Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-06-08
Herald and Plain Dealer oombined~.~~--s2I,j
The Fpntan Finale.

deed move across the border, and repeat
the Fort Erie fasco in the St. Lawrence
region. It will be impossible at the pres
emit juncture to prevent this mad folly be-
ing enacted if Sweeney is insane enough
TO persist in Il. The men having onee
reached Northern New York, and been
scattered along the frontier, it will be i'm
possible TO reach them by the power of the
civil law, os SO to garrison a thousand
miles of frontier that they cannot cross the
line. Therefore if Sweeney chooses to in
wade Canada-now bristling with bayonets
TO receive him-he can do SO. But if his
reinforcsments are cut of, his movement
loses its importance and ranks at once
with the miserable failure atSSFort Erie.
And the recent proclamation of the Pres
ident and circular from the Attorney
General will have the effect of cutting off
all his reinforcements. The State Cen
tres are all arrested, the recruiting Offices
are all closed, and it becomes the duty Of
United States officers everywhere, civil
and military, to stop the movement of
Fenians along our thoroughfares toward
the Canadian frontier. Thesupplies, the re-
Inducements arethus cut of, and the move
ment which might have swelled into a
revolution dwindles down TO the insignif-
cant proportions Of q riot.
1t is difficult for US to understand why
this most necessary and proper action on
the part of the United States authorities
was not taken a fortnight since. Had it
been, the bloodshed and heartburning
which the Fort Erie affair occAsioned
would have been saved and serious diPlo-
matte difficulties avoided. 1t would have
been well for all parties if this course had
been taken-for Cansds,in saving her the
aiarm, expense and bloodshed which the
invasion has cost her-for the Fenians in
preventing their embarkation in a scheme
whose only result can be their own de-
~struction-and to the United States in
avoiding collision with Great Britain.
Had the step been taken a fort
night since, it could have been taken
much more easily, and the Fenians would
have been, if anything, less indignant
with our government for taking it. But
the opportunity passed and as a conse-
quence we not only have the Fort Erie
invasion but shall have more ~bloodshed
yet, for Sweeny and his men possess at
least the redeeming trait ofthe Irish char
acter-unyielding coursge-and though
their cause is hopeless it seems that they
mean to fight it through to the bitter end.
The whole thing is thoroughly Irish
Irish in its brsggadocio, Irish in its mis-
management Irish in its indefniteness,
especially Irish in its pluck. There has
been no concentration 9runity of purpose
in the movement from beginning to end.
1t seems to have gone of half-eocked.
The Fort Erie affair, whether regarded as
8 feint or as a movement intended to re-
cooperation from simultaneous
movements elsewhere, was an utter fail
ure. SWeneys' delay has thrown away
all its possible advantages. The affair is
not only a failure, but a failure so utter as
to be worthy of attention. What
ever therefore may be the result of
Sweeny's ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS he cross
the border or not-the end Will come in
a few days, and it will be a complete and
final one. This is the and Of Fenianism.
The Pittsburgh Soldiers Convention.
A State Convention of the soldiers of
pennsylvania was held in Pittsburgh on
Tuesday for the purpose of securing unity
Of action among the Pennsylvania boys in
blue in reference to the pending political
Ii wa feared at first that the
movement was made in the interest Of the
cowan-Johnson Republicans who form
despicable b minority in the Union
of Pennsylvania. But if these men
originated the convention they soon found
hat they had evoked a spirit which they
.ould not control. The result of the con-
was most cheering to every radi-
al man, and showed that the soldiers Of
Pennsylvania, who proved themselves true
IS steel to the banner of Freedom on the
ield, will be equally true to her sacred
.Suse at the ballot-box. The convention
vas presided over by General Owen, and
vas a crowded and enthusiastic one, dele
,ates being present from nearly every
ounty in the state. The resolutions
,assed endorsed the course Of Governor
Jurtin and the nomination of General
iesry. The following was among them
3. That it is contrary to public policy
md subversiye ofthe great principles won
patriotic blood, TO permit any TO hold
ffces Of honor o. profit under the General
who BY word or deed embar-
assed tho Union armies or cast odium upon
be cause for which they fought
After the resolutions reported by the
Committee hAd been unanimously adopt
d, Colonel Bsyne offered the following
declaration;
ReSolped, That the loyal majority Of Con-
ress deserves our gratitude, that radical
vii require radical remedies, and that the
alton should take no step backward in the
iarch TO the grand destiny which surely
waits unfsltering, persistent adherence to
le cause Of equal freedom. :
The introduction of this resolution /,
aused much excitement, and considerable
sbste, but it WIS finally adopted, and :
le Pennsylvania soldiers range them !
lives in line with the Union party in
Ipport of our hcorruptible Congress. :
his elenches the nail, this ensures vic t
~, if anything were needed to insure it. S
eneral Geary would have $4,000 MAORI /
in Pennsylvania if the election took i
aoe tomorrow, and be Will grow 0
and stronger with every day Of I
, canvass. +