The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-05-26

= Sketch of fFenfau-xEtstoSy-..FS SS--1-s-s
The following is brief outline of
the origin and historyrof the Fcpian
organisation made up from the last.
speech of its chief. Stephens, made.
in New York It appears that the
society originated in this country in
1857, with O'Mahoney,- and a Mr..
Dahoney as principal organizers. In
December Of thnt year all embassa-
dor was sent to Ireland to confer with
Mr.. Stephens, and he became the
chief in the home organization. His
chief reliance was upon the members
OF the brotherhood in this country.
These not being promptly furnished,
Stephens made two visits to this
country and became chief director of
the whole organization both here and
in Ireland. On his return to the
latter country in 1868, Mr.. Stephens
enrolled large army of Fenians, but
arms and munitions, and the means
to furnish them were wanting. The
discords in this country destroyed
the hope of receiving them from the
organizations here, and the British
Government began to make arrests.
Such is n brief outline of the Fe-
nian history which is given for the
benefit of the friends of Ireland. We
have not space for various interesting
details, and as the general reader will
feel more interest in the present con-
dition of affairs in Ireland Mt the pre-
sent time, we quote on this point the
following from the speech of the
Head Centre:
81 can tell you now that the organ
ization in Ireland to-day is stronger
than it ever has been, in numbers,
discipline, and in all the require
ments of an army, save only in war
material. The organization in Ire
land toward the close of last year
numbered 200, 900 men, and of that
force, $4,000 were thoroughly drilled,
with large proportion of men who
had seen war and smelt powder on
the battle-feld-a large proportion
of veterans, in short; $4,000 were
partly drilled men, and the other
100, 900 quite undrilled. But if there
be man among you who thinks that
SO, 900 Irishmen, thoroughly drilled,
with $4,000 others partly drilled,
would not make a force sufficient to
meet anything that England could
bring against us, then, indeed, he is
wholly ignorant of the resources of
England. What army could be
brought against Ireland by England?
What is the military force of England
at present? There are some 10000
English troops i'll Ireland at present,
and it would take England from thir-
| ty to forty days to concentrate force
of 10000 or 10000 men in Ireland.
It would take her three months, at
least, to concentrate a force of 70, 600,
and it is not likely she would ever be
able to concentrate larger force.
OF our force, we could concentrate in
Ireland, ut four or five given points,
100000 men in twenty-four hours.
All we wanted in Ireland from the
middle of September to the end of
December was arms to put into the
hands of our men. The men were
there, and only wanted the arms.
But, in the very hour of our strength,
there came to Ireland the melancho-
" news Of your disruption here.
Still we held on. We did not think
it possible that any body of men on
this continent could be found that
would withhold from Ireland, in that
supreme hour of her need, the succor
hey had promised to give"
Military Movements south.
Washington dispatches state that
the War Department has detailed an
| Officar To 1-;S;t {bo Gto+o, or Nil