The Sun.
London, England, 1866-12-26 00:00:00

STEPHENS,

FENIA'

General F. F. Millen, late President of the Fenian
Military Council in Ireland, and late Acting C. E.
j. 8., has issued the following letter against James
Stephens, the so-called C.0.1.R. :
" NEW YORK, Dec. 3.
" TO THE SINCERE MEMBERS OF THE FENIAN
BROTHERHOOD AT HOME AND ABROAD.

" Countrymen and Brothers,—.As a Fenian of
nearly seven years' standing I feel it my painful
duty to lay beforeyou the reasons which have forced
me to the (for us) humiliating conclusion that James
Stephens, present head of our national organisation,
is not only no good man, but that he is a political
humbug, if not a cheat and a rascal besides.
"The first time that I had information of Stephens
having manifested the cloven foot was after the
Fenian Fair in Chicago, some three and a half years
ago. According to a letter then published by Mr.
F. T. Sherlock, a brother who withdrew from our
society, it appears that James Stephens took very
ungentlemanly, unworthy, and unbecoming measures
to possess himself of the sum of £l,OOO, part of the
proceeds of the Chicago Fair, and which had been
set apart for certain purposes. For this money, as
for all other funds which have passed through his
hands, Stephens has never rendered any account.
This Sherlock letter, even at that early date, shows
up the character of Stephens in its true light, and
should be read by every Fenian lover of the truth.
" The first time that I saw Stephens was in May,
1865, in Dublin. He was then in a most violent
and undignified rage against a poor soldier of the
sth Regiment of Dragoon Guards, who, being a
Fenian, had deserted contrary to the orders of the
boss, in order to save himself from the cruel sentence
of an inevitable court-martial.
At that time I was in Ireland on Fenian business,
and was the ranking military officer of our organi-
sation there. Instead of being placed by Stephens
in a position where any military experience I might
possess could be made of some benefit to the
I. R. 8., I was kept in total ignorance for a lung
time of everything that was passing. When I
complained to Stephens of my inactivity he gave
me an order to make him ' a drawing of a corps
cremes of 50,000 men formed in line of battle,
with their ammunition and baggage--every man
in his place.' A military man will readily
see the absurdity and uselessness of such a nonsen-
sical order; but I would not have gone to the
trouble of mentioning it here were it not for the fact
that Stephens arrogates to himself all the knowledge,
political and military, in the organisation. At that
particular period I thought my time might have
been better employed in assisting Irish-American
officers, perhaps abler than myself, in perfecting the
organisation of the I. R. 8., and in making pre-
parations for the fight which Stephens had pro-
mised last year, but which, by his acts, he prevented
from taking place.
" Immediately after the seizure of the Irish
People newspaper, and the first arrests in Dublin,
when Stephens retired to his luxurious retreat in
the sweet solitude' of the banks of the Dodder, the
writer, in virtue of his rank, was appointed Presi-
dent of the Military Council which the C. 0. thought
proper to name. It was a military council nomi-
nally only, for it possessed none of the prerogatives,
powers, or privileges which should have belonged to
it—its principal, and, I might say, only duty was
to find lodgings for Irish-American officers arriving
from the United States. Yet, while Stephens com-
pletely deprived the Military Council of the power
of benefiting the 1.R.8. in any way, he industriously
circulated the fact of its existence, both in America
and in Ireland. The result of this policy was that
while be loosened men's purse-strings abroad and
lined his pockets by reason of their growing confi-
dence in the cause, the American officers in Ireland
seeing that the Military Council took no steps to-
wards preparing for action, and supposing it to
possess faculties for that purpose, very naturally
concluded that it was composed of numskulls and
incompetent men, who were incapable of laying
down any common-sense plan of action suited to
the case. Under this impression very many of the
Irish-Anr.‘rican officers returned to the United
States, and though they may have hid other and
more selfish motives to bring them back here and
abandon the cause, still I can hardly blame them
now for taking the action they did, seeing that they
had good reason to 10-se confidence in Mr. Stephens
and his Military Council—especially in the latter,
while the fact was that its hands were tied.
" This Military Council, wishing to be useful and
to discharge its duty, and thinking it detected an
absence of any military plan in Ireland for carrying
out the business of a great revolution, suggested one
to Stephens for his adoption. It was unanimously
approved by the Council before submitting it to Mr.
Stephens. It was ibsultingly rejected by the great
C.0.1.R. as lacking in originality and logical com-
prehensiveness.' He saw it all himself, and knew
more about it than the men who had seen a hund-
red bloody fields, from the Rapidan to New Orleans.
We acquiesced in his opinion, for the sake of the
cause, and not in deference to his opinion.
" The writer always has been, and is now, of the
opinion that if we take the field before England be-
comes involved in some foreign or domestic diffi-
culty we will literally be stamped out.' I told
Stephens last year, as I tell the world now, that no
successful rising can take place in Ireland while
England basks in the sunshine of peace and tran-
quillity ; but I also told him that if he resolved to
light I would act with him to the best of my judg-
ment and ability. That is my position to this hour.
Stephens declared for battle, and I ask why, in
God's name, did he not take the field last year, as
he had preached and swore he would ? I know of
no man in Ireland who would not cheerfully have
run the desperate risks with him if he had made an
attempt to keep his word. He did not do it. Has
he ever given an explanation of why he didn't fight
last year to the thousands of patriotic Irishmen who
have been contributing to his support so long, or to
the friends and relatives of the brave hearts that his
ruinous policy has cast into the felon's cell ? He
has done grievously wrong in pledging himself to
fight by any particular time ; he has &me worse by
not keeping his word, and is guilty of political mad-
ness, if nothing worse, in making a second open
promise of fight ' this year' which he cannot keep,
even to save his life, which he prizes so dearly. No
revolutionary leader can or should compromise him-
self to fight at any particular time. Why did he do
it ? And, having failed once, why did he try it a
second time, to fail ignominiously also ? There is no
faith or reliance in the man.

" But that is not all. There are grave reasons
for believing that the man is not sincere in his pro-
fessions of patriotism. Would any patriotic man
in his sound senses, much less a leader worthy of
respect, think of dedicating £B,OOO sterling to
establish a cannon factory for the Fenians under
the enemy's nose in the city of Dublin? That
was the fixed intention of Stephens, and the first
arrests in Ireland and the want of funds were the
sole causes of compelling him to abandon this
hobby. That was arming the I. R. B. with a
vengeande. 1 tried to convince him that by
expending £B,OOO in the purchase of small arms
(which might prove somewhat easier to conceal
than a cannon factory) we might then be in a
position to help ourse ves to all the cannon in
Dublin, free of cost or carriage. But in vain. He
was bent on having '7O cannon of different cali-
bres, with plenty of shot and shell, and the fa,:tory
besides,' all for the sum of £B,OOO, to be collected
from our confiding countrymen in America. Can a
man with such ideas be in earnest? And, if so,
should be be suffered to direct a great revolutionary
movement ? Such a man must be either knave or
fool, and in either case equally unsuited to the
position which he clings to.
" What can be expected from a leader who ex-
cludes every Irishman of ability and good social
standing in Ireland from the Brotherhood? I know
men at home of the first rank in society who would
have gladly joined the I. R. 8., but who were
deterred from doing so by the selfish, egotistical,
and incomprehensible conduct of Stevens. The
influence of one of these men would be worth that
of 10,000 James Stephenses, yet they are left out
in the cold by the arbitrary conduct of the U. O.
"I know one eminent barrister in Dublin who
offered to me his valuable services gratis, in defence

America. Centres, keep your circles together—cir-
cles, obey the centres whom you have chosen to di-
rect your efforts. Work on silently, quietly ; in-
crease your numbers and perfect your organisa-
tion ; draw closer around you the strong bonds of
patriotic brothership, but pay no more contribu-
tions for Quixotic Canadian incursions or zisings
in Ireland this year.' Watch for the time when
' England's difficulty would be Ireland's opportu-
nity.' It is coming, and let it be one year or 20 we
must wait for it—then strike, and may God nerve
your arms.

of the Fenian' prisoners last year, and at a time
when the funds of the I. R B. could ill afford to
pay the fees of counsel ; yet those services were
scornfully rejected by Mr. Stephens.
" I know of another highly-respectable busi-
ness man in Dublin, when speaking of whom
Stephens was in the habit of using the most op-
probrious language ; yet the great C. 0., when he
was desirous of running off to Paris, instead of
fighting as he said he would, had to borrow money
from that same man in order to pay his expenses to
France, notwithstanding that Stephens had received
from America the sum of $563,000. Comment is
useless. What became of these $363,000 ?
44 Apropos of France. If Stephens really wanted
to move in Ireland this year, why did he stay lion-
izing two long blessed months in Paris, airing his
doubtful greatness with that antiquated and eccen-
tric piece of political old trumpery the Marquis de
Boissy ? Why did he not send to ' the men in the
gap' some of the considerable amount of money
which he received from honest John Mitchel in
Paris ? How did he earn the denunciations of Mit-
chel ? Was it for building churches or endowing
monasteries with the Fenian funds ?
" When O'Mahony's Commissioner last year
asked Stephens to give an account of moneys which The several railways which terminate in the me•
had reached him from this side of the water, he tropolis may be considered as so many handmaidens
quietly balanced the books by remarking that he administering to the wants of a huge monster, hay-
had ' spent it in organising purposes.' But,' said ing as many as 3,000,000 mouths, and which is e-
the Commissioner, " have you any further state- p
riodically affected with an extraordinary appetite ; ments to make on the subject ?' ' Why, no,' replied so that in the 12th month, and on the 25th day of
the boss, ' I spent it and a great deal more' (I think that month it still cries unto them, Food 1 Food !
he said four times as much), 'which was raised at Food ! Here is a picture that might be well described
home and in England and Scotland.' I was pre- in a style of language similar to that of the Apoca-
sent when this occurred.
lypse ; but as we have not the skill of the author of
" But can we naturally expect great things of a the Chaldee manuscript, we must set ourselves the
man who told the writer that, 'lf Ireland were free task in a more prosaic manner, and endeavour in our
to-morrow he would not live in it ; he would go to matter-of-fact manner to explain to our readers some
the South of France.' -I think that is the likeliest of the peculiarities of the Christmas traffic. This
place he will turn up in soon, and not on the green traffic is, for the most part, what is known in rail-
fields of his native land, with the standard of rebel- way parlance as an "up traffic." At this particular
lion in his hand. It is a pity he did not go there season of the year all England is pervaded by a
seven years ago, so that some more earnest man spirit of kindness and good nature. Our friends in
might fill his place to-day.
the country are on the alert to supply us with heaps
"I remember one night at a meeting in Dublin, of those good things of which they themselves every
where representations were made to Stephens to day partake, but which are to us so many luxuries ;
the effect that it would be necessary to make some and we in our turn fee. anxious to reciprocate their
pecuniary sacrifices in order to keep some poor kindness, but when the festive season has passed
families from starving, whose attachment to our over we are sure to find we have but very imper-
cause had led them into that condition, the boss fectly done so. They have a far more abundant
magazine to draw from than we possibly can have.
was very much annoyed, but gave, or rather
fel' We feel that to send them game would be pretty
7 much like sending coals to Newcastle, and there-
flung his consent in the face of the party asking
fore our consignments are for the most part con-
caresthe relief, exclaiming with supreme contempt
hdo.
` Gi v
for Give th e dogshimself a
first, bone.'and
fined to Pim's barrelled oysters and fresh fish,
" At the very time spoken of above Stephens was
rflo‘it' he
manobod yi s elsea tyrantef t afterward. lalr.
which we cannot but consider a very stinted re-
spending his $lOO a day in the indulgence of his ex- turn for scores ofand
geese turkeys, and all manner
• horticultural tastes, and was squandering of
pensive dairy and farmyard produce. When we
thousands of dollars in the purchase of fine wines, regard the extent to which this interchange of active
Brussels carpeting, and princely furniture. We all benevolence taxes the resources of the different rail-
know these statements to be true; besides that '
way
1 companies, we are inclined to wonder what
nearly £2,000 in gold, silver, notes, and draughts '
must have been
were found by the police in his hands at the time ' in the days
anterior to the development of railway
of his arrest. All this, when Irish-American officers '
enterprise. How could the old stage coaches have
and Irish patriots were starving from want of the , ever kept peace with the good nature of the people,
common necessaries of life, around him and all over .
Ireland. even although, as we were a day or two since told by
" 1
1 an old gentleman whose memory went so far back,
Yes, he is a shrewd man when his own interests, the Norwich coach used to come up to town packed
are concerned, and knows well hisown shortcomings. full of turkeys to the exclusion of bona fide travellers?
Also, if the I. R. B. could get rid of him, they 1 Why, at the present day the railways, with resources
would have kicked him out of the organisation long 1
, a hundred-fold greater than that possessed by all the
ago, but he has hung on to it like an incubus ; he ; stage coaches in the kingdom, are scarcely able to do
has stuck to the power, not it to him. To enable i so. They actually stagger under the weight which
him to do so he has uniformly attempted to ostracise ; is thus imposed upon them, and have not only to
every intelligent, well-meaning Irishman who ma- ' temporarily increase their staff, but also to call ex-
nifested a desire of identifying himself with the traordinary rolling stock into requisition. But let
Brotherhood, for he knew that by admitting such us see what they are now about and with what
persons into the I. R. B. he would be whetting a energy they apply themselves to the task which is
knife to cut his own throat, politically speaking. I imposed upon them, and for this purpose let us drop
Therefore, he endeavoured to keep such dangerous in at each of the London stations. Beginning with
I
men aloof, and left the I. R. B. no choice of leader- Paddington, we visit the arrival platform, and here
ship but in himself. Delightfully he has managed I our ears are deafened with a variety of most dis-
its affairs. cordant noises ; but whence do they proceed ? Cer-
"ls the man honest, good, just, or wise who , tabby not from the officials of the line, for they,
wrote to O'Mahony that after a certain time he , although perplexed with the multiplicity of the work
would get himself arrested in Ireland? His wife ' whin they have to perform, are going through it
managed (unwittingly, however) to accomplish this 't with that degree V silence which always accompanies
for him before he expected, by her shopping excur- , a resolute determination to perform a Herculean
sions from the banks of the Dodder into Dublin. task. They, therefore, are not the authors of the
That drew the detectives after her, and they fished noise, which, after a time, we can ascertain to be
up Mr. Stephens ; yet he attempted to lay the ' made up of thousands of onametipasic sounds of
charge of betraying him to the door of some sup- : which cackle and gobble seem to strive for the as-
posed false friend or enemy to the cause. In proof cendancy. This din proceeds from a large number
of the precautions of concealment which Stephens ' of crates literally stuffs 1 with Turkeys. geese, ducks,
took I may mention the fact that the writer, who and all kinds of poultry. These unhappy birds have
was president of his Military Council, knew neither conic from Ireland via the Milford route, an lin a
the locality of his residence nor the new name (tler- , concert of discordancy are now bewailing their hap-
bert) which he had taken, until informed of the less condition. Imprisoned, starved, and famished,
latter by a seamstress of Dublin, and of the former , deprived alike of food and drink for some
lam in ignorance even to this day. days, they must, unless they are very queer
" When Stephens was arrested the writer was ' birds indeed, welcome the poulterer's knife as
elected unanimously by the Centres and Military a release from their misery. It is for the
Council in Ireland as acting provisional C.0.1.R. poulterer's shop they are destined, and hence their
This of course was until Stephens could be released arrival in town warm with life, that they may be
from prison, so that the organisation might not be despatched as the exigencies of the market require.
without a head in the interim. I hereby call upon Among the peculiarities of the traffic here—each
the Irish Centres and Military Council to declare if station has some peculiarity—baskets of chees , both
I ever suggested to any one or more of them the Cheddar anddouble Gloucester, are perhaps the most
idea of my being elected in place of Stephens. For prominent. Here, too, are hams and Wiltshire
the offence of daring to imagine that the 1.R.8. had bacon, Welsh mutton, Devonshire cream, and heaps
any right to a leader during Stephens's absence I upon heaps of whatever is regarded as delicacy
was ordered to go immediately to America, and not either in the West of England or in South Wales.
return until with the first expedition. I came to The scene at Euston Station is still more excit-
America in time, unfortunately, to find O'Mahony, ing. There are not here any live foul to create a
Roberts, and Sweeney tilting at each other's throats din such as that which deafens one's ears at Padding-
in a most disgraceful manner. ton, but the consignments from the country are
"Ere leaving Ireland I made a conscientious at- far more numerous. If you want to perform a feat
tempt to have some one placed at the head of the or- of agility to qualify you to rank with Blondin or
ganisation while Stephens could be delivered from Leotard, pay a visit to the parcels department, and
gaol. For that cffence I was subsequently charged endeavour to make your way through the host of
with the crime of making an attempt to ' subvert barrels, baskets, and hampers with which the place
the power in Ireland,place myself at the head of the is crowded. If you can do this without injury to
movement,' and ruin things generally. Of course, to your shins you will have accomplished no
the paragraph in the note of Stephens making these mean achievement. It would be impertinent
1 charges contains an insinuation that I had, in order to pry into the contents of these vessels, and
the better to carry out may plan, attempted to gain still more would it be a work of superero-
possession of the funds of the organisation, and had gation, for we know already what they contain.
probably been the cause of Stephens's apprehension Game is out of the question. Few persons think
for the same reason. I can
now appeal to my of packing game, and therefore pheasants and hares
compatriots on both sides of the water who are always arrive in town independent of straw. Here
acquainted with the circumstances of the case—more however, are geese, turkeys, and ducks, and as one
especially the Centres of Dublin and the members gazes at them he naturally finds himself indulging
of thelate Military Council—to judge and inform in a vision of Epicurean enjoyment, and in itnagi-
our countrymen in all lands of the unjustifiable and nation tasting those delicious flavours which are
arbitrary conduct of Stephens in this matter, as in supposed to abide in apple sauce, sausages, celery
all others where his caprice and wrongheadedness sauce, and sage with onion. This is to doubly enjoy
led him to act. Christmas. At the Great Northern and Midland
" I take this occasion to thank the gentlemen of we have the same delicacies in profusion, and super-
the deputation front the Irish centres, now in this added to them Stilton cheese, rich, ripe, and full
city, which waited upon me last week, for the kind- flavoured. Here, too, are the pork pies of Lei-
ness of their feelings towards me, and for their pa- cestershire and Nottinghamshire, carefully folded,
triotic intentions of delivering me a document like silver teapots, in tissue paper, lest
signed by all the Irish centres in New York, certi- anything in the least degree rough should
fying to the blamelessness of my conduct during the scrape the crust and spoil the outward ap-
short time I conducted affairs in Ireland, upon pearance of those wonderful achievements of Mid-
condition that I would not go into the press against land cuisine. They are of all sizes ; some of them
on to Stephens. They patriotically wished that nothing small enough give e man a luncheon, and others
should be published against the C. 0. I. R.--not so large that a single pie might well do a whole gipsy
for his sake, but by any means, but for that of the party—a week's provision for a moderate-sized
cause. These compatriots are mistaken in their zeal; family. Our next station is Shoreditch, and it is
forbearance has ceased to be a virtue, and I have in Par excellence the Christmas
.station. At Norfolk
this note painted James Stephens not as I could have and Suffolk, Essex, and the East Anglia district,
wished, but simply as I found him. far-famed for their poultry, send their annual offer.
and so numerous are theythat the co
in-
sum than £6OO sterling (at a time when Fenian pang "James Stephens forgets that I voted no less a ings here,
have to extemporise additional goods stations
funds were low enough, God knows) as a reward to for their reception. These stations are covered over
any person or persons who might accomplish hie
with tarpaulins, and lighted with gas of glowing
escape from prison. Surely he forgets this when fires. Here there are a great number of hands em-
he charges me with insubordination and worse ! But ployed, and so heavy is the work they have to per-
his conduct in this affair is of a piece with the man's form that they have to work by night and by day,
character. I wonder when he intends giving the relieving each other in relays. Not only are the
two men who assisted him out of prison, at their ordinary hands engaged at the station insufficient
own peril, another £5O of the £550 yet due to for the performance of the additional work which
them for their service ? is at this season of the year thrown upon them, but
" And now, countrymen and brothers on both the horses, carts, and waggons also come short of
sides of the water, a word with you before parting. what the process of delivery requires. It is curious
Stephens's attempt at a ito observe the down traffic at this station. Theruing at home this year--if
he makes one at all—will be an ignominious failure, fisheries of the east coast arc the chief source of sup-
not for the want of good men and true, to do and Ply to Billingsgate-market, and, therefore, one is
dare all that brave men can for their country, but rather surprised to find presents of fresh cod sent
for the want of proper military direction, of which down the line from London to Yarmouth and
willingly and knowingly deprived the
llar-
Stephens has with ; but the fact is, that fish at those places is a
'men in the gap.'
Stephens will probably turn up in greater rarity than it is in London, as the fisher-
the 'south of France,' and leave a few brave spirits men's boats are nightly emptied into the railway
to their doom at the tender mercies of the British vans for conveyance to the metropolis, scarcely a
law. But do not despair, my countrymen; it is the single fish being retained for local consumption.
constant drop that wears the stone—stick to your Neither the South-Eastern, the Brighton, nor the
organisation, and keep it intact both in Ireland and London, Chatham, and Dover can compare, in re-

" F. F. MILLEN.

" P.S.—When I shall hear of James Stephens
having effected a landing in Ireland, that he has taken
the field according to promise, I will most cheerfully
retract all I have said against him in this note ; nay,
further, I will dress myself in sackcloth and ashes,
and, with a halter about my neck, I will seek out the
great liberator and say to him, ' I am unworthy to
live—dispose you of my life as you will.' However,
until that happens what I have written above must
remain said."

CllaisrmAs TRAFFIC.