The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-06-07
International Aspect of the Fenian War,
Ero9 he

AhN'hdtiOuat ASPECT Oh the FenIan w ar,
From the Herald.
No matter how diverse may be the vie ws of
individuals as to the success or failure of the
Fenian war, there is in this county unani-
nous sentiment of congratulatlon that Canada
has at last been made to feel some of the injuries
which the British inflicted upon us during the
recent Rebellion. This sentiment may not be
very charitable, but it is decidedly natural.
England commenced her inimical proceedings at
the very outset of our Rebellion by recognizing
the belligerent rights of the seeded States
Canada heartily approved of this recognition
Then English subjects, and Canadians among
them, took care that the Rebels were supplied
with arms, ammunition, clothing, machinery,
and all the necessaries of war, and one of the
islands In possession of the British became
regular Rebel depot. Next Rebel privateers
were furnished by England, armed with
British cannon and manned with seamen
trained in the royal navy, and these
plratical vessels drove our commerce from
the seas, enjoyed peculiar privileges in the
British harbors, British dockyards and British
colonies, and were in every respect better
treated by the official representatives of England
than were the ships OF the United States navy.
British yacnt was on hand TO rescue Captain
semmes when he was fairly our prisoner, and
British judges repea edly connived in the most
hagrant manner at the escape OF Rebel crews.
When we captured Mason and Slidell England
was ready to go to war with us if they were not
released. Thus by thousand outrageous acts
OF hostility England has created an enmlty
against her on the part or the American people
which exceeds in bitterness the feeling gene.
rated by the wars OF the Revolution and of
1872 and which viii not soon be forgotten by a
nation so quick to resent an injury. This
enmlty towards Great Britain in part accounts
for the general satisfaction with which the
news OF the Fenian invasion OF Canada was re-
ceved.
But, besides this the Canadians have them.
selves run up a score OF ill-wlll which the
Fenians are now assisting us to settle. neigh
boring people, bound TO us by innumerable
social and business ties, and enjoying nearly all
the dement's OF Reciprocity treaty that has
since been abrogated "a "A punishment for tnelr
otenses, we had a right to expect their sympathy
during our terrible troubles. Instead of this
tue Canadians not only cordially endorsed the
hostile proceedings of The home Government,
and echoed the Parliamentary rejoicngs over
the supposed ruin of the American Union but
they were insane enough 10 under ,ake to attack
us upon their own account. During the whole
war canada was simply a Rebel rendezvous.
The Rebel leaders used it as a northern base of
| operations against us. In Canada Rebel ennis
sares labored Rebel expeditions were organized
and the Rebel communications with Europe
| were maintained unbroken. From Canada
| came the incendiarles with black valses TO
! burn our cities, the gangs of Rebel pirates to
seize the Chesapeake and other steamers, and
! the secret conspiratOrs and assassins to murder
our President. Canadians sent us infected
! clothing to deyastate the country with smallpox
and yellow lever, and laid projects for poisoning
our citizens by wholesale by infusing deadly
| minerals into our reservoirs. Out of Canada
| came the bands OF highwaymen who robbed the
| banks and plundered the Inhabitants of our
frontier towns. Canadian Judges refused to
condemn these men, and the Canadian police
were known to be in league with them. These
facts, and others OF the same character, are mat
! ters OF history. The American people remember
| them WELL and we should be either more or less
| than human If we did not look upon the Fenan
! invasion of Canada as a Nemesis, and smile to
! see the Canadians suffering from some of the
same injuries which they were so anxious to
| inflict upon us.
Aside from this natural popular complacency,
| however, there is nothing in common between
| the neutrality observed by the British in our
war and by us in this Fenian war. British
neutrality was sham; American neutrality is
| real. BRUSH neutrality was merely diabolical
| device to aid the Rebellion without openly fight.
| ing us; our neutrality is so incorporating
that It assists our enemies, the British and hurts
our friends, the Fenians. We have not recOg-
| n1zed the Fenians as a belligerent power, nor
| allowed Fenian Aldbdmds and SheadndOdhs to
leave our ports, nor supplied the Fenians with
arms, AMMUNITION, artillery, uniforms, aud pro-
| visions Had we done so, or had we done