The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-06-01

Last NIGHT rich and rare intellectual treat was
promised to the Fenians of Philadelphia he daily
papers announced to their expectant eyes that the
great James stephens, q. o. /. R. the lineal de-
scendant OF the man who lived in Tara's Halls and
the weaIer of the mantle of Wolf Tone, Bran
Boru, and Smith Bren, would expOund the mvs-
ieries of the Brotherhood at National Hall. The
selection of the place of speaking was ominOus.
The aroma of pugilIsm hangs round the National.
We know not whether some poppy, OF mandragoa.
or some other potent spirit has been instIlled into
its walls but certain it that peaceful public
meeting to be held there is anomaly in the his.
tory OF the building. The archi ect seems to have
designed his work in order that every facility for
contests and interruption should be afforded. The
stage is low and narrow, that the occupants of
the auditorium can capture the occupants OF the
high seats of the synagogue without the aid of
glapplng irons. The rear of the room ascends SO
that missiles hurled follow the law of gravity
in their course towards the speakers head In fact
every temptation to conflict rs presented and ir
few American audiences resist tho iufatuation
how can lrishmen hope TO 'et not their angry pas
slOns rse?" AS we sat upon the stage visions of
the John Brown meerng before US, visions of
tie negro equality meeting, and OF countless Demo-
cratic assemblies, flied the air. We felt we were on
the eve OF great event.
Tie hall filed up slowly as the hour of eight ap
preached. The sangulne imputed the slim attend
ance to the necessity of paying fifty cents; the un
pejIdced laid it at the door lack of interest Be
the cause what it may five hundr ID would be O
liberal estimate OF the OF the audience. If the
aroma of contest was imperceptbIe, the aroma of
Fenianism soon made itself apprecaOle, and but for
the vicinity OF an open window, patriotism itself
must have been smothered. AT last Stephens, ac-
companied By numb:r orthe unterr fed appeared,
and was greeted with loud applause. He is a Short
heavily-bu1lt man, with a hlgh forehead and bald
head, with the exception OF narrow string of long
req locks brushed back behind his
He is by no means a handsome man, and his
general physiognomY is iar from prepossesslng. Mr..
Andrew Wynne performed the ceremony of
troduchon which was the signal Tor round OF
applause. The "Great Mogu," of the Brotherhood
commence his Grafton amid profound silence:-"I
could not be dIsheartened when 1 listen to that
cheer. 1t has cheered my heart. If the cheer will
allow me-At this stage of the Grafton the audience
fell INTO the natural delusion that the Chief EXecu
i've asking for more cheers and they proceeded
immediately to CRAFTY his wishes Mr.. Stephens
resumed his address. He Is not a fluent speaker.
but hesitat s. halts and frequently seems at loss
for words. ne has none of the powerful manner or
pleasing address which would expect from an
hIsh leader, tut rambes owly along, with but the
one redeeming quality of per ect selfpossession.
The speech Is given full IN the morning
papers, and was interrupted by six females,
seated in the fore part of the hall, waving
small pocket-handkerchiefs, signal for the men to
apI laud. AS the females did not possess great dis
crminatIon they took cue every time the orator
lifted his hand heI ce the enthusiasm was frequently
slightly out OF place. For instance, he remarked
with great fury, "You FenIans in America have be-
trayed us in Ireland " ihls complimentary
nouncement was greeted with wild applause by the
ffars ohOuk hOur
Stephens announced himself not only wiling but
anxious TO answer any questions which might be put
to him by the audience. He wanted all douOTs to
be solved, and begged that none would hesitate. AT
this point of the assemblage the tun commenced
e have attended many a farce at the theatre;
have John Brouqham the Drews q arke, and
ali the leading comedians; but never WAS mOre
perfectly absurd scene presented than the one
which was kept up for the next hour Upon the
hint OF M. Stephens man IN the aud ence spoke.
He asked
"Do understand you to say that the peop OF
IIeano are so unreasonable that they don't want
Eng and ciippled at any pont Except ON the coast
OF lie and or EngandP
Mr.. Stephens repIed:-
hey want England crippled but do not want
Ireland crippled; at the same time they know that
! lie and will be DESTROYED. We kno q at home tnat
! il any body OF mon go INTO Canada the men Ire
! land will be held resp nsiole. We cannot hold
tOpether beyond this years ana the people OF Ire aud
would go IRON the country IN tens of thousands if
you make any diversion from tue right path-lre-
| land" ....... ....
A gentleman well known IN he newspaper circles
of our city read TO the G. o Il. two ques-
hs ms, rreacing them with the remark that he only
desiIed to give Mr.. Stephens an opportunity TO vim
| dicate himself.
Mr.. stephens (eXcitedyl-"l won't yindicate my.
! self / won't hear you, sit down."
| A voice-"Let him speak; let's hear him."
Mr.. Wynne-' Order! order! Let the gentle nan
| be heard"
The question "Whether the Fenian brotherhood,
organized as 1t for the liberation of Ireland has
not been used by periurers aud Campo Behans for
the destruction of Inten ions and whether IN the
future the same means may not be employed for the
benefit OF English diplomacy, viz, the conteueracy
of the Canadian colonies, and also the destruction
of Irish liberty in Ireland? Whether you, james
Stephens, are not British agent employed to de-
stroy the influence of American Irlshmen in favor of
their nativecounTyS"
Mr. Stephens-''YOur'ea a traitor; you're no Fenian,
Gentlemen, am to be insulted? Put him out, put
bm outj" and the furious Chief rushed his inter.
rogatoTs, selEed the questions from the gentleman's
hands and flung them on the door. The cries Of the