The Irish standard., 1891-01-17

at the head of the organization which
hs founded. From that hour it might
be said of larnell as was said Of
O'Connell--
! sitting sole on Tara's hill
| While hung million on his will.
Thousands Of eyes that once looked
forward to Irish liberty being won,
amidst tbs thunder and tempest OF
crashing musketry and the fierce shouts
Of the onset, now turned to him. Thou
sands of young heads bowed to Kim III
proud loyalty. 10 them he was the
prophet and the king.
| For time Parnell worked, I believe,
| faithfully for the country that trusted
HIM aud made him chief A coercion
bill was passed IN the house OF com
| mons. Parnell was placed in K,Imaln
ham jail. Every Irishman worth his
salt was placed in some jail. But the
plank bed did not agree With him
Michael DAvit5 and William OBrien
beds They were, after all, but only the
mere Irish, you know. Charles Stewart
Parnell preferred the open air and the
open sky, aud certain drawing room
in London, aud so We have got the
Kilmalnham treaty. Captain O'Shea
was the emtssary between the castle
and the jtii. And tell you that
around that treaty made ten wears ago
between Charles Stewart Parnell and
Dublin Castle there hangs a mvstery
which has never been sufficiently cleared
for me or for you or for the Irish
people. His first act, after leaving
Kilmainham, was to withdraw the no-.
rent manlfesto; his next to break up
the land leagus which Michael y .ylS5
had founded, and to please the English
Liberals he called it by the name Of ma
tional league; and his next movement
was we'll, nobody knows what it was.
About this ttm5 there occurred AL
event in Ireland which astonished the
whole world and filled with horror a
large number Of the irish people: Lord
Frederick Cavendish and Under Sscre-
tary Burke were assassinated in
Pheealx Park. Mr.. Parnell, at this
dreadful hour, waen the Irish people
looked to him for encouragement aud.
couusal did a very strange thing: he
went to Mr.. Gladstone aud offered to
resign his leadership of the Irish nation.
Note this we'll. A few months before.
Mr.. Parnell in speech ia Wexford,
called the great Engllshman the "un-
rivalled coerclontst OF the irish race"
Gladstone had not at this lime shown
any desire to grant home rule to Ire
land. Aud at this most critical nour,
when the clouds were darkest. when
the nation was plunged into grief and
despair. Parnnll offered to resign if
Gladstone desired it, Gladstone has
offered to give home rule to Ireland;
but he believes as long as Parnell is at
the head of the parliamentary party.
home rule is outside the range Of prac
tical politics. and he asks MIR. Parnell
to resign for the sake OF that liberty
for which generations Of Irishmen suf
fered and prayed and dashed themselves
against the power of England, and Mr..
Parnell calls him a. ''garrulous old man"
Consistency thou art Jewel!
The next episode in the career Of Mr..
Parnell to which [ would call your
attention is what has since become
famous under the name Of the Galway
election. There was vacancy IN the
county Of Galway, and Mr.. Parnell who
was then at the zenith Of his power.
whom the Irish people made their st.
Patrick and Brian Boru rolled into one,
nominated the man for whom the free
and independent electors were to vote.
Who was this man? Let it be said with
bated breath aud whispering humble
ness, it was the infamous Captain
O'Shea.
Parnell knew we'll the character of
this low, cowardly. infamous scouudrel.
This was the man whom Parnell com
manded the purest peasantry in the
world to vote for-to make their chief. !
their leader. their guide Whas was to
be their reward? Infamy, disgrace,
betrayal. What was to be Parnell's
reward? The honor Of O'Shea's wife.
1 care not what other men NAV think,
but as for my single self. if Parnell be-
trayed me into voting for this moral
leper-this man VINO had been drummed
out of every organization ahe ever
joined would say to him: You may
have all the qualities Of great and
successful politician, YOU may have all
the power and prestige which the Irish |
people have given YOU. but YOU can no
longer be leader of mine. i
now come to speak to you Of what
is the most important of all. 1t seems
that when Mr.. Parnell found his posi- !
tion as leader Of the Irish parliam entary
party IN danger. he wrote q manifesto
tn the Irish ace In that famnnS man