The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1870-06-02
Irish wrongs and Irish Folly


Redress of wrongs Is the privilege
Of all peoples Redress of private
wrongs is provided by law; but
wh"n people move for redress they
become n law unto themselves. Stat
utes, the customs LOCALIZED by cen
turies Of assent, hie ignored rs inHu.
cnccs of restraint or direction, and
regarded only as obstacles TO be over
come by violence. But it becomes all
the more obligatory upon people SO
moving TO respect the Jaws which con-
situate universal comfy. No CUES,
may properly pervert the privileges OF
hospitality to purposes OF vengencc for
wrongs, real or iancied, perpetrated
upon him by party with whom his
host is at peace. 1t is not good man
ners. IL is worse than bad manners
It is ingrattudo.
But what less than an abuse Of hos.
pitallity Is this Fenian invasion OF
Canada from the United States? Can
any intelligent Fenian justify il BY
any rule OF action which obtains
among civilized peoples Admit tina,
every man concerned 10 these raj Is is
a citizen of the United States, and the
rightiullpcss of the movement is Just
as clearly wanting. it will not be pre-.
tended that parties of native citizens
can rightly commit acts Of hostility
acains, friendly nation, There is no
quarrel between the United States and
Greet Britain. IT there were, the
prosecution ut the quarrel could not
by any possibility be carried on by in
dividuals. Governments, only, can law
fully settle disputes between each 9TH
cr. Governments, not mobs, must
coutrel the issues of war and peace.
But these Fenian invasions misrep-
resent FeDianism in its object and
aims. Genuine Feianism relates TO
the education OF the Irish people Sc
tha, they may be truly CITED to fight
aud win lreland's battles. 1t is pre-
tended that n republic is possible 10
Ireland to-day? We deny that the
real leaders OF the Irish people SO pre-
tend. But admit that such a govern
mcnt would under favorable cir;um.
stances, be possible in Ireland, can il
DO accomplished three thousand miles
away? Who believes it? Nobody
We hold, then, that these belligcr.
ont spirits delay Irish independence
They operate to delay it through ma.
terial waste. These raids have but
cue probable result-iaiure. Failure
results in a decadence of enthusiasm,
and with enthusiasm eliminated from
the Irish character successful action is
scarcely possible. Invasion OF Can
ada is an extravigancc. IL is known,
too, by the men who engineer these
invasons from this side, that the gov.
ernmcpt Of the United States is bound
to prevent them, by persuasion if pos.
siblc, by force if necessary. Otherwise
it makes war upon Great Britain with
out proclamation or warning. II any
itelligcnt Fenian supposes that any
other course is houorably possible to
our government, he has very singular
ideas Of honor and good faith between
nations. Adopted citizens may right
" cherish and labor for Irish indepen.
dcnce il all proper ways; but to per-
vert the privileges of citizenship into
standing ground from whence to en-
broil us with friendly power is not
among the proper ways"
Since writing the foregoing we have
received the following note from II
gentleman who knows whereof he al.
firms:
James Gibbons, president Of the cx-
ecu'ive council OF the Feuiun Brother
hood. asserts that the present so-call-
ed Fenian raid upon Canada is made
by irresponsible parties, and not by
the authority of the Feuian Brother
hood.
This confirms our opinion about
expressed, and oughtto operate to re.
strain the rash aud inconsideratc. -
Tho D1n