Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1890-01-28

paying all the expenses OF the trial. he
asked the auditors what was to be done with
this money, and they replied: sit is yours,
Mr.. O'Brien, to do as you please with
Whereupon this great man, then himself in
need of money, said: 81 have not come into
the world to beg. This money was sub
scribed to benefit Ireland by purifying Dub
lin castle. shall benefit some poor by it,"
And then he asked for blank check, and
filed it out for the full amounted the bal
ance in favor Of the poor Of Mallow, his
native town. But such instances of the mag
nanimity of his character could be cited by
the score.
Just now O'Brien is in position that
needs the drawing of attention to him. he
is in prison. But the hearts of the people,
simple and learned, political and clerical, Of
Ireland are directed towards him. The Brit
ISL parliament opens on Jan. %. The gentle
man Of the black rod" will, as usual, summon
the commoners to hear the queens speech
read, and then will begin the tu,nult Of legis-
lating for the empire. The same routine viii
mark the opening stages. There will be
the usual tedious debate on her gracious
majesty's speech, and many a score will be
made or point scored by the different parties
as the days wear on. But it is more than
will happen something more than ordinary.
/ do not refer to the chances, and they are
strong, of change Of government. The e1-
taordinary points rather in the direction Of
a change in the leadership of the Irish party.
When this happens and it is almost certain,
it may mean a change in the attitude of the
Irish party. Mr. Parnelfs direction viii al
ways be- felt His advice every member Of
L. g., H. D,,%, h.
resumes his seat only as unit, and not as
the leader, the spirit Of Parnell-so long ap-
parent in them-will have gone from the
united actions of the Irish party, and in its
place viii be apparent only the spirit of his
successor. The hand, or rather the mind, Of
1.-The man of iron and ice" as | once heard
Mr.. Parnell called, may give place to the
nervously intrepid character of William
O'Brien, or perhaps to the logical tempera-
ment of Justin Mccarthy in the attitude Of
the party.
1t is almost certain that during the next
few months some other well known Irish
patriot will be asked to take his place
Who that other viii be no one conversant
with current Irish politics can mistake And
en- as positive as am of Mr.. Parnell's ex-
traordinary generalship and potency that
what difference between the men! The one
a general and statesman by instinct; uncon-
scious of danger when conscious of the direc-
ton in which he is leading his forces; deter
mined only then. This is Parnell. O'Brien
is patriot born.
And it may not be out of place here to put
the personal characteristics Of the two men
side by side. And dissimilar as they seem to
ha fhau ho TO ho
rather similar. l have known Mr. Parneu
to nurse an injured dog to health. have
seen William O'Brien cry over the misery Of
an evicted tenant. have seen Parnell, in
his place in the house of commons, stand
coolly defiant beneath torrent Of opposi-
ton abuse; and have seen O'Brien as oool
under the scathing criticisms of New York's
labor chiefs. was present when Mr.. Par
nell resented the raising of tribute for him.
saw William O'Brien-then sorely in need
refuse to accept $4,000 $50, 900, balance of
the money raised to defray his expenses in
prosecuting the Castle" officials and send it
to the poor of his native town, Mallow. But
such similar traits could multiply into hun
dreds
Parnen withstood the cutting sarcasms
of the English benches and refused for
simply because both actions were in his esti-
nation, in the interests Of his countrymen.
He nursed the wounded dog because he had
true human sympathy. William O'Brien
faced the jeers of the Union Square labor
chiefs and the brickbats of Toronto simply
because he knew it was for the interests of
Ireland He cried over the unhappiness Of
the outcasts because they were friendless and
because it reminded him of his mission-and
they were not hong friendless.
How strangely does patriotism make ali
the actions of two characters in every other
respect dissinnilar. And on those two men
the eyes Of the English empire will turn
anxiously when the time comes for the exit
of the one and the advent of the other as
leader Of the Irish people.
Roe. r, WALSH