The New York herald., 1869-04-13
E - r Q r E
ENGLAND.

GtNaEHtNO-
>~-~~~~-~~c>>~~>~~>>>~>,~
British Treatment of Feuiun Prisoners.
LONDON March 27, 1859.
man need not be very old. need he be blessed
with very retentive memory to recolect the civil
war IN America and how we English used to crtcise
all that the federals did respecting their prisoners OF
war; For four years our newspapers. fed by the ex-
traordnary (and nine times out OF ten false) stories
OF their special correspondents in the States kept
up never-ending, everbeginning source OF irrita-
ton to an honorable and sensitive people by at
tempting to teach the Northerners what they ought
and what they ought not TO do with their C0nfeder
ate prisoners. And when the war was at an end
they made matters sti ''Wny don't on llber-
ate all those SOutherners you have In captivity-why
don't you let them go back ut to their homess"
was the continual cry OF the English press, always
excepting the Daily Ne,cS the S,Gr and a few other
Journals. Well, the federals did liberate the great
mass OF the rank and file, but kept for time few
OF the leaders in an honorable, easy captivity One
by one even these were. and very speedily, too after
the over, set free, until Jer Davis alone re-
NAMED prisOner-but . prisoner who was as well
treated IN his place OF detention as he could have
been In his own house. and his Imprisonment, as we
all know, was purely nominal. But this was not
enough for people and press like ours, who seem
to think that their emission" In this world is to teac
TO do their duty in life. And 80 continual cry
was sent uD in England that 1t was sin, and a
shame ana national disgrace for America to keep
the ex-President of the Confederate rebellion
any longer in captivity. And now,
that JEFF Davis himself longer even
n0minally "behind the bars" not week-hardly a
day-passes without some ono or other, even OF the
better cass-ah and OF the "llbera" In politics-of
newspapers grumbng and laundering about what
the Americans ought to have done with their prison.
ers what they did not do, and so forth.
Now, II ever there was a rebellion that was utterly
unJustnable II ever there that had for its
chief object the maintenance Of devilish institution
which had been left as legacy by Britain to the
States II ever there was revolution that was dan
ger0us and whicn would have justified even the ut
most severity, by way OF caution for the future to-
wards those who had taken part in It, 1t the late
civil war in America. Compare 1t for moment
with the Fenian movement in Ireland. II ever
men were justified In taking arms in their hands;
II ever those who rebeled against q government
showed courage. sngleness OF purpose and devotion
to their cause II cast their lives upon the
hazard OF die, and like the martyrs OF old, deter
mined to preach their iaith by their deaths, In order
that others might see and believe and follow IN their
/ political footsteps, 1t the Irish Fenan leaders,
| And will say more. II ever there was govern
be bygOnes to forgive ana forget the past and con-
cillate by mercy and amnesty what remains OF the
antEngish feeling In Ireland 10 Is the British gov
ernment of the present day; am not an Irlshman
nor had any sympathy with the Fenian movement
as SUCH But can feel how Irishmen that were not
Oran yemen must have felt when there was a hope
a chance however small-Or compelling England to
do justice TO the sister isle More than this, my 10y
atty towards the English government does not pre-
vent me remembering with bitter shame how the
Fenian prisoners have been treated since they were
captured
are these Fenians but political prisonersf Even
their enemies never accused them OF plunder OF any
Se & OF sa of on
the Continent OF Europe has DONE Compared Win
those who have Overset or tried to overset, govern
mentS In France, Italy, Germany and other c0un-
tries, the Fenian Irish were "A innocent children.
But they have been herded with the very Of
society," and made to work in gangs with murderers,
housebreakers and the very worst OF our very bad
habitual criminals. Many, l may say most, OF the
| sponsible commands in your army during the war;
But they have endured for three long years punish
ment far worse than death Itself living and moving
with companions such the devi alone could have
| provided. TO do Mr.. Gladstone, Mr.. Bright and
others, but net all now in the Ministry, justice they
determined IN their own minds tnat the Fenlan5 had
suffered long enough, and that the best way To make
Ireland forget the past VAS to beratc portion OF
these prisoners and should they not abuse the iavors
granted them to release at some subsequent period
the Others You Will hardly believe that the press
has set up howl OF Indignation against this nea-
sure and that even the mercy extended 10 the thirty
| or iorty Fenians VINO have come forth from penal
servitude has been greatly and very loudly blamed
OF reading this you Will at once Imagine
that the Tory, the irish orange papers, have taken
uD this cry. wish for the honor OF English jour
nasm that no other journals had done So bus 1t IL
not so The liberal Times and the liberal PaH MdH
gazette. both organs OF the higher classes. fore
most In this cry They blame the government most
| severely, even for the small mOdlcum OF mercy
| IJ has shown. and declaim IN measured
terms against any more steps in the same direction
Their eaS0n-if reason 1t can be called-ls because
among tie thirty forty Fenlans that, have been
liberated two or three OF the more ho-headed
have since their liberation uttered speeches which
we're full OF "ta talks respecting the future of Ire
land and certainly not complimentary towards the
| British government. But can we wonder at thss
Is st surprising that men-g gentlemen many OF them
by birth and education-who know how much the
| English press aud the English people sympathze
with rebellion all over the world should feel ag
grieved a. having passed two years among the
worst outcasts OF the world OF crimel Did Louis
| Napoeon did King Bomba, did the Pope, did the
Emperor Of Austria subject their political pr
soper5 to penal seryitude and couple them with
murderers, garroters, housebreakers and the like
The I0H MAJ GGzee, In an article upon this subject
which appeared the night before last (and which Is
calculated 10 do an immense deal OF harm by setting
many OF the unthiDking upper classes IN England
very numerous class, | ain sorry to say-agqnst
Ireland, and the Irish against the English governing
classes, says:-
Of that give o that rebellion
~ nne spr,led proceeding which the goyernmen, half
were well on the ohsr side q ser,ou. rsoelon We had
the neck OF daecon home and destroyed hopes
the Irish ~ America would be very dnereni but as mat.
the defeat which he has received is iri1ins and little
ceeded the hostility OF which representative that
the petence Of treating with contempt the which he
dangers when xould manly 10 confront with an
spirit
Now, II the above extract means anything It
means that England has wroDRed Ireland; that Ire
land has yet the power In her own hands to avenge
these wrongs, and that as we fear her. 40 we VIII be-
and are justified In being. unjust towards her |
may be wrong but coming from the quarter this
Kind OF manifest does, and sprung as II has from
more tnan one s0.calleI liberal source at ana
the same time, I look upon this doctrine N more
fatal 10 irish tranquility than all the yaporinQs OF
tine Orange party. The writer OF such an article
must In his heart be well.wlsher To irish discon-
tent.