is not true that no Roman Catholic could, until recently, be a member of the Ulster Unionist party.'
1. 'There is at present one member of the Northern Ireland Cabinet who is not a- member of the Order.' True, but only since last Decem- ber, when Mr W. K. Fitzsimmons resigned for personal reasons.
2. 'At least five serving (Unionist utPs) are not in the Order.' Two are women who would be excluded anyway. Another is Mr Phelint O'Neill who was recently expelled.
3. The late Colonel Conolly McCausland [a Catholic] was a Vice-President of one of my own Unionist Associations.' Colonel McCaus- land was not a Catholic whe joined the Unionist party but a Unionist who became a Catholic. Incidentally, for attending his funeral service in a Catholic church a prominent Orangeman was expelled from the Order.
4. 'Many years ago there was a Roman Catholic Unionist Member of Parliament for my own area -of Londonderry who became a member of the Northern Ireland government and subsequently Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland.' The man in question (the late Sir Denis Henry) was never a member of the Northern Ireland government. A Unionist SIP from 1916, he was Attorney-General for Ireland from 1919-1921, and when Northern Ireland was established was appointed the first. Lord Chief Justice.
It is fair to say that until very recently adherence to the Catholic faith was deemed by Unionists to be incompatible with membership of their party. As recently as November 1959, when Sir Clarence Graham, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Ulster Unionist Council, stated that there was no reason why a Roman Catholic should not be selected as a' Unionist candidate, he was immediately criticised by MPS and party activists. A week later Sir George Clark, Grand Master of the Orange Order, said that 'it is difficult to see how a Roman Catholic, with the vast differences in religious outlook., could be either acceptable' within the Unionist party as a member, or, for that matter, bring himself unconditionally to support its ideals.' For those capable of such a feat be could only suggest that they support the party 'through the ballot box.' Commenting on that episode in the SPECTATOR (20 November 1959) Bernard Levin wrote: 'I have heard of offenders being asked to kiss the rod, but this is the first time I have heard of their being invited to subscribe a golden ferrule.'
Cornelius O'Leary Department of Political Science, The Queen's University of Belfast
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