Mr. O'Brien's reply was made in a speech in a
Dublin hotel on Sunday. It was a very feeble reply. It professed to assume that Mr. Healy asked for legal proof of conspiracy, and not for such moral evidence as would satisfy ordinary people, which was certainly all that Mr. Healy asked for, and the single atom of evidence produced against Mr. Healy was that during Mr. Chance's action for his costs, Mr. Healy was, as Mr. O'Brien affirms, sitting behind Mr. Chance throughout the trial. If that be true, it might amount to a presumption of co-operation in the matter, but to nothing more. The pre- sumption might easily be rebutted. But we cannot say we take any great interest in the controversy, except as showing that even the principal Nationalist party, that of the Anti. Parnellites, is going to pieces for all but the most definitely aggressive purposes. The Government, we believe, like the Archbishop of Dublin, rather favours the O'Brien section of the party; but we are not sure that in this matter it is wise. We are no admirers of Mr. Healy ; but from all we can learn, it is his section of the party that has the younger Irish priesthood at his back, and that will probably prevail in the end.
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