Empire, it will serve us to examine the Imperial creed and show its
tyranny, cruelty, hypocrisy, and expose the danger of giving it any
pretext whatever for aggression. For the Empire, as we know it and deal
with it, is a bad thing in itself, and we must not only get free of it
and not be again trapped by it, but must rather give hope and
encouragement to every nation fighting the same fight all the world
over.


II


One candid writer, Machiavelli, has put the Imperial creed into a book,
the examination of which will--for those willing to see--clear the air
of illusion. Now, we are conscious that defenders of the Empire profess
to be shocked by the wickedness of Machiavelli's utterance--we shall
hear Macaulay later--but this shocked attitude won't delude us. Let
those who have not read Machiavelli's book, "The Prince," consider
carefully the extracts given below and see exactly how they fit the
English occupation of Ireland, and understand thoroughly that the Empire
is a thing, bad in itself, utterly wicked, to be resisted everywhere,
fought without ceasing, renounced with fervour and without
qualification, as we have been taught from the cradle to renounce the
Devil with all his works and pomps. Consider first the invasion.
Machiavelli speaks:--"The common method in such cases is this. As soon
as a foreign potentate enters into a province those who are weaker or
disobliged join themselves with him out of emulation and animosity to
those who are above them, insomuch that in respect to those inferior
lords no pains are to be omitted that may gain them; and when gained,
they will readily and unanimously fall into one mass with the State that