The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-05-02 00:00:00

et ,Stouriyible Otsetitr.

SATURDAY, MAY 2. NW

THE ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION
OF THE DIIICE OF EDINBURGH.
Before we can address orerselVes to our renders
the terrible news of the attempt to murder the
I lake of Edinburgh will have flown over Europe,
will leave been recorded in countlesa thonaands
of journals, will have been flashed along the bed
of the Atlantic, and will have been the theme of
conversation ine castle and cottage, in palace and
hovel. Aral it is not too lunch to say that in
almost every place where the news has been told
it leas been received with indignation and dis-
gust. Would that we could omit the word "a!-
roost," but the hitter eternity and blood-thirsty
eraelty of FeniaLi3:a have forced us to believe
that there may be some few—we will hope they
are lent few of eater fellow-subjects who will re-
gard the attempt at assassination as peetriotiam,
and in their insane hatred to England, English
institutions, and the royal fancily will only regret
that the attempt wets not succesaftel.
The assassin whose murderous hand was dir-
ected against Prince Alfred, leaving avowed him-
self a Fenian, we throw upon Fenieenisna as an
inetitrnion all the responsibility of the crud,
dastardly, and diabolical act. Aced we unhesita-
tingly assert that nothing that the Fenian leave
yet done, is at once so atrocious and so utterly
inexcusable. We leave not a word of palliation
for any former outrage, lent in comparis en to
this they sink into insignificance. The Fenians
who attacked the police in the van at Manches-
ter had the rescue of the prisoners as their one
object, and could they have accomplished this
without murder they would have done so. The
same object prompted the explosion at Clerken-
well, and no One ran reasonably assert that theft
engaged in it had an intention to produce the
havoc and death which they effected. But in
the case of the Doke of Edinburgh there was a
deliberate attempt to murder one who was not in
the remotest way antagonistic to the Fenians,
seeing that in no way had he ever expressed any
opinion about it, or done any act in connection
with it. The assassin's object was simply to
wound the feelings of the Queen through the
death of her son, and to stab at the heart of
England as it were through a member of the
royal family. The miscreant who attempted
this foul deed has so far succeeded that he has
desperately wounded and injured for life, an un-
offending and amiable young man who was re-
ceived throughout Australia with a hearty wel-
come, and with the honour that his position
naturally commanded ; wherever lee went the
Prince was enthusiastically received, and his
frank and thoroughly English manners endeared
him to all but a few malicious scowling Fenians
whose vices seem to have been concentrated in
this wretch O'Farrell.

At the very time when we received the news
of this dark deed English and Irish journals
were teeming with accounts of the enthusiastic
rejoicings in Ireland on the visit of the Prince
aud Princess ot Wales to Ireland. Australia as
a rule welcomed one of the royal brothers, but
exceptionally the hand of an assassin was raised
ant Idiu. It is sad to think that a whole
country or an entire colony may be loyal and
friendly to a royal visitor, but that a bullet fired
'by one murderous scoundrel may do its deadly
work, and turn rejoicing into mourning. Veni-
al-ash], we now Aft), will stick at nothing, and an
attempt on the life of one member of the royal
family having been made, it is impossible to say
who way be the next victim selected by some
other assassin. This consideration cannot but
Infect the militia of the royal family to some ex-
tent, and we can but hope that strength of mind
may I e given them to conquer such fears, at the
same time that due precautions are taken to se-
cure their immunity from harm. The royal
family have at all events this consolation, that
this cruel and cowardly act his called forth, and
will still call forth, evidences of the affection
which the nation bears towards them. The
feeling expressed in the Legislature finds its
echo throughout the country. May the occasion
for similar condolence with the royal family never
again arise.