The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-03-06
The Eenian Entarnrise.

The Fenian Enterprise.
THOSE who originated the Fenian movement
are likely to have great deal to answer for.
The Irish people on the other side Of tae
water who are suspected of being concerned
in the conspiracy have already come to grief,
and there is no reasonable probability that
their conederates on this side will be able to
render them timely, much less effectual,
relief. There never wss moro truly
visionary scheme in all its aspects, or one
that was more bunglingly conducted. Whether
the Fenians in Ireland have acted with any
more discretion than their friends here, we
are not altogether able to say. But it they
have not, then the failure of their plot, even
before it was fully ripe for execution, must be
charged to their own folly.
Instead of the ordinary secrecy with which
such conspiracies are commonly matured, the
Fenians in the United States have apparently
taken special pains to advertise the British
Government, for more than a year past, Of
their designs, and have thereby precipitated
upon Ireland state of affairs that is likely
not only to cause many OF ber people large
amount of suffering, but to utterly Illustrate
the contemplated cooperation of Irishmen in
this quarter OF the world In their efforts to
achieve Irish independence. O'MAHoNY,
and ROBERTS, and SWEENEY, and all who
follow their lead, have been acting with an
ostentation that is positively insane, and
which we are surprised has not long ago dis
gusted the common sense and forfeited the
confidence OF all intelligent sym2athizers with
Fenianism in these States.
The leaders of the enterprise here have not
only publisbed in the newspapers the fact of
their organization, their purposes. and their
proceedings from day to day, but they have so
acted otherwise as almost to compromise the
integrity of this Government in it, neutra,
relations, and make it necessary for the De-
partment of State to disclam to the British
Ministry any completely in the schemes of
those who have been publicly organizing "a
hostile invasion of Ireland from these shores.
Such madness, however, is entirely in keeping
with the infatuation of those who are en-
gagged in the crazy project, and we speak of
it LOW with sincere sorrow ior thousands of
generous and heroic men and women in this
land who are being deluded with hopes and
aspirations which must inevitably end In worse
than disappointment.
The idea that Irish independence can ever
be accomplished by Irishmen alone, with Ire
land divided against herself, wouldIbe ridicu-
lous, were 1t not SO sad. All former attempts
have failed, though conceived under better
auspices, and prosecuted with much more wis
dom than this last effort, which is even now
practically defeated. Previous movements Of
this kind have cost untold sums OF treasure,
coined, literally, from the sweat of thousands
of honest poor people; and there has been no
return but in the suffering and blood Of the
victims of noble but misguided patriotism.
How long, it may be asked, is such waste of
means and life to go on? 1t was publicly
stated, only few days since, that million
OF men were ready to embark from American
ports to Join in the Fenian struggle for Irish
freedom; and it was more than intimaLed that
they would go upon their desperate mission
unoer cover of this Government, to the extent
of their recognition by it as belligerents. But
while we believe that such hope is delusive,
let us ask all sensible hishmen in this country
whether it is possible that the Fenian cause
can ultimately prosper with the passive sym
pathy only of the American people2 Ger
tainly not. And yet that is all that they can
reasonably ask or expect.
The enterprise, moreover, must cost more
than million of dollars. If carried forward
to the bitter end, several millions of dollars
will be required. Would it not, then, be
wiser to spend that money in bringing all the
population now in Ireland, who are dscon-
tented with their condition there, to the
United States, and settling them on the vas
tracts OF fertile and yet unoccupied territor,
which need industry to develope their ricl
resources, and where every laborer can enjoy
civil liberty in the midst OF peace and plenty
Surely there is much more sound policy Il
such a course than in the worse than romanti
dreams Of Fenianism. We know how hard
is for people to give up their native land
and disrupt forever the ties and memorie