The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-01-02
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0u sp'e al Correspondence from
IonuS a, Berlin and C0nstantinOple.
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Che Political Excitement and Public
Alarm in England
Mrs. BancrOft's Reception in
Berlin.
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State of Parties in Turkey and the
Great Battle Between Tradition
and Progress.
E N GA N D.
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE OF the HERALD.

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE OF THE HERALD
The Fenian Excitement-Atempts ar Arson
Kegs of Gunpowder mt NIillbank Prison
Nitro-Glycerine Discoveries-A Reign Of
Terror In Observation-Disclosures Irish
men'-John Bull In Trouble mt Home and
Abroad.
LONDON, Dec. 16, 1867.
Since the explosion at Clerkenwell prison, of
which you have already received full reports, the
whole kingdom has been in state of excitement
in regard to Fenian outrages. Here in London
the police and detachments of the Guards are on
duty day and night watching over the public build
ings, and to-day upon sworn information laid be-
fore the magistrates at the suggestion of the Home
Office, special constables have begun to be sworn
In. Only few hundreds have been enrolled up
to this writing; but under the indictments of the
newspapers, all of which publish leading articles
commencing the movement, thousands more will
be on duty within week.
Meanwhile three distinct attempts have been
made to create fires in London by means of bot
ties Of phosphorus, and of course these are set
down to the account Of the Fenians. In one ease
the building was clothing warehouse, in Bishop
gate street, city; in the others they were resi-
dences at the West End, unoccupied and in course
ofrepair. The plan was the same in all the cases.
building and then ran away. The bottles were
discovered and the fires put out before any great
damage was done. Threatening letters are con.
stantiy received at the Home Office, by the police
and by the journals promising similar outrages.
e2A more serious plot was stumbled upon by the
police ON Monday night. Rowing up the river
Thames near Vauxhall prison, the police noticed
. boat in Shore the occupants of which ran away.
0oar fbah nat 1yav IF
and another key was discovered in drain leading
from the prison. The London Post has the mo-
nopoly of this sensation story. which is probably
based upon the rumor tn at Ann Justice, Desmond
and Alien, arrested on suspicion of causing the
Clerkenwell tragedy, are confined at Mlbank. The
utmost secrecy is observed as to the real place of
confinement OF these prisoners, and also OF Burke
and Casey, who are said to be locked up in
police station near military barracks.
The whole country is in terrible scare, and
attributed to the irrepressible Fenians. On Mon
day rumor that Manchester being burned
held sway for several hours upon the Stock Ex-
change. Yesterday .. plan for attacking all the
armories was picked Up in the streets Of Wolver-
hampton. The day before yesterday number of
cartridges were seized by the police at Birming
ham. On Monday nine cans of nitro-glycerine
were discovered by the Sheriff at Newcastle. 1t
was stored in cellar and belonged to an aac
tioneer named Spark-a significant name, but
Spark Is not suspected OF being Fenian.
explosive material; bit the railroad COM
pany would not transport it and nobody
IN the town would take charge Of it. Finally, it
was carried ont to the woods and emptied into
some old, unused mining pits The cans were
oarelessly handled, an explosion occurred, and
four men were killed and others injured.
If this excitement continues we shall soon have
Q perfect reign of terror in London. The people
seem utterly helpless and ignorant where to look
for their foes. One would think it an
easy matter to trace purchasers of nitro
glycerine and of large quantities of powder
but the detectives are powerless to cope with pot
cal conspirators, having been accustomed to deal
only with ordinary thieves and burglars Precau-
lions are being taken, but they are all the precau
lions Of fear. The Fire Brigade has been ordered
to remove the fire ladders and escapes from their
regular stations in the streets and to concentrate
them ut the engine houses, which the Fenians
have threatened. This change may save the
engine houses, but il leaves half London helpless
against flames. This metropolis is fast rivalling
the condition OF Rome during the recent Carl.
baldan raid. Correspondents Of leading London
journals already advise that all aliens should be
sent out Of the country, and urge the revival of
the law OF 1915 for that purpose.
You will have seen that the London Times. 7eie-
graph and other papers have taken the ground
that the present Fenan outbreaks are not the work
OF lrishnen, but of Americans. Yankee rowdes,"
some papers call the perpetrators, while others
prefer the phrase "Americanzed lrsh.' English
men cannot comprehend that Irishmen have any
bodness, any ingenuity or any spirit, and do not
understand that the oppressed peasants of the
Green Isle grow up into independent and fearless
men when they breathe free air under popular
institutions Therefore they give the Americans
credit for this business when the fact is that ea.
cept few exConfederate soldiers who Joined the
Fenan raid into Canada, not a single American by
birth has been implicated in the Fenian movement.
The trades union outrage5 at Sheffield, under
Broadhead's rule, when of powder were
thrown down the chimneys OF houses where re-
fractory workmen lodged, were not denounced by
the English press as the Clerkenwell outrage has
been, and a similar incident at Rome-the blowing
mp Of the Zouave barracks by the Roman revolu-
tonsts-was actually hailed proof Of the
courage OF the Garlbaldan party.
IL is TO be hoped that one good result OF this
Fenan excitement will be TO cure England OF her
habit OF assisting and encouraging rebellions in
all other countries There j. not another nation
In the world which has not suffered from this in.
famous British custom. Another good result al.
ready developed IL that England looks with more
complaisant eyes upon the Alabama claims and
upon the theory that naturaliZed American cti.
Eens are in all respects citizens of the United
States, and that the old law "once a British sub
tect always British subject counts Tor nothing.
The London Times has given way entirely upon
this latter question: and no journal has come FOR.
ward to take what used to be the English view OF
the subject. II Congress will now pass the reso.
luton recommended by President johnson the
whole matter may he immediately settled Ii "a
needless TO, mince words
England is afraid Of the Fenians but she il much
more afraid Of the United States. The purchase
OF 81. Thomas, which seems so uamporiant
matter to you, and the reported effort Of Spain 70
sell Cuba TO the American government, are tull ol
meaning to European dplomatistl The alliance
between the United states aud Russia. always
sure point, derives additional interest from the fact
that Russia has now pushed her way up TO the very
boundaries OF Afghanstan and is thought TO be
threatening British India. Look at the future ss
hopefully you may, John Bull has his hands full
The Fenians have not done with him yet, and
foreign war, more serious than that u ADV ssinis.
within the next i've years, an absolute certainty.
PRUSSIA.