Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-05-02
SIR RICHaRDw EBSTEE's DILEMMA
He Is No Match for MIR. Paraell I'm Cool
ness Of Demeauor.

Cable Special to New York Tribune
Ii this be duel between the attorney-gen-
eral and Mr. Parnell there can be no question
who gets the best OF it thus far. Sir Richard
Webster's boisterous impetuosity is no match
for Mr.. Parnells cool suavity of demeanor. IL
is not SO much that Sir Richard has taken the
wrong line as that he cannot make up his
mind what line to take; he has not
thought it out beforehand. He is civil one
moment. peremptory the next. He busters
and hammers out his questions; he would
domineer if he could. He addresses Mr..
Parnell in a tone unpieasantly suggestive of the
Old Bailey. He launches at him what are
meant for bitter sarcasms. He assumes occa-
sionally-the assumption is only too Obvious
tone of contempt He cannot resolve whether
to treat Mr.. Parnel from the Times point of
view as a criminal stepped TO the lips in trea-
son and outrage. or as the leader of a great
movement whom half of England and more
than half of America regard as hero and
statesman.
Little does il matter 10 Mr.. Parnell. He
meets the taunts, storms. civilities, whatever
Sir Richard has to offer. with the same impss-
sive, importurbable. polite indifference. BE
never retorts; he never seems to care to take
advantage OF the many openings in the attor-
| nev-gonerafs fence save when some serious
point is to be made. When he has made il,
when lie has delivered decisive answer. when
all the rest of the court sees his success Mr..
P2rnell alone seems totally unaware of il. No
smile OF triumph, no expression of delight in
his enemys discontinue. is ever visible. IL is
not that his face as incapable of expressing emo
ton; /: can express many things-it does ex-
press what he chooses it should and no more.
except once or twice when Sir Richard goes off
on a wrong scent and comes TO grief. Then the
pale. thoughtful face relaXes into amused
and irrepresslbie smile. Not even then does il
lose that expression which Is stamped most
strongly on it-an expression of incessant in
tellectual activity, of unsleeping vigilance, an
expression belonging 10 one whose mind is
working at high pressure. He has complete
control over these sculptured features; his
deep, glowing eyes he cannot completely con-
tIol. dangerous light comes into them now
and then.
If Sir Richard were wise be would watch for
it. but to-day Sir Richard is not altogether
wise. He has Jared little better with the SUBJ
stance of his case than in his manner. All day
long he has tried his best. in many different
WAYS. to connect MIR. Parnell with the physical
force party; TO identity him in America with
Mr.. Ford. in Ireland with Mr.. Dewey. He has
struggled hard with that too famous last link
speech IN Cincinnati. BE the truth what it
may. the attorney-generars efforts 10 elicit
what he wants have had but sorry luck. Mr..
Parnell's treatment of the Cincinnati incident
is good example of his more serious style,
when he feels himself at bay. l abridge quss-
ton and answer.
You heard this passage read yesterday"
yes"
..You told my friend, Mr. Asquith, that IL You
said you would never be content till the last
LINK between England and Ireland was de-
stroyed you might have used qualifying words
what were thew
Mr.. Parnell's face was queer. perhaps one
shade paler. His hand closed on the oak ledge
of the box till the muscles and veins stood out.
His ewes glittered and cleaned suddenly his
hand loosened its hold; the STOPPING figure
stood erect as he murmured in his most
colloquial tone:
will you read the shorthand report of what
said yesterday"
1t was unusual, but Mr.. Attorney could NOT
well refuse, and when he had read it MIR. Par
nell answered:
Il abide by that. have nothing to add or
alter"
The Encouragement pressed him. but vainly,
and when he had done his best or his worst,
matters stood very much as they did before.
That Cincinnati speech was thought as likely
as anything else TO wreck Mr.. Parnell in deep
water; but he is still afloat. Mr.. Justice Ham
mems face showed how grave he thought il, and
he followed the explanation attentively. He is
not 10 be suspected of sympathies one way or
the other, but Mr.. Parnell has made such
impression on this austere judge that when the
incident was over Sir James looked relieved, or
some of us thought he did.
The struggle, if struggle il be, goes on to-
morrow. probably for many morrows. What
any OF them may bring forth i know not, pre-
dict not. and shah see no more of them; but
know what Mr.. Parnell's advisers think. They
are delighted with him as a witness. IF he
had bad case" said one of these gentlemen,
the encouragement could not touch him; he
would meet Sir Charles Russell himself on even
terms. But the truth is, continued my friend,
'.he has kept himself clear OF whatever is COM
promising in the Irish movement Whatever
happens to some OF his colleagues, Mr.. Parneu
will come out all right"
With that / end, for IL is the opinion Of
man who knows the truth perhaps better than
ANYBODY but Mr.. Parnen himself, and At is his
real opinion.