New-York tribune., 1891-10-08

House finding that IT. could not crush MN Wy
brutality, decided to give him henring. Aieer
the death of Mr.. Butt he was the leader OF the
Irish PARTY in the House of Commons. AT iirst he
had only four followers, Messrs. Biggar, ODoh-
nell, Power and Finegan. Bit within seven years
the party was increased twenty fold
In the fall of 1879 Mr.. Parneil visited this
country, and spent most of the winter here Ills
object was 20 arouse interest In the struggm ior
Irish independence and TO raise large sum OF
money 70 further the objects OF his campaign
Wherever he went his speeches were listened 10
by enormous crowds, numerous American branches
Of the Irish Land League were established anu
hundreds OF thousands Of dollars were poured lhIo
his treasury. There was famine in Ireland li"C
winter, and he and his companion, MI Dliio"'
also reused much practical sympathy for It's VIC
Tins On his return home he was not only the
unchallenged leader OF The lrisl, cause. put ne
was ncomparably the most popular leader 1t had
had since O'Counell. He was not Mr.. SeXtons
equal as an orator, nor Mr.. Healys as pariiamen-
tartan. nor Mr.. McCarthy's in literary culture.
But he had a combination of cold calculation ana
intense determination that made him at once the
leader of his own people and the most dreaded
enemy of their opponents aud OpprcsSors
In January, 1881, Parliament met for the pur-
pose of passing more stringent coercion laws Ior
Ireland The Irish party in the Commons num-
bered thirty-five nearly all of them entirely IN
experienced but under Mr.. Parnell's masteriul lead
they fought desperate battle. On Monday Jan-
uary 81, they moved an adjournment, al the usuai
hour This was refused by the majority Oh the
House. and an all-night sitting ensued Inc slt-
ting lasted all night, and all the next day, ana all
the next night, the English and Scotch Vainly
hoping 10 tire out the Irish At last at O'CLOCK
on Wednesday morning the Speaker, on his own
authority ended the debate. This was an unpre-
cedented act. The Irish members vainly protested
against it. and then, with cries of d" Privilege!
they left tie House in body. The next day theS
returned. Mr. Parnel arose and asked respect
full and legitimate question. lie was answered
with curt insoence. He protested lie was caiieu
TO order lie protested again. Then fH wac
ordered to leave the House. Mr. Dillon then tooA
Lis place with the same result. Iwenty-slN meIl-
hers were thus temporarily expelled After
few weeks of such work Mr.. Gladstone succeeoeu
in nossinr his Coercion BILL under which the Irish
people were disarmed and the habeas corpus
act WAS suspended On October 13, 1881 Mr..
parneu and number of his followers were ar
rested and locked up in Kilmainham JAIL Coercion
was ruthlessy applied and the Land League was
snnnrcssed with an iron hand. But from this en-
treme position Mr.. Gladstone had 10 retreat. lie
released Mr. Parnell and the others, without vent
urinc "a bring them to trial The struggle was
however continued with more or less intensity
until June. 1885, when the Gladstone Government
went out
In the elections that followed eighty loyal
IIorns Rulers WIRE returned to Westminster under
Nr parnell,s leadership Convinced by this
shaving that the Irish people were speaking with
peoples voice for a peoples rights. Mr. Glad
Stone faced sauarely around. Abandoning the
nolicv Of Coercion he adopted the policy Of Home
RuIe On April 8, 1856. he introduced his famous
bill for giving Ireland Parliament and Govern
ment of its own long and animated deDate
followed On June z n vote on the Stcond read
ing was taken a large section of the Liberal party
rebclled against Mr. GadstOnes leadership, and the
bill was defeated. the votes standing 3ll yeas ana
341 nays Mr. Gladstone at dissolved Par
lament and appealed 10 the country The CAM
paign that followed was one OF the most spirited
ever known. Many of Nj. Gladstones former
supporters and intimate friends. such as Lord
Harrington, Mr.. Chamberlain, Mr.. Bright and
Mr.. Goschen, openly opposed him and, as Liberal
UnionistS, became allies OF the Conservatives
In Ireland Mr.. Parnell carried al before him,
almost every constituency elccting Pornellite
member The result. when Parliament assembled
was as follows: Conservatives. 81; Liberal
Unionists, 75 Gladstonian Liberals, 1872; Par-
nellites, 81. This made total fOr Home Rule of
277. and against it Of 302. Mr.. Gladstone ac
cordingly resigned and Conservative Ministry
was formed with Lord Salisbury at its head
Thereafter Mr.. Parnell aud Mr.. Gladstone were
allies and the Conservative Government resumed
the old policy of coercion in Ireland. Under the
Secretaryship Of Mr.. Balfour Ireland las been
governed with strong hand, but not alto
gether unllindly Against the Conservative Gov
ernment. however, Mr.. Parnell wagcd almost un-
ceasing warfare. In 1887 and 1888 q striking
incident occurred. The London Times pub.
lished notable series Of articles entitled Par
nellism and Crime" in which Mr.. Parncll was
charged with direct connection and completely
with innumerable murders and Ourages. vast
mass of circumstantial and documentary evidence
was offered to that effect and profound sensation
WIS produced "Thc Times" published copies
of letters purporting to have been wrttcE by Mr.
Parnel which. if true. hjpelcssly Ecriminated
him. Upon appeal to Parliament these attacks
were referred to an extraordinary commission,
composed of three eminent judges. with almost un.
limited power to investigate tie whole matter
After great deal of testimony various points
had been taken the question Of the Letters at
trbuted to Mr.. Parnell was brought up. 1t was
shown that they had been secured for The
Times by Mr.. Houston. enthusiastic young
Irish Tory. lie had purchased them of Richard
Piggott, an Iriskman who had been prominent
Home Rule agtator and journalist Pggott at
first declared that he had secured them from mem
bers of the Irish party.
On cross examination. however. he broke down
completely, and confessed that he had forged them
all. Then he fled TO Spain and killed himself
This extraordinary episode at the end Of February.
1850. completely vindicated Mr.. Parnel in the
mind OF the public and was heavy blow to
The Times" and to the Government itself
Mr.. Parnell made wise and modest use of his
triumph. holding out offer of conciliation and
compromise and asking the Government merely to
reconsider the Home Rule question on basis that
should be satisfactory TO the people of England.