It is understood that the more fanatic Irishmen of Ulster
are extremely irritated by Mr. Parnell's "invasion" of the Province, and on Friday morning Dublin and London were almost simultaneously disturbed by a rumour that the Home-role leader had been shot dead. Up to Friday evening no confirma- tion of the report had been received, and it is believed to be unfounded, the supposition being that Mr. Parnell is some- where in Leeds. In ordinary cases, the precise truth would, of course, be readily ascertained by a telegram to the supposed victim ; but Mr. Parnell habitually shrouds his movements in secrecy, and his address on Friday was not, it is stated, known to his closest friends. Any attempt upon Lis life would produce something like civil war in Ire- land, and might make it impoisible to conduct the govern- ment through anything but military means. We have, how- ever, little dread of such a catastrophe. The Irish Extremists have escaped the wrath of all the relatives of all the victims of outrage—a fact upon which historians will one day dwell—and are not likely to suffer from the enmity of purely political foes.
