MR PARNELL.

Timaru Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 5263, 14 October 1891, Page 3

MR PARNELL.

. 9 lha following are oxtraots from a highly sympathetic skotch of tho late Mr Parnell by Mr W. T. Stead, in the Review of Itevi.ews for February 18,90 : — . THE PARADOX OALLBD fAENBLL, Mr Parnell is an incarnato paradox. Ho is to bogie with, a ProtOßtapt, and yet ho ia tho chosen chief of tho most passionately Catholio population ia the world. Although tlio uncrowned king of Ireland, ho is of English and American descent. Ho iB a landlord, but hn haa led tho tenants to a viotory without parallel in our history. Ho is oboyod aa no ono has ovor beon obeyed boforo by au Iriah party, but he began bis career by a mutiny against tbo authority of his leader. His namo has boen tho symbol of a revolutionary movement, against whioh all tbe resources of oiviiiaation wero invoked in vain, but ho is at tho same timp tho' mainstay of conservatism among his own people. Ho is tbo Parliamentary chief of tho most voluble and oloquont of English-spooking nationalities. But when he made his debut as a Parliamentary oandii d»to, he stuck and could not got through even tho perfunfltpry maiden spooob of a political deojulant, and dowM to tbis day ho bas never . mado a single spoeoh that could by any Btrctol) ! of charity bo doaoribod as on eloquent orafion. > Imagine everything thot tbo stago Irishman ia supposed to bo ; and you bavo everything , Mr Pnrnoll is not. Ho is neithor a oonspirator nor a domogoguo, Ho liaß neither,

firo nor fury nor passion, nor any of the.vices nor the : Bhowy* virtues of lub countrymen. In the midst of a loquaoioua and nervously restless generation, Mr Parnell has achieved his unique success chiefly by the possession of a unique capacity of holding his tongue. THE HEAD OP AN BBGINEEB. Hatred of a sentimontal kind is not Mr Parnell's foible. He is not sentimentalist enough to bate England. His mind is essentially that of a civil engineer. He has always had a great turn for mechanics, and one of ths» amusements of his youth was to endeavour to solve the problem of perpetual motion. The habit of mind which ho brought to politics waß the same as that which Sir J. Parnell addressed himself to the making of canals in Iroland. When an engineer is making a cutting he does not swear oven at a quagmire, and Mr Parnell is too intent upon hie end to waste force in unnecessary emotion. No man has caused moro stormy ■ ebullitions of passion, but oxcopting on one or two memorable occasions, ho haß boon as 000l as a cucumber, ob collected ao a judge His first- recorded utterance iu the Houso of Commons waa choraoterietic. It wbb made in the first great struggles by which the Home Rulers compelled tho hostile parties to admit their right to recognition. In reply to fierce objurgations from both sides of tho Houae Mr Parnell aaid.tbat "they had deliberately adopted this course, and thoy would stick to it." Deliberation iu selecting tho means to be employed and resolution aa immovable as adamant when thoy were adoptod — these have distinguished Mr Parnell's polioy from tho first to tho laet, . . . When tho fight ia on thoro ia no one so unpopular. Popular or unpopular it did not mattor to Mr Pnrnell. He had o long row to hoe, and he wont on with his work, " rain or shine." This devotion to hia end, not the devotion of a fanatio who is sustained by the glow uf passionate enthusiasm, but the practical, bußinoßs-like doterminition of an oogineor who haa a certain amount of tuuDel- ' ling to do, haa been ono great seoret of his power. Ho blundered often whon he entered Parliament owing to his inncquaintanco with tho forms of the House. " How are you to learn the rules of the House ?" said a young and impatient follower. "By broaking tbem," was the laconic but aufßoient answer. Thia ie the way in which'Mr Parnoll learnod his lesson. AS A IEADBE. As a leader he was noc an originator, Mr Biggar invented Obstruction before Mr Parnell adopted it. It was Ronayne who first put hitu up to the idea of making the Irish force a power in English politics, lhere is nothing original in the adoption of the method of tho importunate widow in Parliamentary politics. But while Mr Parnell initiated nothing, he bettered all his instructions, and improvod upon all his mastors, Mr Parnell's character is often misunderstood, even by those who Btand nearest to him. Nothing, for instance, ia mure common than to hear bim spoken off as a rigid disciplinarian— a kind of Irish Tzar. In reality, he allowa hie followers to go as they please to an extent that often lands him in considerable difficulties. It is an open secret that the Plan of Campaign would nevor bave boen proclaimed if Mr Parnell bad had his own way. His constitutional lethargy, reinforced ot that time by aoute illness, enabled his followers to force his hand. In Parliament he effaces himself to an extent that few realise. But in one respeot only is the popular conception well foundod. When Mr Parnell speaks he ia obeyed. But he speaks very seldom, and always to some purpose. The atmoaphere of reserve in which he shrouda himself is natural to him. He is an aristocrat born and bred, and if he wore like his predecessors, to become a peer of tho realm, ho would find himeelf muoh moro at heme in tho Houae of Lorda than with the lough and rudo democracy. AS A MAS. '. •' Personally Mr Parnoll is regardod with such kindly feeliugß aa are corupat.blo wilh respect and use. He is not a sociable creature. Bo has never beon known to drink to Oleosa. Ho nover haunts theatres or conoert halls. No one has ever heard him swear, wherein ho differs from some of his followers, who swoor like troopom. I have always found him perfectly truthful ond straightforward. I put tho queslion recently to two Irish— on, both of whom bad kniwn him intimately for yoars. Ono was an onemy, tho other a friend. Said the friond : "I ihink Mr Parnell ia a truthful man, and I havo never known him to act dishonourably to any of his colleagues or friend.'." His enemy eaid j "Mr Parnell is the moat su promo liar tho world ever saw." So widoly do tho opinions of men differ acoordiog to their standpoint. There is tho same wide difference of opinion upon tho charge that has just boon brought against him by hia quondam friend, Captain O'Shea It is well, however, to remember Bismarck's saying, that be was always disbelieved because ho always Bpoke tho truth. Mr Parnell's conduct may bo misjudged because of hia innooenco. AT HOME. On hia estate in Winklow, whore Mr Parnell has an exleasivo quarry, and employs 150 men, ho is very popular. I remember whon I , waa at Lord Fitzwilliam's beautiful seat close by, I was shown with almost roverential respect, tbe place where Mr Parnell in his youth used to play crioket. Those who knew him in the privacy of his homo are much attached fo him. No ono can bo more unassuming and simple in his manners. Ho roado a good deal, especially about mechanics, biography, and history. Imaginative literature is not his strong point, nor could he ever mako much headway with poetry. Onco, and onco only, has ha been known to quote poetry in a speech. It was not of a nature to encourage him to repeat the experiment. Working up towards his peroration, he declared that thej would nover rost until thoy had mado thoir country realise tho poet's droam, — First flowor of tho earth, first jewel of tho sea ! " Gom, gom !" said a friond at his elbow. " Ob, yes," replied Mr Parnell, " but jowol io a better word !"