A Parnellite meeting was held in the Market Place at
Fermoy last Sunday, at which the Parnellite leader, Mr. J. Redmond, spoke in his usual strain. He had no pleasure, he said, in referring to the petty squabbles which had rent asunder the ranks of their opponents (the Anti-Parnellites); but as he referred to them more than once while insisting on the pain with which he made the reference, we must conclude that he felt more satisfaction than he was aware of in consider- ing their condition. "It was the dream of O'Connell and of Parnell to bring about such a state of things in the English Parliament as would give Ireland the position of holding the balance of power so that she could command the English parties, and be able to turn out at her will any English party." In the last Parliament, their opponents enjoyed this privileged position for three years, but "without result." Surely not without result, for the result was that they found it of no use. If they had exercised the power, they would have turned out their friends who were working obediently for Irish Home-rule, and by not exercising it but holding it in terrorein over the country, they disgusted the country and caused the great majority against the Irish Home-rulers at the Dissolu- tion. Mr. P. O'Brien followed Mr. Redmond with the usual assurance that England's difficulty was Ireland's opportunity, and that if in the next Session a vote in Supply came up for the struggle with the United States, the Parnellites might find themselves in the happy position of being able to em- barrass the Government. Hardly with the present Govern- ment majority. But even if they did, what would they gain by it beyond the delight of embarrassing ?
Previous page
