DECEMBER 2ND 1890: The crisis for Charles Stewart Parnell's leadership of the Irish Party over his relationship with Katharine O'Shea reached breaking point in 1890 when Liberal leader William Gladstone made it clear that his support for Home Rule was conditional on Parnell's resignation.
In response, Parnell criticised Gladstone’s Home Rule proposals and the members of the Irish Party began a five-day meeting to determine his future, leading to a split which left Parnell in a minority group. Amid the heightened atmosphere on the first day’s debate, Parnell’s erstwhile supporter, Tim Healy, concluded his speech thus:
‘I SAY to Mr Parnell his power is gone. He derived that power from the people. We are the representatives of the people. (Loud and prolonged cheers). Place an iron bar in a coil and electrize that coil, and the iron bar becomes magnetic. This party was that electric action. There [pointing to the chairman Parnell] stood the iron bar! The electricity is gone and the magnetism with it when our support has passed away.
If my words appear to some of my friends to be too strong or too bitter I say this, that I speak in their arraignment fully conscious that we upon our side must confine ourselves to the irreducible minimum of statement and that upon the other side every argument, every appeal, every artifice – I withdraw the word if it is offensive – every sentiment that passion or friendship can arouse may be safely and generously appealed to. We have nothing before us but stern realities. (Hear, hear.)
We cannot found our position upon sentiment, upon the claims of friendship, upon anything, except the awful necessities that surround us in the presence of a trembling Irish cause. I then say and declare that my vote shall be for the deposition of the chairman of the party. I will not give that vote without regret. We are not all cold and passionless. I give it under what I conceive to be the solemnest obligations of duty and of patriotism. (Hear, hear.)
If we could have maintained Mr Parnell in that position, we would have done so. Did we leave one stone unturned or effort unmade, one meeting unaddressed or unappealed to, to maintain him where he was?
I examine my conscience in regard to my duty towards Mr Parnell in this crisis. I find there is no prick of conscience. I say then that having regard to the distractions to our country if he remains. . . his party and his country will be distracted.
That being the case, as all men are ephemeral to us, nothing is eternal save the Irish cause, founded upon a basis of right and judgement (cheers.)
I know that those who support him most strongly today will, once the vote of the majority is recovered, rally round the position which he now occupies, and which will then become the heart and centre of Irish authority and patriotism. I know that my country similarly and its people will rally round that position. Men pass away and causes remain, and the Irish cause will march through these dissensions and these distractions purified and eternal. (Cheers.) I tell Mr Parnell that if he has a sacrifice to make upon the altar of his country there is yet time. He can still hand down to his countrymen a name upon which no flick of even bitterest malice can be passed, if he takes counsel with those who are as patriotic as himself . . . but who are resolved here, defying every consideration except the consideration of country, who are determined here to cast their votes for it believing that they are doing an act which will yet hew a pathway to freedom.” (Loud cheers.)
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