The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-10-18


| cred By O'Connor In the Gladstone Parliament
was on the Egyptian question. Khartoum had
| fallen and Gordon had been sacrificed through
| tho Governments neglect. Gladstone how
over. by dexterous speech had stayed the
| tide OF anger and TO some extent restored the
unity OF the Liberal party. It was at this
juncture, on the closing night OF the debate,
| that O'Connor arose TO speak. As he pro.
cceded Gladstone listened to him. pale and
disturbed. while tho Tories shouted them
selves hoarse with delight When OConnor
sat down Balfour said. would to heaven we
had such speaker In our own ranks"
lIl.
Throughout his Parliamentary career OCon-
nor has been forced TO work ct his profession.
It was no uncommon thing for him to mako
several speeches and yet furnish from three to
six columns OF newspaper copy the same night.
He must be one Of tho most rapid writer's in
existence. for It is said that he Is able to dash
of column an hour. although neither In sub
stance nor in form docs the product OF his labor
show any marks Of haste. During the first
two years after his entrance into the House of
Commons O'Connor wrote for the Pail Mall
Gazette. then edited BY John Morley. and he
also for considerable time acted as the Lon
don correspondent OF TIE New YonK Sum- In
1884 he carried out long-chorished purpose
OF recounting the history OF the move
ment associated with Mr.. Parnell's NAME OF
the work which was the outcome OF that plan.
the book before us is. as VIC have said.
revised and enlarged edition. We should add
that as early as 1882 OConnor became the
leader OF his countrymen resident In England.
having been elected President Of the Irish Ma
tional League Of Great Britain. a position
which through successive reflections no has
kept up to tho present hour In the general
election Of 1885 he was returned both for Gal
way and for tho Scotland division Of Liverpool.
It was deemed best for him to take the Liver
pool seat and he has since been tho only irish
member sitting for an English constituency.
Two years later he founded the London Star.
and thus gave the Homo Rule party what it
had never previously had. an organ in
the metropolitan press. Tho success OF
this journal was immediate and aston
fishing. During the first week Of its
existence It's daily circulation advanced
to 100000 copies. and steadily increased.
rising on special occasions as high rs 100000
day But as he himself has put it. he was tho
victim OF his own success A cabnl was formed
against him among the stockholders and he
was finally constrained to sell for $4,000
his one fourth interest In tho paper. Debarred
by the conditions OF sale from starting a new
he has recently brought out q Sunday journal
Of high literary quality. modelled to con-
siderable extent on the Sunday edition OF The
New YORK SUM- It is the conviction Of Mr..
Page. n conviction shared by all who nre
acquainted with the subject OF this biograph-
ical sketch. that Mr.. 7. p O'Connor is destined
to rise to yet higher honors than he has
already attained and to I'LL still larger place
in contemporary history.
1t is the beginning OF the Nationalist move
ment and the early part Of Mr.. Parnel's public
life with which Americans are least familiar.
and 1t is mainly. therefore. the chapters Of Mr..
OConnor's book dealing with these subjects
to which inthe present notice VIC contlne our
selves. 1t was by a judicous use OF Parlia-
mentary obstruction that the Home Rule
party. which under Mr.. Butts leadership had
been impotent. compelled the two great Brit
ish parties to listen to the claims Of Ireland.
and gradually transformed tho Nationalist
delegation at Westminster into tremendous
engine Of political influence. 1t was Mr.. BgRar
who first demonstrated the tactical value Of
obstruction. but it was Mr. Parnell who first
recognized It's utmost possibilities and
made it tho chief instrument OF furthering
tho programme OF the Nationalist party. 1t
was not long after the night OF Mr. Biggar's
long obstruction speech that a young Irish
member took his seat for tho first time. having
been chosen by the county OF Leath to succeed
the veteran patriot. John Martin. The name
OF the new member had been long and favor
ably known in Ireland. John Parncll. n son
Of n Judge Of the Kings Bench. was n men,
Der for marlborough in the Irish House Of
Commons hundred and fifty years ago. He
| was succeeded by a son OF the same name. af-
terward Sir John Parnel who in 1887 was
made Chancellor OF the Irish Exchequer In
the Red List" In which Sir Jonah harrington
jotted down his impressions OF the Irish poll
ticians OF his time. he wrote opposite the
name OF Sir John Parne!l the word "incor-
ruptible." Thatthe title was we'll deserved was
proved by Sir John Parnell's giving up tho Of
fee he had held for many years and voting I'M
swervingly against the Union. Sir Henry Par
NELL the son OF Sir John. was also member OF
tho Irish House OF Commons. and. like his
father. stood by Grattan and the other cham.
pions OF Irish nationality to the last. Sent
Inter to the Parliament Of Westminster. Sir
Henry Parnell was long strenuous advocate
| az his country's rights and gave at the same
time vigorous support to reforms then associ-
ated with advanced radicalism. He became
Secretary for War In Lord Grey's Ministry and
Paymnster Of the Forces In Lord Melbourne's
administration, and In 1871 was created Baron
Congleton. A nephew Of Lord Congleton and
grandson Of sir John Parnell was John Henry
Pnrnell OF Avondale. who during tour through
tho United States met and married daughter
OF Commodore Charles Stewart. Tho oldest
son Of this marriage was Charles Stewart
Parnell. who is said TO hive borne
a strong resemblance to his grandfather.
being In his physique much less English or
Irish than American. The delicacy OF his fca-
lures. tho pullo- OF his complexion. and the
strength OF tho nervous and muscular system
which no concealed under an outward SEM
blance OF fraGiity are usually accounted char
acteristic Of tho American type. His evcnness
OF temper and sobriety Of judgment also seem.
as Mr.. OConnor points out, 10 suggest an
American temperament Curiously enough.
nearly the whoc OF Charles Parnclls early lifo
was passed. in England and amid entirely
English surroundings. When no was six
years OF ago no was placed at school in Yeovll.
Soucrsetshire: next ho was nut under tho
charge OF q Rev. Mr.. Barton at KIrklang-
low Darhyshire. then undsr n Raw Mr. Wishaw