The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-08-09

tne OOroeI Dy nOrue5 OF crazy lrlSnmeu. De-
cause of the hostile attitude of Canada
towards us, however, the people of the United
States certainly feel a sort of apathy with re-
gard to the disposal of the Fenian bandits
who inspired the Kanucks with SO much
terror, but the fact remains that O'Neil and
others implicated in the raid we're guilty of a
great crime, and that they richly deserve to
be punished in a manner that will serve to
inspire them and their sympathizers with a
proper respect for the law. Suppose
such an attack as that of last
May had been made upon our borders by a
band of rebel refugees from Canada: we GER
tainly would not be satisfied if only a nominal
punishment were awarded them, and it is
only fair that in estimating the guilt of the
Fenians we should put ourselves in the place
of the Canadians. 1t is to the credit of our
Government that, notwithstanding the offenses
of England and Canada. it interfered promptly
on the occasion of each Fenian raid, in spite
of the provocations we have received that
would have almost excused some little apathy
and the trial, conviction, and sentence of
O'Neil and other Fenian leaders is also Gre
ditable, especially when we consider the pow
erful influence brought to bear to prevent
them from receiving their deserts, although
the very mild punishment inflicted is in
reality out of all proportion to the magnitude
of their offense.
General O'Neil and Colonel Brown
were tried a short time ago at Windsor, Yer
mont, and sentenced to the State Prison; but
this will be scarcely even a nominal punish
ment if, as is reported, these two scamps are
not to be put to labor, are not to assume the
prison garb, or associate with the other pri-
soners, but are to have a room to them
selves, with a separate table and the same
fare as the superintendent, and are to be
treated in all respects like gentlemen, so that
the only inconvenience they will suffer will
be the confinement within the walls of the
prison. 1t needs no argument to prove that
this is not the way to make the laws re-
spected; and yet it seems likely that Messrs.
ONeil and his compatriot will not be called
upon to endure even this indignity for any
greatlength of time.
A pressure is being brought upon
the President to induce him to grant them
his pardon, and all the politicians who are
anxious to conciliate the Irish vote are work
Ing ike beavers TO make capital Tor tnem-
selves by procuring the liberation of the
Fenian o~aptiyes. The better Judgment of
the President must convince him that this is
not a proper case for the executive inter-
ference, and that the cause of law and order
will be best served by allowing the bold
raiders to suffer all the punishment that the
merciful judges imposed upon them. 1t
is of more importance that our national
honor and the dignity of our laws
should be indicated than that
the Irish vote should be conciliated, and as
President Grant and the party that supports
him are likely to get but a very small pro-
portion of the said vote at any rate, he can
we'll afford to do his whole duty in the matter.
We therefore hope that the President will
refuse positively to yield to the solicitations
of the friends of O'Neil and the other i'm
prisoned Fenians, and will allow them al. the
opportunity that their full terms of imprison-
ment will afford to reflect Upon whether they
canno find some better way of liberating
Ireland than by making annual attacks upon
the Canadians.