The New York herald., 1866-04-12

tut ICoulL Dut, III OIOcE w Oc SuCCcooiuis AS
must not lose any more time. Delay is dan
gerous, and may prove disastrous.
The Fenian Trouble In Mafne-Attttude
OF British Mcn-Of-War.
There seems to be imminent danger Of col
lision on our Eastern border. Our news des-
patches indicate the nature of this danger.
Some days ago we published the story that
several vessels, with some thousands of Fenians,
had left this port on a secret expedition. The
current report was that they were going to the
Bermudas, but portion of this Fenian feet
seems to have turned up at Eastport in Maine,
the last foothold on American soil. Some of
the disoiderly elements even seem to have got
over the line into New Brunswick and cut the
communication with the Canadian cities. Rather
the communication was cut; there does not
appear To be any evidence that 1t was not cut
by the Tenians Of the loyal province, and 1t
may easily have been done by those from the
British army who are said to have seized this
occasion to desert in large numbers. There is
no evidence that any violation of the neutrality
has taken place from our side. On the con-
trary, the Fenian ships reported as touching at
Eastport on their way to some other point
were detained there by the Custom House au-
thorities. Thus all the etfervescent fury was
rendered harmless; due notice was given to the
New Brunswick authorities t. strengthen their
frontier posts, and they ayailed themselves of
this notice by reinforcing and adopting other
measures to defend Campobello island, op-
posite to Eastport, which it was said the Fe-
mans intended to seize.
But the British naval authorities, as if fearful
that the neutrality would not be violated,
have adopted the very course most calculated
to precipitate a collision. The latest news
from Eastport represents two British men-of-
war as assuming hostile attitude there, with
their steam up, ports open, and every prepara-
ton made for the commission of any act against
the peace of our soil or waters that the rash
ness of a hot-headed officer may suggest All
the elements are ready, and it needs only the
insult of this British menace to- awaken in the
disturbed quarter spirit that will not be
laid without the shedding Of blood. If
the Fenians have chosen New Brunswick
or Nova Scotia for their theatre of operations,
they may have been led to do so by the
consideration that the people Of those pro-
vinccs seem less imbued with that spirit of
truculent loyalty to British dictaton so manifest
in Canada; but undoubtedly another considera-
ton had large share in leading them that
way That is just now the sphere in which
American hostility to everything British is most
likely TO be felt. 1t is the district in which the
fishermen are q great power, and in which the
question Of the fisheries is the all-mportant one
of the day. Fenianism desires to be present at
the very point where Great Britain and the
United States are likely, if anywhere, to be in
hostile contact. II may be assumed that their
presence in such sphere will not tend to cool
patient discussion of grievances. And if the
British authorities--as hot-headed as the
Fenians in this matter-shall meet them half
way, it is probable that those disorderly per-
sons may succeed in compromising the rela-
tons of the two governments
Our relations with Great Britain src friendly
and her ships have the right to our harbors,
and we have always recognized that right, and
always shall, In the amplest spirit Of hos
pitality-not following in this the niggardly
example SO often set US by British authorities
themselves. But an indelicate ase of that priv
ilege at the present time is dangerous. A mis-
taken display Of power in our waters; the
foolish assumption of an attitude that ships only
assume in the waters OF an enemy; the menace
of open ports and pointed guns, all this can
only irrit,te, and cannot conduce to that mod
Grafton and mutual Difference of nations toward
each other so doubly necessary where there are
two possible causes Of trouble. If there is co..
lision. it will be not only the fault of the
Fenians, but Of the British naval authorities
We have amply provided against violations Of
the neutrality from our side, and such provision
within our own waters certainly must be left to
us or we cannot be held responsible.
TIE NEXT ELEcriOS.-The constitution of the
Tnited STATES now abolished by tho action of