The Sun.
London, England, 1866-12-14 00:00:00

The Fenians Expostulated with by a

Catholic Priesr,

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There is a remarkable discourse in the Freon in's
Journal, says the Dublin correspondent of the Times,
headed " The Panic about Fenianism." It is by a
priest, the Rev. Dr. Rice, of Queenstown. He de-
precates the alarm on the subject, and says it has
been augmented by the Orange address and by the
proceedings of the Cork magistrates. The follow-
ing remarks addressed by this gentleman to a con-
gregation on Sunday are very instructive. " Who
are the Fenians ?" he asked.

" The boys to whom we taught their catechism a few
years ago. Have they forgotten all the love and affection
they once felt for their priests ? No. There is no Irish
Catholic who would not be ready to avenge an outrage to
his priest, and plunge a sword into the heart of the sacri-
lesions assailant. There is a misunderstanding. We cannot
approve Fenianism. We believe it to be unwise, impru-
dent, and rash. It is with Fenianism we quarrel, and not
with the men. Let Feniansrenounce their folly, and they
know in their hearts they will be received by us. We can-
not recognise that which we believe to be wrong. Let them
renounce it, and they are like the rest—well-beloved and
dutiful people. The Fenians are towards the priest just in
the same position as the wanton son is with a wise and pru-
dent parent. The son loves the father, but the fatherdoes not
go fast enough for him. He wishes to go on his own way, he
is wiser in his own conceit and more prudent than the
father, and is angry and provoked because the father does
not go with him. But let you go and offer an outrage to
the father and you will arouse all the feelings and affections
of the son, and the son will vindicate the insult to his
father. T hat is the relation of the Irish priest and the Fenian ;
but my assurance to you is that you will have peace. With
my assurance to you, it is not merely the assurance of the
priest, but it is also supported by the highest authority of
the land—the representative Of the Queen in this country,
who possesses all the information that it is possible to
have. This authority assured us, in reply to the foolish
and unwise memorial of our country magistrates which
appeared on Saturday, that the public force was abundantly
sufficient to preserve peace and order, and to prevent any
disturbance. There was never such a force of the army
and navy within the memory of many of you as there is at
the present moment—never so many troops in the country,
or such a naval force along our coast, as there are at
this moment. These are under most able commanders
and they are so posted that a largo body of them can at
any minute be brought to any one point of the country on
the shortest notice, so much so that any body of men could
not stand out against the authority of the Crown for a
single day. Thus there is no reason for this unhappiness
which hasseized upon many of us. However, it would be
idle to deny, we must recognise the fact that there
is an immense amount of disloyalty and discon-
tent in the country. It is widely spread, and
extends far and wide outside the range of the
Fenians. But without a foreign invasion this will
not menace thu peace or security of the country. If Eng-
land were involved in a war with any of the great Powers,
then, indeed, we might be quite sure of the great calamities
of a civil war; and then, despite of the efforts of the priests,
many of those who are not now avowed allies of Fenianism
would join that body through hatred of England, and for
the purpose of getting rid of English rule in Ireland.
Until such a contingency there need be no cause for fear or
alarm."

Trial of Martin Reau for Three Murders.

On the 10th instant the above trial was resumed,
and several witnesses, mostly relatives or connec-
tions of the prisoner, testified to a good understand-
ing between him and both his wives. At length a
witness came forward whose appearance excited the
greatest interest. He was an aged man, of a robust
aspect, and of regular, one might say, handsome
features. This was Peter Bontemps, a man of 67
years of age, a landed proprietor at Mousses, father
of the second wife of the accused. He delivered his
evidence slowly and seriously in the midst of pro-
found silence. He had always thought and yet
believed that his daughter had died of disease
of the chest, the result of a chill, although
she had neither coughed nor expectorated. He
thought it not possible that his son-in-law could
have poisoned the child, since he had seen it often,
and its father had never given it anything. He
had paid a thousand visits to his son-in-law's
house, and had never seen any sign of a division
between him and his wife. He detailed conversa-
tions with M. de Merinville, who had endeavoured to
persuade him of his son-in-law's guilt, but to whom
he had replied that be was like St. Thomas, who
doubted, and like Pilate, who washed his hands.
M. de Merinville, who was present, was called
upon and explained that he had spoken to the old
man for his own good, as every one wag indignant
with him for being on good terms with Reau, who
they believed to be a murderer.

M. Lachaud asked M. de Merinville why he tried
to persuade this good man that his daughter and
grandson bad been poisoned when he would not
believe it ?

M. de Merinville replied that he spoke after Reau
had been two months in prison—that his object was
simply to undeceive Bontemps, but he desisted when
he found him fixed in his own opinion.
Bontemps resumed his evidence, and said that the
child had been weakly, and that its father had often
come to see it, especially when it was ill.
Jeanne Raboin, 72 years of age, wife of Peter
Bontemps, said she was the mother of Reau's first
wife. Her daughter had often told her she was
happy in being united to so good a man as Martin
Reau. She had herself given up her property to her
children. Had not thought it necessary to send for
a doctor when the child Abel was ill.
On the conclusion of the evidence for the defence
M. Lachaud called upon the court to examine the
expert who had made a second analysis for the
prisoner. After some discussion the court agreed
to hear him upon the facts of the case.
M. Schullzemberger, chemist and doctor of me-
dicine, and Professor of Strasburg, attached to the
chemical section of the College de France, declared
that he had not the same confidence as the other
experts in the re-agents which they had em-
ployed. They had not conducted their operations
in accordance with the progress of science. He
contested the certainty of the treatment of salts
of mercury by iodine, the mode pursued by one
of the experts. lodine might import confusion
into such analysis. He called attention to the fact
that the persons supposed to have been poisoned
had during their illness developed no symptoms of
mercurial poisoning. Thus, so far as he could see,
there was no rapid poisoning. On the other hand,
he must admit that as large quantities of mercurial
salt, as was supposed by the experts, might have been
administered to the child even in small doses. j No
doubt a metallic salt had been found in the two
bodies. How it got there was another question.
Perhaps the water had brought it from neigh-
bouring drains.
M. llardouin, the Procureur-Imperial, after an
adjournment of an hour, spoke for the prosecution.
On the 1 lth, M. Lachaud replied for the prisoner.
and after the charge from the President, the jury,
on due consideration, found Martin Reau guilty,
but with extenuating circumstances.
11e was condemned to the " Travaux Forces" for
life.

FREE PARDON TO A CONVICT.--At the last sum-
mer assizes at Derby, a man named Barnabas Sum-
mers was charged before Mr. Justice Montague Smith
with having committed a rape upon a servant girl named
Ann Parker, living at Hampshire'spublic-house, at Quarn-
don, on the 27th June. Mr. Leech was retained to defend
the prisoner by several gentlemen in the neighbourhood of
Allestree, who doubted the truthfulness of the charge, but
after a patient investigation the jury returned a verdict of
guilty, and the judge sentenced the prisoner to five years'
penal servitude. Mr. Leech memorialised the Home Sec-
retary for a free pardon, and forwarded various documents
to the Home-office in support of the memorial. After a
lengthened investigation and communication with the
judge the Homo Secretary has determined to advise her
Majesty to grant a free pardon, and we have been fa-
voured with the following letter for publication, as it gives
the reasons which have actuated the Home Secretary in
the course which he has thought fit to adopt, and also tends
to remove imputations which the pardon itself might other-
wise have cast upon the prosecutrix.—" Whitehall, Bth
Dec. Sir,—l am directed by Mr. Secretary Walpole to
acquaint you that ho has carefully considered the memo-
rial which you forwarded to him in behalf of Barnabas
Summers, and has received a report on the case from Mr.
Justice Montague Smith, who presided on the trial. The
learned judge having expressed a strong opinion that the
conviction was an unsafe one, Mr. Walpole has felt it to
be his duty to advise her Majesty to grant the convict a
free pardon ; but he has adopted this course solely in de-
ference to the views taken by the learned judge, and in
consequence of the doubt and uncertainty so thrown upon
the case. Though he could not under such circumstances
advise her Majesty to permit the sentence to be carried
out, he is so far from intending that any imputation should
thereby be cast upon the prosecutrix. —I am, Sir, your
obedient servant, H. WADDINGTON. Mr. S. Leech, solici-
tor, Derby."