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The
Covenant Campaign Ignoring the warnings from Ulster's elected representatives and from the Conservative Opposition in Parliament, the British Government, needing Irish Nationalist votes to stay in power, pressed ahead with its ill- considered and cynical scheme to impose Home Rule -- Dublin Rule -- on Ulster. Carson feared the consequences of London's schemes in Ulster: mounting tension between Unionists and Nationalists; violent incidents leading to further violent incidents; the dreadful slide into full-scale civil war and the inevitable loss of innocent lives. Determined to resist Home Rule but also to contain the dangers created by Nationalist and British Government pressures, Carson endorsed a series of 11 meetings held over 10 days, the famous "Covenant Campaign" of September 1912 organised by Craig. From Enniskillen to Londonderry, from Ballymena to Portadown, from Coleraine to the last great rally at the Ulster Hall, Belfast, on 27 September, Carson addressed meetings of thousands of Loyalists. Everywhere his listeners were called upon to bestir themselves and order the affairs of a people in the grave crisis which threatened to engulf them. Everywhere that clear message was accompanied by an equally clear call to maintain order and discipline. Thus at the first great meeting at Enniskillen -- chosen for its symbolic significance as the western gateway to Ulster -- 30-40,000 Unionist Club members, with two mounted squadrons of Volunteers, marched past the Unionist leader in immaculate order. Enniskillen's example was followed everywhere else. The whole Unionist population was to be mobilised to meet any eventuality. No doubt was to be left in London or in Dublin that Ulster men and women were equally determined to resist a grave political injustice.
The first Covenant Campaign demonstration was held at Enniskillen, the western gateway to Ulster and the centre of loyalty in that part of the Province. The town set the tone for all the later demonstrations, exhibiting the people's mixture of solemn determination and confident enthusiasm for the Campaign. This photograph (above) shows the mounted Yeomanry which headed the march to Portora Hill. It was a display which both emphasised the Ulstermen's readiness to fight if forced to defend themselves and evoked the glorious role of Enniskillen in standing against James Il's forces and thus contributing to the struggle for civil and religious liberty.
Special trains from Belturbet, Cootehill, Bundoran, Monaghan, Castleblayney, Omagh, and many other towns brought Unionists to the Enniskillen demonstration. Enniskillen, recognising the honour bestowed on it, festooned its streets with bunting and flags, and erected an impressive number of arches. The preceding photograph shows the Earl of Erne opening the proceedings. The highlight was a forceful speech by Carson in which he left his audience in no doubt as to what they might be called upon to do in the near future. The road offered was that of sacrifice; the same road that he and the other Unionist leaders were prepared to take. Together they must prove, he warned them, that they were not decadent sons of their glorious ancestors. The third demonstration in the Covenant Campaign was held in Londonderry On his arrival at the railway station, Carson was provided with a guard of honour from the local Unionist Clubs and with a bodyguard of 100 men. Fife and flute bands preceded the four open carriages which conveyed the dignitaries through the streets vibrant with the colours of flags, banners and emblems to the Guildhall. The Guildhall was the venue for rousing speeches to a wildly enthusiastic audience. Probably the most interesting speech was made by E E. Smith, a leading English Tory, who explained why, as an Englishman, he sided with Ulster in its struggle against Home Rule: the struggle of 1912 was the same as that of 1688, a struggle for rights.
The artist's impression in The Graphic caught the air of wild excitement. In the carriage can be seen Carson and the Duke of Abercorn (both seated) and Smith (standing).
Accompanied by bands and with flags waving `In the breeze, Carson and Smith marched through a town ablaze with red, white and blue flags and bunting. At the demonstration, in the grounds of the Manor House, Carson told the gathered thousands that the Covenant Campaign was no ordinary campaign: "It is the soul of a nation fighting against injustice. .. It is the protest of men that no gold can buy, the protest of men who will not allow themselves to be sold." The photograph shows Carson, with E E. Smith on his left, marching to the demonstration. The banner belonged to a large contingent of Loyalists from South Londonderry which had just arrived in Coleraine by special train.
The demonstration at Coleraine (above) drew thousands of Loyalists from Lough Neagh to the Foyle, from Fair Head to County Tyrone, all to hear the oratory of Carson and E E. Smith. At the railway station, where he arrived from Londonderry, Carson was met by a guard of honour drawn from the Ulster Clubs. He made an impromptu speech denying that Unionists wanted to stir up sectarianism and offering to Nationalists the hand of friendship 'for the good of the empire and the good of our common country," if only Home Rule were abandoned. The photograph (above) shows the huge crowd stretching from Killowen to the town centre and beyond. The banner across the street, with its clear political message, was well caught by the camera. Go to Part 2 of the Covenant Campaign
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