The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1866-11-03
Eenian Excitement.

OF the fifteen or twenty prisoners taken by
the Canadians during the Fenian invasion In
June last, and confined in Canadian prisons
ever since, two have been tried within the
past week, found guilty, and sentenced to
death. These are Col. John B. Lynch, of
Bafalo, and the Rev. John ". Mahon, a
Roman Catholic Priest. half dozen more
have been indicted and arraIgned, and are
also to be tried. The Rev. ID. W. Lumsden,
an Episcopal minister The preached in this
city in May last is to be tried on Saturday.
The trial Of others has been postponed until
Nov. 18th. In no case, however, has there
been an acquittal, or a disposition shown to
let the prisoners OF.
Naturally enough these trials, and the con.
viction and sentence to death of two of the
prisoners, with the imminent probability of
their speedy execution, has created intense
excitement not only throughout Fenian cir>
cles in this country, but among all classes OF
people. The Fenian invasion of Canada in
June last ut best was mistake The gov.
eminent os the U. s. could under no plea or
pretence avoid interfering, and its interior.
ence ended the war at once. The doughty
Canadians may boas. Of their "prowess" in
:he matter, and what they rould have done,
but the truth remains the same, that the gov>
err. ment of the U, S. stopped the invasion ;
and but for its having done 20 promptly, the
FenIans like as not would have Canada to-
day. The trial and hanging Of the few poor
devils who got entangled in the Canada
swamps during the - INVASION" and were ta>
ken prisoners can amount 20 nothing. Ger
tainly as an example i. viii strike terror
in no Fenian on this side of the border.
But It will provoke vengence, the ex.en; OF
which no man can foresee, but an inkling of
1tich may be gathered from the meetings
being held by the Feninns all over the coun>
t-y For every Fenian hanged dozen of
Canadians will as certainly perish as the
hanging takes place. Nor is the Canadian
pretense, that if they fail to hang these Fem
ians it will look as if they were AFRAID of
the United States, less supremely ridiculous.
Afraid OF the United States The hare puts
ting on airs for fear of being thought afraid
Of the lion Have the Canadians the su-
preme folly ard seli>conceit to imagine that
their independence rests or their military
strength, or on that of Canada and England
combined, or on anything but the suffsrance
of the United States? The hanging of
these Fepians will provoke raids without
number into Canada from Our borders, not
for plumber, but for vengeance. OR gov.
eminent, in view of the unnecessary and
wanton cruelty Of the Canadian authorities,
will bt more or less Indifferent to their sup.
pression-complication between England
and the Z. S. will be the result, and one
morning Gen. Grant will gather up q few
regiments, walk over the border, and
scrunch out" Canada before the Canucks
get through breakfast.
President Johnson has pointed Out to Can
ada An easy, honorable way to dispose of the
matter. The offense o: the Fenians is pure.
~ Political, and the spirit Of the age re,
quire' IN such cases the exercise of "ten,
derness, amnesty and forgiveness" Let the
Canadians say to the Ferian prisoners, I've
have right to hang You, and perhaps out to
do il; bpt in Difference to the government of
the U. S., on whose good will We depend for
, our independent existence, and which asks
your release, we grant it." Canada sould
thu. not only save herself from an imminent
probability Of being suddenly wiped ont, but
would also get credit for the exercise of a
noble Gle n y and magnsnimity.