The Kenilworth Advertiser. — 1890-12-20 (Kenilworth, Warwickshire, England)

PARNELL'S SPEECHES. a tempting object for plunder. In the middle of The more we watch Mr. Parnell's attitude the the night an attack was made by several thousand more pathetic, says the Spectator, the blindness of the worst dregs of the populace, infuriated by fanaticism and egged on by the hopes of a rich and credulity which give him so great an influence, booty. They raided the houses of 50 or 60 Christian seem to us. He accused Mr. Gladstone, of whom families, set the buildings on fire, and carried off he speaks contemptuously one minute, respectfully everything portable. The wretched owners were and admiringly the next, and again contemptuously powerless to save their homes from the marauders, a few minutes later, of never in his life having who openly feasted in the villages for four or five given him a straightforward answer to a plain ques- days, at the expiration of which the oracle was tion. Perhaps the questions put to Mr. Gladstone again consulted: and the result of its advice was were not quite as plain as they looked. At all that a more bloodthirsty and fanatical spirit was events, the statements which Mr. Parnell makes on Infused into the mob. No lives had been taken up his own behalf seem to us anything but straight- to this; but now the fiercer passions of the perseforward. They are often of the same character as eutors were roused, and the mission premises were that statement which, as he confessed to the Com- surrounded and burnt, ajnidst the howls of inmission, was probably intended to mislead the furiated villains, who threw a number of Christians Rouse of Commons. He now makes, for instance, a into the burning buildings, where they perished great show of religion, and even talks of turning in the most horrible agony, which proceedings were his cheek to the smiter, if it could but be of any use watched with devilish pleasure by their erstwhile to his country that he should do so. That is not neighbours. The murderers seized upwards of 20 only doing what the hypocrites do, but doing what more victims in the neighbourhood and butchered unskilful hypocrites do, for nobody will believe him them in cold blood, and with all the revolting reto be sincere. On the whole, his speeches must finements of cruelty which the placid-looking impress all sincere readers very unpleasantly. Chinese understand so well. Most of the bodies of though they shew the great lengths he can go in the murdered people were hacked or cut to pieces Ireland without exciting any suspicion. The and thrown into the river. During all this time flavour of religious hypocrisy about these :speeches the officials were invisible, and the impression in is quite new and very startling, That Ireland will, well-informed quarters is that they kept out of the on'the whole, declare for him, we believe more and way on purpose. Another village, not far off, and more ; indeed, to tell the full truCi, there is no i winch contained many Christians, was also raided, other leader left her, if she lost her faith in him, and the property of the converts either burned "ut that the measure of her belief in Mr. Parnell before their eyes or carried off by the thieves. In is the measure of her absolute unfitness for the in- China pillage of this kind is a capital offence under dependent organisation she craves, is as obvious ordinary circumstances, but in cases where the as it is fatal to the political prospects of the Home victims are Christians the legal tribunals make very Rule cause. light of the matter. So far none of the ringleaders of this murderous attack have been arrested, and the Prefect of the district has taken no active steps to discover their identity.