The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-02-20
HE FENIANs.
iEst Days PFOcsedtBRs Of the Fentan
C0nRress-Great Excitement Prevail
observation-disclosures Public Meetings Last
n Rht-speech Of General sweeney and

/ N ight-speech of General sweeney and
Senator GibbOps-signIGCant Promises
| OF the FeDtan secretary SC War, Etc.
PITsBURG, Pa, February 19.--Pittsburg pre-
:, nts an unusual lively appearance to-day. The
streets in the vicinity ot Masonic Hall are COM
pletely blocked with the multitude of people
who have hocked to witness the opening cere-
monies of the Fourth Congress of the FenIan
Organization. The green nag and sunburst Of
Ireland, commlngled with the stars and stripes
Of our Union, are traternally entwned and sus-
pended across the street in 'front.' OF the hall. In
side the arrangements are perfect Ireland IS
here represented as unit. Leipster, Munster,
Ulster, and Connaught representatives are
assigned positions. On the walls can be seen,
on cards shaped to represent the combination of
the heart and the shield (sIgndcant OF war and
sincerity, the names OF the four provinces and
thirty-two counties in Ireland
Delegates are still coming from the East, West
North, and South. Colonel Coveney, lale oil the
2sth Massachusetts,, and now Centre of the
ShaWmut District, Boston; Captain McGinnis, OF
West Cambridge; Colonel Finn and William
Delany. OF Connectcut; Colonel @. Murphy, of
Philadelphla; and Colonel Quirk, of Chicago,
have arrived, and are stopping at the st. Charles
Hotel.
Precisely at u o'clock Colonel Murphy, the
Speaker OF the HouSe OF Representatives, called
the assemblage to order, and said;---
"By virtue oil the authority vested in me at the
last meeting in Philadelphia, ana in accordance
to the Constitution OF the Fenian Brotherhood,
l hereby pronounce that the House of Repre-
bShtubiNSS vi IhS ECuldu OlObhSlhOou 10 OpChCu
ior business"
On this announcement cheer after cheer we're
given by the delegates, and the multitude out
side taking up the inspiring slogan, made the
streets of Pittsburg ring with that wild Irish
hurrah. The house being now legally co1voked,
on motion Committee on Credentials, COM
posed OF one from each State and district, was
appointed.
Colonel Coveney; New York State William Stan
ton; New Jersey, B. J. Ford; Philadelphia, John
A. keenan,; Pennsy lvanla, Colonel @. Murphy;
Delaware, George O'Neil; District Of Columbia,
James Lackey; OHIO, ]. 0Donald; Kentucky,
Robert Slterest; Chicago, G. P. Mckay; Illinois,
Michael Eagan; Mobile, William Moran; Iowa,
John Henry; Tennessee, Captain John O'Neill;
Shawmut Boston, James Donnelly; Maryland
p. Graham; Rhode Island, N. r. Harris; Indiana,
J. Redmond; Connecticut, Colonel Finn; Man
haitian, John W. Mcguire.
On motion, committee on assigning seats to
members was appointed.
Committee DIR. Donnelly, William Delany,
and CaDtain Magee.
In consequence of the non-arrival OF large
number OF delegates from the extreme West and
East, caused by railroad detentioDs, and to
facilitate the business of the Committee on Gre
dentials, the Congress adjourned until o'clock
tomorrow. U.
Public meetings are to be held tonight, at
which Colonel Roberts, General Sweeney, and
Centre of New Jersey, accompanied by full
delegation from that State, have Just arrived.
PITTsBURG, February 10, 8 P. M.-Grand mass
meeting. The Masonic Hall is filed to over
flowing. The procession has just arrived 1t is
an immense gathering, and headed by the W. r.
Roberts guar6, under command of Captain Can
non. John A. Aldel ESQ.,, is Chief Marshal. The
hall looks brilliant. Extreme notices and de-
vices have been added since morning, few of
which are:-"Deeds, not words !" Let action
be the motto of the hourl" Liberty or death !"
Never give upm "Ihe lesson we teach-prin-
ciples, not men % VIRTUE liberty, and inde-
pendence !"
Arms are stacked in different parts of the hall J.,
which, added to the green scenery and other
emblems Of Ireland, present the appearance of
The foreground of an Irish camp. a.
General Sweeney has arrived He is recog-
nized by the crowded audience. The widest
excitement prevails. The ladies are screaming
with delight; children are halt strangled in their
mothers arms; the crowd Inside, and the thou
sands outside who cannot obtain admission, are
surging to and fro. Pittsburg is blaze of ex-
citement; taken by storm; music playing; sol,
diers marching; banners flying; verify great
day for the Fenians.
BY strenuous exertionr on the part of the Dis
| trict Centre the excitement was subdued, and
Senator Gibbons, of Philadelphia. was intro
duced He wasireceived with vociferous cheers.
| He commenced With apologizing for the
absence of President Roberts, who, in conse
| quence of the over eXertions of the past month,
| was completely exhausted. He was sure his
| countrymen had not Gene there to night to be
| lectured in their dutylto Ireland There has been
| too much speech-making and too little work for
| the last seven years. he was glad that the
intelligence of the people had finally prevailed
| and that they have concluded that the emancipa
| ton of Ireland would come through the people
| and not the titled nabobs or the great 0s. He
| referred In glowing language to the position oi
| Fenianism in Ireland and England to-day, and
said that, for one prisoner whom British tyranny
! incarcerates hundred who never belonged tC
| the organization before, fall in and take theil
| places. He referred TO the nightmare which 1.
hanging over England; for even in London, al
the very foot OF the throne at her stsenals, hel
| docks, the guards are doubled, expecting the
| approach of the terrible Fenians.
! Mr.. Gibbons is ffowery, eloquent speaker,
and in his concluding remarks referred with 8
master hand to the position and objects o.
| Fenianism generally.
| 9P. M.-General Sweeney has Just been intro
duceo. The same scene OF excitement as on his
| entrance into the hall. The folks get tired, anG
finally the General gets chance to speak. He
| saYs:-
| / am opposed to making speeches. We have
| been talking for years. and what have we done
| 1t is time TO drop the orator and take up the
| soldier. We must fight, or our names will GO
| down to posterity as braggarts with arms in ouI
! hands. We will meet our hereditary enemy
aeain, and If we fall we fall with dignity in the
| honestest cause that ever the tongue or pen o.
| man worked for. have been preparing for the
last twenty years for this final struggle. | have
| sworn to break my countrY's chains or die in
| The attempt. We have now better prospect thar
| ever people had before. We have not been idle
| mean that President Roberts and the Senate
| have not been idle. We have made large pur
chases of arms and war material. IT you art
| prepared to stand by us we promise that before
the summer sun kisses the hlll-tops of Ireland, &
| ray of hope will gladden. every true Irish heart
for by that time we shall have conquered ant
got hostages for our brave patriots at home
The green flag will be flying independently tC
the freemen's breeze; and we will have base o
operations from which we cannot only emancl
pate Ireland, but also annihilate England.
you support us, pledge my name, fame, pro
| narfN a nd LIE q fhia hnlV