The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-11-26
Fiiibmsfcriag Fenin ns.

By telegram from Washington we are in
formed that President johnson will, in his
forthcoming message to Congress- refer in
prominent manner to an alleged ill-treaiment
Of American citizens at the hands OF the gov
eminent of Great Britain, by means OF arrests,
Imprisonment, trials, convictions and punish
ment for offences committed within the terri
tory of the kingdom. This intelligence refers,
we presume, to the cases Of certain Irishmen
who, having domiciled here for Few years,
or obtained their naturalization papers, have
seen fit to organize a conspiracy against the
crown of the Queen of England and SET out for
Europe Of their own volition, as Fenians, to
further it, object by force of arms.
We do not believe that President johnson
will make sllusion to any such matter, and
class the report az one Of those polti-
cal cauards which are always sci sfoat
in Washington for party purposes just
before the meeting OF Congress. Mr..
Johnson is not, perhaps. very deeply
read in diplomacy az science he
is not Bismarck, Metiernich nor a Napo-
leon but he is sufficiently well informed as
Executive Of the American republic to
know that the uniform course Of our govern
ment has been, from the very commencement.
faithful observance OF our neutrality laws
towards foreign Powers Permitting no out
siders to interfere in our home administration,
il would ill become US to attempt to NEEDLE,
even il we could. with their execution Of their
home laws.
We refer to this subject just now on account
Of observing that certain political party
leaders in New York thought III to assemble
a meeting in the Cooper Institute last Saturday
for the ostensible purpose OF advocating some
sort OF government interference in behalf OF
certain Fenian convicts held in the jails of
England or Ireland but more likely 10 further
certain party ends at the expense Of few I'M
thinking lrishmen, by seeking to create fuss
about the Impeachment Of Mr.. Seward" and
stump orator trash OF that description.
The American government cannot tolerate
foreign national factions Irishmen who leave
their honest employments here TO 10 flibusier-
ing in ireland or England take their lives
in their hands and must bear the con-
sequences. II citizens Of the republic, they
prove themselves unfaithful to their
allegiance by attempting TO make war on a
Power with which we are at peace, and forfeit
all claim to protection by the act II subjects
ofQueen Victoria. they are simply rebels and
must be treated accordingly. England has
! suspended the habeas corpus in Ireland, treason
is punishable with death. and the most learned
judges Of Britain have decided that the Fenisn
! flibusters from America have had fair trial.
What more do their friends. real or pre-
tended. require Indeed. having gone on .
hazardous enterprise, il appears cowsrdly, and
consequently un-lrish. 90 seek to cry of on q
legal bubble when the pain is being ex-
pcrienced
England sympsthized largely with The
American rebels lately in arm. against the
Union. The American people have pity for
the wives and children OF all Irishmen who
step out from the shelter of the constitution to
do illegal acts, but do not seek 70 retsliste
on England by encouraging rebellion and
murder on her soil. Further than this we have
no sympathy with the condemned Fsnisn fili-
busters, no more than we have with Gsribaldi--
who also pleads his American "papers"---or
had with Lopez when he was garroted in
Caba.