a Nationalist. If such a man tries to do his best, according to
his lights, for Ireland, he is entitled to all possible sympathy from
even those who are working on other lines.

On one occasion, when Parnell had returned from a special mission to
America, I had a long discussion with him on these points, and was bound
to admit that the British Government would have been much better pleased
to encounter an insurrection in Ireland, which they could easily put
down, than the policy of the so-called "Obstructionists" in Parliament.
Again, I said, there was another fact which I recognised. This was that
his being sent on a mission to America, whence he was then returning,
showed the value of having a man holding such a well-recognised position
as a member of Parliament, elected by the votes of his
fellow-countrymen, in case we had to send a representative to speak in
the name of Ireland to some other nation, a circumstance which had
happened before and might again. I said this, even taking into account
the apparent failure of the mission to America, from which he was
returning, for circumstances might arise in which the head of a State
might be glad to recognise an embassy like theirs. He told me that was
exactly how he viewed the subject.

It was in Dr. Commins' office that we had this conversation, and at our
request Mr. Parnell postponed his departure to Ireland in order to
attend a celebration we were having that night of Home Rule victories we
had achieved in two wards of the town, in Vauxhall by the return of Dr.
Commins to the Town Council, and in Scotland Ward by the election of Dr.
Alexander Bligh. Parnell's appearance at our festival, which was held on
Monday, November 13th, 1876, was a pleasing surprise to those present,
who were not aware of his return from America, and this added to the
intensity of the outburst of joy and enthusiastic applause which greeted
him.

One of the most important of our Annual Conventions in Great Britain was
that held in Liverpool on 27th August, 1877. Everything showed that,
while our people in Ireland and here still loved the old leader, they
favoured the policy of "Obstruction." At this Convention there was no
intention of displacing Mr. Butt from his position as President of the
organisation. They would have retained him on account of his
distinguished services and eminently lovable character. But the old man
himself could see plainly enough that the people wanted to move faste