The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-05-11
England and Russia-The Irrepres-
sible Fenfans.

the Fenians that their coveted opportunity
has come at last, and that, as soon as war
breaks out between England and Russia,
they will be at liberty to enlist in the Rus
sian service for an invasion of Canada, is MS
wild freak of lunacy as ever got possession
of empty brains self-advertised "to be let
unfinished" The idea of the doughty
Fenians that there will be call for their
valor and scope for their deadly hate OF
England as soon as the impending war
is declared is sheer moonshine md
nonsense. Their absurd way of jumping at
conclusions is fresh proof of their igno-
rance and -headedness. They know
well enough that popular sympathy in the
United States will be on the side of Russia
and they are illogical enough to infer that
they will therefore be permitted to enlist as
Russian soldiers and cross into Canada as
an invading army. The American Fenians
ssreckon without their host" They have
not yet learned that the government OF the
United States is not influenced by
discharge Of international obligations.
In a war between Russia and England
our government will maintain as strict and
impartial neutrality as if the American
people were Indifferent between the bellig-
erent parties. It is bound to maintain
this attitude by international law, and the
obligation is strengthened and enforced by
our stringent neutrality laws.
The government of the United States has
never failed to subordinate the popular
sympathies of the country to it's interna-
tional obligations. The first conspicuous
illustration was furnished at q very early
period, soon after the outbreak Of the
French Revolution. When war arose be-
tween England and France the whole
tide Of American popular feeling
set strongly in favor of France. Moth
ing could have been more natural or JUS
tifable than that vehement preference.
The passions OF our own war of indepen-
dence had not yet subsidized. We had not
ceased to resent the attempt Of England
to subjugate US nor TO cherish a sentiment
of profound gratitude to France for her as
sistance. Moreover France, being then
republic, appealed to our republican in
stincts, while England was waging war in
support of monarchy and aristocracy, which
our people detested. But even under that
powerful temptation our government
our Secretary Of State at that time,
was the most ardent abettor Of
France in his private feelings Of any
statesman in the country; but he did not
permit his private sentiments to warp his
views Of public duty. He was the author Of
those doctrines on the subject Of neutrality
which have ever since been the settled
American rule. Everybody who is even
slightly acquainted with our early history
knows how strenuously he resisted the
French attempts to fit out privateers from
our ports, and how triumphantly he refuted
and demolished the arguments OF Genet,
the French Minister to this country.
The mastery reasoning of Jefferson in
that excited and trying period is equally
applicable now, and SC deep and solid are
the foundations on which it rested that it
will always be pertinent to similar circum-
stances. 1t is as cogent and irresistible
against the lunatic Fenians to-day rs it was
against the crazy pretensions OF Genet to tit
out French privateers from our ports in
1893, and is to be classed with those greater
efforts of the human intellect which "are
not for day, but for all time" We do not
know where, in all the records Of diplomatic
reasoning, a closer and more conclu-
sive argument is to be found than
the following from despatch Of Jefferson
to Gouverneur Morris, our Minister to
France :-"If one citizen has right to 60
to war of his own authority every citizen has
the same. IL every citizen has that right
then the nation (Which is posed Of all
its citizens) has right to 80 to war by the
this is not true, either on the general prin-
ciples of society or by our constitution,
which gives that power to Congress alone
and not to the citizens individually. Then
the first position was not true and no citi-
zen has right to 60 to war of his own au-
thority, and for what he does without right
he ought to be punished. Indeed, nothing
can be more obviously absurd than to say
that oil the citizens may be ut war and yet
the nation at peace"
No piece OF augmentation ever went
more directly to the pith of question than
this. AS applied to our Fenians no refuta-
ton could be more complete Of their claim
to invade Canada without the authority Of
the government under which they live. II
the United States should declare war against
Great Britain, as an ally OF Russia, the Fe-
mans would be entitled to enlist in our
armies and to march into Canada il the regi-
ments to which they belonged were ordered
to cross the frontier. But SO long as our
government stands neutral Fenians will ex-
pose themselves to punishment under our
laws if they organize hostile incursions into
Canada. The foregoing extract from Jeiier-
son was merely statement OF prin-