The Irish standard., 1909-01-16


Mansion House, Dublin, General Sill
William Butler, G. c. b., delivered an
eloquent address on Charles Stewart
Parnell, In aid Of the Parnell Monu-
ment Fund, before large and enthus-
iastic audience, which included the
most prominent city Nationalists and q
big proportion of ladies'. Members
of the Emmet Costume Association in
their picturesque dress acted as a
guard Of honor to the lecturer and the
other prominent speakers as they
mounted the dais. Before the proceed
ings commenced a pleasing selection OF
national music was rendered by Ire
lands own Band. under the baton Of
Mr.. Robert O'Dwyer.
Sir William Butler, who was loudly
cheered ON rising, said in the sketch.
necessarily brief, Of the life Of the dis
tinguished man to whom the evening
was devoted, he was following in the
uspal seapsnee pf the lifs the excellent
biography written by Mi. Barry,
O'Brfen. For the opinions stated In his
paper and the views of men and Of af-
fairs, he was himself wholly RESPONSE
BILE. He proposed to speak Of man
whose precise place in history was still
difficult to determine, a man who came
into the political life Of Ireland with
out any previous preparation, without
notice. without training, suddenly, un-
expectedly-a man who almost from
the moment when his feet touched the
deck Of our island ship at the age Of
20, took the helm as easily and con-
fdently as though he had grown to
command through long years Of poll
tical apprenticeship and professional
service; man whose youth or college,
course had not been passed in the
study OF Irish history, who had never
brooded over Irish wrongs, nor travelled
among the people Of the islandy nor
shared their lives nor devoted himself
to their politics, nor written nor read
about them; man whose first attempt
to enter the political arena in 1874 had
been a total failure; of whom critics
Of the time wrote that he was only
respectable mediocrity that he had no
political capacity whatever, and whose
place at the general election that year
was at the bottom of'the poll. A short
fifteen years formed the span Of his ac-
tive life, starting from 1875, which saw
him classed as an ordinary unit among
the political nonentities of tho day
Qaughter), and ending In 1891, the
foremost figure among many notable
personalities Of the era, and one, per-
haps, whose name was destined to float
longest above the surface Of the years
to come (applause). What. they might
ask, was the secret source of so much
success and such rapid pre-eminence.
Tho answer, he thought, could be given
in a few words. Tho inner force or
essence Of Parnelps nature, was neith-
er political nor administrative, legal, or
judicial, or academic; his innermost in
stinct was rule, command. He thought
the word "hold' best suited the at
tribute in the catalogue of phrases
which men had coined to express the
supreme in human nature. Had Par
nell adopted the military profession.
he had In him, in the highest degree.
that natural instinct, rapidity Of judg-
ment, which was the first essential in
war (applause). Rule, judgment, dar-
Ing, these were the qualities the pos
session Of which made Charles Stewart
Parnell. at the age OF 80. the most
powerful leader known in Ireland dur,
Ing the last 700 years Of her narrowed
history. (applause). But running un-
der and through those great rocks OF
character foundation, there was sotne-
thing else which was altogether the
product Of the land ii which she$ was
born, and Of the times in which he
lived. 4 Courage, grasp. tud 3 grnelnt e beS q