Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-03-17
TILE rrNrAN ExcITEuENr.

1 THE EENNAN
| Attitude Of the Government toward the Fenians
The British Government Demands Interviews
ton by the United States-The Demand Refus-
| sed-0ur Government Held Responsible-0ur
Government will net IRterfere-Immense Re-
sources Of the Fenians-Where They Might
Strike an Effective Blow.
] Correspondence of the New York News.l
WASHINGTON, March II, 1S66.-The ut
most anxiety is manifested TO learn what the
| intentions of the Government are in relation
TO the Fenian movement, particularly as re-
CARDS the threatened invasion and conquest
of Canada. Many persons here, whose means
| Of acquiring information are supposed to be
unusually favorable, are constantly receiving
| telegraphic dispatches, some OF them from
very distant points, begging for information
on certain particular points.
The Fenians flourish here, quite as well
as in any other city, and the Fenian socle-
ties of Washington are wide awake, as en-
thusiastic, as their New York brethren, and
quite ready for the work in hand, whatever
| that may be- They embrace many promi-
nent, intelligent and influential men, and
understand that the treasury is overfiowing
with cash, while the receipts flow in in
steady stream. | presume there are men
among them whose position here enables
| them to convey to the Chiefs of the Order
early and authentic intelligence of the atti-
tude of the Government toward the Order
and its supposed objects.
THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT DEMANDS IN
PREVENTION BY THE UNITED STATES.
/ can say, for the information of the gen
eral public, that in spite of all denials to the
contrary, remonstrance, couched in the most
energetic language, both from the British
government at London, and from Sir Frede-
rick Bruce, the English Minister here, have
been received at the State Department
| during the last week, on the subject of the
| Fenian movements both in Ireland and
Canada. The ground taken by the English
government in these remcnstrances, as l
have ascertained directly, is as follows:
| They hold that there are so few Fenians in
| Ireland, and that those few are so imper-
fectly organized and poorly armed that they
could easily be put down, and all outbreaks
prevented with very little trouble and with
little or no bloodshed but that it is the
presence in ireland of American Fenians,
bringing American arms, American gold,
and American organization, which renders
the movement formidable, and renders nee
essary the employment of so large military
force and the suspension in Ireland of the
hdbeds corpus. The same also, they hold, is
true of Canada, with this difference: Ire
land, they believe is safe. They believe
that the measures which they have taken
there will secure the absolute safety of that
island, even in case large organized army
| of Fenians from America should land there,
| which they do not believe will occur at all.
In Canada they fear there is danger that an
armed expedition from tie United States
may seize upon some of the important cities
and towns. But they believe that the
whole population of Canada will rise and
rush to arms to expel the invaders.
OUR GOVERNMENT HELD RESPONSIBLE.
In a word, they fasten the responsibility
of the whole thing upon the Fenians in
| America. They do not confine themselves
to charges, but they adduce conclusive proofs
that large armed expeditions are being
| fitted out in America to invade Canada and
| Ireland, and that arms and money in large
amounts have been sent from America to
| Ireland and Canada, III order to incite the
people there to rise in rebellion. Theythen
charge upon the United States Government
| a full knowledge of all these facts and de-
| clare that they will hold our Government
responsible for any invasion or rebellion in
either Ireland or Canada. This, be it re-
membered, is no idle threat. 1t is the de-
liberate conclusion to which the British
| Government has come. 1t is by no means
| improbable that war between the United
States and England may grow out of the
affair.
ENGLAND GOVERNED BY A SECOND RATE
.aJ.. oLIG-aRCHY.
So far as our Government is concerned, it
is difficult to say whether any great efforts
have been made to avert such war;, Since
the death of Lord Palmerston it is certain
that our relations with England have been
growing more and more embarrassing and
unsatisfactory every month. The men who
at present administer the Government Of
England are bitterly hostile toward the
United States, while they are destitute of
the enlarged and liberal views of enlightened
craftsmanship which marked the Govern.
ment of England under the administration
of Lord Palmerston.
1t is no secret here in diplomatic circles
that Mr.. Adams has recently written home
for permission to ask for his passports, and
return to the United States, on account of
the insolent manner in which the present
British Government has acted toward him
in relation to the various matters in dispute
between the two Governments.
1t is o popular idea in this country that
we need not fear any injustice or wrong on
the part of England, because Queen Nicto-
ria is our friend. That is great fallacy.
There was a time when Queen Victoria was
a power in the State-when she devoted herr
self to the affairs of the Government. But
that was long ago. The England of to-day
is not that what it was while the Duke of
Wellington managed its affairs, Oreven Lord
Palmerston was alive. The Queen has en-
tirely Withdrawn her attention from public
affairs, and Great Britain is now governed |
by an oligarchy of second-rate men.
OUR GOVERNMENT WILL NOT INTERFERE. |
1t is true that some time ago Mr., Seward |
caused the assurance to be conveyed to |
the English Government that the latter had |
nothing to fear from the Fenians that the |
reports about expeditions being fitted out |
were greatly exaggerated; and that the |
United States Government would take care |
that no violations of the neutrality laws |
should take place. 1t is true also that Mr.. |
Seward has recently informed Sir Fred Bruce |
that our government is prepared for any |
emergency, and that person who violates
the neutrality laws viii be promptly ar
rested ts. H ~. |
The British Minister Is not satisfied with
that, but insists that the parties who are
known to be engaged in fitting out armed
expeditions to proceed to Canada shall be
arrested. This the Government declines to
do. And it is my duty to say that l think
that Mr.. Seward has no intention of inter
fering to prevent the Fenian expedition to
Canada, or of raising a finger to prevent the
conquest of Canada by the Fenians. 1t is
believed by those here who are best inform
ed on the subject, that the matter has been
suffered to go too long, and that the move