New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-05-28

believed the representations made to him here in
America, and wrote home in great heart to his
inendst 10 az Of whom his letter brought cheer,
except myself. His letters brought no cheer to
me, for had already been here and knew that his
mission would be failure; knew it from his first
letter. That was the frat course open to me to
send this man to work here in America and await
the result. His mission was q failure, and the first
course was lost. The second was to establish a
newspaper in Ireland-to geti as wide circnla.
ton as possible-aHd to devote the proceeds the
work of the organization You must know that the
difficulties for raising money in Ireland are much
greater than they are here. must say nothing
about the poverty. | must say that, poor as the
people are to-day, if | could have one months
tour through that country as freely through these
States could easily raise as much money az
would free Ireland. tremendous cheeTing.) But
was not free to travel through the country. 1T
was absolutely necessary that should move with
the utmost caution. did SO, and it was because
did so I was able to escape them so long.
(Cheers.) But in very short time | raised the
money necessary to establish the Irish People news
paper, of which you have heard good deal since.
Towards the establishment of thatpaper we got no
assistance whatever, and as every obstacle was
put in the way of its circulation, as it became
dangerous for men to buy it, as not only the pur.
ehasers and the sellers of it were brought under
the eye Of the government satellites but also the
landlord, the employer, and every man having
large number Of people This dependence, brought
his influence to bear, and am sorry to say, also,
that the clergy set their voice against the paper,
ana so u AaQ not a large ClFCniatlOn. Wnlle we
were struggling for this the Chicago fair was COM
menced, and shortly afterwards an Irishman, who
did good service to the cause, was deputed to
go from Chicago to Ireland to represent the state
of affairs to US; 0stensibly he went only to buy
goods for the fair and received what had been con
triDuted, butin reality the special mission on which
he came was this TO say that the organization
must collapse, and that nothing but my presence
could save it. The committee on the Chicago
fair was DESTROYS that should come to the States
and make certain changes in the organization
else all would fall to the ground In this narrative
am emitting many details, because I speak to.
day in the spirt of Cancellation | do not wish to
let one word fall from my lips to hurt any man,
and if any word say shall hurt him by chance,
beg his pardon beforehand, and say don't mean
it. This gentleman alluded to was Henry Clarence
Mccarthy, and among other things he assured me
| that the entire proceeds of the fair should be
placed in my hands, for the service of the cause
in Ireland. On his representations and promises
came second time to the States. / promised
my friends in ireland to send them on nv arrival
ia New York one hundred pounds, and on my ar
rival here sent hundred pounds, and on my ar
rival in Chicago sent another hundred pounds, and
week afterward in that city one thousand pounds.
IA voice" The schoolboys in New York would
make that up.') The hundred / promised from
| New York sent according to promise, and also a
hundred and then thousand from Chicago.
NO MONEY FROM CHICAGO.
But, for considerable time could receive no
more of the money in Chicago. There was a
e.
0'Mahony attended it as well as the centers of the
Western States, and O'Mahony on being called
on to say what was the strength Of the Fenian
brotherhood in America, stated that he could not
claim more than ten thousand men in all. At that
time we had been led to believe in Ireland, from
statements of the press and otherwise, that MIR.
| O'Mahony never made a statement that the or.
ganiZation was at least fifty to one hundred thou
sand strong in America, which was only ten thou.
sand strong at that time. And as my object in
| going to the States was to receive money and col.
| lect arms, in order to bring the movement to o
close as soon as possible, felt that with so small
a basis could not effect my purpose. fell
that in Chicago on that night and / continued
to feel it for eight or ten days. as l went
through several of the towns of Illinois
It was only when l got to St. Louis tina
put in proper working order, this organization
could realize all that we required in a short time
And here may as well say thatwe never require
much. Those people who have told you cam
for two hundred thousand men, or fifty thOusan
men, or twenty thousand men, know very lttl
about me, and still less about Ireland. (Cheers.
At that time, we.should have been perfectly sat-.
tied with very few men; all we then wanted wa
war material, On my return to New oTk ha
/, certain changes TO propose winch, in my upin1o
were essential TO success, and first deemed it ne
l. esseTy that Mr.. 0'Mahony should ave a depu
+ head center, an able business man, who cou
! make good certain defects in Mr.. 0Mahon
T for Mr.. O'Mahony was always averse to makil
direct appeals for money, and it was abs
lutely necessary that those appeals should
! made; and he was also indisposed to go in
strange parts of this continent without Invitation
j and this invitation was not given. Certain otht
} changes deemed necessary, and these CHANGES,
? believe, effected the extraordinary improvement
2 which was visible in this organization. But tina
! which had the real effect on this continent be
I lie7e to be the statement which 1 made them. TIL
/ was in 1864. The statement was to this effect
The organized force in Ireland was sixty thousan
men-just six times the strength of your own loci
I n do hi1 NJ
gagement that, if England went to war thG
year on the Danish question: we should take tn
field, and that, whether England went to war {
u not, we should take the field in 1866. Now wha
the people wanted here, as well as in Ireland, WG
= a fixed time for their action-not to be dragge
along, as you had been for years, without KNOWN
. when this was to end. To the statements made o
. that time, am convinced much of the progreS
= made is to be attributed
HIS RETURN TO IRELAND.
d On my return to Ireland, found that the wor
e was in very good state, and the report hrougl
y back from America set them to work still barde
S Bnt still the war did not take place. At that tin
Il Englandfought shy, as she has been fighting st
since the establishment of our organization. 81
D did not go to war on the Danish question: and "
y had then year more to wait.
) You held your Cincinnati convention. To you,
that time, / wrote stating the requirements
e Ireland, asking for the months Of January, Febr
q | ary and March the sum of $1,000. | stated that
e should require el000 for the months of April al
n May, and for the months of June, July and Augu
f2500 month, The money for January Februa
e and March was sent to me--abOut ElIO0, ana clio
d was sent to me for April, but | did not get Il
l. second instament until the middle of NAV: b
l. the months of May, June, July and August /
Ia cpved none, instead Of the money which | b
a asked for, and which, if sent, would have enabl
3 US to have taken the field last year.
e. TIE COMMISSION TO IRELAND,
70 Two gentlemen were appointed to 20 to Trelal
y, and investigate our work. They were perfect
Fl satisfied with the state Of things in Ireland. Th
u sent over very favorable report, and asked
j. money to be sent back by u.s. IL was agreed
70 at that time that the bonds of the Irish Repub
e should be issued on their return, and il was caiC
e lated that we should have all that was requisite
le the. close of the year II so happened that one
~ these delegates, while in Ireland, lost a certi
Il document. This was r.sMeehan. do not wish
7. say one word disparagmg to MIR. Meehan to-du
10 and wish no man to do So Bnt while desire
N not to say any thing against Mr.. Meehan it IS abb
s uely necessary thai the facts should be known I'll
Y the loss of this document by him was the imn
" date occasion of the arrests of the prisoners
81 Ireland. profound sensation and indignation
Is Not word, gentlemen-itis not in that spir
Is wish to speak, will not have word said agar
q him to-day. have myself written against hi
III and If have wrOnged him, shall be happy
1u make ample reparation, if he would only fav
10 me with visit. (Cheers) have sentinvtatiO
s' TO oil these gentlemen; Gen. Sweeney, Mr.. ROber
Us Mr., Meehan, to come and see, but very few
~ them have come. am sorry to see it, but
TO fault was not on my side. have made all the q
-lttaF al-n III