Los Angeles herald., 1891-02-02
MONDAY. FEBRUARY 2. 1891.
BISHOP 0'RRILLY AND CHARLES STEW
ART PARNELL.


ART PARNELL.
The Right Reverend Bernard O'Reilly
has issued brochure on Parnellism
and the Irish cause that will doubtless
have great weight with the friends oi
home rule. Bishop O'Reilly has for
years been in the United States the de-
voted and indefatigable friend of the
Irish people and the most foremost ad-
vOcate of the cause which Parnell so os-
tentatiously champloned. For many Of
those years Bishop O'Reilly has been
the treasurer of the fund contributed in
the United States towards the strength
ening and support of the Irish parlia-
rpentary party and the suffering Irish
tenantry. He is man who not only
stands high in the hierarchy Of the
Roman Catholic church, but his per-
sonal character is of exceptional emf
nence. Bishop O'Reilly takes the
ground that Mr.. Parnell has lost his
usefulness as leader OF the Irish cause,
and he believes that that gentleman's Is
retirement is imperative if the aspira-
tions of Home Rulers are to be realized
on the plan which has been outlined by
the best friends of the Irish race.
Bishop O'Reilly dismisses as puerile
the inquiry as to whether other states
men have been truly accused of the
moral delinquencies which the divorce
proceedings in the O'Shea case have es-
tablished against Parnell. He calls at
tention to the fact that last spring Mr..
Parnell caused trusted leader of the
Irish party to assure the archbishop OF
Dublin that the result of the divorce
proceedings would leave the honor Of
the Irish leader impeccable and unim-
peachable. Bishop O'Reilly emphasizes
the facts that, notwithstanding this
message, Parnell suffered judgment to
go against him by default, and that he
has never yet made public declaration
that he was innocent of the grave
charges made against him. In view of
the peculiarly fastidious ideas held by
all Irishmen upon the sanctity OF the
home, Bishop O'Reilly says that Par
neli's attitude in this matter has de-
stroyed any possibility of his usefulness
to the cause of Ireland.
The bishop goes further, and
shows that a man of Mr..
Gladstone's rigid moral character, and
of the fastidious views OF the mass OF the
English liberals on social purity, great
chasm would be at once opened between
Mr.. Parnell and the English friends OF
home rule if it were sought to maintain
the at one time venerated and loved Irish
leader at the head of the Irish national
party. In the issue OF personal veracity
raised bv Parnell, as between himself
and Gladstone, as to the Hawarden in
terview, the bishop uneQuivocally sides
with the grand old man, and makes an
in support Of his position,
upon Parnell's inconsistent ut
and attitudes at different stages
Of his later career, that any fair minded
person would concede to be irresistible.
The fact that King David and other
personages may have been
naughty in their day and generation
evidently cuts no figure with Bishop
in this controversy. That he is
right in pointing to the fact that higher
moral standing of conduct is exacted
on the part of public men in Great
Britain today than in the past is incon-
testable. We have to treat with exist
ing public sentiment, and not with the
loose moral notions of fifty and one
hundred years ago.
Since SO eminent man as Bishop
and one so devoted to the
cause OF Irishrnationalism has given ex-
preston to views which this journal has
only ventured to express in part, fear
ing that we may not have had full and
reliable information in the premises,
we feel that we can now speak with con-
siderable freedom concerning aspects OF
Mr.. Parnell's public career which have
always seemed inconsistent to us.
In the first place, Mr.. Charles Stewart
Parneil's patriotism has been very fully
pecuniarily by the Irish
people and Irish Americans. He has
posturized as man who has made great
sacrifices for his country. Nevertheless,
the example set by the Irish
people in the case of Daniel O'Con-
nell, he was presented with
ump sum of $250.000. This action
was peculiarly appropriate in the
.ase Of the illustrious liberator because
hat gentleman released the largest prac-
ice of the Irish bar to devote himself to
he cause of his country.
1t seems to be conceded that while the
,utcry against the exactions of Irish
landlords was at it's height, Mr.. Parnell
was quite slow in reducing his own
rents, and that the percentage of feduc
ion was remarkably small.
The most painful incident in the ca
'eer of Mr., Parnell, to those who would
ike to group themselves amongst his
ldmire-s, is his treatment of his aged