The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1866-12-29 00:00:00

HOOP AT HOME AD ABROAD.

ConntryMen and Brothers,—As a Fenian of nearly aeven
years standing, 1 Gel it my painfnl duty to lay before you
the reaaons which have forced me to the for us; humillatiug
conclusion that June, Stephen., the prevent head of our
Vati.`ll.ll organisation, Is not only no god man, but that he
Is apolitical humbug, If not a cht at sud a rso csl besides.
the gest time that I had Information of Stephens having
manifested the cloven foot /IRS Ater the Fenian Fair in
C.tic'go, some three and a half yean ago. According to a
letter then published by Mr F. T. Sherlock. a brother who
withdrew from our frociety, It appears that James Stephen.
tool, rely ungentlemanly, unworthy, and unbecondeg
mrAtiree to poems, himself of the sum of 1,0061, part of tile
proottets of the Chicago Fair, and which had been eat apart
for certain rurposts. For this money, a. for all other funds
Whleh have passett throngh his hands. S'ephens has never
rendered at yaccmint. This Sherlock'. letter even at that
early cat., stows up the character of Stephens In Its true
Pe, and should be read hy every Fenian lover of the
tenth.

The first time that I saw Stephens was In tray. 10,0, La
Thihdo He was then in moat violent and undignified rage
against ta poor *odder of the oth Regiment of Dragoon
Guar •s, who, hefts a Felllllll, hint deserted contrary to the
orders of the boss in order to save himself horn the cruel
tentei co of an inevitable court-martial
At that time I was in Ireland on Fenian business, and
was the ranking military iMeer if oar nr:anisation there.
Instead of helm; placed by Stephens in • position where any
mditsry experience I might poetess' Gould be made of sonic
bent It to the!. R. li. I was km S in toll ignorance for •
long time of everything that st. passing. When I corn-
platted to Stephen. of my inactivity tiF gave me an order to
mate him '• drawing of a corpa danner of 50.00,1 men
formed in line of battle, with their ammunition and baggsee
—every man in his place." A military men will readily ore
Ong angers-My at d uselessness of such a nonsensical order
Ilmt I would not have gone to the trouble of mentioning it
here were it not for the fact that Foephens arrogates to him-
self all the knowledge, political and military, in the organize-
ti it. At that particular period I thonght my time might
base been h. tine employed In suistirg Irish .Yruerican
officers, perhspasoler than myself, In perfecting the organisa-
tion of the I R B, and In making preparations for the
ligtt which Stephens had promised last year, but which, by
his seta, he prevented from taking place.
Inimmediately after the seizure of the 1,-164 People news-
psper, and the first arrests in Dublin, when Stephens re-
tired to his luxurious retreat in the °sweet solitude" of the
banks of the Dodder, the writer, In virtue of his rank, ewes
appointed President of the Military Council whi,h the c 0,
thought proper to name. It was. rr tlitary council nomie
Sad, only, for it postessed none .1 the prerogative., power.,
or Isdvileges which should hare belonged to it—its principal,
ard, I might say, only duty was to find lodaii gs for Irish-
American ctficers arriving from the Vnlted States. Yet,
while S•enhene completely deprived the Military Council of
the power of benefiting the I. R it, in any way. he Indus-
trionely circulated the fact of its existence, both in America
and In Ireland The result of this p.licy was that while he
loosened men's puree-strings abroad and lined his pockets by
revon of their growing confidence in the clam. the American I
CM 'or, in Ireland, seeing that the Military Council took no I
steps towards preparing for action, and supposing It to !
pooess hostile, for that purpose, very naturally concluded !
that it was composed of numskulls and Incompetent men,
who were incan•We of laying down a common sense plan of
action salted to the case. Under this impression very many
of the Irish-American officers retuned to the United
States, and though they may have had other and more selfish
motives to bring thern back here and abandon the canes still
I can hardy blame them now for taking the action they did,
seeing that they had good reason to lose confidence in Mr.
Stet Mtn aid his Mittary C4IIIC Ct—espectally in the latter,
while the fact was that its hard, were tied.

- - -
iliThis Military Council, wishing to be useful and to dis-
charge It. duty, and thinking it detected on absence of any
military plan in Ireland for carrying out the busbies' of a
great revo'ution, snem-sted one to Stephens for his adop-
tion. it was unanimously approved by the Cnncil before
submitting it to Mr. stephens. It was Insultingly rejected
by tie great C 0. I. B. as lacking In originality and
lotical comprehentivenees " lie saw it all himself. and
knew mon, about it than the men who had seen a hundred
bloody fields, from the Rapidan to New Orleaue. We ac-
quiesce t In Hs opinion, for the sske of the cause, and not In
def.rence to his opinion.
. .

--The.;;ifir—eif;;-it; been, and Is now, of the opinion
that if we take the ttldbef,re neland becomes Involved In
some foreign or domestic d: nicalty e wlll literally be
stamped out " I tud Stephena last year, as I tell the world
now. that no 'neonatal ri•lrg can take place in Ireland
wht e England basks en the sumhene of peace and orate-
. but I also told him that if he resolved to fight I
would act with him to the het t of my judgment and ability.
That is my portion to this hour. Stephens declared for
betet:e, and look why. in Gort's name, ad he not take the
field last year, as he hod preached and swore he were ii? I
krow of no man in Irelaod who would not cheerfully have
run the oesperate risks with him if he bad madams attempt
to k.ep his word Ile did not do Has he ever siren an
. . . _ .

extlanition of why he didn't tight last year to the th ,tuirintla
of port AM Iziolimen who have been contributing to his sup-
port so kng, or to the friends and relatives of the brave
heart. that his ruinous policy hao cast into the felon's cell?
He has done grievously wrong in pleder g hlmaelf to light
by any particular time : be has done worse by not keeping
his word, and is guilty of political madness. If nothing
worse„ In making a second open promise of light " this
year, which he cirri keep, even to save his life, which he
prizes so dearly. No revolu'ionary leader can or should
c,mpromise himself to fight at any particular time. Why
aid he ,o is? And. Mortis failed once, why dii he try it a
second time, to foil ignominiously also? lucre Is no faith
OT reliance In the man. _ .

ne-t ;h. There are grave reasons for believing
that the man to not sincere in his profesalont of patriotitm.
Would •ns patiiotic rani in his Tn Senses, irri,ll I. xi •
lea or worthy of to,ect, thit kof ,:edic xiog 0(01 sterling
to establish • cannon factory for the lantern under the
enemy's wee in the city ot Dublin? That was the died In-
tention of Steptiet s. and the first arrests in Ireland and the
went of funds were the sole causes of compelling him to
abandon this hoboy. That was arming the I. It B. with •
vengeance. tided to convince him that ny expending 8,0001.
In the t lush.. of small aim' elicit might prove somewhat
easier to conceal than •canucii factory we might then be in
to help ourselves to all the cannon In Dublin,
tree of Lost or carriage. But in vain. Be was bent on haring
4.71, camnon of , liferent calDmes, with plenty of shot and
sheL, and the factors besides,' all for the sum of 8,000! to
be c Alected from our contiding countrymen in Aniellea Can
• nom with ench Ideas he in earnest And, if so, should he
be !offered to direct a great revolutionary movement? Such
men mut be either knave or fool, and in either case equally
Unsuited to the position which he cling. to.
What can be expected from a leader who excludes every
hist Man of • (My and good social standing in Ireland from
the Brotherhood? I know men at home of the first rank In
society who would gladly have j dined the L It 8., but who
Were deterred fr du doing So by the selfish, egotistical, and
Incomprehetalble conduct of Stephen& The influence of
one 01 these men would be worth that of 10,000 James
S'ephenses, yet they are left out in the cold by the arbitrary
conouct of the CO.
_

I know One emlnoat barrister in Dublin who cifered to me
his valuable services gratis. in defence of the Fenian pri-
soner, last year, an.. a: a time when the funds of the I R. It.
ul Itt elf ,rd to mil the fees of count-I; jet those services
were to rfdisly rejected by Mr. Stephen
I know of another highly-respectable bushiest, man to
Dublin, when speaking of whom Stephens was In toe habit
of using the most opprobrious larga.g yet the srot
C 0. when he was oestrous of running off to Paris, instoad
of eghtint, ka he gaol he would, bad to borrow money
to tbat same man bs order to ft ty his eipenees to
France, notwtthstandirg that ,tephei g h., reeeirst from
America the sum of 3e3,000 dole Continent is uselega
o t h,co.e of these 363; 00 dots :

eof Fiance. U Stenheus really wanted to move
In irelard this year, why did he stay lionaing two wow
bleated month. in Parts. *frit g hie doubtiul greatness with
that antiquated and isocentric piece of Polltwal old tem-
Peri, the Marquis de Arty Why didt he not send to "the
men in the rep" 101130 of the considerable amount of money
width he recelved from honest Jobe MI chef in Porte? How
rild he earn the d,nonclatunis of Mitchel: Was It for
buliding churches Cr endowing monasteries with the Fenian
Made

Waft, Commiwahner last year asked Stephens
to give an account of moneys which had r achld him from
tots side of the water, he quietly balanced the hoots by
remerking that he had "spent It in organising purpoees
" hot," said the Cumnissioner, " have von any further
statements to make on the subject ?" " Wny, no replied
the tom, -I spent It and. great deal more" ,I think he
said four times ea much, 'which was raised at home and
In England and Scotland." I was prevent when thus oc-
curred. . _

Ent can we naturally expect great things of s men who
toil the writer that -If Ireland were free to morrow he
w old not live in It he would go to the south of France.'
I all Lk that is the likeliest place he will turn up In soon,
and not on the grain ileld• of his native land, with the
standard of rehelltoo in hia hand. It Is • pity he did not go
there seven years ago, so that scant moreearnest man might
1111 his place to-lay.
I rememraer one night at a meeting to I/lingo, where repre-
sentations where mace to Stephens to the carrot that it
wi 014 he ne,ssary to make manna pecuniary sacrifices in
order to keep some poor fan Lie. from starving, whoee
attachment to our cause had led ahem into that condition,
the boas was very much annoyed, but gave, or rather flung
hie consent La rte taco of the party 'eking for the relief.
cccliii trig with rupreme contempt, Give the dog • h 0;,."
Toe man in a tyrant who cares for himsell thins, and for
110b,437 else afterward.
.

the Very time spoken of aimve Stephens was spending
his 100 dollars a clay to the inoulgetce of his expensive horti-
cultural tart's, and was thitsoderifig thousands of dollars
In the purchase of fine vines, Bruisels carpeting, and
princely lumberi-. We all Mow these et itements to he
true : besides that nearly 2 Ouol in gold, sheer, note., and
draughts were foetid by the police In his hands at the lime
of his arrest. Al, this. ellen Irish-Amerlcan officers and
Irish patriots were starving from want of the common ne
aerie. of life, around him and all over Ireland.
Yes, he is a shrewd man when his own intends are con-
cornet, and knows well his own shortcomings_ Also, if the
8.. R could have got old of him, they would have reset
him out of the ore. izstimn long ego, but he has hung on to
It like an Incithne , he has atncit 1.0 the power, not it to
Lies, To ehable him to do so he has uniformly attempted to
maraca/ every well-meaning Irishman who manifested a
desire of identifying him.lt with Ito Brotherhood. for he
knew the: by ad misting such p-rsons tato the I it B he
would be whettir g a knife to cut hit own throat, practically
speekkg. Therefore, he ham endeavoured to keep such dan-
gerous men aloof, MAI left the I R Ii no chi ice of lender-
ship Tut In himself Delnihtfully he has managed its affairs.
Is the man honest. good, just, or else who wrote to
Mahony that after a certain time he would Oct himielf
arrested in Ireland? His wife managed a ineritttitglY, how-
ever or accomplish this for him before he expected. by her
shopplug escursior n from the bank. of the Dddder into
Drina. That drew the d ereetitha after her, and they fished up
Mr. Stephens yet he attempted to lay the charge of tetra).
list him Ile the over of a. me suppose., falie him if cr enemy
t the c use In per,f of the pr-csntiona of concealment
which titepheLs took I mayntention the fact that the In
Who was president this 111:11ary CCUricil, knee brittle r tne
of bin residence um the new name 11,rhert, which
be hacitciten, hhtll informed of the latter by a seamstress
of Dubiti., aaet ut the former laces i 0 igeorance even to toil
day.
When Stephen, wm arerested, the miner was elected
neanlmortaly by.be Cease,s a:4 mn,,ry Council In Ireland
an Actihg Provisional 1. 9 I. It. Tel., of CoIIFSP, wee until
Sephens could "e released from prison, and so that the
organisation might not he without a heal In the Interim
I hereby apon the Irish Cauterised the Military Comical
to oeciwe u I ever toggesied to any ohe or more o; them tt e
h'ea of my being elected in pace if Stetheos. For the
cff.uce of daring to imagine that the I P. B bad any right
to a leader during Stephens ala -flee I was ordered 1" go
e
imm-idistely to America, and not re.urn until atilt th it
exp.dltion • I came to America In time, unfortunately,
to find O'Mahony, Roberts, an! Sweeny um"at
other's throats In m..m. ungraceful manlier.
_ . . . .

Ere leaving Ireland I ma7te cunecientions attempt to
have some cn..e placed at the head tithe clowns thou wit.
S'epho s Could he delivered from peat. For th•t iffe,ics I
was in metineut:y charged with the crime of makLug
attempt CO subvert the power hi Ire:aed, place myself at the
heed if the movement, UPI min thing. generally. Of
course, the paragraph in the tole of efrophetie maltlue
ch-siges C 011.1114 SO 11.1811IllatiOn that I had. ii.reeer the bet-
ter to ce•ry out my plan, attenip'ed to gal. re lenin of
the funds of St, org liii. uion, and had proheyy here the
came of Stenheos'e soprehe,aton for the lace r-ain.o I
Can row si.peel to my compatriots on both stiles of the
Water who are acquainted with the circumstances I.f the
Case—m,re especially the Centres of Dublin end the mein-
bee of She It. Mill•ary 12,11 J.i.ge old iof,rni our
04,untry men in all Imola .1 the unlit tlflAble and sr,Prery
conduct of epitome In tha matter, as halt others where
Lie c- price and wrongheadedness lead tin to set
I t4.k, ilito oecasiOu to thank the g•totlemen of tl.e depu-
tation from 'he Irish Cebtres, ii w in Vie city which
waited Up• ri me Mat week, f - ,he k, ~f • /,ir 'eehnitv
toward, to.-. aalii for their netrlo, 1.! In,
me.'! -c.,tneut tigned by id he frsh Centres it New Yin
oeettlyil g to the blemelemneas of my counuct tin.;11141113i4
toil Sane I conducted Wain la Ireland, dime c

that I wontd not go tnto the press against Stepheus. They
patriotically wished tint rothing should be published
against the C 0. I. It —rot for his ,be, by any means, hut
for that of the cs,,u.e. Those compatriots are mlusk-n In
their zeal; forbearance has c-east to be a virtue, and I have
in this note pdbted Janos Stephens, not as I could have
wished, hut simply as found him.
Junies Stephens forgets that I voted no lea. • sum than
6001, sterling st • time when Fenian funos were lon
enough, God knows as a reward to any person or persons
who might sccompiLsh his tscate from prison. Surely he
forge's this when he charges me with iosohordins•ion and
worse But his conduct In this stratr is of a piece with the
mar's charactsr I wonder when he intends giving the
two hien who suisred him not of prison, at their own peril,
snmh-r 501, out of the 55,./. yet due to them for 11,1 r
services?

And now, countrymen and brothers, on both sldes of
the water. a word with you before psrang. Stephenes
attempt at • rising at home this year—if he makes one
at be an ignorninious failure, not for the want
of good men and true, to do and dare all that brave
ones can for their country, bnt for the want of pni-
per military direction, of which Stephen. ham willingly
and knowingly deprived the "moo in the gap."
Stephens will most probab:y turn up to the "south of
France," and leave a few bra. spirits to their doom.
at the tender mercies of the ilritish law. hut do not
despair, fly cuuntrymen ;it is the couslant drop that
wren the stone--stick to your ori:tnintion .d keep It in-
tact bothln Ireland and Ain-rint. i'tntres, keep your circ'es
together circles, obey the centre. whom you have ch sen
to direct your effort.. %Vork on silently, quietly ; increase
your numbers sad perfect your organisation draw closer
around you the strong bode of intriotic brotherahip, hot
pay no more contributions for Quixotic CAMLO lan Incursions
or" risings in Iretand this pear" Watch for the time when
"England's dint ulty will be Ireland'. opportunity." lit.
wine, and let it be one year or lOwe must wait for it—
lieu strike, and may 60.1 nerve your arm...

F. F MILLEN.
P S.—When f shall hear of James Stephen. hawg
effected a landing in Ireland, that he hes taken the Sell
accord,ng to promise, I will most cheerfully retract all 1 have
said arainst him in this note; nay, further, I will ,lr,ss
myself in sackcloth and ashes, SIM, with • halter &brut onv
neck I will seek out the great Iherator and say to him, "I
am unworthy to live—dispose you of my life as you will.
However, until that happens what 1 hare mitten ea,s
must remain said.