The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1896-09-19

LnaL MT. b1gSar naQ gone rOuud uslHS 64cA
phrases as that it was time Ireland should
cease to be ruled by .the OSheas. The
plural had all the significance and all the
terror. The terrible fear came that the
dark secret would be exposed, that Parneu
would be lost, and that with the disap-
pearance of Parnell would come also the
disappearance Of that Home Rule bill
which it was generally conjectured Mr..
Gladstone would introduce in the course OF
a few months
1t was these announcements as to the
language Biggar was holding that pro-
duced the determination to stand by Par
neil at all cost; and circular was circu-
lated and answers asked for by letter and
telegram, declaring for Parnells leader
ship-which of course meant that O'Shea
was to be allowed to be returned for Gal
way. I was one of those who accompanied
Parnell to Galway after this document had
given him courage to face the issue. I have
told in my short sketch Of Parnell some Of
the incidents of that journey; others must
even now reserve from publication. l come
to the time when we met Biggar in the
Railway hotel in Galway, in which the con-
ference took place that was to decide the
fate of Parnell, and to some extent Of Ire
land. Biggar was quite cool-nay, even
smiling; and Parnell, on his side, never
felt any animosity to Biggar for the part
he had played. He never regarded Biggar
as serious factor in the attack upon him.
But though Biggar smiled he was very de-
termined 1t is one of the gifts as we'll as
the curses OF men of the narrow and fanat-.
ical type Of Bggar that they are unable to
see the wide horizon Of consequences which
stretches before the eyes and sometimes
paralyzes the will OF men of broad views.
He really spoke and acted as If the whole
struggle were small affair. That very
morning, when somebody asked him how
the crowd were to receive Parnell-that
mighty leader before whose very look sc
many men trembled-the reply OF Biggar
was: "Mob him, of course And yet,
though Biggar could thus be hard to Par
nell, there were great depths Of affection
in his curious and contorted bosom for the
chief he had helped SO largely to make.
"Parnell," he said once, els like cat; he
always falls on his feet" This was after
some escapade-a lengthy disappearance
or some of the other strange eccentrcities
by which Parnell used occasionally to be-
wilder and embarrss his friends. On an
other day Parnell came down to the house
looking dreadfully i'll. Biggar, when he
saw him in one OF the corridors, burst into
tears.
So far as his cold nature would allow him,
Parnell reciprocated this feeling. But Par
nell was realist, and never took unneces-
sary risks. Btggar, it will be remembered,
died suddenly in his lodgings in the South
of London. Parne.l was not among those
who followed his remains. It was said at
the time that this was a bitter and yenge-
ful remembrance OF Galway. do not
think it was anything of the kind. The
true explanation probably was that Parnell,
who was not in good health, dreaded the
physical and moral effects of funerals, and
kept away. But many a day afterwards,
both he and many others must have visit
fully asked what part Biggar would have
played if he had lived to- the day when
men had to take sides in what turned out
to be death struggle with the leader OF
a once great and united party.