The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-07-01

AN ENGLISH VIEW OF THE FENIAN FfAsCo.-The
Pail Mall GGzetts makes the following comments on
the late Fenan fasco:-
1t was not unreasonable at this distance for the
British public to be thrown into unpleasant state
Of nervousness at the first threatening of Fenian in
vason, and the hysterica laugh which followed the
collapse Of the enterprise was natural result of the
completeness and suddenness of the relief. The
press has but faithfully echoed the average feeling
in its different phasesfear Of the invaders surprise
at their weakness, amusement over their discomf-
ture. But now that we have once more got to our
normal condition, it would be well to look back
coolly and ask ourselves whether we have really to
thank our own good luck or the valor of the Cana
dians or the inherent Stiffness of the Fenans so
entirely has been supposed for the utter
failure of the attempt on the Dominion.
General Lindsays speech will, to a good
many people, seem to be decisive, and the
prowess Of the colonial volunteers, which he praises
the direct solution but we regret to differ wholly
from that authority, and fear that If his utterance
be rightly reported, the worthy general has been
speaking more under the influence of the sentiment
known as 'b1ncombe" than is quite right or wise.
Is 1t likely, even possible, that soldier like
O'Neill, who has seen hard service under such a
6rst-rate commander as Sherman, would have risked
his name in an enterprise which had within 1t no
conceivable element OF success? Were the 1000
tibusters, Of whom his actual force consisted all
the strength upon which the invasion of Canada
American papers for the last three years, and learnt
how.widey the Fenian organization is spread, will
probably hold very different opinion. O'Nein
must have known how insufficient for any effec-
tive purpose were the means actually in hand but
he probably regarded his immediate following as
mere advance guard, which thousands of Saxon
hating Irishmen from the Western cities would have
pressed on to join, had the newspapers been able
report, as on the former occasion, success the
first Canadians encountered. The repulse, how
ever slight, OF chance body of volunteers would
again have been magnifed by the papers into
GLORIOUS victory over the British, and been fol-
lowed by general rush to the border OF all those
who had hitherto contented themselves with talking
or subscribing in the Fenian interest. That this
calculation was over-sanguine is very possible; out
In making it the American Government was neces-
ssrily considered as remaining neutral, and it s in
this matter that the Fenian programme was utterly
mistaken, and the project founded upon impossible
conditions That proclamation of President Grant
that movement of Meade's detachments
to the frontier which General Lindsay somewhat
rashly pronounces ''of no use," completely severed
the marauders from the widespread support on
which they reckoned, and left them opposed with
out help hope, to the gathering militia OF the
Dominion From the hour that Grant spoke out the
policy OF his Government the Fenian invasion be-
came an isolated raid OF few desperadoes and it
is because we feel that under different guidance
the Washington Cabinet might have famed the
spark ONeill kndled into serious flame that we are
bound to protest against the declarations OF those
Who because the danger disappeared more suddenly
than was hoped, ignore the prompt frendliness of
conduct which efectually prevented its ever becOm-
ing serious. l