The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1867-03-12 00:00:00

FENIANLSM.

The Fenian insurrection of Ash Wednesday
indicates that the disaffection to the established
Government in this realm is wide-spread and
malignant in the sister country of Ireland, and needs
to be dealt with wisely and promptly. In order to
achieve this object, it is of the first importance to
ascertain the origin of the outbreak and the character
of three engaged in it; and we think there will be
little difficulty in tracing the rising to a Transit.
lantic source, and in concluding that the Fenian
organization has neither that cohesion nor stability
which are essential to the inicom of the movement
even for a short period. It is true that
for years put the Irish people have been to
• greater or less degree in a state of chronic
discontent, but it has received its most active
development since the termination of the civil war in
America, which turned adrift upon the world a horde
of needy adventurers, who found in this impreseible
people with a grievance a ready means of replenish-
ing their empty coffers, and in fomenting an incur
notion distasteful to every one in the country having
anything to hose • congenial employment. The
evidences of American-Irish influence are abundant
In the fact that the leaders are without exception
Yankees, in the very names of" heed-centres" and
"circles" and the rest of the jargon current amongst
" the brotherhood," In the numerous importations
of late of military men by vessels from America to
Ireland, in the inflated nonsense which characterises
the strange proclamation in the name of "The
Provisional G ivernment of the Irish Republic," and
in the gratifying circumstance that unlike the
rising of '9B not a single thoughtful Irishman has
connected himself with the movement. The rank
and tile of the Fenian bands are ignorant labourers
and peasants with •few shop-boys, led warily by the
volubility and confidence of the designing knave.,
who have induced them to believe that not
only the strength of the American Fenian
organization but even of the United States itself
would he exerted to aid them In establishing an
Irish Republic. The general plan of the rising
indicated a pertain amount of military skill, while
the action of the several bodies was concerted and
uniform to a degree well calculated to raise alarm.
Rising over six or seven aunties at mace, in a soore
of places between points as far apart as Cork and
Drogheda, and attacking the local lortreemsi
with • view, no doubt, to destroy them
and seise the weapons and materiel there looted ;
and then, avoiding as far as possible conflict with the
soldiery, retreating to the hills in the anticipation of
being able to keep up • guerilla war till reinforced by
arrivals of members of the fraternity from America,
was the plan of action; and such a_ course is probably
the best an unorganised people can adopt, for with
the minimum of effort it inflicts the maximum of Ines
on the organised Government opposed to them.
But the events of the last few days have shown that
the Fenian army is not abintafed by that high
resolve and self.sacrifluing spirit which alone
would render even such a warefare of long
continutooe. A great number of its misguided
dupes have evidently gone into it but half.
beartedly, and have taken the first opportunity which
occurred of retracing the rash step. The manner in
which the rising has been met by the Irish con.
stabulary, respecting whom ominous rumours of di..
affection had been circulated, is beyond all prairie.
Called upon to use their arms against men of the
same kindred, they imitated not when there
was no other means of dispersing the in-
@urgent& Their gallantry has elicited universal
admiration, and, allowing for some very natural
exaggeration of their achievements, it seems that
they have bravely stood their ground, at almost
every point, against what might have been thought
overwhelming numbers, and that they have been
almost sufficient to cope with the rebellion without
the assistance of the military. The leaden of the
movement taken in the sot of committing overt sots
of treason and murder will doubtless receive that
severity of punishment ithich the necessities of the
base require; meanwhile, *e deli, sympathies
with the loyal portion of the Irish people in the
midst of • rebellion characterized by so little hope-
leeriness and at much sullen violence, and who, in
remote neighbourhoods, may be liable tc outrage stony
moment It is deplorable to contemplate the injury
which these risings are doing to Ireland, yet, since
it was neceseary that a Fenian outbreak should take
place to convince promoters of treason in America
that the material of • successful rebellion is not to
be found in Ireland, and to d.rmoustrate to Irish con-
spirators that they dan receive no effectual help from
America, this rising may be considered se little
disastrous as any one could hope, and we sincerely
trust that we bays now mu the worst of it and of
Fooliaisco.