Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-11-24
THE IRISH YANKEES.

The New York Tribune" in an article
entitled "The Eenian Brotherhood" has these
paragraphs:
s.Tke most important meeting which TIM
orran;zation has vet held, convened on the 50
of November, "a Chicago. Some 500 dele
aates from all parts Of the United States, from
Canada and Ireland, were present: Stirring
speeches on the primary ohiec. Of the assocu
ton. the establishment Of Irish independence
ware made. and the organization was compile.
ted by electing John O'Mahony of New: York
Head Centre of the organization, Central
Committee of five members, one of whom Is
General Corcoran, and . Head Centre, Tor
each of the following States: New YORK
Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin, indl'
ana, kentucky, Missouri, Massachusetts, len
nessee, Michigan, California, az VOL as INC
District of Columbia. Among those who have
expressed their sympathy with tins movement
VIC notice the name of General Meagher. The
accounts of The proceeding of the congress say
that great unanmity and enthusiasm prevailed
and that the delegatesseeparated highly grati'
fed and determined TO work on earnestly and
theoretically in the work of freeing Ireland
from the dominion of the oppressor.
..Thera are some features in this new national
marry of Ireland which will interest the reople
of the United States. In our war, the Irish
Sationalists have generally expressed sympa'
inv with our cause, differing in this respect
from the vast majority of the Irish papers,
which have been ardent champions OF the
South. But our qualification at this sympa-
thy has been greatly lessened py the irank
ayowal on the part OF the Nat'onai,sts tna'
the cause of their sympathy was chiehy tue
IL ,t>l tnfo
hope that the greatness OF the onite1' ota1es
would be the downfall Of England; that;
therefore the restoration OF the Union wou!u
be in the interest of Ireland: and that TINS
restoration was more likely to proceed from
the North than from the South. IL was All
mitted by more than ore OF their spoke;Smen,
that they would just aswell have sympathiZca
with the South if they could have hoped that
the South would be able to restore the oni"n'
A due appreciation Of the great moral into
rests that ore at issue in the war we nave
nowhere met with among the leaders OF the
Irish Nationalists.
"In our country the prominent influence OF
the Irish generals and colonies OF our army IN
this Fcuian Brotherhood seems to indicate
TINT the organization is more under the con-
troll of the War Democracy than that of the
outspoken Copuerheads. But neither IN their
congress nor in any of their other manifesto
tons have we vet found word of cordla,
sympathy with the great cause II Freedom.
1t was matter Of some amazement, to those
who did not know the secret springs OF action
that ON the outbreak Of this war, the Irish
residents of the Yankee States threw them
selves into it with such mad enthusiasm
II may now be stated, because the thing mas
become very public, that the great 'mpuisior
to that movement was given by (then) Sc
cret Irish Association, the "Feniau Brother
hood" which was widely ramitied bott
through Ireland and the United States, ant
whose object, of course, was to avail them
solves of every opportunity which the afa'r'
of the world might afford to destroy British
dominion in Ireland. And the said Brother
Shood," conceiving that the United States wa:
the most formidable rival of Great Britain
passionately desired that it should remain
uaitd and strong; hence their rage at tn
ACKNOWLEDGMENT of that Union. But they hae
another motive. Icishmen ut home are pro
hibited, under penalty of felony, to learn the
U
unless in the British army. The Brother
hood" therefore, stimulated the war spri
amongst their people, merely because 1t woul9
giyemilitary training and experience to many
thousands Of Irishmen, to be used afterwards
for liberation of their own land. With an
"Union" restored by force of Northern
arms-and in spite Of the supposed
sympathy of England with the South,
this deluded Brotherhood" hoped that
the military services Of the Irish IN that
affair would make them potential IN guiding
and moulding the policy Of the restored, and
now resistless, Union and the very first thing
they were to do was to precipl'ate 1t into
war with England. Then was to be return
of the Heracleidn with asengeance. Then
the sunbursts and the banner Of Green were
to wave once more in Irish wind alongside
the coneuering Stars and Stripes; and British
tyranny was to collapse and wither before
hem.
In all this was no trace or glimpse Of phi-
lanthropy and Human Freedom" The
Irish may be sometimes misguided; but they
are above that sort of nonsense.
They were signally misguided on the pres
ent occasion. Seward was too cunning for
them. He and his party affected u furious and
vindictivc hostility to England ,-and gave it
out in q thousand forms, that the "R:bep'
South once subdued, then would come Eng
lands turn. On such representations, and
stimulated by the Brotherhood" many thou
sands Of fine young men came over from Ire
land, not pressed by want to emigratc, but
fred with hatred of England, to lift high the
banner of England's foe, and to prepare
on Irish American crusade against English
power.
The whole affair was q blunder. The
"Union" is not restored, and will never be-
IF II had been, the Irish soldiery, after their
service was done, would have been thrown
aside like any other broken tool-cheated, as
usual And the green flags lie torn on many
q battlefield, and the bones of those who were
10 liberate Ireland whiten the plains of the
continent from Galveston to the Potomac. 1t
is pity of them; yet, they deserved their fate
They were prompt to carry fire and sword into
the peaceful abodes ola people who had never
vron ged them, and TO make an Ireland of these
Confederate States, that they might redeem
their own. 1t was crime sure to bring its
own punishment. Ireland doubtless will be
and ought to be emancipated from English do
minion, but not this way.
One fact, however, is plain from the pro-
ceelings of the "Fenians," md the dissaiis-
faction of the Tribune" thereupon, namely:
that the Irish citizens of the Yankee country
eAA~s &c Gool;no With Vookcpy