Skip to main content

Full text of "The Life Of Charles Stewart Parnell - Ii"

See other formats


/Ex. 40]    INTERVIEW WITH MK. niAMHKKLAlX       UJ7
made in pursuance of the policy of national councils, It was arranged that Sir Charles Dilke and 1 should go to Ireland, and lay that policy before the people. Then suddenly our plans were overturned. A statement was made to mo that Parnoll no longer wished us to go to Ireland, and that ho would not have our scheme now; that he had got something bettor. At this time I believe he was in touch with Lord Carnarvon and the Tories/
'I have heard it said that Mr. Parnoll treated you badly over the national councils business. I should like to know your view's? *
Mr. Chanibcrhtui. * I never said ho. treated me badly. I never thought he treated me badly, I think it is idle to talk of Parnell treating me badly, or of my treating Parnoll badly. We acted as politicians. He was doing what he*, thought the. best ho could for his cause,; 1 was doing the best 1 could, according to my opinions. .Hut no doubt his action was quite in keeping with his general practice, 'He would probably iuuo taken national councils if ho could not havo got anything bettor, and he would afterwards, 1 supposo, havo pushed on, or tried to push on, for bin Parliament. But it was quite like .Parnoll to tako the thing which was feasible at the moment, and national councilH perhaps seemed to him feasible in *H*». Then ho thought ho could got something hotter, and he \va« roKolved to tako it. It wan quite natural. I do nut think 1 was badly treated at all. 1 do not think ho treated me badly at all. I havo never complained.*
'Parnell had, as you know, Air. Chamberlain, a vary difficult battle to light. It soimiH to mo that his aim was to BOO how far Knglish Ntatosmon would go, and that he really desired, if I may say so, to play This was in 1884 or early in 1885. Ultimately Ihould legislate!?'ll had risen to in n shorter timo than I now take to tell the Htory. Whenoin Mr, (*lml**tunr,* Nr\t <luy tht*