Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-06-09
Feninn Prisoners.

The Fenian campaign is not sufficiently
developed yet to offer q fair subject for
critical comment. The attention Of the
people on both sides Of the line has been
concentrated upon a daring raid across
the Niagara frontier by a force of a thous-
and men, led by Col. 0'Neil, Of Tennes.
see, and the dispatches relating thereto
show that after all the experience OF q four
wears war there are individuals intrusted
with the dissemination Of news who have
failed to learn the difference between a
movement in force and q diversion, or
how to estimate the value Of military ope-
ration. Persons who have been persuaded
tina, a veteran officer, fully apprised Of the
obstacles to be encountered, deliberately
undertook to invade and conquer Canada
with a Fenian regiment. may also believe
that the retirement Of this force, after two
sharp engagements, ends the " INVASION
aud indicates a disastrous failure :" but
il so, they are likely to be bothered by i'm
pending operations on u larger scale on
the line Of the St. Lawrence. One result
of the movement on Fort Erie, however,
raises q diplomatic question, and becomes
at once a subject Of controversy, O'Neil
and a number Of his men, retiring before
an overwhelming force, were captured BY
the United States gunboat Michigan while
attempting to return to the American
shore. They are held as prisoners Of the
United States. Sir Frederick Bruce, the
British Minister at Washington, has for
mallly demanded the surrender of these
men 10 the Canadian authorities. and Sec
rotary Seward has respectfully declined
to comply. The question thus raised has
a deep interest for the people, as we'll as
for the Government, because of the moral
certainty that il the prisoners should be
surrendered TO the Canadian authorities
they would be executed as 6llibusters.
We mus, say. in the first place, that the
demand Of the British Minister, though
strictly legal. manifests characteristic CON
temp, for British precedents. Our IA
tional authorities, we presume. have q ct
ter memory and will be inclined TO refresh
the recollection Of Sir Frederick Bruce.
When Jacob Thompson. Head Center, so
TO speak, Of the Confederates, established
his headquarters at Montreal, and thence
issued orders for piratical enterprises on
Lake Michigan, raids into Vermont and
the burning Of Northern cities, how did
the Canadian authorities receive the indig-
nans circumstances Of our Government
When the pirates, after seizing a steamer
On Lake Michigan, and the raiders who
entered St. Adams, robbed a bank and
murdered an old man, returned to their
asylum, and their surrender was demand
ed BY the United States, what was the
response: The majority Of the marau-
ders were permitted to escape without
molestation. A few were arrested and
subiugated to the form Of q prosecution
for violating local statutes, but never pun
ished. And not until the close Of the
war, when Canada trembled from guilty
apprehension Of invasion, was any effort
made to appease the wrath OF this nation
by the surrender Of two or three rebels
who had been engaged in the St. Adams
expedition. The tribunals and the men
authorized to execute the law seemed to
be stepped IN sympathy for the Coincide
rates. The Provincial authorities, taking
their cue from the shameful conduct Of
the home Government and the aristocracy.
plainly displayed their determination to
screen the Confederate bands from pun
ishment and afford them every facility for
carrying on IN irregular warfare on the
frontier. Practically, for the time. Canada
was made Confederate soil and the laws
of international comfy were deied, and
for the obvious reason that the United
States Government was not in a condition
to resent the insult or avenge the injury.
Sac. Union.