The efforts of advanced Irish nationalists met with little success during the 1870s. Fenianism in rejecting constitutional politics in favour of revolutionary conspiracy had worked itself into an ideological cul de sac. This left it vulnerable to extremists, anxious to find some new way out of the impasse. Rossa, in particular was keen to find some new way of fighting his old enemy. We must take the offensive.
Action gives life.
Rossa was enthusiastic. He immediately sent a letter to Ford who however refrained from printing it for three months. Rossa proposed the setting up of a fund to raise the money necessary for such operations and offered his services as its secretary for twelve months. I am not satisfied that the next five years if I live them should leave more than a similar record. The work is too slow and the time flies too fast to feed my hope of doing something before I die.