The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1891-02-07
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1891.
PARNELL'S HILLSIDE MEN"

PARNELL's "HILLS1DE MEN,
In former issue we gave our readers
the strange manifesto issued by MIR.
Parnell during the Kilkenny election.
calling upon the '.hills1de men" to save
him from the Saxon wolves bowling Tor
his destruction, We we're then al loss
to understand who those hillside men,
were. and we declared that the appeal
to them must have emanated from a
man suffering from great mental excite
ment bordering on insanity. The man
ifesto was commented upon. far and
near. and establishment was expressed
that the leader of moral force agitation
should have issued such an address. In
the last number of United Ireland we
are told who the s'hillside men, are, and
we cannot do any better than to repro
duce the article in our columns. The
Parnell editor of the paper starts out by
SAYING that the opponents Of Parnell
are in the habit of referring contemp-
tuously to the men Of the hillside, and
then be goes on in this way:
cit was the hillside men, who, IN the
language of DR.. Ingram, rose in dark
and evil days to right their native land
it was the hillside men, who, in the
person of Robert Emmett, gave to Ire
land the most picturesque. most pure
souled, most romantic, and most noble
national hero of which any land can
boast; practically it was the hillside
men who we're behind O'Connell, who
forced Catholic Emancipation down the
Threats of the Duke OF Wellington, vic
tor of Waterloo and the king, lords,
and commons, of England; it was the
hillside men, who inspired the Mallow
Defiance, the finest episode in the
Liberator's agitation for repeal; 1t was
the hillside men who were the back
bone and foundation of the strong and
fearless literature of Young Ireland; and
on the confession of Mr. Gladstone him
self. il was the hillside men who
brought about the dlsestablshment OF
the Irish Church and passing Of the
land act of 1870; it was the hillside
men, who made the sure and solid basis
on which the Parnelllte movement was
built up, and on which MIR. T. M. Healy
himself has made whatever political and
social reputation he can now claim,
either in this country or in England.
TO all whom it may concern, we wish to
say that these hillside mem have got to
be reckoned with in any settlement OF
the Irish national question, and If this
portion of the Irish race supports Mr..
Parnell-and the McCarth yites, az we
have said, recognize the fact--it only
means that without Mr.. Parnell the
Irish national question cannot be settled
at all. Mr.. Parnel entered politics as
follower of Mr.. Butt, or, rs a supporter
of the doctrine of home rule; to-day the
physical force men rally round him as
the Scotch rallied round their king.
Why is this? The explanation is easy.
Mr.. Parnell has proved himself to be an
freshman first and an freshman always.
His attitude IN the English house OF
commons from the day he entered it to
the present hour has been practical
expression of the principle which under
lies the phys1cal-force mems creed. He
insisted on Ireland being treated as q
nation. In 1880 he ann ounced his in
tention at Cork of taking up this position
in face of the English people, like
General Grant, Of fighting OFT the bat
tie on these lines. at whatever cost.
He has not swerved from that purpose;
he has not broken that promise. When
Mr.. Parneu took off his coat to force q
passage into an Irish parliament house
he found Irishmen divided into two
sections the moral force and the ply
steal force. Its Mr.. Parnelrs greatest
achievement il public life that he has
brought both % work On the same lines
for2Irish liberty, and To- make up their.l