The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1865-10-28

The Femiams.
Some of the papers discover in 8 purp osed
invasion of Canada the object of the Eenian
movement, or rather the point fappui from
which the Brothsrliood expea ID nov6 upon
the English Government and release the EN-
erah Isle from Saxon oppression. Were'the
movement to be directed solely toward Ire
land and that c0aatry be made the immediate
theatre upon which armed resistance to Brit
ish supremacy is to be inaugurated, it is ar
gued that the strength Of the Fsuian Society
should be in Ireland, and the Society itself
should already be disrupted and disintegrated
by the discovery Of the plot and the arrest of
leading Fenians in the '' 0uld Country" On
the contrary the body and numeric strength
of the order is in the United States, and not
withstanding recent events across the ocean
and the boasted prompt suppression of incipi-
ent rebellion and the entire crushing oft f
Fenianism by he British Administration, the
Society here still fourishes in wonted vigor
and Vitality. The 81. Louis Dispatch says,
noticing this fact:
"If Irelandis to be the theatre Of the strug-
gle, this is ,inexplcable, but if Canada is to
be the field, the fact has terrible meaning
1t is true the Irish have no intrinsic love for
Canada. Its soil has no claim on their affec-
tions, and no hold on their hearts, but may
they not aim to seize Canada, and then ex
change it for the !" ould cod ?'' The plan is
far from being impracticable. There are at
least, a hundred thousand Fenians in the
United States, the finest fighting stuff In The
world. Indeed, they are next thing to an &C.
tual army of = hundred thousand troops, with
some of the most skillful and experienced
officers in America to command them. This
whole force could cross the border into Can
ada, in month, and once lodged there, no
power of the British Government could ever
expel them. Canada would become the prize
of the Eenians almost without q struggle :
and once theirs, they could dictate a negotia-
ton with the Queens Government, BY which
Canada should be surrendered to the British,
and Ireland given up to the Irish.
Z" If such be indeed the object of the Fen.
ians, it will shortly be developed. The inya-
sion of Canada will be attempted as soon as
the freezing of the ST. Lawrence river shall
make it impossible to land British army in
that county, "a
A correspondent of the Dublin Freeman,
assuming to be posted and TO have been sworn
into the order, says that Canada is to be the
scene of Fenian operations. This writer
says:
1.-THE real object is to attack and conquer
Canada, and divide the immense territory of
Britain on the American continent among the
exiles Of Erin. Nor let the statements of
Mr.. McGee mislead the public. He asserts
that Irish Canadians are true and loyal to the
British crown. That may be the case with
Mr.. McGee and others who are well paid for
their loyalty; but know that the great ma
jority Of the Catholic Irish in Canada are
Fenians, and stand ready sworn to aid their
brethren in the States to oust British author
ity fromrthe Western continent
But as this repentant Fenian discovers a
very large mares nest" in that he has
found that the Fenian movement is sanctioned
by our Government and g aled by Mr.. SEW
ARD. he may be as little entitled to credit in
all his statements as in this one.
That the result the Dispatch reaches, that
Canada - once theirs, they could dictate ne
gotiation with the Queens Government, by
which Canada should be surrendered TO the
British and Ireland given up to the Irish, =
would necessarily follow, is not clear to us.
The unity of the British Government at home
will doubtless be deemed Of more conse-
quence by the English Administration than
the possession of the Canadas, and if wrested
from her, as per this programme, she may
concentrate upon the possession Of Ireland
the strength employed hitherto in the occtpa-
ton of that and her American provinces.
Leading English journals have already indi-
Gated that however the Queens Government
might defend the national honor it would not
try to hold Canada by force of arms. In that
event the Fenians may invade and hold the
Canadas, but so far as their ultimate and os.
tensible object-the liberation of their native
lands concerned, chi bono? Have they
not taken stock in an arctic lottery and drawn
very unmanageable elephant in an uncon.
genial latitude? The whole Fenian move
ment may prove " a thing of air" and devoid
of positive results, or it may be an agency to
develop new phase and chapter in the drams
of the present, having important influences
llspon the growth of European republicsnism
in the future. The Future can alone teal
aside the veil Of mystery, dispel mists, and
irradiate with the light of Truth the doubts
Of the present.