Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1888-09-22

CHARLES 9. PARNELL. storm v tim es.
The struggle. as all students Of Irish his
tory know, resulted in the "Union"--that
is, Lord Cornwallis, who was sent to gov
ern Ireland after his disastrous failure In
America, succeeded In destroying the Irish
parliament, the act from which Irish poll
tics took their color from 1900 to 1S4s.
The second Sir John Parnell was also a
patriot, and 1t was upon his motion In the
house Of commons that the Pitt minis
try was thrown out, ON the accession Of
William w. In 1S4l he became a men,
Der Of the house Of lords as Baron
Congleton, and soon after became vio-
lently insane and committed suicide. His
uncle, an Episcopal minister, also died
insane. The brother Of the second Sir
John Parnell was grandfather Of the
present noted leader, and was Of a melan-
choly temperament. In his son the same
popularity terminated in consumption.
His wife, mother Of Charles Stewart Par
nell, Is an American woman, and seems to
have acquired the family tendency to
melancholy. On this, the western con-
tinent. consumption and gastric troubles
are unhappily too common for any reader
to need an explanation Of their close con.
nection with prolonged and hopeless mel
ancholy. -
lie attention in the last dozen years that
II Is q surprise to learn that he is but 43
years old, and that during the stirring
American era Of 1880-85 he was winning
renown at Cambridge as o pugilist rather
than es q scholar. Probably because he
know his hereditary tendency he early be.
came devotee Of active sports, and few
In the college excelled him. On one occa-
sion party of students were out "on
lark" and q burly college beadle" at
tempted to capture them. The others
fed, but Parnell put up his dukes" and
there was o very pretty contest between
brute strength and boxing skill, in which
the "beadle" was badly worsted. Like o
true Briton, he acquired high respect
for his young antagonist; the case was
not hardly pressed. and the college au.
thorities imposed heavy fine in place of
parnells ancestral home, Avondale, is
In the loveliest dale of County Wicklow.
under the shadow of the far famed Wick
low mountains. All around are the
heights where the Irish insurgents Of
1893 took their stand and for O time baf
fed the British troops. There the brave
Miles Byrne and his little band kept the
red coats at bay after all the rest Of Ire.
land was crushed; and in his youthful life
among these scenes and study Of their
history Mr.. Parnell absorbed his intense
enthusiasm for Irish liberty. The Par
nell mansion is plain and modest, but sur.
rounded by some of the most romantic
scenes in Ireland; and but few rods
from the door flows the clear and ripping
Avon.
Tho main hall of the mansion is a
museum Of Irish antiquities and memen-
toes, old Aags, pixies, spears and other
curiosities. Among these and in many
other places In the house arc some of the
many Illuminated addresses presented to
the owner In Ireland and America. It is
trife odd. too, that he should be an
"Irish landlord but he has good es-
tate. well stocked with blooded cattle,
and employs also about $50 men In his
quarries and other works. His personal
works are conducted with business energy
and precision, and with his tenants he
puts in practice his most extreme land
reform doctrines. While at Avondale
and not engaged in experimenting his
works he lives in almost complete retire.
ment. For general society he has little
taste, but has few personal friends to
whom he is warmly attached, and toward
whom he acts In the spirit of the motto
inscribed on the large flag In his hail. o
memento Of the volunteer days" Of a
century ago: "Velox ct acer ct fidelis
smicis," meaning, Swift and sharp and
faithful to friends"