The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1870-06-09
TO BIZ CONTINUED. !
The Fenian Invasion.

There is something so noble in the heroIan 81
the honest Irishmen who have offered their for.
tunes and their persons for this last wretched exs
pedition against Canada, that we cannot speak
OF their enterprise without respect but the folly
OF the whole affair has been so stupendous and
the failure so inconceivably absurd, that we can
hardly speak OF either without equal indignRs
ton and amusement. For months the Brothers
hood has been maSsing its resources, collecting
arms, organizing regiments and brigades, PLAN
ming battles and sieges, and deysing commissa-
riats. Every available dollar has been raised
and spent. Every available man, II the Fenian
organs are to be trusted, has been ordered TO the
front. According to one Of the cheap papers Of
this city, no fewer than 900, disguised in plain
clothes, marched from Brooklyn alone in sin.
gle day. Immense arsenals of muskets and
cannon have been hidden somewhere in the
Green Mountains. On the other side Of the line,
Canada has been shaking with terror. The vol
unteers have rushed to arms. The regular
troops have been posted along the St. Lawrences
Quebec is in flames and Sir John Mcdonald Is
sick a-bed with fright. Under these awful cir.
cumStanceS the war began.
The field of affTay was in Franklin County,
Vermont, close to the Canada line and some fife
teen miles north Of st. Adams Thither the
Fenian army repaired in driblets TO place them
selves under the command Of Gen. O'Neil.---
Their first proceeding was to unpack carpet bagH
and get out the green uniforms. Their second
was to hear a speech. "Fenians," said the Gem
eral, "the eyes of Ireland are upon you. For
ward, march" Now II was perhaps not strictly
in accordance with military etlquette-or shall
we say discipline ?-but when Gen. O'Neil said
Forward, march," the Fenian to whom had
been committed the command Of the skirTnish'
line deemed this proper occasion for anothdT
speech in the course OF which he copiously obs
served that he would forward march. Then the
army turned round, saw Canada, and went for
IL.
The Canadian army at this point being only
80 strong, while the Fenians were about $50, the
conquest of the Dominion might seem a fore
gone conclusion had 1t not been for the sudden
interference Of the United States Of Ameries.
The United States OF America was personated
on this occasion by George P. Foster and Thom~
as Fa1ley, who came upon the field ofbattle In
rockaway, or some such peaceable vehicle, an4
took commanding position upon hillside
under fire. In the thickest of the fight, wh1lS
the Fenian commander (alsO under frel was
surveying the scene through glass, the Unitbd
States of America crept from the rockaway and
tapped him on the shoulder. "Sir," said Mars
shal George 7. Foster ~ arrest you for breaking
the law" "Sir, said the General, II have an
army here and won't be arrested" Where
upon the commander was ignominiously bum
died into the carriage and driven of TO Jail
and the army went homei i''-'y
A plain narration of this story-a war stopped
by marshal and one deputy, a whole army de-
teated and utterly routed by two men, is so ut
terly ludicrous that no comment can improve
II. But in fact we have no desire to dwell upon
the farcical features of this new discovery in
strategy. We have no disposition to speculate
upon what would have happened If wellington
had been arrested by sheriffs officer In the
middle of the battle Of Waterloo, or Grant lodgs
ed in jail by q Virginia constable while the Army
of the Potomac was fighting in the Wilderness,
The serious side OF Gen. O'Neil's ridieulous
blunder is too painful to be laughed at. The
folly of this charlatan has cost thousands q
working people the last dollar of their savingss
and perhaps some poor fellows their lives. u
has covered good cause with disgrace. II he's
postponed the liberation of Ireland. 1t has de.
graded Irlshmen in the estimation OF many o.
their fellow-citizens who will perhaps overlook
the difference between the patriotism Of the poo
pie and the imbecile vanity of the leaders
These are the sad results of the last Fenian in.
vasion. We can only hope that the rank and
file may get home quickly and sound, and save
their carpet-bags. York Tribune.