Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-24
RIGHT TO THE POINT.
Mr.. O'Brien Expresses His Views
Freely on the Witness Stand.
OPEN WARFARE is NOT MURDER.
A Sensation Caused by Some of His Very
Frank UtteranceS.
CONGRATULATING THE IRISH LEADER

CONGRAIUIAIlAu AA1 AAADA AGAD1h
IoNpoN. May 23.-Mr. Gladstone was
,,rasent at the session of the Parnell Com
mission to-day. The cross-examination of
Mr. William O'Brien was continued by
Attorney General Webster. Mr.. O'Brien
declared that United ireland, his paper,
worked according to constitutional meth
ods, and advocated nothing but peaceful
means to attain the end sought BY the Irish
Parliamentary party.
He admitted writing an article which had
been printed in United Ireland in which it
was stated that Queen Victoria was only
known in Ireland by her scarcely decently
disguised hatred of Ireland and by her in
ordinate salary. He also admitted having
written another article declaring that Earl
Spencer would be the last strong English
man who would attempt to rule ireland by
bsrbarism, paid perjury, butchery and the
use of the sacred rope.
FRANK ADMISSIONS.
he admitted the authorship also of an
article declaring that the Chairman OF the
committee selected to receive the Prince OF
Wales on the occasion of his visit to Ireland
would be hunted from public life. AT this
point Mr.. O'Brien became excited, and
yehemently exclaimed: "He has been, and,
rather than to allow Englishmen to be de-
ceived by a show of sham loyalty, am re-
solved to tell them the truth. "
Continuing, Mr.. 0'Brien said that he per-
sonallv had never spoken disrespectfully or
Extensively about the Prince of Wales. No
people, he declared, ever suffered more for
LOYALTY than Irishmen, and none prohted
more BY their protestations of loyalty than
the people who oppressed them. If 1t was
clear that England wouldn't satisfy the as
pirations of Ireland, and if there was any
rational chance of success, an attempt
should be made to rebel.
He declared that the London papers were
more responsible for the actions of the dyna-
mite party than was either Finerty or Ford.
But for the views those papers had ex-
pressed E., 900 would not have been col
iected in America for the use of the dyna-
miters.
THEN AND NOW.
Referring to the articles concerning the
Queen and the Prince of Wales, previously
mentioned in his testimony, Mr.. O'Brien
said they were justified at the time they
were written, but were not justified in the
present state of the relations between En-
gland and Ireland. The articles were not
intended to calm the peoples objections to
British rule, as then administered. He
thought British rule hateful then, and he
thought it hateful now.
The Parnellites, when the visit of the
Prince of Wales was under discussion by
the authorities, passed resolution advising
the people that the visit was not intended
for party purposes and should not be made
the occasion for trouble. This action of the
Parnellites resulted in creating feeling OF
calmness in public opinion.
The Prince of Wales was allowed to pass
Throughout ireland untroubled until the
Times published articles declaring that his
visit had crushed the power of Mr.. Parnell.
1t was then thought desperately necessary
to show Englishmen that this was a mistake
and that the Princes visit was being used
to strike down the Irish cause.
HE WAS ExAsPERATED.
= Mr.. O'Brien explained that when he
|. made the speech in which he used the words:
S'We are in a state of civil war, tempered
by a scarcity of free arms" he was exasper-
ated by his expulsion from the House OF
Commons, and spoke under intense feeling
caused by the fearful hatred displayed by
the majority of the House of Commons
against the Irish members of that body. He
declared that if any people ever had the
right to rebel the Irish people then had that
right, if there was a chance of success.
Attorney General Webster interrupted
the witness at this point, saying: "You only
objected to rebellion because it was hope
less?'
Mr.. O'Brieu-In the circumstances of the
time, unquestionably. Violent language
could not have further infiamed the peoples
ILL., il l,rl
become like a lightning conductor when the
air is charged with electricity.
THEY WERE JUSTIFIED.
Mr.. O'Brien justified certain articles writ
ten by him, and printed in United Ireland,
to illustrate the brutal argument that be-
cause the English people numbered 5000,
900 and the Irish people 1000, 900 the En-
glish people were entitled to do as they
liked. Attorney General Webster quoted
from an article in United Ireland: "Allan
Larkin and 0'Brien hOnored by their CHI
cago kindred" +" and asked the witness wheth-
er it referred to the Manchester murderers.
Mr.. O'Brien replied: mot murderers,
but men engaged in open warfare, who shot
policeman by accident"
The Attorney General-The shooting at
the police in van at Manchester was legiti-
mate warfare?
Mr.. O'Brien-It was not criminal Men
who openly take risks to release their COM
rades are no more murderers than anybody
here. They acted from the highest and
noblest motives.
PROCEEDINGS INTERRUPTED.
Attorney General Webster, holding up q
paper: do you see the heading, Allen
Larkin and O'Brien honored by their Chi
cago kindred" Mr. O'Brien-Yes, and
the article was written by me. The pro-
ceedings were here interrupted by cries Of
"Hear, hear" Attorney General Webster
Why those hears?
Presiding Justice Hannen threatened that
If order was not maintained he would have
the courtroom cleared. He said he under
stood that Mr.. O'Brien did not consider the
shooting at Manchester murder, but he
wished to remind him that the Court did so
regard it.
Mr.. O'Brien said he and Mr.. Redmond
invited Mr.. Ford to be present at the Chi
cago Convention. As proof of the change
in the feeling wrought by Mr.. Gladstone,
Mr. O'Brien cited the fact that Mr.. Ford
seemed to regret his former views and ap-
peared to be harmless. This concluded Mr..
O'Brien's testimony.