The Sun.
London, England, 1865-10-03 00:00:00

tijg

LONDON, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1865.

The Fenian Movement in Ireland is now one of

the chief topics of interest and importance. Many
persons will doubtless be astonished to find the

dimensions it has assumed, and certainly the active

measures that have been adopted are not any

too stringent, and are barely in time to prevent
catastrophe. Such is the extent to which people
may delude themselves and others that it is often
difficult to estimate the consequences that may
ensue when misguided individuals come under the
influence of deep and designing ones. At the same
time much may be done to interfere with the pro-
gress of affairs, and to offend against the law,
without reaching to any criminal degree of design
or execution. It appears from the evidence
adduced and the discoveries which have been
made that this last movement in Ireland was most
iniquitous in its intentions, and even murderous
in its tendencies. Indeed the revelations furnish
most surprising and shocking proposals, which, if
carried out, world have created the greatest con-
sternation, and given rise to much distress and
disaster. Those who supposed that in perusing the
details of this affair they would only find some
notable extravagance, may learn to their horror
that a wholesale measure was intended and a com-
plete overthrow of the existing state of things in
contemplation. It was certainly a comprehen-
sive affair in its outlines, bold in its de-
sign, and unscrupulous in its character. The
aristocracy were doomed first and foremost,
and many would have shared the fate of the titled
victims. This new Reign of Terror, that was to
wake up the lethargy of the present age, was a
monstrous scheme of slaughter, and bid fair to rival
those scenes of horror which blacken the annals of
history, and disgrace the memory of some of the
most daring men the world has ever seen. The object
that was put before the conspirators was to seize
all that was valuable in Ireland and divide it among
themselves ; it was the old story of the Chartists,
but it went still further, and disclosed more savage
qualities in its originators.

It is canspicuous among the projects of these
exterminators that the Roman Catholic priesthood
of Ireland was marked for sacrifice. This was,
doubtless, contemplated because the Roman Catholic
priests have been very averse to the movement from
the outset, and greatly to their credit have inter-
posed numerous obstacles to its progress. At any
rate they were to figure among the victims to this
project that the demon of misrule had fashioned,
and which it was fondly imagined would hurl
destruction far and near.
Of course, no one who understands the nature of
such a scheme can suppose that it had its origin in
Ireland itself, or that it aptly represented
the feelings of even the most turbulent
malcontents at home. It was from abroad
that the danger came, and the mis-
chievous proposal issued, which found only
too many listeners for the credit of the land, though
quite powerless in numbers or influence to threaten
us with the fulfilment of their designs. At the
same time it would have been most unfortuhate if
the matter had remained enveloped in mystery until
the astounding intelligence reached us that tumult
had arisen and disaffection to authority prevailed on
the other side of the Irish Channel. It is impos-
sible to overrate the evils that have arisen from the
intimate connection that some of the Irish have
formed with the worst natures and most dangerous
classes of America. It is beyond the Atlantic that
this mischief was concocted, and from thence issued

the supplies that were to support and carry on the
measure. It is, at least, some gleam of satisfaction
amid this melancholy prospect that foreign emis-
saries were at work and foreign aid was deemed
necessary to carry on the stupendous undertaking.
Still it is a cause of great vexation and disappoint-

ment that any credence at all should be given to
such schemes. Absurd as they are in proposition,
and impossible in execution, it is still an unhealthy
state of things that they should be entertained at
all. The late Sir ROBERT PEEL acknowledged that
Ireland was his difficulty, and his successors in
statesmanship have not had the modesty to own
their failures as he did, but they have not been the
more successful for that reticence. In the present
instance there is nothing for it but to institute the
the most vigorous search, and to arraign all

the culprits before the offended majesty of
the law. Some have considered that too
mush fuss has been made about the matter, and
that it is, after all, only a trivial affair, which was
greatly exaggerated. But, small or great, it will
never do to allow such a scheme to be passed over
in silence ; and, however little may have been done,
we cannot tell what would have been the issue if
vigilance had not been used and strong measures
resorted to. There is a considerable class of per-
sons who may be intimidated by the introduction of
decisive treatment, who, if left alone, are apt to
brood over imaginary wrongs until they assume
fearful proportions. In Ireland, especially, it would
have been most mischievous as to present and future
results if no notice had been taken of the matter in a
direct and manifest form. The reckless and unquiet

spirits across the Atlantic had better take heed
besides ; and this they will not do if they think that
they can pursue their career in a reckless fashion,
and are to be suffered with impunity to sow the
seeds of strife broadcast through the land. Perhaps

the originators of the scheme may never be found out,

but still an indirect check will be put upon them by

the adoption of strong measures against their
It is quite time that these movements
came to a conclusion, and in the present advanced

agents.

state of education the common sense of all the

better natures among the lower orders in Ame-
rica and Ireland must be against such
dangerous and unseemly modes of redress.
The Irish who find a new home in the New World

possess among their ranks many disaffected indivi-

duals, and these desire to send no gentle reminders

to their native shores of the tone of mind that

pervades some of her exiled sons. Perhaps ridicule
may be the most effectual weapon to employ against

such conceited and ignorant men as these arch-

conspirators have shown themselves to be, at the
same time many take a useful hint from the cir-
cumstance of the discovery of these Fenian myste-
ries, and learn that it is both wrong and dangerous

to fester the spirit of discontent, and to en-
courage those who are already possessed of a
morbid tendency or a passionate nature to
count up their grievances and rail
against constituted authorities. At any moment,
when opportunity occurs, the artful schemer and
dangerous adviser finds ready tools in such mal-
contents, so that, after all, this much-talked of
Fenian Conspiracy is not BO much a sudden
scheme, but the effect of long years of mismanage-
ment, inducing the lower orders in Ireland to
think themselves ill-used and ill-treAed until they