Washington telegraph., 1865-11-01

ORIGIx or THE TERM "FENIAy. '-AETI-
QUIrY OF THE EOKGANIZATIoN.-Tne following
account Of thr ancient FrniHrs 81 Ireland II
from Morlcy's "Writers before Chaucrr:"
Irish tradition says that the FeniaHs were
an ancient militia, or standing army employed
only on home service for protecting the coast
from invasion. Each Of the four provinces
says the tradition, had its band; that Of Lein-
strr, 10 which FiOnn and hs family belonged
being called the Clanna Baoisgne- This mill
tia is said TO have been paid by the King, billet
I'd on the people in the winter, but to have iiv-
ed n summer by the chase And these are i'm
aginrd to have been the qualifications Of Fe
man: Every soldier was required 10 swear that
without regard II her fortune, le would choose
4 wife for her virtue. her courtesy and her good
! manners; that ~ would never offer violence to
a womani that faI he could he would r.
\ lieve the poor ami that h. would not refuse
\ tight nine men NJ amy other nation =" person
could br received into the service unless Ills
father and mother and OIL li= relatives gave ,r
| curity that none u them should revenge his
death upon thr person who might s.av him. but
/ that they would leave the matter to his fellow
/ soldiers. The youth himself must bc well ac-
\ quanted with The twelve books of poetry. anil
| be able TO compose verses. Ne ujl~t b- q per-
\ feet master ut defense; tn rlrrc thi~ hr Was
placed in a field Of >riSa reaching Up % his
\ knees. having IN bi4 hands q target anu hazel
\ stick as long 4 mans arm. Nine fNp.r.eic-
7 rI soldiers. feH distance ul riur ridge. w
h land wrrr in hurl thrir spears at him nt unae
\ If he was uHhurt d. admitted Iu. u: wvuId-
~ hc was srnt off Mith Trrraarh. H- must
also run well aud o i.ii,l uiui~rl. when III lights
" I'd try his activity hr wn, made iu rJlI through
/ a wood, having 4 start Of a trees breadth, TIE
wholr oi the Frr,iar~ pursuing lirn; III hn was
/ overtakrn or wounded in the woods Lr VAS r--
7 fused, a. too sluggish ana uu~Lii.ui wv fight
with honor among such valiant troops. Aiza
H. fgSf ST Itf WV. hu.
n lii weapon steadily. Also, when ir rnn thIOu-'.
| a wood in chase his hair should not Cou;e IL
tied. IL il dil ill., was rrivrtl. lIr must ln @0
swift and light Ui foot no; Is break rotten
stick by standing upon I'M able also tu lsIp over
a tree as high an hi- forehead anal -u .tnrp un-
Der tree that lower rh1I. h.. knees NitL-
out stopping or L. ming nis -rr--. ha mH-l
\ H. able 70 draw "a thv.u out VI Ei~ loot. Fl4
silly he must take an ulti :. .ilaltr-
The Rev. Geofil-y k-stinE. nAY wgBi' U
v History w Erin jul rhr yrnr IGal- -av-ly sal-.
so long a. these terms Of admission ~efe tA-
Nactly insisted upuu tl- military M J iHai Nr.-
| all inyincihc defense to th,ir country rnl "a t,l
7 rur to rebels AZ home aud ,urrr'-- abroad -
| Col NJ Norma lad -.ain fiunn'- !atErr- IuM-
haiu. ia battle. and was E.Jna's mortal enemy
\ in carly lifr. Afterwards he made peace w.th
| him. and fought undo him as a clIicttaiu U. .lI-
Conn.ueht Frniaus. but the suPrm1rv q.
the Cianna Baois.na III 70 ieuas. and at ia-t
| Fionn and his caIi, dcfyirg thr throne il. lf
were attacked hy All ths forces vi Erin except
| those of the King o! Munster. WHO tlUk pllt
with him. and suffered cn.nagr in that battle of
| Cabbra, wherein Oisi;i's son Oscar ana Tie
| Ding Cairbru fell hy each others hands Fipmn
| who was absent. arrived only iu time % yla-t
| his grandson eyes. ami after this d-t#lt p a,r
had no sweets for him and war no tliumphs
Fionn DIED at last II II said, by th- lance VI an
assassin
..lt is noticeable. however. that wv Fraians
! were not confined t0 Erin. In tkr ancient poem
! on the battle Of Gabbrt read az 'Ih,. bands
Of the Fionns OF Alban,' (Alban being tllr olJ
name of Scotland north Of the Firth uf Form
ana Clyde.) and the '>uprrm- King vi Brraiau
| (Bsratan being Southern Scotland, OF which
| Dunbreatai, NOW Dunbartvr, wis th- ellie.
| seat, belonging to tine order uf the Femme md
| Alban and also that the Fians Of Loch.au were
powerful Now, Luchlan was Hn aIrirmt name
| of Germany north of the Rhine: but when the
German and Norwegian pirates appeared in thc
| ninth century, they were called Lochl1uaris
| and the name Of Locan was transferred 10
Norway and Denmark IL has been argued
| from this that the Fenans were ne militia III
| Gaels, but that they were distinct Celtic RAGS
| connected with the only two races who are spp-
ken of as having come in oldest time from LvcA-
| lan-namely, the Tuatha de DEnanu and the
| Cruithne. These thought I'd have been
some Of the Crlis who preceded the Grrm.nic
people now occupying tie North German shore
and Scandinavia