North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1867-01-02
The Coudem led Fenians in Cana is.

= The Coudrm led Fenians lii Canada. Il
The. London Eaaainsr, long. known
wheferet ontlanguE gels spoken AZ enc of
the most liberal, inpareiaL. and philosopbic-
aljournals.ia England, aigpfs in fsvor.ot
such course toward the condemned Feni-
ans, in Canrda as is dictated even less by
motives of e!ernency toward the unfortu
nate men themselees'than by the highest
considerations of State policy on behalf of
Canadians themselves, and all the diff erent
people who by natural sympathy OF blood
by geographical position, OF political con,
nection, are desirous of placing upon sat
isfactory basis the relations of all who speak
our tongue or furnish the chief constituents
OF, cur race
The Examiner says: -,...,. ......
The fate of the Fenians under sentence
of death in Canada should be decided with
out any regard to. the construction that
may be put on, an act of grace. Men are
not to be hung, because spdring their liCes
might be falsely otributed TO tear. The
Judgment of the government should be un-
swaved BY the foolish rents and threats in
the United States. But some respect IS
surely due to the feelings of the american
government. The men might not have
been captured If the American government
had not faithfully and vigorously enforced
SO 1r,.., ..pt A nd
this fact warrants iuterccssicu, and entities
it al least to respectful consideration. The
interference in the course of justice i'm an
independent state is,not like that of the
King of Prussia who solicited the re-
prieve of the assassin Mnller merely be.
cause he was.a countryman. r
The fact that the blood-stained wretch was
German, gave the King of Prussia no
right of appeal against british justice. The
President of the American Union may
fairly claim to intercede for mercy on the
grousd that by the help of his power the
prisoners had fallen iuto the hands of their
enemies. But the question of the disposal
of these men is not to be determined by
influences, permissible or ot,;but by high
er considerations. lit has become law
OF the land. that life shall not be taken for
any crime but murder. Frost levied war
against the Queen, and incurred the penal
ties of treason, but he WAS not put to death,
Smith O'Brien and his fellow rebels were
transported, though they had put: their
necks tairly within the halter. In both
these instances it may be said that the fol
ly OF the enterprise made it impossible to
deal with them with tragical rigor; but if
folly excuses, there iseerlainly no lack of
it in the Fenian case. The truth is, how
ever, that the sentiment ot,the country
would not have endured the enforcement
of the extreme penalty for treason in the
instances. named J;r - .see.i.sa s s.s
We have seen it argued that, to- show
We are not afraid Of the Americans we
ought to act as if we were in great fear OF
the Fenistps. and make an lae xaiAple OF the
captured ,offenders- But fear should
misve nothing TO do with the question, least
of all the lit,ar of being thought afraid. Let
the criminals sutirl' suitable punishment tor
the unprovoked outrage, ut not the penal.
ty reserved exclusively for murder. i
they had done on our shores what the;
have done on the Canadian frontier. they
would have been shot AID bavobeted on
the field, but, when captured, they would
not have been hung by process Of law.