Litchfield enquirer., 1866-11-01
Andrew Johnson and the Fenians.

Andrew
 rtbe British Government places any faith in MT staphenss promise that he will raise the flag of Ire
 isnd on Irish soil this year, Col. Lynch and the Rev. John McMahon will surely be hanged. Those vho do not believe the sentence of death VII! pc executed should have better grounds than Brltlsn III mercy for there is nothing more certain than tla1 . the serious danger of Irish rebellion will be met oy the severest punishment on the part of the hohe e Goyernment It will make terrible exampies M oi those unfortunate men found guilty or snare - the of gaaadaaln nang tssn sn, 1hs S ;nde- pendence of their country. And even MI H'eRn F.
 End should not keep his promise, any earnese l Tn nian movement either in Ireland or AnsilJa WI VII doubtless be answered by e1ecu'ioA VI AA'N P''
 Many fris6men doubted the success of the F Fe, nian inyasionpf Canada, foreseeng that even naa # vas s the end to come in conflict with the neutraiity laws of the United States. But the ma iority of the Feniang, fresh from the umon ranks, anticipated no interference, and 1t IS simply the ruth to ssyss ssea waa has sad history; treaehery has kept pace with its hopes, 1 and updone it's triumphs; and that treachery a mas not been only in it's own ranks. fLyncn ana Me- Nahon are Hanged we fear they Will pc De-An- en- dret Johnson, Of all men, will be responsible for ThsTenisn movement began before the war end- cd, but it did not assume importance until al1er Ter Apdyev Johnson became President He never, by sct er word, discouraged it, put permitted 1t to srow and npen, till what was originally no more than secret society revealed itself an army Then whe1f fine British Government anxiously awaited fhe bieW and Canada trenbled in fear, Andrew Johnaon.receiyed Fenian delegations at the White House, and in carefully guarded language, under stood to mean far more than it expressed, talked nstionS and his particular interest in unhappy Ire land: Behind the Fenians was the Irish vote, and behind the Irishvote the Presidential succession It would not for him to say honestly that the in
 oHH oIo cko1ro &Iokt ty laws which England had evaded during the was were stifl binding on the Uuited States The temp tation tofattef false hopes, and batter with the tenthusiasm of brave men was to strong to be resisted, and Andrew Johnson yielded. No doub be thought this talk of fighting for the free dom of Ireland was merely the boast and bluster of hotiheaded Inshmen, and would end in words on ly. He did not know that these men, right or Wreng in their interpretation of international laws. wereFdesperately in earnest, and that what to- him wasthes mere instrument political ambition, was to them the hoiest of causes. The Fenian delega- tons which waited upon him left his presence in- spired with new ardpr His words were quoted in secret meetings, and used as arguments to recruit theFenian army and replenish it's treasury. John Mitchell deliberately defed his power and in June, 1865, Yas,arrested and imprisoned in Fortress Mon roe, But he did not remain long in the custody of the United States. His arrest was the subject of diseussiohsin every Fenian circle, and delegates wefeMppDinted to ask his release of the President At4heearnest request of the Fenian leaders, made
 
 sential to their cause, Andrew Johnson set Mtchei free, Great was the exultation that followed this sSt, and there was not an Irishman who had not thesfight to believe that Mir Johnson approved their planss Thus he deliberately and consistently e11co1raEed the whole movement, and under his slppQsed protection the Irish threat at last became an Irish blow, and suddenly the country was start led by the report that an Irish army had crossed the frontier and that all Canada was in arms to re- ,s Ehs Irish army invaded Canada flushed with the faith that Andrew Johnson would not interfere. They believed that he would answer British do- mands for the enforcement of the neutrality laws with the British interpretation, and the precedent ofBfitsh ports opened to rebel cruisers, and rebe ghns supplied by British arsenals: They expected hewonld. .apswer the Alabama and the Florida with Montreal and Quebec. They asked no other help not man or gun-they simply trusted that this man, who from first to last had never said one word against their dear cause, but had uttered many that seemed to favor it, would do nothing against thens [. Thus their leaders have declared, and it WIS this belief that gave the Fenian movement it's strength Had they known what Andrew Johnson would do when their hour of trial came, enter prise foolhardy as the invasion of Canada would h1ver have been attempteda7 Enthusiastic as the 15ish were, they would never have measured their imperfect strength against the combined power ot Great Britain and the United States. Andrew Jph1son could have prevented the whole movement by Dne honest word. Had he even hinted his in tehtions thearnly would never have been organized to fight on American soi the lll-fated expedition lives of brave men would not have been vainly lost and Lynch and McMahon would would not be fel- onS in 8 British cell. But he let the Irishmen in America go on with their plans, till the moment when they thought victory was in their grasp-what then did. he do? 4ai.zr e-.rf.5. l.~ =
 He crushed them with tho proclamation of June &h., Five days after they had secured foothold
 n Canada, and were hurrying up troops, while even the colored men in Philadelphia had caught the fire and offered to send men to the front, Andrew John. son.ordered Gen Meade to call out the land and na- val forces of the United States to crush this unlaw fnl enterprise. American soldiers who had fought sde by side with Irish soldiers in the war for the Onion, unwiing1y confronted them as foes. The 2eaf wfth which the invaders were pursued by the UNited States exceeded that shown by the Cana dianss Canada rejoiced at this unexpected re-en- forrement and left the defense of her frontier to her oficious ally. By Andrew Johnson's orders arms and ammunition were seized, Fenian battalions captured or driven back, and Gen. Sweeney and President Roberts were arrested. This sudden, unexpected blow fell with crushing force. The Fe- nisn movement was paralyzed; it's army crumbled bands recrossed the frontier, and many an Irish heart beat with grief and indignation so much for the defeat that might have been the fate oi war, as for the betrayal which the act of the man from whom they had nothing but encourage.
 Now that the matter is ended calm considera- .ton of it's history proves beyond doubt that An drew Sotnson might have prevented all the waste warm hopes, the shame and pain of defeat by hon. estly declaring his purpose, He had only to have said, eff this invasion is attempted, will crush it, to have compelled it's abandonment. But he chose eto play with these earnest mento permit it to be attempted, and to crush it afterward. Some oi them paid with their lives for the mistake of trust ing him, and Lynch and McMahon are now by bis act placed in the shadow of the gallows. If they are hanged, Andrew Johnson is to blame. The least he do to repair the evil is to insist upon : their pardon. He has Q right to demand theil lives of the British Government, for it owes him no ordinary debt. Had he interfered before the inva- son, the Fenian force would not nave been wasted but might have been employed in Ireland, and had B he not interfered after the invasion begun, the : Irish flag might have waved in triumph over more than one Canadian city. His services to England 1 were great, and mercy for, Lynoh and McMahon would be little for her to grant, and less for him to ask.--N r Tribune.
 lW~ We quote the following from the for eign correspondence of the Tribune. There and many contradictory rumors relative to the Emperor's health and we give the re- : port, although we have little faith in it's ac- curacy sa9 iisroee}J bn4. 5...-..s4 is syit is no secret that the health of the French Emperor has for some time been declining and that serious alarms are felt as to his recovery The letter of our well-informed Berlin correspondent .gives us information on this subject of startling SGhpof<anee. On the 9th of October the celebrated suroaoy If