Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1889-03-22
A HISTORIC EVENT.

fortunes OF q leduet dlV no O""'O
than that which has recently oc'
cured in the estimate of Mr.. Par
nell and the Irish question. The
deadly autipathy Of characteristic
English opinion to Ireland aud the
Irish leaders eliminated IN the
Times presentation OF "PanelllSm
and Crime which was regarded
by that opinion as substantially
true. Mr.. Parnel's guilt, once es'
tablished before a competent and
trusted tribunal, would have dis
credited the Irish cause beyond
resent recovery. The scene was
set for that purpose. In the eyes
of England and the world the trial
began. IL drew nearer and nearer
TO the vital point. But Just as thai
polnt was reached the entire
scheme of the Times sblYered,
collapsed, and Tell. Its chief wit
ness, a panic-stricken and confessed
perjurer, fled by night aud Killed
himself. Tory England was forced
to acknowledge that the criminal
accusation of Mr.. Parnell, which II
had accepted as undoubtedly t1ue'
was tue invention Of a notorious
forger, and that the man whom,
with his cause, it was waiting to
brand with infamy, was absolutely
untouched, while the authority and
standing of the Times were ruined
In the midst OF the excitement
of the astounding disclosure, which
wrung from the Times an unwlll-
ing and unhandsome apology, Mr..
Parnell, whom it had sought to
destroy, appeared, pale and tran
oull. in the witness box, and quiet
" denied-England and the world
believing-the authenticity OF the
letters, his simple word accepted as
the truth. A little later, in the
House of Commons, with an al
verse majority of a hundred, the
greatest of living Engllshmen,
with large body of friends and
supporters, rose and bowed re-
specially to Mr.. Parnell as be en-
tered quietly and unmoved, the
hall ringing with such cheers and
enthusiasm as 1t has seldom heard.
Then, without allusion to the scene
or to the extraordinary events
which had occasioned it, still pale
and tranquil, Mr.. Parnell, fully
equal to the browning hour OF his
career, spoke a few words, SO wlSe'
so temperate, and so timely that
they completed in every generous
and candid English mind the I'M
preston of sincere and unstalned
devotion to a great cause which
the sudden and total failure of The
prosecution had begun. The scene
in Parliament must become his
torical, and the figure of the Irish
leader, cold and passive, as it al
WAYS seems, becomes more striking
than that Of any of his prede-
cessors, from the very absence of
the qualities which are held to be
distinctive of his countrymen.
England, he said in substance,
can grant all that Ireland asks
without losing in the least degree
| the power completely TO protect
D
her own empire. He has said 1t
before, but never before when 1t
was heard with respect or the
slightest confidence. When speak
/ ing before this night he had been
regarded as reckless demagogne
conuiying at dastardly crimes
/ Bat now all this belief had been
overthrow, and from the furnace
| lighted to consume him he had
emerged unscathed. In the long
history of Irish misrule, suffering
and sorrow pleading with England
for friendship and justice, there IS
no more impressive and significant
incident. 1t must have a profound
and lasting and happy effect upon
the cause Of home rule. 1t must
necessarily beget tolerance and
patience which have been hitherto
unk nown, and stimulate a spirit OF
candor and fair play which will
lead to results most fortunate for
both countries.