Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-24
PARNELL'S CHARM.
His DemeanOr Is Cold, but He Exercises q
Spell Over the Irish People.
From the Chicago Herald.

His DemeanOr Ii Cold, but He Exercises q
Spell Over the Irish People.
From the Chicago Herald.
Utterly without any Of the attractio ms OF
speech that characterize the orator, P.rnelr 8
appearance alone on an Irish platform exer-
cises spell over the people. Cold and calm as
granite. with a kingly grace and charm of
manner that no people are quicker to observe
and appreciate than the Celts, Parnell. with
quiet smile and a dignified bow. re-
ceives the homage of his subjects in
the cheers that rend the skies when he
speaks to the people. While by no means an
eloquent speaker, Parnell has the knack
Of using phrases which live and are
treasured as watchwords by the people. II
would be hard to find an Irish peasants cabin
whose walls are not decorated wi til the notices,
Hold the harvestr' mo man has a right to
fix boundary to the march of a nation
keep firm grip of your hoding!" and such
like. This strikingly accurate description of
Parnell was written some ten years ago, when
the policy of obstruction began to exasperate
the English people and the English house of
commons.
what the Black Douglas was in ancient
Scotch history-a name to brighten children
with-Charles Stewart Parnell has in some
measure become here in England. while in Ire
land he has become the most popular and most
powerful public man in Irish politics for CEN
fury. And yet not only does he lack qualities
previously thought essential to such popularity,
but to an almost Uncomfortable degree he avoids
or scorns all arts or efforts to attract it. In
everything but convictions and resolutions a
more un-Irish-that is to say, un-Celtic-man
it would be rare to meet Calm, reserved, pas
sionless, unmoved alike by praise or blame, by
hattery or execratiOn. stranger to personal
attachments, careless as to the reciprocation of
personal regard or the recognition of personal
devotion. he is the very antithesis of
divides with his head the direction of his move
ment and the course of his policy. MANY
Ehglishmen would doubtless expect to see in
him burly, brawling, fierce, wild Irishman.
Instead of that they would see u rather pale
faced and thoughtful but handsome and we'll
and refined. In personal appearance, in man
ners, voice and accent he Is English. with a
tinge of the American. A stranger would Judge
him to be a cultivated American who had re-
sided great deal in England, or q cultivated
Engiishman who had resided good deal in
America"
In Ireland Parnell is regarded by the dreamy
reyolutionists and prosy reformers-by tho
conservative and radical alike-as the born
leader. the statesman, ''the man at the wheel. /"
OBrien. Dillon and the others are the arita-
tors. the men to arouse the enthusiasm, but
those who cheer most loudly the soaring elo-
quence OF these orators would be the last to
trust to their political sagacity in preference TO
that OF Parnen. 1t is a fact not generally known
that among the rank and file Of the English
| army there is no man more popular than Par
nell. Twas Parneu and his i've only followers
who, by obstructing the passage Of the mutiny
bill in the house of commons in 1877, succeeded
in sbolishing the system Of Aogging in the
English army. Since then it is q common oc-
| currence for shouts for Parnen to comminRie
with cheers for the queen when the English
regiments celebrate her majesty's birthday.