The Life Of Charles Stewart Parnell - Ii

30 CHARLES STEWART PAENELL [1883-84
cordial. In. sympathy with the rebellious spirit of the brotherhood, he looked upon the dynamite policy as sheer insanity. It was, besides, unfair to him and his parliamentary colleagues. Men in Chicago might easily hatch plots for the destruction of London, but they had not to run the gauntlet of the English House of Commons. Some consideration ought to be shown to those who had to carry on the struggle on this side of the Atlantic. None was shown. He did not conceal his private repugnance to the methods of the American Extremists. He spoke of Ford and Einerty
as ' d------d fools.'
The 'Irish World' denounced the parliamentary movement, and opposed the parliamentary party after the Kilmainham treaty. In fact, from about August 1882 until about the middle of 1884, or even later, the ' World' was hostile to Parnell. ' There are no organisers,' it wrote in October 1882, 'going about knitting the people together. There are no orators or teachers sent through the country to educate men. On the contrary, all agitation has been discontinued, and a quieting down policy is the order of the day. Davitt, Dillon, Egan, Brennan have been wishing and praying for vigorous action, all in vain.' In November 1882 the ' World ' wrote : < We have not as much faith in the wisdom and ability of Mr. Parnell as we once had.'
If the Clan could have fitted out a fleet of torpedo boats to blow up the British fleet Parnell would have offered no objection. That would have been war. But a conspiracy to damage the British empire by abortive dynamite explosions in the streets of London wras the conception of lunatics.
He would sometimes smile grimly at the grotesque-House oC Commons, and WeBtmmnter Hall.5.