The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-01-01
The Presidents Neutrality-suspicious. of the Bril-
fish Press.
ENGLAND AND AsBRIcA-FBTTASrsN, Erc.

ENGLAND AND AMkRlGA-FRSTANTaM, RTG.
From the London Times, Doc. Is
Tho passage in,President Johnson's message
which especially concerns this country ought,
we think, to be accepted in friendly spirit
lie could not do less than review the history Of
the Alabama claims; and In reviewing them
he could hardly say less, ut least TO an Amert-
can Congress, than re has said Mr..
Johnson does rs no more than Justice in attr-
buting 10 us the same earnest desire for peace
which he processes himself. Even when the
causes Of mutual evaporation were ut their
height, there never was a war party in this
country. There We're those who feared that
war might be forced upon rs rs n dire neces-
sity, but there were none who deliberately con.
templated that contingency without horror.
Our pacific sentiments have not, indeed, as yet
been tested by provocation rs severe rs that
which the Americans at one time fancied
they had received, but they are tested ut this
moment by n grievance far from imaginary.
The very same mail which brings us
the Presidents message 10 Congress also
brings ms news of q very strange proceeding
within the territory of the United States. We
are duly informed that a Fenian Senate, or
rather " the Fenian Senate Is in session nj
New York - that the Fenian President is
about to issue bonds bearing the signature OF
the Irish Republic; and that n constitutional
difficulty has arisen between him and the Sc
nate on this financial operation; while, III the
meantime, the Governor of New Brunswick
has received information of an intended Fc-
MAN raid on THAI province. All this, we need
hardly say, is OF a piece with what we have
been hearing for months past, aud we have
ceased to be startled by the intelligence that
American citizens are openly preparing for~an
invasion of her Majesty dominions under the
very eyes of their Government. There IS here
no ques ton of neutrality, for the rights and
duties of neutrality are wholly derived from n
state Of hostility ii is n simple case Of ndiyi-
duals levying private war, without disguise,
against n friendly Power The cruisers
launched in British waters Were nj least COM
missioncd from Richmond. II was thence
that they received their orders, and thence
that they were provided with the sinews OF
war. But Fcniansm is American from first
10 laSt-in its origin, in its character in It's or
ganiZation To say that it has its basis of ope.
ratiOnS i'll the United States Is little, Tor IL Is
notorious that it derives from the United
States its whole strength and its very exist
ence Why, then, do we not demonstrate
angrily against its being tolerated, and de-
mand redress at Washington Because we
know that President Johnson ought not to
lie held responsible for anything which the
laws of n free country DO not enable him 10
check, or for everything which they do enable
him to check, but which ii might be premature
To check ut the present moment We do not
ask, or need, equal forhcarance i'll respect Of
our own shortcomings, but only that Which
Mr.. johnson comedies TO us, the credit OF hay
ing acted up TO our own views OF honorable
neutrality.