Mr. Parnell has broken silence upon the "Plan of Cam-
paign" at last. He says that he never heard of it. In an official circular forwarded to all the leading papers, it is declared
that Mr. Parnell, who has been missing for some weeks, has been sick and is staying at the Easton Hotel, under the care of his mother. He has been suffering from "a sharp gastric attack, with complications," but is now much better. Mr. Parnell will not express any opinion on the "Plan of Campaign" until he has consulted the gentlemen responsible for its organisation and working, "whom he has not seen since last Session." He was not aware "that the ' Plan ' had been devised, or was going to be proposed, until he saw it in the newspapers." That may be true, if he means that he knew nothing of the " Plan " till it appeared fully drawn out in his own newspaper, United Irelcoul ; but it is understood to mean much more,—that he never knew anything about the "Plan" at all. We hope Mr. Parnell has not been reading Mr. Stephens's speeches. That gentleman was Vice-President of the Southern Confedera- tion, and when the war ended advised his people to submit, ending one of his speeches with this counsel,—" If anybody asks you what you now think about the negroes, swear you never saw one." It looks very much as if the Irish leader had taken that advice to heart. Jesting apart, Mr. Parnell, in openly dis- claiming all responsibility for the "Plan of Campaign," is desert- ing his most trusted followers at a very critical moment. If he left command with them, he should accept the responsibility of their acts.
