The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-01-29
ALetter to Fenians ON Fep,au,sm

To the Editor OF the WOrLd:-It is a duty
owe to my fellow-Irishmen to STAGE my vie VS.
frankly and tearlessly regarding the Fenlan
organization and movement now existing in this
country and Ireland. In connection with this
portion OF my letter, propose 60 examine the
strengt h and resources OF the British Empire.
Every lrishman can then Judge for himself,
Have the Fenian leaders impartally weighed
over in their minds the tremendous power of
Great Britain? If they nave, have they placed
the facts before the IRISH people?
The subjects of Englands Queen amount TO
about two hundred and twenty millions OF souls.
1t is calculated that one in SIX is capable OF bear
ing arms If this calculation be correct, it gives
her upwards OF thirtysiX millions OF able-boded
men. She uses one portion of her subjects to
keep another or other portions in subjection,
and she uses one race to conquer another-none
more So than the Irish. She holds all the keys
that command the sea and ocean thoroughfares.
In the Mediterranean she owns the strongly
fortified Island of Malta, as well as the Rock of
Gibraltar, that commands the entrance into the
same sea. She possesses Alden, one hundred
miles east of the Strait of Bah ell Mandel or Gate
of Tears, and thus controls the Red Sea; and,
per consequence, the Indian Ocean and Persian
Cult. From Hindoo Cush to Cape Comorin, and
from the mouths of the Indus to those of the
Ga nges, she holds upwards of one hundred mil
lions of the dark races in subjection, with about
thirty thousand white Celts and Saxons To the
west OF the Punaub her sway is omnpotent in
AtghaDistan and Beloochistan, and she controls
the destinies of Farther India; indeed, Burmah
and Siam may be considered as outposts of her
empire. Sailing from the Gulf of Manacar and
Palks Channel, with the beautiful Island of
Ceylon on the south, which is also hers, in a
northeasterly direction, we arrive at the English
province of Arracan. Shaping the ships course
southerly, we pass by the British territory, Ten
naserin, and arrive at Malacca Straits. On the
west coast of the Malayan Peninsula she owns
Malacca colony. Still farther on she owns
the strongly fortified Isle of Singapore, which
commands the straits of that name, and
therefore the entrance into the Chinese Sea.
She owns the Isle of Hong Kong, at the
mouth Of the Hong Kong river, and can at
any moment blockade Canton city. She has
her grasp upon China, and before she is done
she will absorb it, as she has done India. II is
with her q mere matter of time. She reasons
not Tor the hour, but Tor the future aggrandize-
ment of her empire. The island-continent of
Australia is hers, so are New Guinea and Van
Dleman's Land she has established her au-
thority In the great isle OF Borneo. She owns the
Isle OF Ascension, and waters her ships at st.
Helena. The Mauritius, west of Madagascar is
hers. From the Cape of Good Hope sail along
the western coast almost to the river Senegal,
and we find her colonies of Gambia. Sierra Leone
and Fernando Pc; indeed, for a thousand miles
along this coast the natives dread her power.
Along the eastern coast the English influence
Is paramount. She owns British Guiana on the
North Paciic-a country two-and-aha half times as
large as Ireland. She owns the Falkland Isles
about three hundred miles from Cape Horn
Honduras furnishes her her ornamental woods
Finally, she owns the Bahama Islands and
OF the foreign domInions of Great Britain. Let
us look at her strength from another standpoint
She spends three hundred millions of dollars a
year to pay her army, her navy, her civil ser.
vice. and the interest Of her national debt. Her
navy consists OF five hundred ships of war; her
army is, at least, half-a.millon of all arms.
. desire OF the Fenlan leaders to inquire who
are the men who thus govern SO large part OF
the globe Are they SaXons? no; are they Celts?
no; are they of the Semitic race? no; or Hay
maritic? no. They are the descendants of thuse
terrible Vikings who led the people, or rather
pirates OF the north of Europe, and who have
ravaged its iaires countries in the eighth, NINTH
tenth, and eleventh centuries of our era In the
early part of the tenth century, Rollo, one of
these fierce marauders, obtained a settlement
upon the north west coast of France, where he
located his Norman freebooting followers. He
established his dukedom on a firm basis andgave
to the ceded province the name of N rmandy
BY intermarriage for haf-a-dozen generations
among their Celtic neighbors, they lost their
northern language and acquired that of the
I'Lln0ud FrdRcd.' Rollo's descendant Duke
William, laid claim to the throne OF England; he