The Irish standard., 1890-12-06

HE IRISH S, a ND A !. RI q.
his party or the Irish people Of their pr
import. He cast aspersions on the in
tegrity Of honorable members Of his
party and accused them Of treacbery to
him and to Ireland. The document is
given IN full on our first page and We
hesitate not to say that during this gene
ration more pernicious manifesto in.
it's tendencies and consequences has not
emanated from an Irish leader. It has
taken the world by surprise, Not q
word does it contain about the O'Shea
matter which had caused Gladstone to
assume the position he has taken. The
day following the appearance of the
manifesto Messrs. Gladstone and Morley
vehemently denied the accuracy Of Par
nell's statements and almost gave him
the lie direct. They denied in toto the
truth of his revelations regarding the
kind of Home Rule to be given by
Gladstone, and the latter stated that
every suggestion made to Parnell in the
interview referred to was from written
memoranda now in his possession
Morley practically pledges the Liberal
party to assist evicted tenants notwith-
Shading Parnell's declaration. Glad
stone asserts that he has always held
that the Irish party should remain en-
tirely independent of the Liberal party
and that it would be sheer folly for him
to proposs any measure of Home Rule
that would not prove acceptable to the
Irish nation.
There is question of veraoity in
volved IN this controversy, the Irish
leader being contradicted by the two
greatest English statesmen. Who are
we to believe? Unquestionably the
latter. Parnell has forfeited the con-
fdence of the Irish people and cannot
be trusted any longer. The very cream
of the Irish party, the men who have
fought and suffered in the national cause,
are arrayed against him and urge his
retirement, not because they love Par
nell less, but because they love Ireland
more.
The Irish ENJOYS in this country have
repudiated Parnell, and Dillon and
OBrien would not have expressed i'm
pllcit con fidence IN Gladstone and Nor
ley if they believed Parnell for mo-
ment. The question is reduced to this:
| Who shall be upheld-Gladstone or
Parnell? The Irish party and the Irish
race, at home and abroad, seem to be
divided on this momentous question.
The men of recognized ability and pa
triotism in the parliamentary ranks
strongly favor the withdrawal of Parnell
from the leadership, while the small fry
and the henchmen among them stick
by the man who has made them repre-
sentatives of the people. The few able
men that are yet on Parnell's side will be
sure to follow Justin Mccarthy, Tim
Healy, Tom Sexton. John Dillon, Will
liam O'Brien, T. P. O'Connor, T. ID.
Sullivan and other veterans in the
cause of Irish nationality. They will
maintain the alliance with Gladstone,
Morley and the party they represent
until the Home Rule question is de-
fnitely settled. Under the present Cir
cumstances 1t would be folly to retain
Parnell as the leader of party which is
going to pieces under his dictatorship.
He has been weighed and found wanting
in the requirements to be desired IN an
Irish national leader. AS q member of
the party he can be of service if he sub
mits to discipline; as leader be should
retire at once. .@..
Parnell failed to communicate the
substance of his interview with Glad
stone until he was driven to bay and on
the point of being deposed. He left his
party aud his people in the dark and
encouraged them to expeud their ener-
gies in passive resistance to tyranny in
anticipation of Home Rule bill from
the Liberal party which would not real
ize their aspirations. When the ques-
ton of his leadership was being dis
cussed by his party he presided at their
meetings confluence their action instead
of withdrawing from the scene and afford
ing them freedom OF debate. He erred
egregiously and fatally for himself in
these matters, and after sober considera
ton we pronounce his conduct most un-
reasonable and reprehenslble, He is
now a leader with divided party, a
divided nation, aud divided race at
his back. and the best thing he can do