The Irish standard., 1905-05-20
CAPTAIN O'SHEA.

CAPTAIN o'SHEA.
There died in well-merited obscur-
ity in Brighton, England, not long
since man who had more to do
with the failure of Gladstone's Home
Rule bill and the resultant blighting
OF Irish aspirations than any other
man or set of men. His name was
William Henry O'Shea, whose name
was linked with the downfall of the
great Charles Stewart Parnell. 1t is
probable that the part of Captain
O'Shea had in the wrecking of the
Irish Home Rule bill of Mr.. Gladstone
has not been fully appreciated. Par
nell was at the height of his fame and
power, and Home Rule for Ireland
seemed assured, when his connection
with the wife of Captain O'Shea ruined
him and temporarily destroyed the
hopes of his country. The part which
Captain O'Shea played in this pathetic
drama of Irish history is disgraceful
Parnell was blamed as he should have
been. He was driven out of public
life by the Irish people and their lead
ers, for there is no place in Irish pub
lie life for the lecherous. Captain
O'Shea can not be regarded in the
light of an injured husband or as hav-
ing had his life ruined by Parnell. He
owes everything TO the latter, and even
while the relations between his wife
and the great Irish leader were a
matter of the most public notoriety
Captain O'Shea was living practically
at the bounty of Parnell. He was
received everywhere because of his
friendship with Parnell. He even cut
a figure in politics, nonentity that he
was. He was sought out by English
ministers as the man through whom
they could reach and deal with the
Irish leader. For some years before
O'Shea commenced his action for di-
vorce, in which Parnell was named as
correspondent, it was we'll known to
some of the Irish leaders that the one
whom they were following, to whose
genius they were wont to look to bring
them through the hard-fought battles,
was staggering ON the brink of a
precipice. Biggar, Parnell's trusted
and stanch friend, telegraphed to him
in 1886, "The O'Sheas will be the ruin
of you," and such proved to be the
case. Unfortunately not only a man
otherwise upright was ruined but with
him the fortunes of a people and a
country received staggering blow,
from which they have not yet recov-
cred.
1t was only when Parnell could no
longer reward O'Shea pecuniarily
that he instituted the suit for divorce,
, which in truth killed Gladstone's
Home Rule bill. We are not trying
to excuse Parnell. His character was
taken at its worth by his people and
his colleagues in parliament. He paid
the penalty, and the Irish people who
worshiped him are paying the pen
atty for his folly. We are trying to
point out the ignoble part which the
man who has just died played In a
country's drama. So long as he could
live and prosper through his wife's
misdeeds he was silent, but the mo-
ment that he found that the services
which he had rendered to English min
listers were not sufficient to gain him
Office or title and when he realized
that his wife abhorred him, he com.
menced at once the steps which led
to really great mans disgrace and
a country's failure. 1t would have
paid the Irish people, had they realized
the situation. to have bought the con.
tinuance of the silence of this man. Had
they known the situation, however, it
is improbable that they would have SO
far countenanced the disgraceful alli
ance which, unfortunately, was so in,
timately> connected with the welfare
of their country The divorce proceed
ings revealed Parnell's weakness and
made it impossible for him longer to
be connected with the Irish cause
His downfall resulted in the splitting
of the Irish Party and with that split
went allshope for the success Of Home
Rule. Itis only now after so man,
4 years thatnthes sInish Party H. recover