The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1891-12-03

tlnction. His superiors in eloqueIc
, like Sexton and Redmond; /; in liter;
ture. like Mccarthy and O'Connor
in journalism or popular appeal, lik
, Sullivan, or O'Brien, or Dillon, G
Harrington, were given the position
where they could best serve. If
had any ambitions other than for h
, country they were never apparen,
The inspiration which started him il
his career and guided him in his wor
was the motto of the Manchester mar
tyrs, "God Save Ireland" He saw
that for lrishmen to plot against tn,
Castle or hurl themselves on the bayo
nets of the soldiery was madness. H,
proclaimed that any man who com
mltted crime was foe to Ireland
PARNELL' BOLD COURSE.
He found that home rule was a sub.
jeCt for debate which the House O
Commons would wearily listen to and
both parties unite to kill. And ye,
he resolved to win by moral force and
constitutional methods. With only
three who dared follow he's attacked
600 and odd, intrenched in the forms
the usages and the traditions Of centu-
ries. "No measures shall pass until
the demands of Ireland are granted"
was his battle cry. Tories were shock
ed, Liberals indignant, Radicals amazed
and the Speaker paralized.
He had baffled the statesmen who
had led the House of Commons for
generations by showing them that they
could neither stop nor suspend nor
expel, for he was acting strictly within
rules and fighting with weapons from
their own armory. Then, said Mr..
Gladstone, "when you show that a
majority of the members from Ireland
want legislation we are prepared to
listen and act. This proposition could
not be satisfactorily answered. Parnell
believed that the people of Ireland
were with him, but he knew, as did
the House, that their representatives
were not.
He said to the Irish people, if you
believe in me you must be represented
in Parliament by members who will
act with me, and who can neither be
misled, nor intimidated, nor bought
Give your answer to Mr.. Gladstone S
challenge. The response has no par
allel in the history of the electorate
under free governments. Itwas, "select
your own candidates, Mr.. Parnell, and
we will elect them.' For this purpose
Mr.. Parnell took control and perfected
the machinery of the Land League,
which had been organized by Michael
Davitt.
1t is difficult for Americans to ap-
preciate the Irish land question. Real
estate with us is sold and exchanged
as freely as any other commodity. The
necessities of spendthrift in London,
losses at the gambling table at Ham
burg, or the irritation of the lord
against his vassals would raise rents
beyond the possibility of their being
earned and evict thousands to die by
the roadside without compensation for
improvements or opportunity for de-
fense. 1t is frightful commentary
on the situation, that during the fam
inc which carried over a million of
men, women and children to their
graves there was plenty of food pro-
duced in Ireland, but it all went for
rent, while the potatoes, the sole re-
source of the tenant, rotted in the
ground. The ship from America laden
with provisions for the starving passed
at the entrance of the harbor Of Cork,
three vessels filled with export wheat.
HE MADE THE IRISH CAUSE FOREMOST.
Thus in gaining control of the Land
League Parnell had the deepest inter-
ests of the people as the foundation
for political sentiment and personal
loyalty. When he entered Parliament
at the head of 50 out 1o3 representa-
tives from Ireland, he held in one hand
party power and in the other the
homes and the fortunes Of his peoplc.
He had returned in triumph. The
Commons were bewildered. The calm
and confident leader VINO had defied
them with three followers, now faced
them with the larger number of the
Irish members behind him. II have
come with the majority you demand
ed" he said, "wll you listen now2"
From that hour the Irish question be-
came the foremost factor in British
politics, and Parnell the most power
full member of the House of Commons.
He became the potential force in
the government. He made and un-
made cabinets. He hurled the Glad
stone Ministry from power and de-
feated that of Lord Salisbury. He
compelled the adjournment Of Parlia-
ment and an appeal to the country.
The conversion of Mr.. Gladstone to
home rule for Ireland is the most mo-
mentous event in the English polite:
of our generation. He saw that Par.
nell represented the Irish people and
formulated a home rule bill to mee1
their demands His defeat, coming
as it did, through the detection 0
cherished friends, intensified his ardor
and confirmed his purpose. He made
the principle of home rule the cardina
doctrine of his party and challenged
Tories and Liberal Unionists to go tt
the country upon the issue.
IRELAND THE STATE OF ENGLISH
| POLITICS.
| Ireland no longer fights with on
arm tied and the other held bacl
by false friends. Parnell freed then
both. Ireland no longer struggles alone
Her cause is the stake of one of th'
great parties Of England, and made
/ L III .L I'll Lar