PARNELL AND DAVITT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 35, 11 February 1891, Page 5

PARNELL AND DAVITT.

STEAD'S ACCOUNT OF A MOMENTOUS INTERVIEW.

In the new "Review of Reviews" (a capibal number by the way), Mr Sbead, says our London correspondent, gives an accounb of how Mr Parnell deceived Mr Davibt. Captain O'Shea told Mr Stead of his suspicion of Mr Parnell, and that he meant to institute proceedines in the Divorce Court. Michael Davitt, who disbelieved the statement of Captain O'Shea, said ab once bhab if it were proved to be true there was an end of Mr Parnell's leadership. The Irish people could not, and would not P follow any man who had offended against one of the most cherished principles of their race. Bub he said he would not believe it waß true until it wa3 proved; it was too great a disaster for the Irish cause to contemplate, and he would cling to the hope that Mr Parnell was falsely accused. He came over to London to discuss the matter, and was profoundly impressed by the statement which I repeated to him. Shortly after this, when I met Mr Davitb ab Mr Thaddeus' sbudio, I found him radianb wibh joy. "Don't distress yourself," eaid he caeerily. "Don'tdistress yourself. Charlie is all righb. Thore is nob a word of bruth in all bhab sbory Capbain O'Shea bold you. Ib has been a greab load off my mind." , 'Bub," said I, f how do you know ?" " I know," said Davibb, " because Mr Parnell told me, and Parnell has never deceived me in his life. Over and over again in these lasb 10 years I have been in difficulb positions wibh Mr Parnell, when ib mighb have been very much to his interest to have misled me. I never knew him say a word that was false. I trusb him implicibly, and when Parnell has given his word, I am QUITE SURE THAT HE SPEAKS THE. TRUTH." "Then," said I, "you have seen Mr Parnell ?" "Yes," said Davibt, "Imebhim yesterday, and he came bo my hobel —bhe Arundel Hobel—and remained in my room for nearly bhree hours. We had a long balk over bhe whole situation. I told him what you had told me aboub Capbain O'Shea, and he said bo me that there was no truth in ib. He was most emphatic, most emphatic. I never saw him in better spirits. He told me that the whole thing was an infamous plot on the parb of the. 4 Times ;' that he had got evidence bo prove bhab Captain O'Shea was paid by bhe ' Times' bo bring bhis charge as a revenge for bhe discomfiture that had overtaken them in the case of Pigott; thab he had all Ijis proofs ready, and that, when the case came before the Courts, there would be an exposure of the conspiracy of the ' Times ' and of the enemies of Ireland thab would cast inbo the shade even the enormous gain thab had been secured by bhe exposure of the forged lebbers." I said I was very glad bo hear ib, bub ib seemed too good to be true. " No," said Davitb, " there is no doubt* about ib. Mr Parnell said bo me, when I bold him I was going over bo Ireland, ' You can tell your friends thab they need have no fear. Be quite tranquil aboub bhis. I will come oub of this case WITHOUT A STAIN UPON MY NAME and reputation.' And I believe him," said Davitb; "he has never deceived me yeb." "Well," said I, "ib may be so ; bub are you quite sure bhab Mr Parnell did nob mean that he was goiner' to prove connivance on tho parb of Captain O'Shea, and thab he was going bo marryJMrsSO'Shea after the divorce ?" Then said Davibb, emphatically, " Nobhing of bhe kind. If Mr Parnell has had anything bo do with that woman, if there has been any criminal intimacy whatever, then the worst that Captain O'Shea could say about Mr Parnell's capacity for falsehood is not too strong. You remember thab in your Characber Sketch of Mr Parnell you quobe two opinions aboub his bruthfulne3s. One was by a friend, thab was myself, who said Mr Parnell bad always spoken brubhfully, and had never deceived him, the other was by an enemy (thab was Capbain O'Shea), who said bhat he was bhe supreme liar of bhe world. All I can say is this, if Mr Parnell has had anything to do with that woman, then the friend and the foe are of the same opinion. I could never believe that man again." Confident in his belief, Mr Davitt went about in London and Dublin, blithely repeating Mr Parnell's positive assurances of his complete innocence. He communicated bhem to Mr Morley among obheis, and then crossing to Dublin ha tilled the heart of Archbishop Walsh with joy, by repeating to him Mr Parnell's solemn and reiterated assurances of his stainless innocence. Mr Davitb did nob find everyone so ready to believe no evil as bhe Archbishop, bub he convinced everyone of one of bwo albernabives : eibher that Mr Parnell was innocenb, or bhat he had deliberately, cruelly, and wantonly deceived one of the most faibhful and uprighb of men, who more than any other man among his supporters had a right to be spared tha humiliation of being made a victim of such deception.