 The Military Council was able to promote its own policies and personnel independently of both the Volunteer Executive and the IRB Executive.Although the Volunteer and IRB leaders were not against a rising in principle, they were of the opinion that it was not opportune at that moment.Volunteer Chief-of-Staff Eoin MacNeill supported a rising only if the British government attempted to suppress the Volunteers or introduce conscription, and if such a rising had some chance of success.