The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-09-29
AFsnian Address.

Of the FeniAn Brotherhood TO the 1risn-
men of Cleveland"
FxLLov.CoUETRxMKK; The Toesin OF
War shall ere long make your native hills
and valleys echo, and the CLEAN OF free'
dom's battle shall eclipse with its glorious
light the mournful glare Of the smoking
ruins Of the Tenants Csbin-the 1risn
Tenant THE victim Of the heartless land
lord ana his croWbar brigsde] now wan
derer over the face of the earth.
From this we infer that there is pros
pect of q lively scrimmAge in Ireland ere
long. We trust that proper precautions
may be taken to prevent Lord PAlmsrston
from receiving the copy Of the Cleveland
Herald which contains this enthused an
nouncement lest il should give his system,
enfeebled ss it is by age, shock from
which he could not recover.
Seriously, we hope that such fire breath
ing and Observation-Disclosures thr eatening
declarations as the above are rather the re-
sult of Irish enthusiasm and hyperbole than
indicative of any serious attempt on the
mart of naturAlizsd American citizens, 70
stir up revolt in Ireland. Such an attempt,
at the present time, would be little short
of folly and madness. Its failure would
be certainty. The very idea Of band
often or twelve thousand Fenians, in this
country, organizing war sgainst the mighty
power of Great Britain, would be ridiculous
were Is not insane and criminal. No re-
bsllion in Ireland can be successful unless
It is engaged in by the mass OF Irish cih-
zeus and this will not be the case with the
present one. The entire Protestant popu-
lstion of Ireland, and the weather. and
more influential portion of the Catholics,
are satisfied with English rule, and would
object to any other. The merchants OF
Belfast, Dublin, Cork and Limerick, and
every town in the island, whose
business would be ruined by internal COM
motions, will listen to the potent voice OF
interest. 1t is only the lowest class of the
Irish population, whose ills, though really
great, result more from the tenant system,
coupled with absenteeism on the part oi
landlords, than from English rule, that are
ripe for revolt. A portion of these may
indeed rise, and an unequal contest may be
maintained for few weeks or months
But the only possible result of such re-
volt, if attempted st present, will be in
creased misery to the unfortunate insur-
gents. Blood will be shed, few leaders
will psy the price of their folly on the
scsffold, military will be exchanged for
civil law, and the suffsrings of the Irish
peassntry will be trebled rather than
diminished.
We notice in the same column with the
Eaddress to Irishmen" from which We have
quoted, an address to Americans, remind
ing them of what Irishmen have done fol
this country, and calling on them, in re-
turn, to aid the movement for the inde.
pendence of Ireland. As far as thii
appeal is directed to individuals
we have no objection to it. II
Americans desire TO help the Fenian cause
they are at liberty to do SO. It will be
well, however, for them to consider wheth'
or they will not do more for the good o.
Ireland by discouraging present attempts
at armed hostilities than by assisting them
B1L s1e e1ae1 S1ss 0Si1
ment in its revolutionary schemes, it recl-
ons wildly. In event of war with Eng
landau event which, never probable, il
now almost impossible-such schemes would
be legitimate enough; but in time of peacC
our government cannot, with due regard
to consistency, assist or permit them. i
hss Zoo lately and too loudly-snd, w
may add, too justly-protested sgsinst th'
organization, on Canadian soil, of Oonfed
crate raids into the United States, to allow
similar enterprises to be set on foot within
its Jurisdiction against the English govern
ment.
No. The time for Irish independence
has not yet arrived An attempt to OBJ
tain it will result as all previous attempts
have done, in 8 failure hardly worthy
the name of 8 revolution. IrelanC
will never be independent until her people
are fit for sslfgoVernment. Ignorant
bigoted, poverty-strieken, without th'
necessary intelligence or experience fol
organizing q government the Irish people
even if left to themselves, would make |
wrstched failure should they attempt to es
tablish nationality. Their history wouli
be that of that of the Central American
Republics-faction after faction struggling
for power, constant series of conspirscies
ssssssinations and revolutions, result
ing in anarchy and social chaos
The true way to advance the cause o
Irish Independence is TO smeliorase th'
condition and promote the intelligence o
the Irish people At present, at least, thi
can better be done under the British gov
ernment than outside it. It will be bette
for Ireland to seek reform in its relation
with England than to attempt to sevel
them entirely. AS far as this is the objsc
of the FeniRn movement it has our heart,
sympathy; but if it eontemplAtes, as j
evidently does, present revolt in Ireland
we must condemn it as imprActicsble snC
therefore criminal
n .e