George Gavan Duffy to Sean T O'Ceallaigh

A Chara,
I have your letter of 1st instant.¹ I note that you take full responsibility for the party circular (of which I enclosed a copy in my letter to you of January 26th). You will recollect that that circular speaks of the Government and its supporters as seeking 'to subvert the Republic'. I know it will be obvious to you that the advocacy of that view of the present position is wholly inconsistent with the duty of representing the Government as its diplomatic representative. In these circumstances, and especially as I understand you contemplated returning to Paris only to wind up, you may be disposed to resign your office when you leave Paris for the forthcoming meeting of Dail and I need not say that I should much prefer that the matter should be treated in that way in view of your signal services to this movement, rather than to be compelled to take action upon your letter myself.

With reference to what you say as to the terms upon which you originally went out, it is surely unnecessary to point out to a public man of your exceptional political acumen that the position as regards political advocacy radically changed when the signing of the Treaty caused the emergence of two political parties in the Republican State. I need not remind you that I went out of my way, before you returned to Paris, to emphasise this in conference with you and Art O'Brien, so that there could be no possibility [of] misunder- standing.