Middletown transcript., 1868-02-15
vHxrAnrsm.

- the mcs OF the globe. from the time of
Henry II, the FIRST Of the Plantagenets,
who conquered and formally annexed it to
the British Grown in l172, down TO the
present moment Nearly seven centuriss
have rolled away, since that event, ,--seven
centuries ofsorrow, suffering. and national
humiliation, TO Irishmen; seven centu-
siss Of wrong and outrage. and shameless
viola1ion Of human rights, by the British
nation. What dark and damning blot
rpon the escutcheon Of that clustering,
blcsted. and self-suficient people, are the
pages Of Irish history. Confscation of
property, banishment. imprisonment and
death. are some Of the penalties which
Irishmen have paid, for their unconquer-
able love of liberty. and their irrepressible
desire to set their beloved Erin free from
the calling yoke Of British tyranny. ., And
while England has inflicted these outrages
upon ireland. she has assumed to be the
most enlightened. magnanimous and Chris
tian nation on the face of the earthl She
has boosted that no slave could breathe the
air or tread the soil Of England, without
being free. She has sent out her mission
aries 10 the four quarters Of the globe, and
her benevolent bosom has overAowed with
the milk Of human kindness towards the
heathen. She has uplifed her pious hands
in holy horror over the system of Amer
lean slavery, and sent hither her inter-
meddling emissaries to snlighten this be-
nighted land in relation to It's duties to-
ward the children Of Africa. But, for
ireland, poor. distressed, downtrodden
Ireland. whom she holds in chains, she
seems TO hxye no bowels Of compassion !
ireland, however, win yet be free; the
day Of her deliverance approaches. if the
signa of the times are not deceptive.
That Fenianism--Or the particular organ
isation known as Fenians- will be the
instrument Of her deliverance, we do not
bslieve. True. they have frightened Eng
land from her propriety and whether at
home, or in her Canadian dependencies,
her augmented police discover a Fenian
IN every bush. The army and the navy
are upon the alert, and the sacred person
Of the Queen, we are told, is guarded
with more than the wonted care, lest her
Majesty should be seized by some lurking
Eenian. - -....'.
Bat the whole Fenian system, it seems
10 ~. ID wild and impracticable It is one
Of the greatest Irish "bulls" ever com
nitted. and everybody can see that it is,
except, Irishmen themselves. 1t serves,
hswsvsr. to keep England uneasy. It's
treasury is still replenished, (after all that
has been squaDdered by some of its faith
less managers } from the hard earnings Of
Irish larorers and wash-women, whose
hopes survive all the miscarriages and
failures which have attended it. Still they
give, and still their organization perse-
vsFes, under the most adverse circu mstan-
ses. Such devotion to Ireland, on the
part Of her expstriated children, is beau
tiful TO behold. But it will accomplish
nothing. How they expect to overthrow
the power of England-to cope with her
lsgions upon the land and upon the sea,
does not appear. They may offer up, as
they have already done, victim after VIC
tim, to British power and authority; but
the sacrifice is without avail. Unaided
BY Some nation besides their own, their
sttsmpts will all be fruitless. But, should
war occur between England and some for.
midable maratime power, such as the Uni.
Ted States, or France, Austria, or Prussia
then would the golden opportunity be pre-
sentsd TO unhappy Erin. to strike for lib.
erty. That opportunity viii come, in al
probability; and when it does, England
will be shorn of this fairest jewel in hel
crown. Until it does, these Fenian raid
seem little short of madness. If Irish
men in America, would bide their time
organize, arm, drill and take care Of theil
funds. they would be in condition t,
strike an effective blow for the Liberation
Of their native land, in the event abov,
alludedto. But Fenianism, as it has man
ifested itself, in the past few years, is bu
the supremest follys wasting their resour
ess. imperiling their lives, and diaaplpoin
ting their hopes of ultimate success. /
is. however eminently Characteristic Q
these brave, hardy, impulsive. but unre
hecting people. ~ ''t' '1s
The undying hate of Ireland toward
hsR oppressor, ought to be a lesson to ou
sxn government. not TO implant q simila
Aslfag b the breasts of our brethren in th