The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-03-12
Cou1age, friends | there is land ahead!
The British American People and
FenianisYn.
From TIE Times.

From tie Times.
Our Northern neighbors are apparently enjoy
ing the unusual luxury of a sensation in their
dull winter months. 1t is nearly thirty years
since they had anything like it. They evidently
imagine that the Fenians, in a body, are after
them with sharp sticks; and twenty or thirty of
their stalwart yeomanry have been put under
arms to meet any possible emergency. There
can be no harm in these military prepar IONS
across the line; there may be much wisdom sud
forecast in them. The local Provincial forts Cf
Canada has not, thus far been severely taXe0 Tor
the protection the Provincial hearths. 1t was
supposed TO be reorganized in 1851, under Lord
Greys administration OF the Colonial Office,
when nearly the whole of the Imperial Ordnance
property was handed over to the colonsts on
the condition that they should tax themselves to
make military provision Tor such crisis as
seems now to have arisen.
The British Government, up to the present
date, have not had the best OF this bargain.
During our long civil war, there was no increase
in what is called the local volunteer force of
Canada. Even when what is now historically
called the "Irent Difficulty" occurred, there
were fewer volunteers in the Province than there
were IN 1866, during time of profound peace.
Or the other hand the British taxpayers had to
submit to an additional burden of some fifteen or
twenty millions OF dollars TO increase the ''regu-
lar army in the Provinces. small organization
OF ''preyentiveS" were put on the frontier for
month or two, just rs we were winding up the
war; and to provide these with rations may DOS
slbly have cost the Canadian Government few
hundred thousand dollars.
II this Fenian blUster, then, should have the
effect oil teaching the Provincials that they ought
TO depend more upon themselves and less upon
England, IL will not be, so lar as they are con-
cerned, an nAmitigated evil. 1t is simply con-
s1dered a vile nuisance among us here-hrst, be-
cause no sane American believes in the sincerity
of those who conduct the movement: and second,
because an idle, speculative flibuStering com
munity is curse to any country. We are
working practical people; and whatever dis
tuIbs our industry, or has tendency thereto, in
vTtes the hearriest condemnation of every thrifty
citizen OF che United States. The political specu.
lators and dreamers that hurried the South
into lnsurrection would have fully deserved
all the punishment that has fallen upon them,
If their insane schemes had effected nothing
else tnan to paraJyze Tor the time the industrial
and commercial interests of the country. Our
people do not wish to see this country made the
theatre Tor experiments in political propa-
gandlIm in behalf OF any other community,
however much oppressed. We do our full share
| in finding homes, protection, shelter, and, If
necessary, mud ooJTectaon, for the hundreds of
! thousands of poor foreigners that are attracted
| hither, without our being called on either to
bargain for their good behavior towards powers
| with which we are at peace, or to have the busi
| ness OF the country disturbed by their machina-
! tions and tollies.
The Government have not, thus far, actively
| interieTed with these Fenian people, because
| their proceedings hitherto have been so essen
! tally OF the character OF burlesque. And even
this border "scaren is as likely as not to subside
before the close OF St. Patricks Day. But if the
necessity should arise for the United States
| municipal law of the country, that duty will be
Loyalty performed, even If our lately 'neutraln
friends are the first to pront thereby. Mean
while, II there is any patriotic spirit or pluck
left 20 the Proylnclals, they Onght to make short
work OF any Fenian denomination, whether
organized among themselves or elsewhere.