The Portland daily press., 1889-05-27
The CIan-na-caeI.

The murder Of DR.. Cronin has brought in
to unusual prominence the Clan-na-Gael a
society which, though existing in America,
is fer better known on the other side of the
Atlantic. OF all the political or revolution
airy socities there has perhaps never been a
single one of more extensive influence or of
greater resources, determination or power of
acting with extraordinary secrecy. The
Clan-na-Gael Is an offspring of the Fenian
Brotherhood. After the failure of the
Fenian raid on Canada in 1870 a number Of
the principal members of that Brotherhood
decided to separate themselves from it and
form a new order. These met in Philadel-
phia and there formed the society called the
Clan-na-Gael, or, by its more private name.
the United Brotherhood. A cipher was
adopted, which consisted of moving on the
alphabet one letter. The u. b. United
Brotherhood thus became the V. c., for
many years the secret designation of the
society. Under this cipher Ireland always
appeared as Jsfmboe. The society as then
formed was secret and oathbound, and had
for its object the liberation of Ireland. "The
object" in the words of the Clan-na-Gael
constitution, lis to aid the isl people in the
attainment of the complete and absolute iu-
dependence of Jsfmboe by the overthrow of
Csjujto domination; total separation from
that country, and the complete sever
ance of all political connection with it the
establishment of an independent republic on
Js1ti soil, chosen by the whole Jsjti people.
without distinction of creed or class, and the
restoration to all Jsjtinfo of every creed and
class to their natural privileges of citizenship
and equal rights 1t shall prepare unceas
ingly for an armed instruction in Jfmboe.v
Whether the ''Skirmishing Fund" started in
1875 by Patrick Ford, of the Irish World. ito
lay the big cities of England In ashes. !" as
Ford expressed it, was in furtherance of the
aim set forth in the Clan-na-Gael constitu-
ton is question the English conservatives
have proved to their own satisfaction. Eng
lish conservatives however are not particu-
larly critical Of evidence, when they think
they see chance to make point against the
Irish. Alexander Sullivan, the Chicago law
yer and politician who has been mentioned
as the great enemy of DR.. Cronin, came into
prominence In the Clan-na-Gael in 1881,
when he became chairman of the governing
board OF six members, constituted at secret
Sullivan was one of three men at the head of
the organization, the other two being Cen
eral Michael Kerwin and Michael Boland.
both of New York.
1t is not difficult to understand why the
Irish leaders in this country have looked
upon the murder of Cronin as blow at the
cause of Ireland, when 1t is remembered
that the Clan-na-Gael has been persistently
charged by the anti-Irish party in England
with the instigation of the dynamite outrages.
ODonovan Rosa was credited with the
murderous talk and the Clan-na-Gael with
real work, such as the explosion in the
House OF Parliament and the ATTEMPT To
blow up London bridge. OF those dvna-
miters there are seventeen now serving SEN
fences OF penal servitude for life; but no
one OF them has ever confessed to be either
an employee or an agent of the Clan-na- Gael.
But 1t is natural that horrible crime like
the murder Of DIR. Cronin, coming on the
end OF factional quarrel in the Clan-na-
Gael should prejudice in English opinion. a
society which has already been charged
with SO much. And this, of course. will
have preJudicial effect also on the whole
Irish cause in the minds Of many whose pre-
JUDGES will not allow them to ask what pos
sible chain Of Circumstance there can be to
connect Parneli with the Clanna-n Gael. or
what the evidence is that shows completely
between the Clan-na-Gael and the dvna-
miters.