Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-14
A LIFE OF PARNELL,
Written by 0'COnnOr, Says
The EX-Leader Was an
American in Physique,
But MORE IN CHARACTER.
His Earliest Manhood Was Marked
by UnStained Morality.
NEVER READ A POEM OR A NOVEL,
Instances of the Strange Alteration Which
Led to His Ruin.
But MORE IN CHARACTER.
NEVER READ A POEM OR A NOVEL.
QUALITIES WHICH MADE HIM LEADER

LONDON, Oct 13-Thomas Power O'Con-
nor's Life of Charles Stewart Parnell'' has
lust appeared. 1t bears but few traces of
hurried preparation, vet it is book of 223
pages All previous biographies of Mr..
Parnell accord to Avondale the honor of be-
ing his place of birth. Mr.. O'Connor says
he heard Mr.. Parnell state that this is in
correct.
He was born at Brighton. Among mis-
earliest influences were the stories he heard
in his childhood from an old servant of the
family, narrating the horrible cruelties the
Irish suffered during the rebellion. These
made Parnell the man he became. From
his mother. also. were derived traditions
thoroughly hostile to the existing relations
of England and Ireland.
Though intensely Irish in sentiment,
Mr. O'Connor always regarded Mr.. Parnell
in phasique and character-in character
above allan American. While he was
studving at Cambridge he was more de-
voted to athletic sports than he was to his
studies It is doubtful whether he ever
read poem or a novel throughout his life
not even the poems of Thomas Moore.
He first read Irish history while a prisoner
at Kilmainham.
4 yIRTUoUS YOUNG MANHOOD.
In his early manhood he was of unstained
moral character. He became engaged to
young lady of Rhode Island who Tilted him
for another. Referring to his first appear
ance in Parliament, Mr.. O'Connor says that
h. - +hor, 1oJ or 4o5
struggle The awful loneliness of Parnell
must always be borne in mind, when one
considers the terrible event that ultimately
darkened and destroyed his life and brought
his untimelv end.
Isaac Butt then led the party. In the
present moment when passionate friends of
Panel denounce his opponents as mur-
derers, ii is well TO recall the fact that Par
nell undoubtedly helped to break poor
Isaac Butts heart and to hasten his end.
After a resume of the known points in his
Parliamentary career, the writer alludes to
the charge made that Parnen misled in
timate friends as to the truth in regard to
his relations with Mrs. O'Shea. He said
Pamell NAV have said that he came ont of
the trial with his character untarnished.
Certainly he so wrote TO one of his most
affectionate and faithful friends What he
probably meant was indicated in a few
words he spoke the day after his reelection
bv his party, in which, Lifting" as he
said, "a corner of the curtain" he denied
emphaticallv that he had betrayed friend
ship, abused hospitality or broken happy,
united home.
TURNED HIS FRIENDS AGAINST HIM.
The effect of Mr.. Parnell's subsequent
manifesto on the Irish delegates, then in
America, is thus described:
Every member of the delegation except
Timothy Harrington was indignant Disbe-
lief disgust and despair succeeded each
other. We rushed out to the first station
whence it was possible to send a cable dis
patch and announced to our colleagues in
ireland that henceforth we were to be
counted amongst the opponents to Parnell's
leadership. 1t has been represented that
we acted on the cable dispa atches of others.
This Is false and unjust to Parnell Our
Judgment was reached on ParnelHs own
words.
Proceeding to comment on the alteration
Of his appearance and character after the
divorce disclosures, it is remarked that he
had been describeda as having been murdered.
The hand that struck him was his own
Strangely enough the idea that he would one
day ruin himself was familiar to all his col
leagues for many years. One instance of his
alteration was his famous answer TO the
had been then for a considerable time
looked upon by his friends as so distrait that
they instin ctively anticipated that he would
say something wrong in sheer absent mind
edness. When he sat down he was quite
surprised upon being told that he had COM
mittcd dreadful blunder.
NOT A GOOD ORATOR.
\ stranger visiting the House of Commons
would ind it hard to understand why he
produced such an effect there He stumbled
constantly. He had very small vocabulary
and by no means large stock of ideas. He
WAS also very careless in preparing
materials, which work he put off to the last
moment. 1t was quite common to find him
at Tilbury plowing laboriously through
figures, Of which lie had no mastery what
ever a = time when he ought to have been
at the House ready to speak
On such occasions his colleagues went
through untold agonies. At the last momen.
he would appear armed with bundles of
papers badly digested, but the House sen al
tive as a barometer to his personal charac-
ter, always felt the full force of this ex-
tiaordinary mans strength. When he arose
10 address it he spoke in low tones, often
with inattentiOn to the audience which
made the speech like sOliloQuy.
But on rare occasions there were outbursts
OF the fierce, devastating passion raging
within. Then his voice changed to a hoarse,
suIlen sound and his mouth was almost
cruel His right arm was then held forth in
denunciatiOn. / have seen the House quail
before such an outDurst of savage though
seemingly cold rage.
A GREAT TACTICIAN.
In most parliamentary gifts he was vastly
inferior TO some of his colleagues, but he
was a consummate tactician. By instinct
he seemed to know the right thing TO do
never regarded him as a highly intellectual
man. He was essentially narrow, and to
this narrownesS attribute the final mistake
Of his life.
When Mr. Mccarthy, before the meeting
in the committee room, told him what Mr..
Gladstone had said, his reply was to pooh
pooh the whole business as mere non-con-
formist howl which would die out if defied.
one reason for his attitude was his latent
dislike for Englishmen. He never got over
this. His strength was in his character,
not in his intellect, and to bad ends and
half-destruction were the same terrible
strength Uf Will and tenacity of purpose
devoted that were formerly given TO noble
and wise ends.
Among his followers were many with
stubborn Will and infieXible resolution, vet
all was as clay in the potter's hands when he
chose 70 exercise the power. His transfOrma-
tlOn OF his race from restless, torn faction
into great, united and absolutely obedient
whole, was one of the most remarkable
achievements in political leadership in the
history OF mankind.