The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-03-15
The Chickens Going Home To

ROOst.
We commented the other day upon
the ready and active encouragement
which the English ruling classes had
given TO the Shareholders rebellion
how they had nursed it, patted it on
the head, lent it money and sympathy,
and even winked at easy evasions of
their own laws that it might prosper.
By that course of action they declared
to the world, and TO their own people,
that rebellion was a good thing,
that independence" as Lord Russell
said, was better cause to approve than
"empire that to break a great nation
in pieces, as the eloquent Gladstone OBJ
served, was to win for oneself "the
honor of creating great new nation
that, as the North British Review ar
gued, oyergrown pow wers are dangerous,
and the process of disintegration is to
be hailed by the civilized world.
Fenianism in Ireland was a direct re-
suit of these teachings Fenianism
agrees with Lord John that indePen-
deECe ig to be preferred to empire; Fe-
nianism coeets the lofty praises by Glad
tone; Fenianism will delight TO confirm
the philosophy Of the distinguished
Scottish reviewer. But if we do not mis-
take the tone Of the recent debates in
Parliament. Fenianism has yet other inn
portsnt lessons to acquire from British
example. 1t may hold meetings in
this neutral natiOn-for meetings were
held in England to sssist the rebels; it
may open bazaars and fancy fairs TO
raise money for Irish prisoners; it may
fill our journals, and reviews and Con-
gressional debates with denunciatiOns
of England, with false reports of news,
and with still falser utteranoes of sen
timent, and who can complain! Did
not England ring with bitter taunts and
revilings of the Yankees, with salyos
of applause for the gallant and chiyal-
rous SOuthrons2 What thing did we
do that met the applause Of her ruling
classesi What thing did we do that
did not provoke her unmeasured ridi-
cule and scorn2 Her writers and speak
ers, disdaining the limits of decent crit
icism, yitupersted alike our character
and our conduct, and left their readers
to doubt whether this was civilized
people, or a horde Of cruel and trucu-
lent savages. We DO not observe that
our editors and orators retOrt th IS kind
Of neutrality, but if they should who
could complaint
Aor need the Fenians conhne their
battle to the roar OF orators and the
clash of pens. II they should, b. some
chance, get possession Of q noble stea-
mer ike the AragO, in order to sell Il
TO the Emperor Of China, or II they
could persuade Mr.. VIM. II Webb TO
dispose Of the Dunderberg iron clad TO
a French friend" or purchase four
rams. for the regular mercantile trade,
such as the Lsirds used to patronize,
who could complaint Our officials
would watch them, OF oourse-the law
requires it-bat if they should watch,
ike the collector st Liverpool, with
both eyes shut que r0ltle- U0u5l We
can { make every official do his duty at
ali times, and so we should tell Lord
John our neutrality laws are defec-
tive, but We con mean to mend them
that is, we shall not until We find, like
England, that cur own precedents bear
harder upon ourselves than upon
others.
In December of 1865, repeating what
We had repeatedly expressed before, on
the Alabama question, we wrote: We
need not be inpatient we can afford
10 wait The Evening Post wrote long
ago that England would some day very
gladly pay ell our AlabaIaa claims, and
would be very much embarrassed il We
should decline TO receive the money.
The late debate in Parliament confirms
the timely mOniHon.-A l. EgaiEg
Posi-