The Sun.
London, England, 1868-01-07 00:00:00

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LONDON, TUESDAY, JANUARY 7, 18 68.

The examination of the Fenians now cnga ges a
great deal of attention, and although the firs t ex-
citement is over, the attention of the public is
naturally directed towards the details thus furniobed
of their machinations and plots. Nothing has As
yet transpired which tends to throw any doubt
upon the guilt of the parties engaged in the affair
at Clerkenwell. The chief feature in the examina-
tion at Bow-street yesterday seemed to be proving
the identity of TIMOTHY DESMOND. One witness
declared that he hadseen this prisoner assisting in the
act, and he thinks that WILLIAM DESMOND was the
man who actually fired the barrel. A boy of thir-
teen also speaks positively as to WILLIAM DESMOND
being the man who fired the barrel. Perhaps addi-
tional evidence may yet be forthcoming, not that
the present information seems deficient in many
points. The prisoners were again remanded, and
no doubt upon the next examination further details
of interest and importance will be given. It always
takes a considerable time to fathom an affair of
this kind, and the greatest deliberation is especially
demanded in matters where excitement or anxiety
may influence those who were present iu such
awful scenes. The fourteen Fenians were brought
up at Merthyr Tydvil yesterday, and the evidence
taken showed them to be members of the Fenian
Brotherhood. It is so far conclusive that a check
has been put upon their proceedings in this place,
for it appears that the conspiracy has gained ground
among the Irish labourers and furnace-men who
are employed at the iron-works and mines.
Great excitement will be felt to-day in
consequence of the supposed arrest of DEASEY on
board a ship in the Thames ; the prisoner, whoever
he may be, will be brought up for examination to-
day, and witnesses from Manchester have been tele-
graphed for. The conduct of this man on board
the Oriana was very suspicious ; and, at any rate,
if he is not DEASEY, it is most likely that he was
connected with the fatal affray at Manchester.
Why he should have been imprudent enough to come
back to England seems almost unaccountable, but
the fatal hardihood or resoluteness of such
characters is proverbial, and he may have been
excited by the fresh efforts just made by the Fenians,
and desired to share their spoils.

Some anxiety has been occasioned by the notion
that a design was in view to attack the Preston
Gas Works and House of Correction. Four suspi-
cious-looking Irishmen were seen to be examining
the works, and consequently men were set to watch,
and at one o'clock an Irishman was caught on the
wall by a police constable. The wall over which
he was getting is close to the principal gaso-
meter, and he could have had acccess to it
very readily had he not been interfered with. On
Sunday evening four Irishmen were seen near the
House of Correction going on in a very suspicious
manner, and a woman passing near heard some
remarks of a like nature. The greatest vigilance
was displayed by the authorities, and no doubt in
consequence nothing of a serious character took
place. It is evident, however, that mischief is
brooding in the neighbourhood, and it will
be well to act with great circumspection for
some time to come, in order that those
crafty men may not outwit the authorities
by their intemperate acts and reckless dealings.
The post-offices seem to be the special mark of
Fenian vengeance, and an attempt has been made
upon that at Middlesborough, which was charac-
terised by all the cunning and cruelty observable
in their other deeds of violence. Had a man not
come up to post a letter at the moment, the rockets
he discovered on the ground would have been
pitched into the box, and the clerks "perhaps
killed by the explosion. It seems that the
police have got information which will in
all probability enable them to discover some of the
perpetrators of the outrage. It is, indeed, the
cruelty of these conspirators which strikes us as
much as anything in dwelling upon these details of
their doings. They seem to care nothing whom
they injure and how many they kill BO long as they
do put their designs into execution. It matters
nothing at all if the sufferers or the victims be in
any way mixed up with them as long as
they stick to their purpose ; they follow
their aim, and that is enough. The public have
already recognised the fact and signified their
contempt and abhorrence for all persons in any
way concerned in the atrocious conspiracy ; but
abundant proofs are not wanting to show us more
and more with yet clearer distinctness and yet
greater force how despicable a thing is this Fenian-
ism, and how much it behoves us all with might
and main to do our utmost to trample it down with-
out loss of time.

The House of Representatives has determined to
begin its winter session vigorously, or rather, per-
haps we should say, the Radicals are determined to
make the most of their last opportunity. The re-
cent elections leave them little hope that they will
be able much longer to retain their predominance
in the national Legislature, and therefore they are
pursuing their old course during the short time that
remains to them with redoubled energy. It will be
remembered that Mr. JOHNSON, a short time since,
sent a message to the Senate commenting on the
forbearance and magnanimity shown by Gene-
ral HANcocK in his dealings with the Southern
States, and suggesting a public recognition
of his services. This suggestion must have been
made, one would think, in a kind of bravado, since
the PRESIDENT could hardly have expected such
a proceeding on the part of Congress. So far from
adopting his suggestion the House of Representa-
tives, we learn by the cable, has just passed reso-
lutions thanking General SHERIDAN for his services,
a commander of a very different calibre from
General HANcocx, and censuring the PRESIDENT
for removing him from his command. The removal
of SHERIDAN was a bold but necessary act on the
part of JOHNSON, and it followed naturally enough
on the suspension of STANTON. It was only won-
derful that the PRESIDENT had so long endured his
insubordination and insolence. The resolution
passed by the House of Representatives, thanks a
man whom the PRESIDENT had found it necessary
to remove from his command. Another achieve-
ment of the House of Representatives has been to
pass a resolution, ordering the Committee on
Foreign Affairs to take immediate action on the
maltreatment of American citizens by the British
authorities in Ireland. The majority of respectable
Americans will not thank the House for identifying
them with the assassins and incendiaries of Ireland.
What " immediate action" the Committee on
Foreign Affairs can reasonably take in the matter
it might puzee the House of Representatives
to particularise. The only view iu which Fenianism
assumes a serious aspect is when it threatens to
embroil us with tho United States, but we may hove