The Sun.
London, England, 1866-03-28 00:00:00

eyes to everything are dirty slaves, while they who
demand a complete and final measure are only
" dirty" conspirators, we will make our choice, and
be abused for doing our duty, rather than for aban-
doning it under insolent threats and vile terrors.

POST.—The suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act
in Ireland has so completely paralysed the promoters
of the Fenian movement in America that no other
course was open to them but to proclaim their enter-
prise a failure or to seek elsewhere than in the United
Kingdom to strike the blow by which the indepen-
dence of Ireland is to be vindicated. It will be in
the recollection of our readers that a schism arose
in the Fenian councils a few months since, the ma-
jority of the Senate charging C'Mahoney and his
Ministers with malversation of the funds which
were raised for the liberation of Ireland. The re-
sult of this division in the camp was that the Senate
elected a rival head centre of the name of Roberts,
who, in his turn, appointed Ministers and issued
appeals to the brotherhood to pay in their subscrip-
tions to the treasury of which lie and his friends were
the guardians. We now learn, on the very ques-
tionable authority of a New York journal, that ere
a month elapses this section of the brotherhood will
have some £3,000,000 at their command. But our
contemporary goes further, for it tells us how the
money is to be spent. President Roberts has secured
the services of a former brigadier-general of volun-
teers, named Sweeney, as his Secretary of War, and
this eminent strategist has not only resolved on the
plan of operations to be adopted in invading Canada
in the spring, but has also shown a becoming con-
tempt for his foes by publishing it in the columns of
a newspaper. An army of 30,000 men will be ready
in a month's time to cross the frontier, whilst simul-
taneously a navy composed of ships which will leave
various ports on the Lakes of Erie and Michigan
will co-operate with the land forces. With a division
of 8,000 men the Grand Trunk Railway will be
seized, whilst two other divisions will march respec-
tively on Kingston and Montreal. These places
being taken, and the invading troops being placed in
security behind their own intrenchments, the re-
mainder of the task will be comparatively easy. In-
spirited by the success of their militant brethren, the
lukewarm will hasten to range themselves under a
victorious standard, and the Fenian army and the
Fenian treasury will alike be filled to overflowing.
Canada being thus conquered, will receive the name
of New Ireland, and be duly recognised as an inde-
pendent republic ; whilst the invaders, elated with
their success, will, with the ships they will have
captured at Montreal, and a few of the Cunard
steamers, proceed to Old Ireland, and having
secured her deliverance from Saxon thraldom,
obtain for her the same recognition of indepen-
dence which will have been accorded to Canada.
Such is the Fenian programme, which, to be
successfully carried out, needs, as Mr. Roberts
truthfully observes a liberal contribution of
money. As a scheme for the subjugation of
Canada we might well afford to laugh at it, but as
the foreshadowing of an attempt to test the military
resources of the colony it can only be regarded in a
serious light. Whether such an attempt will ever
be ma de must almost exclusively depend on the
American Government. In the United States men
are divided in opinion whether the sympathy of the
Government is with the Fenians or not ; whilst in
this country, we are happy to say, no doubts exist
as to the loyal intentions of the Cabinet at Wash-
ington. Still, when we find members of the Senate
addressing public meetings in favour of the invasion
of Canada by an army of filibusters, it must be ad-
mitted that the project is not so objectionable or
chimerical in the eyes of members of the American
Legislature as we might have had reason to expect.
The Executive at Washington have hitherto done
nothing to check the Fenian movement ; but then
it must be borne in mind that up to the present 130
breach of the laws appear to have been committed.
Until the law is broken the Government will. be
powerless to act, and we shall be without Ps'
grounds of complaint. With the evidence before
our eyes of the mischief which has been done in
Ireland, we cannot look without uneasiness toward
Canada. There, Fenian emissaries will have but
few opportunities for the display of their peculiar
abilities, but the possibility of evil will, as we have
reason to believe, be prevented by the prompt 015"
pension of the Habeas Corpns Act. Of the loyalty
of the colonists the most abundant proof has been
shown. The call for ten thousand volunteers was
responded to on the following day by thirty thou:
sand anxious to bear arms in defence of their tern
tory. The militia have been called out, and all the
chief towns strongly garrisoned. These precautions
may, and it is to be hoped will, prove unnecessary l
but the fact that they have been taken indicates
how great is the sense of insecurity which these eon_
spirators against the public peace, who have ende;
voured in vain to excite an insurrection in Irelanal
have been enabled to create in Canada and the ad"
joining colonies.