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New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8534, 7 April 1891, Page 4

A few weeks ago the Times contrasted the force and power with which Mr. Parnell was fighting his battle with the weakness and lethargy of the party opposed to him. The same impression we gathered from the news and cablegrams. Parnell at bay was as full of vigour and resource as was Napoleon the First in 1813, when the allies were pressing upon him in France. But apparently the result is to be the same. Mr. Parnell declared at one of the meetings in the House of Commons Committee Room that he would oust from their seats "all the members for Irish constituencies who had deserted him. There have been since two fierce electoral battles in Ireland, and Mr. Parnell has been conspicuously defeated both at Kilkenny a few_ weeks ago and at Sligo now. It is evident that even the average, voter appreciates the fact that Home Rule is impossible of attainment except the alliance is preserved with the English Liberals, and that he is prepared, to secure that alliance, to throw Mr. Parnell overboard. But perhaps the most potent influence against Mr. Parnell is that of the priests. There has been much talk amongst some of the leaders of the 'Nationalist party about being willing to take their religion from Rome, but not their politics. To some extent they withstood the Church' in regard to inhuman practices, boycotting, and the plan of campaign. But the result of these two elections shows that the priests are still a power in the land. Mr. Parnell will find that the war will be carried into his camp, and that his followers will gradually be ousted from their seats. Every defeat at the polls will tend to diminish his following in the House. We have no idea, however, that Mr. Parnell will throw up the sponge, and that the Home Rule party will be once more united in themselves and with the English Liberals. The questions that have been raised during the quarrel are too numerous and too vital. No doubt many of the leaders "of the Liberal party will begin to think that they have sacrificed too much for their Irish alliance, which has brought them nothing but disaster.