MONAGHAN AND ITS MEMBER.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XII, Issue 26, 17 October 1884, Page 9

MONAGHAN AND ITS MEMBER.

(Dublin Freeman, August 23.) A MAN may not be a prophet in his own country, but a member of Parliament, it is clear, may be a hero in his own county. The people of Monaghan appear to have made both prophet and hero of their member, Mr. Healy. He was last week the central figure in a demonstration which may well be regarded as marking an epoch in the history of popular gatheiiogs in the North. Priests from the four corners of the county, magistrates, merchants, traders, and the representative men of every class headed the farmers and labourers of Monaghan who crowded in to hear their member's first formal account of his stewardship. Such a magnificent meeting would be a striking manifestation of popular power in any part of the country, t itl 8 signally so in the province of Ulster and in the shadow of Lord Rossmore'B mansion. Of course that spirited nobleman and his pen-and-ink legions were prevented from putting in an appearance by circumstances over which they had no control." Having brayed his bray in the newspapers against Mr. Parnell, the decay of England, and the Church of Rome, Lord Rossanore wisely swallowed his terrific threats and reserved himself for another occisioa and another manifesto. He was wittily dismissed by Mr. O'Brien, who, in instituting a comparison between the valiant Wes'enra and Mr. Healy, said the difference between the two was that while Mr. Healy never missed fire. Bomehow or other the hammer of Lord Eoasmore's revolV c r m M alwayß petting out of orJer at the critical time. The people of Monaghaa have not in the pa^t been accustomed to hear their members rendering an account of their Parliamentary action, much less have they been accustomed to listen to such a narrative of one session's work as that which it was in Mr. Healj's power to repeat. Its effects upon the ears of the independent Orange and Protestant tenant farmers who must necessarily have contributed te swell the monster meeting of last week, as well as npon tho great body of Mr. Healy's constituents, it is not difficult to conjecture. The member for Monaghan dwelt with considerable fervour upon the profound wisdom, practical sagacity, enormous intelligence, and concentrated patriotism and enthusiasm of the leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party, and touched upon the achievements which so valuable a leadership had accomplished. But none more readily than Mr. Parnell himself would mete out to Mr. Healy the full and conspicuous credit that is due to him in connection with those achievements. If every farmer going out to bis fields in the morning can now remember that he need have no dread of the bailiff when he comes home at night, he is not likely to forget how much he owes for that assurance to the author to the " Healy Clause." If, too, the claims of the labourers hive bsen partially regalated, and are rapialy approaching complete redress-if, as the hon. member put it, the Irish cansa is at present peaceably proceeding by leaps and bounds to victory-the men of Monaghan have no need to be reminded of the vigorous and sleepless part which their popular member has takeu in the work. The splendid reception they gave him last week, as orderly as it was enthusiastic, was alike an' inspiriting expression of confiderce in his Parliamentary labours and a crushing answer to the wild calls to outrage of Lord Rossmore. Mr. Healy was accompanied by a trio of the Irish Party who have prominently shared with him the honours of the recent session. The ability, activity, and eloquence of the party have been almost nightly represented in the House of Commons by men like Mr. T. D. Sullivan," Mr. Joseph Bigger, and Mr. William O'Brien ; and there is a ready illustration of the industry which characterises the Irish Nationalist representatives in the citcumstances that while the four members named were addressing the Nationalists of Monagban, two colleagues, Mr. Hariington and Mr. Leahy, were among the speakers at a great demonstration in the county Kildare. As at Mouaghan, the meeting at »ld Kilcullen unanimously adopted a s°ries of resolutions endorsing the principles of the National League and the Irish Parliamentary Party. Both meetings are a cheering evidence of the active National spirit that is abroad in the North as well as in the South, and are emineutly expressive of the resolutions of th s country to work without cessation for the final and greatest triumph.