The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-12-31
Fcnian,sm and British Reform.

Fcnianism and British Reform.
The British ministry has had the sagacity to
withdraw from position it could only have
taken in panic impulse. 1t has reconsidered
Its purpose to declare England in such danger
that the ordinary forces Of law were unequal
to the security Of life and property, and has
determined that 1t will not by proclamation
give the present disorders the magnitude and
Importance Of revolution. Had the govern
ment declared martial law it would have COM
mitted a blunder as great as that of its enemies;
indeed, it would have relieved them from the
imputation of having blundered; for if few
outrages in the streets may compel power to
stand as hastily on its defence as SO many
battles might have done; and as these outrages
are cheaper than battles, they who manage
them could argue from the admitted weakness
Of authority to the suficiency and economy Of
the means they had taken to shake it. and
justify their actions as national from their
having produced national effect As it is,
the government leaves these recent acts in the
catalogue of common crimes-mere conspira-
cies for arson and murder-and, supposing
that these things are done by the Fenians,
puts those men under The necessity of taking
higher ground in their hostility before they can
claim the honor Of struggling in their country's
cause. We are far from well satisfied that the
recent explosions were arranged by the Irish,
though public opinion in England and the
whole voice OF the press jumped to that conclu-
sion from the first Oltrages like these have
been before this concocted in British govern
ment Offices with the express view of fastening
a stigma on q cause that it was feared might
make its way with the people; and in the
recent convictions Of men in Ireland enough
was seen Of the character and conduct of the
present officials to assure us that they are not
above any course that promises to attain their
end. II these things, however, are really part
of the programme Of the Fenian organization,
they at least render it certain that that body
will never again be heard of in any respectable
way. If Fenianism has taken to these courses
it has committed suicide, it has thrown up all
title to be decent power, lost all the moral
capital it was making in the world as great
protest against misrule, and has abandoned the
attitude that would have made it tremen-
dously effective adjunct TO the voice of disaf-
lection in other parts OF Great Britain.
In this latter attitude the Fenians, acting
wisely, might have assisted in the accomplish
ment Of great results. Government in Eng
land is now in reality just entering upon its
struggle with the people. Popular disafection
has hardly taken the first steps in the career it
is to make. Since the Reform bill of 1882 q
spirit has been active among the people that
did not exist before, and it was the force Of that
spirit that imperceptbly drove the nation on
and secured the last Reform bill Of qualified
household suffrage. Will the popular demand
stop there? They who fancy that it may know
but little Of the people. England's lates. Re-
form bill will simply plant discomfort in the
thoughts of every man who is below its terms.
Thousands will be shut out by shilling, and
the satisfaction of those who are admitted to
vote viii be mild political and social force
by comparison with the stimulated ill-will and
jealousy OF those who, holding the same line
in life, standing on the same level in intellect
and otherwise, are excluded by phrase in
the law Reformers themselves already see
the tendency OF this, and are quiet ; for they
feel that they have started power they cam
not control Here, then, would have been the
sphere for the organized expression Of the
Irish; and, heard co-ordinately, the combined
voices of Irish and English would have shaken
the social faoric OF Britain in its utmost atom.
Nothing short OF revolution would have re-
sulsed. Manhood suffrage would have come,
and the law of entail, the State religion and
other crumbling antiquities would have gone
before this storm had been stilled. Such
changes must inevitably como, but in the
circumstances named they would have come
sooner. But If the Fenians have given up
their national character and taken to murder
by mail and the laundering butchery OF
dropping Illuminating masses in public places,
they had better give that up also and take to
the honest gallantry of foreign service, as their
fathers did in other ages Or, better still, let
them follow the millions OF their brothers who
are hardly tilling the free acres OF our own
boundless domain, and who have kept up the
purity Of the Irish name in the pursuits Of
peace and have added splendor to the records