The New York herald., 1869-09-15

prlsoners Put the matter Ia what way you like they
cannot be made anything eise What they
have suffered In jail There they nave been
treated as convIcts condemned to hard labor
for housebreasing. murder or any other crime;
few save those who have been released can toll.
The agitation OF Fenianism has passed over-at any
rate for the time. Whenever IL reyives, Will bc
with very different strength than what 1t showed
two years ago. Ireland IL quiet. Beyond lille
stall ,aik'' the released Fonians have done no harm
whatever to the authorities; In fact most OF them
have betaken themselves from this to your side OF
the Atlantic. What possible good. then, can there
be in keeping prisoners the thirty or forty men
who have already suffered two years. lnprison-
menty
IL was to petition, or rather to make o demon
sration the subject, that the gathering took
place yesterday. The London papers represent that
there was u division among "the Nationalist" ," ana
that whereas some OF them went on two steamers
down the river to Cravesend, tae rest aud larger d.
vision started ON vans for Hampton Court This
is so far true that deemed better not 10 90 ali
together to Hampton C,urt for the best of reasons
that they could not get vans enough Ia London co
accommodate such vast multitude. therefore ~
was as well rs with the Intention O gathefing IN nv
the various villages down the river some hundrets
of lrshmcn who were anxious to JOIN ia tne demon
strat,on that the river trip was undertaken. This
mornings London papers, ID tne SNORT ACCOUNT
they give OF the gathering In lincolns snn tleias
yesterday. say that some 800 persons were present.
Now, was present. and can most distinctly assert
there were at least 1900 lrshmen ana women, an
wearing green ribbons, ana that besides quite Us
nlany moro who met together o. London Drldgo.
Besides these-lor l am only couating those VINO
took part the two excrsionS-therc were at least
some lu ooo men wearing the green looking on and
approving OF tho OBJECT OF the meeting out ZOO poor
to take part It. But vas Io S at nes ssionsses
at was the wonderful and extraordinary order anu
method with which this vast multitude was slowed
away IN tile vans that had 10 take them. Every
man seemed 10 have q place ana 20 know az 01co
where thai place was. There wera leaders OF tens,
OF hundreds and OF thousands
No veteran troops could have O more complete
organization then the Fenians have. Another thlug
that asonisned me not little was that among those
who thus openly ana ayowedly acknowledged them
selves TO be Fenans there were present ali the most
respectable lrishmen in London; shopxocpers,
tradesmen, merchants, journalists, ana Others. The
police, OF course. were present in great numbers,
both IN uniform anu In plain clothes But there was
not single man to be seen drunk among the ma
tonalists" as they are now called BY. themselves,
having dropped the term Fenian, although they
have retained the organization OF the same Another
thing surprised me, although had been told before
such was the case, namely, that among the Nation
al'' Assembly, or the assembly oi 'Nationalsts"
yesterday there were nota few prominent members
OF the Orange society. In fact, 0rangemen ana
Pr0testaats are now fraternizing and Joining with
Fenlans: both parties seem Determined to forget all
their former differences, and to unite together as
''National ir!shmen," TO get Ireland free from eng
lish dominion. The national party IS daily gathering
yesterday was the first time IL has been bold
enough TO snow In public before the world Of Lou
banners that were yesterday carried the process.
sion would not have been allowed for moment In
the strees OF London; stu lesa saw would the stars
political procession. But now this Is really thought
nothing OF. year ago what was then called the
Fenian movement had reoiy no very definite object
IN view. Now the national party do not for o mo-
ment conceal what they are working for. 1t Ia to
Tree Ireland from England aud annex her to the
this national organization is very much deeper and
has taken far stronger stronger roo root IN the soil than
as | have more than once pointed OUT to
you Engishnen viii not believe in anything new.
In the face. II went into any London club to-day
and said that the wonderful organization Of
t1as ms1 ne saw
act klnd-if said this should be laughed at Tor my
pains. But that does not make 1t any the less true.
Still more would nineteen EngIishmen out OF twenty
laugh II declared that among the natiOnalites that
showed yesterday the chief leaders were all men
who had served under the American nag during the
civil war; But such Ia fact. Or II asserted that
there are now in London ready TO take arms ut any
moment, ana thoroughly disciplined, each man
under his leader and each leader subject to higher
authority, 900 lrshmen only too anxious TO strike
blow whenever and wherever they are ordered to
little less than maniac Nevertheless, 1t is the
plain. unvarnished truth. Still waters run deep,
and the national river Is much quIeter stream
than was the Fenan river.
Talk to those who compose this new amalgama-
ton OF the irish party, and they VIII tell you-that
Is II they know and can trust you-that their time
is not yet; that their duty to Ireland is TO wait to
organize TO drill, to learn discipline to increase
tne.r numbers, and TO await orders They will fur
ther speak TO you OF coming troubles with America,
and OF Engisnds defeat beng lreland's oppOrrunity
All this Is but the simple truth. Yesterdays de-
monsfraiion was brought together. not with any
hope tnat the government would have sense enough
or mercy enough to liberate the Fenian prisoners.
but pret. OF the kind was wanted. The real
object was q, familtarlze, or to make commence
ment OF fauiiiarizng, the Englisa artisans and
laooring men OF London With the green
flag OF Ireland and the Stars and stripes
OF America, displayed IN the streets OF London
Presently thia VIII be thought nothing OF, although
II Il now news. The natonalists wish to make
friends with the English laboring classes and to do
this they must proceed by degrees ana gradually
make the former acquainted with the end ana aim
OF their society. The English labOrers throughout
the Kingdom are organizing society by which the
whole immense power OF their united vote can be
brought to bear way Or another at parliament
tary elections. These same classes are already
deeply mbued with republican notions and are
daily becoming more Unite them with the Irish
national party, and let them (whO have now really
tile whole power OF the country III their hands,
bring she Vote of which they have hitherto made
so little 10 bear upon any question, and 1 need
hardly point out the vital changes that wiz be
In the composition OF the English government.
People here cannot or will not see how much the
cloud Is overawng the domestic political horizon
OF this country: bat their wilfui blindness does
aOt make the vital changes which are coming upon
us smaller In size Or less certain 10 burst upon
US at no very distant day.