ith a view to getting him to join
the revolutionary organisation, should the conditions be somewhat
modified. Up till then I had seen more of Parnell than Davitt had and
had enjoyed his full confidence. I had, therefore, come to the
conclusion, from my conversations with him, that he was of far more
service to the Irish cause as he was than if he had actually joined the
revolutionary movement. I am not surprised, therefore, at Parnell's
answer to Davitt: "No, I will never join any political secret society,
oath bound or otherwise. My belief is that useful things for our Cause
can be done in the British Parliament."

Nevertheless, I remember one public utterance of his which always struck
me as most statesmanlike. After a frank statement that he was in favour
of constitutional Home Rule, he, with equal frankness, declined to
subscribe to the entire finality of that solution of the Irish problem.
How, he asked, could he or any man put bounds to the progress of a
nation?

Seeing that Gladstone gave as one reason for the disestablishing of the
Irish Church "the intensity of Fenianism," so, in the same way, no one
recognised more than Parnell did that the existence of a physical force
movement was a strong argument for those engaged in the moral force
agitation. Therefore he was always anxious to conciliate and even
cultivate the advanced element. Of this I will here give one
illustration, out of many I could mention, and this in connection with
the custom of drinking what was called "the loyal toast," which at one
time used to be observed at some Home Rule celebrations. It is a matter
on which I have already explained my point of view.

On one occasion Mr. Parnell was invited by the Liverpool branches to a
St. Patrick's Day banquet at the Adelphi Hotel, where the drinking of
the "loyal" toast was part of the programme. With the rest of the
committee I met him at the railway station on his arrival, and came with
him to the hotel. After some conversation I was bidding him
"good-night!" when he asked, as he took my hand, "Where are you going,
Denvir? Are you not going to stay for the banquet?" I had not intended
mentioning it, but as he asked me so pointedly, I felt bound to tell him
my objection to being present. He did not attempt to controvert what I
said, but still asked where I was going. I then told him I had been
invited to a St. Patrick's celebration where the toast was _not_ to be
drunk, the gathering being one of