The Sun.
London, England, 1865-09-30 00:00:00

(F rola the Tinges' Correspondent.)
NEW YORK, Sept. 15.
There is, no doubt, much that is ridiculous in the
Fenian organisation, but at the same time it would
be going to an extreme to suppose that it is too
insignificant and contemptible to deserve notice.
When at least 300,000 persons have formed them-
selves into a body for accomplishing a certain pur-
pose it is but reasonable to pay a little attention to
their plans, even although the plotters be Irishmen.
I have taken some pains to ascertain the truth about
the Fenians, and the facts which have come to my
knowledge show that the society is not only nume-
rous, but moderately rich. This city, for instance,
is divided by the leaders of the society into districts,
and in each of these districts a weekly meeting is
held and regular subscriptions received from the
members. The money thus raised is laid out in the
purchase of arms or sent to Ireland, while a large
part of it goes into the pocket of a being whom the
Fenians call the Head Centre, and who is as invisible
to common mortals as the Mikado of Japan. From
the statements of the police and others I am con-
vinced that 300,000 is a moderate estimate to make
of the numbers of the Fenians. They mean to free
Ireland, and they believe they are strong enough to
do it. In these ideas the New York papers warmly
support and encourage them, partly because they
think that kind of talk annoys England, and partly
because they dare not offend their best customers,
the Irish. Once a week, at least, every journal,
with a creditable exception or two, indulges in that
puerile abuse of England which animates the Ame-
rican breast on account of the fact that England
somehow holds a nobler and higher position in the
world than their country, and informs the Fenians
that they may build as many vessels of war as they
like in American ports, and that if they "go in"
with spirit England is sure to meet the fate she so
well deserves. To these stories Irishmen very
readily lend their ears. They are undoubtedly
sending money to Ireland regularly, and this fact
may help to explain the midnight gatherings and
daylight drills which I see reported of late in the
Dublin and Cork papers. It is impossible to place
a limit to the credulity of a stupid and ignorant
" son of Erin," and, therefore, it is not surprising
that a large proportion of the Fenians religiously
believe they are going the right way to work to
make their " Head Centre" King of Ireland. The
other portion live upon the money which their san-
guine brethren subscribe. These expectations are
fully shared in Ireland itself, and (as anybody may
find out by a little inquiry), the lower classes of the
population of Queenstown anticipate almost daily
the arrival of a fleet from America, with an invin-
cible army, to take the country and shut up the
Queen in a round tower. However absurd all this
may seem, it would probably save future trouble if
some measures were taken by the Government to
show the dupes and the dupers here and elsewhere
that the Fenians are industriously preparing a
rod for their own backs. It would be a mercy
to the masses in Ireland to let them see that
the Government is prepared at any moment for
the uprising which they so confidently look
forward to. The Roman Catholic clergy here
to a man do all in their power to discourage
the mischievous and foolish delusion. Everywhere
the pastors tell their people that they are laying up
misery and sorrow for themselves. The Bishop of
Philadelphia, Dr. Wood, has received a missive from
Rome, in which a denial is given to the assertion
that the Holy See has ever pronounced the decision,
" Fenianos non esse inquietandos." On the con-
trary, the Pope is known to disapprove the Society
and its objects, and to be determined to " disturb"
it. The clergy, however, seem to be powerless to
prevent the spread of Fenianism, and very often
they come into angry collision with their congrega-
tions for making the attempt to check it. The
Irishman, however, as is natural to him, always puts
his trust in the man who wants to plunder and de-
ceive him, and consequently he disregards his priests
for once and looks for consolation to the " Head
Centre."

From the furthest West come contributions to
the general fund from emigrant Irishmen, and all
throughThula, azia 111/bbvtlll-111 met, in
nearly all the States—weekly meetings are held. I
went to see one of these meetings lately in this city.
Two-thirds of the audience were women, and the
principal speaker was also a woman—a rather dirty
and red-faced woman, voluble, enthusiastic, and
bitter-tongued. The purport of her address—
" oration," she called it—was that England ousht
to be polished off" the face of the earth, and that
the Americans and the Irish meant to do it between
them. Her audience cheered with- abandon, and
paid afterwards their pennies to the fund with great
cheerfulness. There Is no secrecy about these meet-
ings—so far from that, the Fenians court publicity
on every occasion. I believe that it pleases most
Americans to hear England bullied and insulted by
these poor creatures, or by anybody else. They like
to re-echo cries about the wrongs of Ireland, although
there is not one of them who can point out any wrong
the British Government does to Ireland. As a rule,
they are almost as ignorant of English history and
the English Government as they are of their own,
and that is saying a great deal. The Fenians feel
themselves strengthened by this general and indeed
universal encouragement, although some of them
may perhaps wonder with what justice Americans
complain of English infringements of neutrality when
they are at the same timegiving every sort of support
to 300,000 professed conspirators. Thus supported
the Fenians make even their religious ceremonies a
medium of political display. Passing down Fifth
Avenue the other day I met a long procession of
them. They were carrying a dead brother to the
cemetery, for the bright career even of a Fenian
seems to be sometimes interrupted by death. At
first I thought the people had met to celebrate a
marriage or some other happy event, for a band of
music and gay banners went before the throng, and
as the day was very hot and the music very lively it
recalled for an instant those fantastic wedding pro-
cessions which it had often been my chance to meet
in the East. But one glance at the countenances
of the men in the procession dispelled the illusion,
and assured me that I was in the presence of that
emancipated and terrible being the American Irish-
man. Any one acquainted with the Irish character
might have supposed that many of these Fenians
had been celebrating the death of their brother in
the punch bowl, for, whether owing to the fierceness
of the sun or the impairing influence of grief, the
aspect of some of them was rather lively than fune-
real, and their gait was not such as becomes the place
of mourning. The principle of the ballot-box—anti-
secreq, that is—is commonly carried out even in
funerals here, the coffin being carried in a fine glass
coach, so that the passers-1; can have an uninter-
rupted view °- f
its gilt plates and its brass
handles. No one could wish for a braver
funeral than was given to this regenerator of
Ireland. All sorts of Fenian insignia were worn
by the people, and unless the d
eparted from
the ordinary custom a Fenian oration was made
over the grave. This, however, I did not hear, nor
have I learnt how many of the mourners !mind a
lodging in the hospitable cells of the police that
night. That seemed to be their destination when I
met them.
Recently the Springfield (Illinois) " Circle of the
Fenian Brotherhood " appeals for contributions to
the American people. This address said :—" Offi-
cers, American and Irish, who have served with dis-
tinction in your service, are silently moving into
Ireland to assume control of the active operations
to be inaugurated in a few moments—sooner, much
sooner, than any of you can believe. All they re-
quire now is arms to enable them to meet the enemy
on something like equality." Ido not doubt that
plenty of money would be subscribed, the ordinary
run of Americans putting the matter before them-
selves in this light—" Let the Irish have a try at
England ; if they beat her, so much the better. If
they do not, it is no concern of ours." I have heard
scores of people talk on the subject, and this is the
gist of their remarks. " All we want," says a
daily papers, "is an opportunity to exchange com-
pliments with John Bull in the matter of neutrality
when the proper time arrives." It is perfectly
astonishing to the American mind that John Bull
Isnot frightened out of his wits at all these threats.
rile illustrated papers keep up a pleasant belief that