The Life Of Charles Stewart Parnell Vol - I

122 CIIAELES STEWART PABNELL [1877
why not help them so far ? In addition we will stiffen their backs by joining them. Here are the Irish in England—a great force; but absolutely lost at present. It is our policy to make the English feel the presence of the Irish everywhere. They don't know what a power the Irish can be made in their midst. The English only recognise power. We must make ourselves troublesome. We can make ourselves troublesome by organising the Irish vote in Great Britain, and by forcing the English candidates to take the Home Rule pledge. We can control the parliamentary movement if we go into it. At all events, let us try.J
X.'s arguments at length prevailed among a certain number of the rank and file of the Fenians, and the Home Eule Confederation of Great Britain was formed.
Butt had promised to attend the inaugural meeting at Manchester. Some of the Moderates, however, got at him, saying that the association was in the hands of the Fenians. He became uneasy, and wrote to X. just on the eve of the meeting to say that he was afraid he could not attend. X. wired back a telegram of nearly 1,000 words, urging Butt not to fail, saying that the meeting had been got up on the strength of his promise to attend, that delegates had been summoned from all parts of Great Britain, and that his absence would be nothing short of an insult. Butt subsequently related to X. the circumstances under which he received the monster telegram:
* I wa/s in court at the time; I was addressing the judges. The telegram was placed in my hands.. I opened the envelope—in itself a formidable document