Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1891-10-14
ParneI1 Buried.
Parnell was buried near Dublin, Ireland,

1
Parnell was buried near Dublin, Ireland
last Sunday.
The route taken by the funeral cortege-
about six miles long-was lined every incl
of the way by dense crowd of people, WHIT
packed the footpaths, the balconies, tht
windows and the roofs.
The cemetery near the grave was mass
of people. There were no police and the
people roamed where they would. The
roadways swan in mud, for it had rained
all day till two o'clock.
Harrison and Patrick O'Brien tried to
drive the people out of the cemetery. AS
they were engaged in the task one woman
made pitiful appeal. She said that she
had read in the "Herald" that Mrs. Parnell,
his mother, hoped that some woman would
shed mothers tear and drop mothers
beuediction on the grave of her son. The
womsn's request was complied with. She
approached the grave, made short prayer
and went away quietly.
A noticeable feature Of the funeral was
the quietness of the people. The only
noise heard for miles was the yoica Of men
selling pictures of Paroell.
Mrs. Parnell sent two magnificent
wreaths. The first was inscribed as fol-
lows:
"My own true love; best, truest friend
my husband. From his broken hearted
wife,"
The inscription on the second read as fol.
lows:
"My dear love, my husband, my king.
From his heartbroken wife,"
There were also two little wreaths from
Mrs. Parnelrs daughters-one with the
words, "From little Glare; to my dear
mothers husband" and the other, "From
little Kitty; to my dear mothers hus-
band"
Not far from the coffin high up where it
could be seen, was an immense Irish harp
made of violets and geraniums. It was
sent from Belfast.
As the N. Y. s'Herald' says, 'the grave
has graciously granted the peace which his
stormy life made impossible.
Parnell's last hours were darkened by
lowering clouds, and the last words he
heard from his former followers-the men
who would have forever remained in OBJ
security but for him-were words of execra-
ton. 1t may be that he deserved the loss Of
confidence which robbed him OF his hard
earned laurels. At any rate, the punish
ment was greater than the crime. His
constitution was weakened By vain strug-
gle against fate and he died of broken
heart.
Well, Mr.. Parnell was the most stalwart
Irishman of them all. He had not only the
political parties of England but his own
discontinued countrymen to wrestle with.
The more difficult task of thetwo, perhaps,
was to keep his doughty but quarrelsome
friends from inviting defeat. The strain
was constant and unrelenting. He broke
down under it at length, and 10 tie prime
of life joins the great majority.
It is too early to make an impartial ortiz
cism of his career. In good time he will
occupy his proper position in the temple of
fame. History is slow of judgment. She
coolly waits till the mists of rancor have
floated by, and then makes her fiual deois-
ion. But there we're certain SALEM char
acteristics which marked this leader above
bis fellows. His name will grow brighter
and his fame will become greater when this
period of excitement closes and we can look
at him with unprejudiced eyes.
He had wonderful faculty for choosing
the right men for an emergency, and he
generally gave them an opportunity to show
their mettle. Ireland never seemed SO for
midable to England as she did under the
leadership of Parnell. His forces were so
we'll organized and they struck such heavy
blows aud in such rapid succession that
tories and liberals We'd with each other in
making concessions and seeking his infu-
ence. In the history of his native land he
will stand without a, peer.
1t is in nowise strange that the people
whom he spent his life to rescue should
rival each other in do ing honor to the dead
hero. Neither is it remarkable that mu-
tual inorimiuations, even to the verge of
violence, should Characterize his burial.
The various factions Sunday loudly &C
cused each other of responsibility for this
catastrophe of death and the troops in Dub
lin were under arms to preserve order.
But it is all useless. Parnell is dead,
and that fact must close the lips of criti-
cism. The leader is gone, but the cause is
left. And the best way to honor his mem
ory is to carry the cause to victory. There
never was an hour when Irishmen stood in
greater need Of harmony. Shoulder to
shoulder they may win their rights. but by
the exhibition of rancor they will lose all.
Their sole duty is to bury their factional
grievances with tho body of the uncrown-
ed King and than touch elbows for the fu.
ture.