The Sun.
London, England, 1866-01-29 00:00:00

Court have held circuit courts in those States and dis-
tricts since actual hostilities ceased. When the courts are
open and all laws can be peacefully administered and en-
forced in those States whose people rebelled against the
Government, when thus peace shall come in fact and in law,
the persons now held in military custody as prisoners of
war, and who may not have been tried and convicted for
offences against the laws of war, should be transferred into
the custody of the civil authorities of the proper districts,
to be tried for such high crimes and misdemeanors as may
be alleged against them. I think that it is the plain duty
of the President to cause criminal prosecutions to be insti-
tuted before the proper tribunals, and at all proper times,
against some of those who were mainly instrumental in
inaugurating and most conspicuous in conducting the late
hostilities. I should regard it as a direful calamity if many
whom the sword has spared the law should spare also ;
but I would deem it a more direful calamity still if the
Executive, in performing its constitutional duty of bringing
those persons before the bar of justice to answer for their
crimes, should violate the plain meaning of the constitu-
tion, or infringe in the least particular the living spirit of
that instrument.

I have the honour to be, most respectfully,
JAMES SPEED, Attorney-General.

Remarkable Letters of Stephens.

The New York Daily News of the 13th inst. says :
" The following letters from James Stephens, C.E.I.R.
will be read with intense interest by every every Fenian,
in the United States and Canada. They arrived by mes-
sengers, from Europe, at Head Centre O'Mahony's head-
quarters, yesterday, and their importance, as bearing upon
the present condition of the F.B. hero in Canada, has been
deemed sufficient to warrant their publication in the New
York Daily News. Were we at liberty to print the story of
the way in which the messenger succeeded in securing the
letters from the vigilant eyes and fingers of the eager au-
thorities, it would prove almost as interesting to many as
the contents of the letters themselves :
" ' To John O'Mahony, Esq., Representative and Financial
Agent of the Irish Republic in the United States.

" --, Dec. 22, 1865.
"Brother and Friend,— The only misunderstanding ever
possible between you and me has been occasioned by what
I deemed your drag-chain policy. Knowing the absolute
necessity for action within a given time, and aware that
you did not agree with me in this, it has been a constant
fear with me that,so far as the F.B. was concerned, the time
would come and find us unprepared. This apprehension has
kept me in a state of pain and irritation also, and so I have
often said and written things which must have hurt you
most keenly. For all this I now sincerely ask your for-
givenness. Let me add, however, that I would not do so,
though you were on your dying bed, and I on mine, if you
had not entered, albeit very late, on the only path of salva-
tion for our land and race. Treason and baseness in every
shape have been at work around you, and to such effect as
to have put the cause of Ireland in serious peril. Before my
escape from Richmond Bridewell, I should have looked on

he actual sta to of things as all but certain ruin. That event,

for it is nothing less, has given such marvellous strength to
our work, and to me such influence, that I can now under-
take to hold our forces together for some time longer. Still
it is of the utmost urgency to make this delay as short as
possible ; for delay in our ease is of more than proverbial
danger, and I could not long hope to hold against the strain
of time ; but, as you are on the right path at last, I rely
on your bringing affairs to a speedy issue—to break with
treason and baseness of all kinds, to brand it, smash it was

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC •TOIIRNALS.

the policy—and I rejoice at your having made it yours.
The manhood of Ireland rejoices- at it with me, for it in-
dicates the justice of their judgment regarding a wretch,
P. J. Meehan, whose advent to this country was an insult
to our reason, manhood, andpatriotism. Wishing to work
harmoniously with the F. 8., I put a curb on my temper in
presence of the shallow knave, and even risk my repu-
tation in order to set him fairly with my friends. His pro-
fessions and letter to you (were they sent ?) together with
my representations, did away with much of the disgust and
indignation stirred up by his presence. But, even before
he left, the cloven foot was again visible to all. He
sneaked out of the country. Well, 1 saved his life, as Iso
often saved that of his kindred carrion Gaula. Brand him
now without pity. It grieves me to hoar that Michael
Scanlan is in the ranks of cowardice and treason; but what-
ever I may have cnco thought of him, or anybody else,
the instant they prove false to Ireland, I would lash them
away from me like so many dogs. Away with all such
fools and rogues at once. If our ranks be somewhat thinned
by this summary riddance of traitors, our reliable strength
is but increased. By the way, some good men were sent
over here by Scanlan. We know how to appreciate them.
But he sent over others of so vile a kind that, at their first
interview with me, they, in confidence, accused each other
of robbery, and I know not what ! It may be that such
scoundrels would fight ; but, till we are actually in the
field, fellows of their stamp would be a standing shame and
danger to us. Thank God, they have sneaked away—some
of them at the merest shadow of danger. May they never
pollute our shores! Cut and hack the rotten branches
around you without pity. This can be done safely at your
side, because the stag is harmless there. . . . .

TRH STUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, JANUARY 29, 1860.