The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1866-04-05
Communicated.
Misplaced Confidence.
EDITOR COURIER:


order to expose the treachery of one, who
in the past had gained our confidence Il
such an extent as to be trusted with The
most honorable gift in ourpossession-- tina,
of Centre of this Circle. He, in common
with us, took the following pledge:
II, Thomas Neville, solemnly pledge my
sacred word of honor, as a truthful and
honest man, that will labor with earnest
zeal for the liberation of Ireland from the
yoke of England, and for the establish
inent Of Free and Independent Govern
ment on Irish soil; that will implicitly
obey the commands of my superior Off
GERS inthe Fenian BrotherhoOdin nh .hings
appertaining to a member thereofs that I
will faithfully discharge my duties of aiem-
bership, as laid down i'm the Constitution
and bylaws thereof; that will do nv
utmost to promote love, harmony and
kindly forbearance among all Irishmen ;
and will foster, defend and propagate the
aforesaid Fenian brotherhood TO the ut
most of my power
Since his withdrawal from our midst the
slave of monarchy and clerical skepticism
has labored with earnest zeal to produce
disaf1ection in our ranks, and consequently
we feel in duty bound to protect oursel YES.
through public medium, from the asper-
sions of this periidious apostate. We do
not wish personally to attack his charac-
ter, but for the welfare of The holv cause
which we fondly cherish and every lover
of Republican form of government ought
to respect, we are determined to brand with
infamy, as far as lies i'm our power, all
pledge-breakers and lovers Of monarchy.
| Now, we wish to call your attention to
the 18th Article Of our Constitution, which
is as follows:
| "Perfidy on the part Of member shall
be punished by expulsion. Maligning the
objects of the organization, eliminating
its officers or members; conveying infor-
nation to the enemy, or iniuring seriously
the organization Ivy disgraceful conduct or
conversation, shall constitute perfidy."
| BY word and deed he has forfeited his
claims as member and fully deserves ex-
pulsion for his base and perfidious con-
duct. He has been guilty of all the essen
tial qualities of perfidy as defined by the
18th Aarlcle. He has maligned the OBJ
jects Of the organization by asserting that
it is sinful, according to the rules of the
Catholic Church; whereas, the Constitu-
ton strictly defines it as purely political
Society, independent of creed or profess
sion. If the mere facts of the members
pledging themselves to secresy can render
an association sinful, according to the rules
OF the Catholic Church, there being no
pledge of secresy, there can be no sin in
becoming Fenian. And again, if the
mere fact of its members being required
to take an oath can renderit sinful-there
being no oath required. therefore, we draw
! the conclusion, there can be no sin in be-
coming Fenian. The second definition of
pertidy, as noted above, is eliminating
its officers or members: Slanderers. like
murderers, always strike in the dark so
it is in this instance. He has sought plac-
es to calumniate us where REPUTATION was
impossible. The third definition Of peril
dy is, carrying information to the enemy:
The British Government does not embrace
all the enemies of the Fcnian Brotherhood,
and we particularly charge those who use
their clerical positions to malign the OBJ
jects of the organization as being enemies.
Now, in order to defend ourselves, do we
emphatically charge the said Thomas
Neville with taking papers from our hall
| for the edification of our enemies. Also,
with receiving communications, knowing
them to belong to the Circle and strictly
confidential, opening and paruding them
before our public enemies.
All this comes with bad grace from n
man who left us refusing to pay his just
debts, which he had contracted on his sa-
cred word of honor: leaving us because
we did not vote $75 or 800 to carry him on
"wild goose chase' to Cincinnati. If his
Conscientious opinions forbid him being a
Fenian, why did he not pay his just debt,
resign and leave 1t TO its destiny, instead of
maligning its object and vilifying it's MEM
bers. He, at the time of his membership,
used whatever little influence he possessed
to induce men to join our ranks, and sub
sequently turns around and abuses the
very men he enticed into the organization,
| because they proved faithful while he
proved recreant to the cause, and traitor
to his country. He, as wire pulling pol
| itician, asserted that he "earried the brains
of the Irish in this community!" Now, II
is the decided opinion of the undersigned
that there is not an Irishman in this city
| so destitute of common sense as to intrn
the smallest portion Of that essential to his
guardianship. And we further desire to
say here that he is not an exponent Of our
| III NJ
in any other country, believing Of him as
a political trickster, that he is not deserv-
ing the co tidence ofany man who has the
good of his country at heart. Like his
compatriot i'm infamy-Nagle,-he won the
| confidence of his countrymen but to he
tray them, and it is our candid opinion if
| the opportunity offered he would prove
equally as recreant as the celebrated Irish
Informer. ........... - ..... ...
The object Of this defence Is to counter
act whatever little influence he may COM
mand, and to give the public the unvmrnisil-
dtruth concerningh his alienation from the
Fenian brotherhood. Our duty is now
| performed, and any reply he Inny offer to
make will he treated with merited con-
| tempt. .r. '+N. ~1. "
Thanking you for the use of your valu-
able space for the exposition of recreaney
| uH "v.t We remain, '.E-a. IS ". .
...a nt"u# " ~.a Hs- 70 RS, &c.. ." H.
-.3 WIN. D. BRADY, See. +. u.
Tut,Tck Bror7y, Ihomas Gokgan,
| James BTody, VIM. S1nng, ..
John o. Mara Tim Roirtiop, ...
John Shec, IHiHp NcGuire
James Q"iniirHn, y. Kelley,
i L.. Il LIZ kxI.Ia. LIZ.