Letter from Col Crawford to Edward Carson 1st January 1921 urging him to become Northern Ireland’s first Prime Minister
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Letter from Col. Crawford urging Sir Edward Carson to become Ulster's first Prime Minister.
'Now that the last lap of the Ulster Question is about to be run, the situation here is more critical than ever it was before.
Up till the present Ulster Parliament Bill was brought forward the Ulster people knew what they wanted and how to fight to attain it. But now they cannot realise what this new Bill means for them, nor do they appreciate their own responsibilities in regard to it.
They must be educated up to it, when they will soon learn. It is, however, of vital importance that they should have the right instructor at the beginning. A mistake in the first Session would portend ruin for the success of the entire scheme.
As an old friend, and one who has had the honour in past crises to share your friendship and confidence, I now take the liberty to appeal to you to start us on this venture as First Prime Minister of the First Ulster Parliament for at least six or eight months. No one knows better than I do the great sacrifice this would entail on your part.
I do not think anyone realises all you have done for Ulster perhaps as I do. But I am fully convinced that in coming generations your name will stand out conspicuously as the true self-sacrificing Patriot who made it possible for Ulster to put up the fight she has done, and finally to lead her to Victory, the crowning point of this victory being for you to hold the reins of Leadership till the new Government is steady on its feet.
Think of the "Ulster Infant" (Government) as you do of that lovely little son of yours and take the same care of it as you have done of your boy since his birth.
There are nearly one million Ulster men and women looking to you to give them the lesson in self Government at the start. You can do it as no one else can. If you do, Ulster Parliament's success is assured.'
Owned by PRONI Reference D640/7/12 Images used with permission of ‘The Deputy Keeper of the Records, Public Record Office of Northern Ireland’ and ‘MAA Crawford’