The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1866-06-12

career OF the brave sOldicr.-I hRddeIphtd
Press, Nay so. 1860.
Esz-szcz
THE ADVANCE UPON CANADA
! By two or three thousand Frnians, coming af-
| ter four years experience of a great and
! bloody war, seemed like the feeble note of a
! penny trumpet breaking the stiffness which
! follows the echoes of buglc blast. Still for
want Of a deeper excitement, it answered q
/ pleasant purpose, and people turned again to
the bulletins with the satisfaction Of & renew
ed habit, and puzzled themselves over couse-
cutiye dispatches, which stated that the inYa-
ders had taken Port Sarnia and Winsor, and
/ that the reports that Port Sarnia and Winsor
had been captured were utterly false that
Kingston was in the hands of the brotherhood
and that the story that Kingston had been
seized was absurd and without foundation.
For these and other reasons, the news of the
retreat of General O'Nen and his men and
their capture at Buffalo by the United States
troops was received with regret. Itwas con-
sidered as the end of the movement, and an
unsatisfactory end, as when one of Shakes
peare's tragedies is cut of at the close Of the
first act by the sudden illness of the principal
performer Later dispatches indicate new
but unimpOrtant demonstrations.
The quarrel Ofthe two factions Of the Fenian
brotherhood made necessary such movement
as that which has taken place. The heads Of
beth wings had pretended to look up to Ste
pbenS as the chief of the order, and It was as
serted that on his arrival from Paris harmony
would succeed the petty jealousies which had
| divided the fraternity. The Chief Organizer
of the Irish Republic arrived, and instead Of
conferriag power on either o Mahony or Ro-
berts, attempted ia a mid way to assume con-
troll himself 9'Mahony resigned his position;
Roberts and his Secretary Of War, Gen. SWeo-
ney, preferred to hold their places and retain
control Of the contributions which their party
had received. Thus, thwarted by very ma
tural ambition, the Chief Organizer found his
efforts at organization almost useless; the
two factions were left in very much their old
condition.
Stephens contentcd himself with speeches
and proposed n tour of the principal cities.
Roberts and Sweeney, with better knowledge
Of the real requirements of the hour, proposed
a fight, and so soon were their plans matured
| that Stephens had not got far from New York
when his oratory was interrupted by the dis
tant echoes OF musketTy at Fort Erie. We
believe that he now waits for further develop
ments when the fighting is over, he will pro-
badly take up his speech again at the point
! where it was broken off.
! Some authorities have expressed the opin-
ion that the majority of the Feniaus sided with
! Stephens At least we think it will be safe to
| say that Roberts and Sweeney can carry only
half the organization with them in sympathy
In considering the invasion Of Canada then, it
nuSt be remembered that only part Of the
! tenlan brotherhood are engaged in the present
movement; that the attack was probably
somewhat premature that their forces have
. to contend against, first. the vigilance Of the
United States authorities, second, the well
! drilled Canadian volunteers, and third, the
British regulars with artillery; that the
Fenians are substantially without artillery
and withobt commissary department and
finally, that they are poorly supplied with
muskets apdammuntiOn. The proclamation
! of General Sweeny is not likely to stir up the
! Irish in Canada; for, unless they see a proba-
! biity ef a sHcceSs of this NOV sment the risk
TO their necks is too great for them to show
| theiC sympathieg. Nobody doubts that the
FepiauS will fight well if their leaders give
them the chance-an IriShmaD is figting man
the world over. At Ridgeway, there seems
to be no doubt that they defeated the Cana
dian militia, and were only compelled to re-
treat by thc prospect Of being surrounded by
/ IhC4 eS ul1Io' DuI SSCHEIdI vi dAG anu NCutral
Meade are on the frontier, prepared to pre-
serve neutrality and heap Goals Of fire on the
heads of the Canadian officials.
! A recent meeting in Montreal points to n
probable suspension Of the writ of ha6eas cor
Pus and the summary execution Of the Irish
men who have been taken prisoners. If this
| impolitic measure is carried out, it will do
more for the Roberts Sweeney cause than a
two months tour of those eloquent leaders
through the principal cities OF the United
States
| QUESTIONS FOR HESTER CLYAER TO ANSWER.
| Were you not in league with Ben. Wood
James Gordon Bennett and August Belmont.