Weekly Calaveras chronicle., 1866-06-16
johnson and the Fenians.


ceived private telegram. from reliable au-
thority, that General Sweeny had crossed
the border, and was carrying everything be-
fore him, whereupon Fenian stock was buoy
ant, and everybody had good time gener-
ally. But alasI for Fenian hopes, which,
like all other human hopes, are subject to
disappointment; the telegraph has informed
us of the sudden collapse of the great inva-
sion, which has burst like bubble, stabbed
to death from a prick of the pen of President
Johnson. Just when everything was lovely,
and the hearts of the gathering armed legions
of the sons of Erin were swelling high with
pleasure, in anticipation of the privilege of
following the ''green flag" into British terri
tory. and placing the "green above the red'
over British soil, our President had the bad
taste to spoil the fun by proclaiming the
Fenians to be conspirators, and ordering
General Meade to employ the land and naval
forces of the Government to arrest them, and
put stop to their unlawful and violent pro-
ceedings. Whereupon, Sweeny, Murphy.
Roberts and others were nabbed by the mil
itary and thrown into prison. and the Fenian
hosts, deprived of their leaders. are disband-
ing. No wonder that in the Eastern cities
the Fenians are holding indignation meetings
and denouncing Johnson for his duplicity
and bad faith to them-for we may well be-
lieve that their leaders had sufficient assur-
ances from him to justify them in thinking
that they would meet with no effective oppo-
sition from him in carrying out their designs
against England. Ever since he has been in
the Presidential chair they have been an or
ganization openly acknowledged as military,
and have as openly declared their hostility to
England. and their intention of striking her
from American soil at their first opportunity.
For months past they have been among his
special friends and confdants, and yet he
has given them no word of reproof or warn
ing until he has swooped down and crushed
their whole enterprise. If President Johnson
in this matter. has acted from conscien-
cious sense of duty to his exalted office and
the laws of the land, he has done well, and
should have the respect of all right-minded
men for however direlict or guilty England
may have been toward us during our late re-
bellion. yet we, from proper feeling of self
respect, should not desire to see our laws of
neutrality violated as long as they remain
on our book of statutes. 1t does not com
port with our national dignity to wink at
violations of our laws-but rather, in seeking
to right our grievances with England, let us
boldly demand redress, and on its refusal
declare war, or, if the country is not prepar-
ed for that step. let us modify our neutrality
laws so as to mete out through them to her
the justice which she gave to US; and then if
she should have occasion to complain of
spoliation from American citizens, We could
point to our statutes and tell her as she told
US, that nations responsibility as a neutral
is to be adjudged. not by international, but
by its own laws, of which it is the sole Judge
and interpreter. But we who have trusted
johnson know that he has no conscience,
and that no law but his own caprice binds
him or his actions. His only rule of con-
sistency is to betray every party or individu-
al who reposes confidence in him. Through
the tortuous course which he chooses to pur-
sue he may possibly arrive at the goal of his
ambition, but the most probable result of his
duplicity will be his consignment by the
present and future ages to the lowest depths
of political infamy. He is of too small a
calibre to play the role of a Bonaparte or a
Caesar, and though he may mortify our pride
as nation during his term of office, yet he
is powerless to do us any permanent injury.
The Union party trusted Johnson, to their
sorrow, and the Fenians have now taste of
the i'll which may be wrought by treacher-
Gus President. As long as they were con-
tent to talk Fenianism and vote the Demo-
cratic ticket, he thought well of them, and
hoped to make them useful to Andy Johnson.
But when they quit talking and commenced
to throw their two hundred thousand armed
voters into Canada. he could not stand that,
and they ought to have known their man
better than to have thought it. What use
could they have been to him so far away
from the polls at the coming elections: No
use whatever, and they ought to have known
that he wanted them at home to help carry
the Democratic Johnson ticket. The fact is
that the Fenians have made a mistake in
their choice of parties. Had they been I'm
ion men Johnson would not only have per-
mitted them to absent themselves from the
polls by invading Canada, but he would
have furnished them with transportation
Attention. Fenians! bout face and Join US
and then Johnson will be your Moses, and il
he cannot find time to lead you himself into
the promised land. he will see that no hind
rance is placed in your way of exit, and will
bid you God speed on your journey
By reference to another column i'll the
CHRONICLE, under the head of '.births." il
will be seen that the population of Vallecito
is rapidly increasing. This kind of increase
is permanent, and one that in few years
will do more towards developing the hidden
treasures of our State than double the same
number from any other portion of the globe.
As they approach the years of manhood and
womanhood their energies will be devoted to
the interests of the land that gave them birth.
From year to year Young America will be-
gin to occupy the places of old Fogy's, and
new impetus will be established. The pop
ulation of this town under the age of 81
nearly reaches the number over that age, and
should the same success continue for five
years, "Young America" will be largely in