Rensselaer Republican, Volume 24, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 October 1891 — PABNELL THE NEXT. [ARTICLE]

PABNELL THE NEXT.

Suddea'Death of the Unthroned King. Great Britain and Ireland Startled by th* Announcement—Brief Sketch of His Life Great Britain and Ireland were startlei on the 7th, by the utterly unlocked for an* nouncement that Charles Stewart Parnell* ■ the noted Irish leader, died suddenly th# I previous evening, at his home in Brighton. It has been well known that Mr Parnell has.not enjoyed the best of health for years past, and it has been noticed and widely commented upon that since the O'Shea divorce developements becam# ». matter of public notoriety, and since political trouble came upon him, that the great Irish member of parliament had grown thinner and that he had perceptibly aged in appearance. But nobody expected to bear of his death and no inkling as to his illness had reached the newspapers. His death is said to have been hr* directly (file tcFa chll 1 which at first wa# not regarded as being of a serious nature, Mr. Parnell however, grew worse, and a physician was called in with the result that the patient was ordered to take to his bed. This was on Friday last, and from that time Mr. Parnell’s strength failed, and he the disease which caused the death of the Irish leader is not made known. Telegrams received from Dublin and other towns in Ireland the principal towns in England unite in reporting that the death of Mr. Parnell has caused the greatest sensation among his supporters, principally on account of the sudden manner in which he died. In Dublin the tatelrish leader's supporters are in great consternation. Mr. Parnell was educated altogether in Engand, and was a studeut of Magdalen, Cambridge. He was almost typically English in manner and appearance. In 1874 o became high shernt of Wicklow, and' was beaten in an effort to enter Parliament Next year be was returned for county Meath in succession to John Martin, and for one year took no part in the work of the House. He became gradually more prominent until in 1878 he was elected president of the Home Rule Confederation iu place of Mr. Isaac Butt, He was subsequently elected to represent the city of Cork. He displayed remarkable ability; both as a parliamentary debater and & tactician, and as an organizer in the interest of the Irish Home-rule party. Ha> identified himself with the tenant farmers of Ireland in the struggles with absenteeism and high rents, and was chiefly instrumental in forming and sustaining the Land League of 1879-80. In December, 1879, Mr. Parnell made a visit to the United States with the design of interesting the Irish-American population in the cause of the land league. While in this country he lectured before several State Legislatures, and finally before tho House of Representatives at Washington. The honor of addressing this branch of Congress had been previously conferred upon but three persons—Lalayotte, Kossuth and the Bishop England, of Charleston. Upon his return home he became better in his attitude toward the landlords and the government, and it was charged that I ftils led to disorder iu Ireland. From this charge he was subsequently vindicated, I In November, 1889, informations were laid , by the Irish attorney general against Mr. Parnell and other members of the Land i League executive. The trial ended in a disagreement of the jury. r lx» the opening of the session of 1881 tho government brought in a coercion bill and to that measure as well as to the arms bill, Mr. I Parnell and his colleagues offered an obstinate onnosition prolonged over seven weeks. Feb. ua y 3. he and thirty-four of his followers, were removed by the ser-g’ant-at-arms for causing obstruction in the House of Commons. Land league demonstrations followed the passage of tho land act and the government proclaim* fd the laud league to be an illicit association and Mr. Parnell issued the “no rent” manifesto. Mr. Parnell remained in Kilmainham jail until April, 1882, when he was released on parole in order to attend the funeral of a relative. He was formally released May 2. ThtmTbllwefftfieresignation of Mr. Foster and Lord Cowper; the Piuenlx Park murders and tn# the stormy debates on the crimes** biH. _ In, these scenes and the subsernrent. organization of the National League in 1883, ar.3 Parliment ini 188 -•>, A f. rumen wa», t'j# most coi splcuous figure. On the cisso u-, tion .of parliment he returned backed by eighty-five members. It was to meet thi 4 situation that Mr. Gladstone prdtosed home rule, in which he was supported by Mr. Parnell and the whole strength of his party. The sensation growing out of tho Parnell commission and the Times libel spit are of too recent occurrence to need special mention hero. Misfortune overtook Mr. Parnell in public notice of his relation to Mrs. O’Shea,whom ho recently married. The attitude of Mr. Gladstone and the Irish bishops compelled his deposition as an Irish leader. And since that time there has been a bitter strife between him and the newly-found leaders of the Irish party. It was a fight against great odds so far as he was concerned, and his' ultimate defeat was inevitable. Thestrafn' and worry of this doubtless had much to do In breaking down bis health. Coupled with the announcement on the 7th that Mr. Parnell died on the previous r.ight came the news that Sir John Pope Hennessey, member of Parliament for North Kilkenny, was also dead. Sir John Pope Hennessey, it will be remembered, immediately after the exposure in th# O’Shea divorce case in December, 1890, contested the North Kilkenny election, backed up by Mr. Parnell’s opponents,' and defeated the Parnellite candidate, Mr. Vincent Scully, by 1,147 votes. This wasj a great, and possibly the greatest test of strength between the Parnollltes and Me-' Carthylies, and the defeat of Mr. Scully no doubt counted fora great deal la, th# , future serie# of disaster# which befell the Irish leader.