The Sun.
London, England, 1869-09-29 00:00:00

THE GOVERNMENT AND THE FENIAN AMNESTY.

The Irish Total Abstinence Society have addressed
a very moderately-worded memorial to the Queen,
entreating her Majesty's clemency on behalf of the
Fenian prisoners. The document represents that the
crimes for which the incarcerated men are suffering
admit of no justification; but the memorialists think
that the punishment already undergone is some atone-
ment. Several of the Fenians are in delicate health.
" We believe that the exercise of clemency towards
these men, whom erroneous patriotic feeling led
astray, will be considered by a large proportion of
your loyal Irish subjects a AVM) act of statesmanship,
and tend to increase those feelings of affection and
devotion to your person which are entertained by
your Irish subjects." Mr. Gladstone, in reply, under-
takes that the petition shall be laid before flu,
Queen :
I am further directed to inform you that, although Mr.
Gladstone can in no way pledge tho Government to any
particular course, he feels bound in justice to render his
testimony to the loyal and becoming terms in which the
memorialists approach the Throne, and the soundness of
judgment which they exhlbit in attaching their true cha-
racter to the offences unhappily committed by the persons
now in confinement.

The Star comments in somewhat remarkable terms
—for that journal—on this agitation in favour of re-
leasing the Fenians. It denounces the amnesty meet-
ings as characterised by much wild and indecent talk ;
and it declares that, even were these gatherings pro-
perly conducted, they would be objectionable. We
cannot think this a time at which a Government, notori-
ously anxious to do their best for Ireland, should be
called upon for an act of race, the granting of which
might hamper their hands in the further good deeds
they propose to accomplish." The whole strength of
the Legislature, says the Star, is now being applied
to the removal of Irish grievances. It is a bad return
to treat rebellion as a venial offence, and to expect
that men who have done everything to overturn law
and order should, as a matter of course, be set free.
The Lord Lieutenant and Countess Spencer arrived
at Cork on Monday, and received an address from the
Corporation, pressing strongly for a release of the
Fenian prisoners. Earl Spencer replied only that a
further extension of clemency was an act which
needed serious consideration. Meanwhile the agita-
tion proceeds with unabated zeal.

THE ABYSSINIAN COMMITTEE.

We have already announced that Mr. Candlish,
M.P., and Captain Beaumont, M.P., have proceeded
to India for the purpose of prosecuting their -OA
members of the committee appointeil to inquire into
the expenses of the Abyssinian expedition. It is now
stated that their mission is not an official one, but is
so far of a semi-official character that it bears the
stamp of Government approval, and the-officials of
the Indian department have been instructed to afford
them every facility. It appears that the two hon.
gentlemen have determined to pursue the inquiry in
their own way and at their own cost. They are
expected to be absent about three months.

NATIONAL VERSUS LOCAL INTERESTS.

The speeches of the two candidates for East
Cheshire are now getting personal, and are there-
fore exciting a little more interest among the
audiences. For instance, Sir Edward Watkin deals
largely with the intimidation practised on the other
side, whilst Mr. Brookes has commenced to attack
Mr. Platt, one of the members for Oldham.'
According to the Conservative candidate, Mr.
Platt stated in his recent speech that the
French Treaty was " not an economical but a
political treaty, and adopted to please the Emperor
of the French, to keep the French people quiet, and
prevent a war with England." Thereupon Mr.
Brookes declared in the most positive manner that
"he would prefer a war to seeing the trade of Mac-
clesfield destroyed." England might, therefore, be
crippled, but Macclesfield must prosper. It is scarcely
conceivable that such a theory. could be advanced in
the nineteenth century. It is more worthy of the
dark ages than the present day of free and enlightened
government.