New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-07-05

20 Pitt. A contrast IS sometimes more
instructive than an analogy. Pitt and
Parnell both died at forty-siX Pitt
had spent his strength in saving Eng
lard and Europe Parnell. in half az
many years Of active political life, had
spent his strength IN q Titanic effort
10 destroy the United Kingdom and
the British Empire. He would have
0ui!t up Ireland into ar independent
and hostile kingdom OF the English
flank; with the inevitable result OF
me rcconQuest OF Ireland by England.
! saw Parnell often enough in the
House Of Commons and during the sit
tngs Of the Parnell Commission. once
only did / meet him in private. was
walking away with George Lewis. his
solicitor. from the court after the
morning session. Parnell had come
out by another door and stood there,
framed by the doorway. as We passed
shall [ introduce YOU" asked Lewis.
As you like" | answered. He left me,
went 10 Psrnell. talked with him a mo-
ment; then the pair came together 70
where was standing and the intro
duction was duly made. The flames
in the brown eyes. Of which Mrs.
O'Shea tells US so often, were burning,
/ but not with the flames she saw. Par
nell knew me only as an enemy: as the
one American journalist who in a great
American journal had stated. day by
day and week b. week. year after year,
as strongly as ne knew how, the case
against Home Rule. OF course he re-
sCnted il. rot because II was | who did
IL. but because u was TIE Tribune
which published it. The Home Rule
compaign depended. then AZ now, on
American and Irish American support.
1t was fed with American dollars; IL
could not have lived without them.
or any man who stood between him and
the American public was anathema.
But he held out his hand and his
grasp was almost friendly; he was Civ
ing a civil greeting to Lewis's friend.
The eyes burnt none the less hotly;
the look of them went through and
through you. | saw the other day here
in Tuxedo Park, in the afternoon sun
light, a fash of lightning not less
vivid and piercing: and as had lately
in London been reading Mrs. O'Shea's
book, that. and the stab of the light
ming. brought back 10 me the flames in
the brown eyes had looked into in the
gloomy hall of the Law Courts all
those years agone. Plainly he meant
Us 10 meet as men of the world meet,
but he could not at the first instant
subdue the fire.
The few minutes talk which fol-
lowed was commonplace. On what
filed the minds Of all three Of US we
could not talk. Lewis could not have
wished or expected il. But there stood
Parnell; a man 10 be studied. His
manner was perfect. He stood erect,
alert. quiet; every inch OF him we'll
made. well-bred. The last thing he
would like 10 be taken for was an Eng
lish gentleman, but an English gentle
man he was to look at. English, not
Irish: nor was he in truth Irish. Had
he been he could never have ruled the
Irish Celts as he did. The pale face,
every feature well modelled; the we'll
trimmed brown beard to match his
brown eyes; the grave ease Of bearing;
the GOODNESS; The obvious reserve as OF
a man who never for any purpose in
any circumstances opened himself 10
other men; the immobility of the man
he stood; the composure: the polite
Indifference the mask he wore-i5
there anything Irish in all this? The
words fell ice-cold from his lips. |
had heard him in the House when de-
bate ran high. when he was challenged.
questioned. his word denied the air
TNl.E liz Win MS enemies EltETSs lNtil
as now the words fell ice-eold from
those thin. ineXorable lips. To ali
human weakness he seemed superior.
What hc said of himself was true. He
was man.
The exchange OF meaningless SEN
fences lasted perhaps FIVE minutes. 7,
Of course. asked no question. He,
equally Of course. volunteered no state
ment. A. the end he again held out
his hand: his face "a eXpressionless
& ever; the brown flames in the brown
eyes not leapiug out as At first but
smouldering; the fires were banked.
The slight gesture Of farewell was the
salute Of the swordsman. The man
was all of steel
Lewis and I>walked away together.
He said: We'll. now you know Par
nell But 7 answered: NO man knows
him. He does not mean 10 be known.
You have often told me that YOU could
get from him. even for the purposes of
this trial. no more than he saw # 10
give you" Said Lewis:
"Yes, but for few men have I done
what / have done for Parnell. ! want
10 win this case and shall win il.
did not 90 into IL with the gloves on.
And what ! have done could only have
done for man / loved"
Psrnell did not return LewIs's affec-
ton. To him Lewis was only the most
accomplished lawyer OF his time; Of
an ininitable skill in the handling OF
desperate causes. In any other hands
than his, Psrnelps cause would have
been desperate. He was the accom-
pice Of Patrick Ford, the dynamitcr.
He himself said that Captain Moon
light was his only possible successor.
To Parnell. therefore, Lewis, like all
others except Mrs. O'Shea, was a
weapon. Lewis was always at his best
for a client who engaged his SYM
pathies. To Lewis he owed, in that
black crisis. everything; for though
Sir Charles Russell's conduct Of the
trial was a forensic masterpiece, he
owed Russell also TO Lewis. How much
ne now owes 70 Mrs. O'Shea is mat
ter each reader must determine Tor
b;r,self G.. W. S.