The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1866-08-03
Dishonesty Exposed.

1t 10 seldom thai we have been called upon
to expose q more dishonest effort to make
party capital than the late radical buriesque
upon repeal of the neutrality laws. When
the late fenian movement toward Canada
failed, through the intervention of the gov
ernment, which the radicals themselves ad-
init was made necessary by the laws. the rad
icals, with pretensions of sympathy for the
Irish, pledged the repeal of the neutrality
laws, denounced President johnson for obsdi-
ence to existing statutes, and, with unparal-
leled discrimination aud falsehood, assured
the fenians that friendship and aid were to
be found in the radical party.
We remarked at the time that 1t was all
hypocrisy and deception. It has turned out
precisely as we predicted The radicals have
done nothing for the fenians. All their
promises and sympsthizing tears appear to
have been party elaptrap, disreputable 10
themselves and ocoasionipg the severest DIS
appointment to Irish patriots who instructive
ly turned to any source of promised reliet,
but find that no party on earth ever promised
so much and performed so little. The fen
Ians found thet the neutrality laws rendered
armed invasion of Canada and an attack on
Great Britain then i'm possible. The radicals
said, eve will repeal those laws" They
win the confidence of the more crsdulous of
universal liberty the champions of every
oppressed cause; come with us; your next in
vasion of Canada shall be success" They
introduce resolutions to repeal the neutrality
laws. A committee of radicals deliberate
long on the subject. Mr.. Banks, chairman,
makes an elaborate report and presents \
bill. The house of representatives, without a
dissenting voice, sustain the bill. The Yadi-
Gala shout and cry, "See what we have done.
Fenians, reoicer The hypocrisy and the
deception are maintained to the end. -.
Let us see what they have done: In the
long report and in the bill there is not one
solitary paragraph or proUision aohich makes
an anrasion of Canada any more possibie
thar before this cham radical performance in
congress. The only change recommended By
the committee In the neutrality laws are lin
tied to those provisions which prohibit citi-
zens of the United States from selling vessels,
SHIPS or steamers to inhabitants of this coun-
Try or to governments not at war with this
country, and to the provisions which require
owners and consignees of vessels to enter in
10 heavy bonds that their vessels shall not be
| engaged In any manner against foreign gov
ernments at peace with this government
The report and the bill are utterly, totally
wanting in any Recommendations or provision
which in any manner tolerate, encourage or
sanction the right to mako such ar invasion
| as that which the fenians undertook. The
laws against such invasion as that are still
left stringent and severe, and the teniana, un
der this radical Legislation, are left precisely
where they were before, Notwithstanding the
lying pretensions of the radicals who have %
audaciously deceived them.
Section first of the bill makes it a penallo of.
fence, punishable BY heavy fine or imprison.
ment OF TWO years, tor citizen of the United
States to accept and exercise commission
to serve any prince, state, colony. district OF
people, against any government or people al
peace with the United States.
Section second makes it penal offence,