The Irish standard., 1909-01-16

y ~ .. T..
person: It was said that he did not
know Irish history. but he realized
as they all must who had read, how
much English plumber had to do with
it. He had in his mind the spectre Of
the hunger that prevailed In '76, ant
how the barometer of eviction rose. liz
remembered how the BLACK Al" seem
ed to be repeated. In 10 and 80 he
felt how those like himself should stand
between the hungry peasantry anC
their enemies, and then began the
Land War. And behind that stood
the usurer-the gombeen man - tina,
which really meant the haft of a
knife In the hands Of Shylock. When
the day of the South African War
came, hopeless laundering followed
and whatever might be done for any
race the picture was for the starving
Irish Celt nothing. But the Irish peo-
pie could do something for themselves
and that was Parnell's insistence-
Hold your hold (applause); resist
eviction" (applause), and the reign of
eviction turned into range Of out
RACES. Yes, General Gordon, seeing for
himself, said that our people were "a
people beyond belief loyal, but broken
spirited, desperate, and living where
our people would not grow CATTLE"
Parne1l gave all his life to Ireland
body, soul, and brain; his entire for
tune, his ancestral home-all to Ire
land. Then came the time Of the
Suspects" and Buckshots, title that
was fastened on Mr.. Forster, who, as
the phrase was, ruled so Ill and wished
so we'll" Parnell was the Stonewall
Jackson of Irish politics, and they
must all remember the phrase, SO
memorable, IF I am arrested, Captain
Moonlight will take my place." and
so 1t was. Then came the Kilmainham
Treaty and the paralysing Phoenix
Park tragedy, which made the Leader
determine to leave public life, a pur-
pose from which he was dissuaded.
Had Ireland stood by this man his
words would long since have been
verified that "No man or body Of men
had right or title to- set a limit to
the march of nation" (applause).
Sir William Butler drew an interesting
sketch of the scene at the Parnel
Commission during the cross-examin-
alton of Richard Pigott by Sir Charles
Russell, and Of the dramatic moment
when the forger mis-spelled the word
which marked him out as the author
of the document whose authorship it
had been sought to fasten on Mr. Par
nell. Referring to the Irish leaders
attitude on that great occasion, the
lecturer said that no movement of lip,
or expression Of eye, or Tightening
muscle of arm, showed that he was
victor. over q combination as powerful,
as oonscienceless, and as cowardly as
had ever come together to. compass tho
ruin OF one man (applause). The end
was now near at hand. Dark and des-
olate though 1t was destined to be, that
very darkness made clearer the gifts
of character which ilumined 1t, and
hich were certain to crow and broad
en- in history as the years ran their
course. Indeed, 1t was only when the
end came that the inner forces of that
great soul. SO long suppressed, broke
Into full flame, and revealed the enor-
nous tenaoity Of character and power
of the man, and alas! consumed the
already frail and sinking body, until
the clothes hung loosely upon him, and
the white hands grew whittier on the
helm which men, who knew not the
vessels course as he did, were try
ing to take from his grasp. What
was there still for them to do? They
could do one thing, little thing, and
vet Of much moment now and to their
could set up an efigy
of this man in their most public place
(applause), so that their children's
children might see that tall figure and
splendid face as their semblance had
been fixed in bronze by the genius of
a great artist.
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