The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-11-28
A HISTORY OF FENIANISM.
Brief Sketch of the Rise and Fall of
Revolutionary Society.
A Revolt In Ireland Prevented by Lack OF
Support from America-The Fenians
In the United States.

after it had been put in type. The Head
Center commences by enumerating the diff
ferent material advantages indirectly caused
to his country by Fenianism, and quotes
Mr.. Gladstone in support of his statements.
He denies that the order was in any way
connected with Socialism. The idea of es-
tablishing the organization suggested itself
to Mr.. Stephens in 1855, and
the first circle was founded three
years later. He dIsposes of the statements
concerning the fabulous sums of money in
possession of the order by saying that up to
1866 the entire sum received from America
the chief source of supply-was less than
$4,000 - orc slime the organization num-
bered more than 800, 900 enrolled men. Mr..
Stephens then details the incidents connected
with his arrest and trial; he then makes
some revelations concerning Fenianism in
the British army, and dweils at length on the
discussions resulting in the split in the Fen
ian camp. This brings the writer to the
promised revolution in Ireland in 1866, con-
corning which he says:
''When l made the promise in Jones's
Wood" writes the Head Center "of COM
mencing the revolution in Ireland, in 1866
had implicit confidence in the patriotism and
manhood of Irish America to back me up,
Yet what was the fact? No war material
could be got together, no adequate means
supplied me, and / was, nevertheless, eX-
pected to lead out to the battlefield against
powerful and well armed enemy thousands
of my countrymen, fifty out of every thou
sand of whom were barely provided with
rifles. And then when 1866 passed
by and my vile traducers fastened on me an
other accusation-that of having broken the
solemn promise rendered the Joness Wood
meetng-a hurricane of reprobation stormed
my ears, and l was tried and condemned
without having been heard. Yet the condi-
tional nature of that promise was evident to
every right-thinking man. However l was re-
ported, / unequivocally stated that the prop
er preparations should be made for the
revolution. Were those preparations made?
No! Would l be justifed-to satisfy the
qualmS of an overscrupulous conscience-to
attempt such revolution without those
preparations? Emphatically no! Even if l
were to have lost all the popularity | ever en-
joyce in Ireland and America l would not
enter on such criminal enterprise, and as
suredly would not keep any popularity to
myself at the risk of the appalling butchery of
thousands of Irish lives. Even the failure of
the Cauadian expeditions brought about prin-
cipaliy, as foretold it would be, by American
vindication of the neutrality laws-did not
past to bury its dead and make common
cause with me, and, as l lett New York in
1867, gave up for the time being all inter
est in the wrange of Irsh-American poll
ticians, Disguised with the conduct they
practiced not only toward myself but to-
ward one another"
Mr.. Stephens subsequently deals with the
abortive rising Of that year and the Man
chester martyrdom. He calls the Fenan-
ism OF that particular epoch ''mere tfayes-
ty on the Fenianism of 1865" and describes
in few sentences his subsequent visits to the
States and his final return to Paris, where
he at present resides. Mr.. Stephens deals,
in conclusion, with the alliance supposed to
have been entered into between the Fenians
and tn e Land-Leaguers and treats the pub
lcto the following interesting revelations:
1.-THE Fenian body, or, to speak more cor
rectly, goodly portion of the Fenian body,
has undergone what | may call metamor-
phosis in recent years. Some time ago, when
the political influence of the late Isaac Butt
was on the wane and the obstructive tactics
of Mr.. Parnell rekindled fattering hopes in
the efficacy of parliamentary policy, the
directors of the CIan-na-Gael proposed
plain to the coming chieftain' which they
designated the new departure, having for
its object the union of the revolutionists
and the Irish constitutional action parties
under the one banner. This proposition,
which was made in public, Mr. Parnell
thought proper not to accept in public.
Nor, however, did he decline it coram
populo. But those who are privileged at
times to have peep or two behind the
scenes have little hesitation in limiting that
an agreement of some kind or another was
come to, and that out of this agreement
sprang the late Land League. The uniniat-
ed who, in the beginning of the recent agi-
tation, saw the masses thoroughly organ
lied and beheld with wonder and astonish-
i,,f,
tary procession to the land meetings in the
West and peasant cavalry riding with the
skill and facility of dragons to take their.
places around the platform little dreamt
that Fenanisrn it was which happened to
have been the very life of the Land League,
and that all these stalWart fellows were duly
enrolled members of the irrepressible l. r.
B. Fenianism flourished then in more
strength and vigor than during some preced-
ing years; but it was Fenianism with the
agitators mask on its face and the agitator's
tongue in its mouth. However, although
the Fenians made pact with the men of
moval action, they did not surrender them
selves at all to the latter's keeping In fact,
if the truth were known, the Fenians 'bossed'
the movement practically for a heightened
period-thinking all the same that the hour
was fast approaching when the sham parades
would be abandoned for battle marches,
and the ring of the rife would sup
plant the hollow rant of the agi-
tator. Months and months passed on.
The men of peace showed no disposition
to help the men of war to prepare for revolu-
ton. and the result was that in one province
at least the Fenians seeded from the organi-
zation aud left it in a moribund and effete
condition, where first it was almost supreme
and dominant The l. r. b. in the other
provinces also commenced to look with sus.
piclon on the apostles of land for the PEG.
pie and subsequently treated them with ex-
ceeding GOODNESS. In fine, the upshot of the
whole affair was, l believe that toward the
close Of the agitation both parties stood in
much the same relation to one another as
do lovers separated by bridgeless chasm of
misunderstanding and distrust. Another
section OF the 1. r. B., however, had nothing
to do with the agitators from the very start,
The latter were very anxious to unite the