The Irish standard., 1904-07-23

1t Is LII anOtner ana Stlll more re-
markable chapter that the author of
this book undertakes to portray the
character and sum up the achieve
ments of Charles Stewart Parnell, and
to forecast the place reserved for
in history, says the New York Sun.
We would not eXaggerate the truth
by far-fetched comparisons, yet we
should give Mr.. Davitt less than his
deserts if we failed to acknowledge
that we should have to go back to
Plutarch or to Clarendon to find a
parallel to his searching and discrim
mating, yet on the whole just and
equitable, estimate Of his former
chief. He begins his appreciation by
reminding us that Parnell was only
in his forty-siXth year when he died
at Brighton on October 9th, 1891.
But ten short months had rolled away
since he had broken irrevocably with
the majority of the Nationalist party
by refusing to adopt the course which
his truest and his wisest friends had
pressed on him in vain. Mr.. Davitt,
for his part, has no doubt that had
their counsels prevailed, they would
have averted the split, saved Parnells
life, in all human probability, for
years Of still greater services to Ire
land, and insured the success of the
home rule cause at the general cleo
tions of 1892.
In spite of the deductions candidly
made in the book before us, the author
comedies that "Parnell's claim to
greatness no Irish Nationalist, and
few Irishmen, will ever deny. To do
so would be like ignoring the existence
of a mountain or some other huge OBJ
jective fact in nature" The magni.
tude of the work he wrought is un,
disputed; it would, of itself, suffice
to make the fame of any statesman
In Parnell, however, as in almost
every other historic character, marked
limitations are recognizable, even if
we leave out Of the reckoning the
final weakness which brought about
his fall. To those who saw him for
the first time he may we'll have seem
ed fatally disqualified for the leader
ship OF an Irish Nationalist party. lie
was not Celt and he was not q
Catholic. 1t is true that he was born
in Ireland, and that through maternal
ancestors he inherited a thread of
Scottish kinship with the Irish na
!tion. His immense popularity, how
ever, with the Irish people was not
due to any Celtic qualities. OF these
he had not even a trace There was
no racial affinity between him and
them. He was far less like O'Connell
than was even Mr.. Gladstone. Be
yond the sterile facts of his birthplace
and Of his descent from English fore
fathers resident in the Pale, there was
nothing in his habits temperament OF
individuality that would attest and
Knit relationship between him and
those whose boundless confidence he
won. They had nothing in common
but the high purpose Of the national
movement which he led.
Mr.. Davitt brings out clearly the
strange antithesis which Parnell pre-
sented to his followers: ''He was
Protestant, leading a nation chiefly
Catholic; landlord, commanding ten
ants in war against his own class;
a cold, reserved man, at the head of
one of the most warm hearted and i'm
pulsive Of races; a sober, Unconditional
speaker, WHO never quoted an Irish
poet but once and then quoted him
wrongly, in a country remarkable for
passion and ornate oratory; a public
man and leader who treated his party
with icy aloofness for years; who lived
away from Ireland most Of his time:
and who appeared in his conduct to-
ward the Irish people to be
absolutely unconcerned as to
what they thought of him
until the personal issue involved
in the unhappy event of 1890 reused
him into fierce contest with those