The Democratic press. (Eaton, Preble County, Ohio) 1860-1865, 1864-04-21


Commons, oniFriday last, IN a de
bate, on the state ufIrpaid, gave
IthsdbQhsyfRS .ogfiIyjag aud jptsF
5estinpg4rc1ipAt OF IA 'rotIItrhood OF
'wilomtvt havG beard much at the
present day. bnt Of whose anteca
dents little is Known
| daresay now here are few pGr1 II. here
who know what he wOrl "Frnian5 meas?
Perhaps | may be II lowed to explain it. Ia
Ireland we deal with pctaloes and romGn,c,
one being food for the body and the Other
for the mind. According to the crond. H..
Feuians are very ancient hodr AppnGrl
to one of Moore "lTelodies berilninr-
"The wine,cup is circlng," thore is a note
which states that the Fenians or Fnii wgre
the celebrated national militia Of Ireland
Naturally, when saw that, | began to
inquire what this national militia meant.
| found that very long ago, beyond the
third century, there lived king called
Cormac, who had daughters One of those
daughters married Fiomo, the son of Fin
Vac Conhal He, although man Of indie.
pendent means, TOOK an immense liking to
his fl'hor,in.law, and determined to establish
nationtl mil tin, of which lie himsclf
would have the command. ITe accordingly
did establish the Fiana Eirionn. which
means the national militia of ireland. TIE
FrNians IF that day were very much like
their namesakes Of to day; thew wcro al
ways bawling oui against other people. The
ancient ttana we're men of might and valrr;
they gained all their BATTLES, bur- the time
came at last when they squabbled among
themselves, and then they d.vided into tw o
septs. One of those septs attacked town,
aud at last sovereign whose name forget,
said lie could not tolerate the dsseusons of
the Fiana, and with national army he an.
initiated every man One man, | suppose
was left, who told to ali the woll, the glory
of the ancient Fiana.
! believe the name which is given to a
certain brotherhood take, its origin from
this legend, But ncrhaps it will be inter.
estirg that should relate what were the
habits Ct the ancient Ferians Their duties
were to defend the country, but during tho
winter they were biIcted upon the inf ahi.
tants. During the suTmpr they had to hunt
and fish for themselves, and what they could
get the7 boiled in big 20 S But whoo they
had got any food, before eating it they
stripped themselves to their shirts-thcv
only wore ceiatares which they hung to II
tree while they blthrd themselves, aul then
being quite clean, proceeded to dispose of
the fish they had caught aud cooked They
all slept in trees like the gorillas Of the
present dav.
The Fenians of that day were bound rot
to insult women, not to turn the bacl, nor
refuse to fight with nine men of any other
nation. The Fenian orthat day was obliged,
before he enlisted to show extreme skin in
running. An intending Fenian was com,
PEELED to- ruDi through a wood, and all the
corps ran after bin. At the end Of a certain
distance he was ITO rappiroauuee, bnf if h,}
wasooVertaken by anyiof the corps, ne was
not enlisted
That is an authentic account e the an
Hient FenianS If whom in the present dav
We have brotherhood-a least lied by
the same name, l hope tn will confne
themselves to such amuspmpnts rs I have
described, and will not enter into disputes
which, rs with their predecessors. will lead
to their destruction - English Piper.