Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-05-20
THE HISTORY OF THE FENIANS--
STEPHENS STATEMENT.

The formal reception of JAMES STEPHENS,
the Head Centre of the Fenian Brotherhood,
took place at Jones Wood, New York, on
Tuesday last. On that occasion he made
speech, in which he disclosed the historical
facts of the movement Of which he Is the
present chief. 1t originated in this country,
with Col. O'MAHoNY and Col. DoHENY as
principal organizers, in the year 1897. In
December of that year they sent an embas-
sador to Ireland, who then conferred with
STEPHENS. and he became the chief in the
home branch of the enterprise. For means,
he relied upon the friends in this country.
These were not promptly furnished, and he
made two several visits TO America in the
premises, and finally became the chief d.
rector Of the enterprise at home and abroad,
giving several months to organizing in tins
country, and in arranging details for future
operations. Going back to Ireland in 1868
TO consummate the enterprise, he proceeded
vigorously and enrolled large army. But
his men were unsupplied with arms and
munitions. They looked to this country for
| these. Instead of furnishing them, discordS
sprang up and factions grew in the ranks OF
the Brotherhood on this side. In the mean
time the British Government took the alarm
and began to make arrests. This compli'
Gated affairs, and retarded their progress
But the Head Centre said he did not come t.
blame, but to unite and harmonic the intes
tine troubles of the Brotherhood.
Such is the outline of the Fenian history
without details numerous and interesting
for which we have not space. The genera
reader will be more interested in the con
dition of affairs in Ireland at the presen
time. and this we give in the words OF Mr.
STEPHENS, as reported, as follows;
IN ireland to-day is stronger than it ever ha
been, in numbers, discipline, and in all tn,
requirements of an army, save only in wal
material. The organization in Ireland to-
ward the close of last year numbered two
hundred thousandmen and of that force fifty
thousand were thoroughly drilled, with a
| ldtSc pIbpOIlloll Vi Ilci VIM hau oCSI wal
and smelt powder on the battlefield large
proportion of veterans, in short; fifty thou
sand were partly drilled men, and the Otlrel
hundred thousand quite undrilled. But i
there be man among you who thinks that
fifty thousand Irishmen thoroughly drilled
with fifty thousand others partly drilled
would not make a force sufficient to meet
anything that England could bring against
us, then indeed he is wofully ignorant of the
resources of England What army could be
broughtagainst Ireland by England? What
is the military force of England at present
There are some twenty thousand English
troops in Ireland at present, and it would
take England from thirty to forty days to
concentrate force of thirty to forty thousand
men in Ireland. 1t would take her three
months at least to concentrate force OF
seventy thousand, and it is not likely she
would ever be able to concentrate a larger
force. OF our force we could concentrate in
Ireland, at four or five given points, one
| hundred thousand men in twenty-four hours.
All we wanted in Ireland from the middle
| of September to the end of December was
arms TO put into the hands of our men. The
men were there. and only wanted the arms.
| But, in the very hour of our strength, there
came to Ireland the melancholy news of your
disruption here. Still we held on. We did
not think il possible that any body Of men
] on this continent could be found that would
withhold from Ireland in that supreme hour
of her need the succor they had promised to
| give"