New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-12-05
THE TENLlN EXECUTIONS.

Our special correspondent in Manchester gives
to-day a full account of the latest scenes III the
Fcnian tragedy in England. We say the latest;
we wish we had confidence that they would be
the last We wish we could believe that the
barbarous transaction in front of the Manches-
ter Jail on the morning of the 23d OF Noyem-
Der, dreadful as it was in itself, would nave
some good result in preventing further out
breaks of rashncss and folly, ana restoring
public security But we have no such
confidence We look upon the hanging
of these men as merely adding fuel TO
the fire of Irish hatred, as intensity
ing the antpathy between the subject
people and their rulers, and as making more
difficult than ever any satisfactory adjustment
of Irish grievances. Allen, and Larkin, ana
Gould, of whom not one lrishman in ten thou
sand had ever heard before they stood in the
dock to be tried for their lives, are now the
most formidable of the Fcnan chiefs. What
ever the law may call them-felons, murdereis,
pestilent fanatics-their cOuntTymen henccforth
will re gard them as heroes and martyrs, ana
will strive rather TO emulate their daring than
10 shun their fate. Whatever the lawyers may
term their crime, there can he no doubt what
ever that it was to all intents and purposes a
purely political oflcnsc.
Nobody questions that the prisoners believed
they were engaged in just and honorable en-
terprise that they were fighting for an organ
iZatiOn which they respected as the only leglJ-
innate government of their native country
True. that enterprise was absurd. that organ
ization was a dclusion But the prisoners
fought i'm good faith; they were fanatics II
YOU will, but not rullians; and for the FIRST
time in many long years Great Britain has
witnessed an execution for treason.
IL seems pretty clear that the Government
has been driven into this measure by popular
cry for vengeance which it was pOwcrless to
resist We cannot suppose that the Ministry
were 80 blind as not to see what an immense
impetus they would give t9 Fcniani9m by put
ting three martyrs on its calendar They knew
perfcctly well that if they wanted to quiet
Irish agitation they could do no better
than omen the prison doors and turn the
conycts loose. But fierce yell had gone
up from the mbblc that these men should
die. The brutal spirit which lies deep
down under the English character covered
by ccntuIic, of culture but breaking out now
ana then, Is ~ Nitl dllfi thu 0fIDl HhAiHf III
India. the same spirit which animated that pro-
c,s,on of bowling UanS who marched into
the Irish quarters of Birmingham 10 taunt
those poor people with the hanging of their
countr,mcn. was clnmoriug for blood and had
to be- satisfied. We call it a mbblc, for ANY
mass of people becomes Iabblc when II for
get, dcccncy ami Justice; but the mbble IN
thi. case included many of the best and most
respectable of The land. and large portion oi
| the press was on its side. The Ministry was
afraid 10 oppose it, aud 50 the result which
men have been drcadlng for months
past ~ the worst fruit Of Fcnianism-a riot
Gus. anu-lri,h excitement in the great cities of
Englnnd-has been rendered alarmingly I'M
miucnt This. too. must have been fOreseen,
and that il has not been prevented Is m evil
dcncc of extraordinary weakness. How far
Will it 90 How long will the passions of an
unrcasoning multitude sway the policy OF the
Crown m the most delicate and dangerous OF
lis troubles