The Irish standard., 1891-10-17
The NOUS FENIAN LEADER
James Stephens, Returns to Ireland
After An Exile Of Quarter
Of q Century.
HIS ESCAPE FROM PRISON.
Thrilling Events Connected With His
Departure Lives in Humble
Circumstances.

Gnat nae. stephens laO QeCefmlneu TO
visit Ireland, or indeed to move from
one place to another, would have created
q furry in Dublin Castle. But the vet
eran revolutionist, it seems, is now per-
mitted to spend his declining years in
his native land without any attempt at
government interference of surveillance.
There is something dramatic in the de-
termination Of this old foe of his coun-
try's prosecutors to mix his clay with
the soil of the land of his birth. A
great many things have happened in
the quarter of century that has elapsed
since he disappeared from public &C.
tivity.
Perhaps no Irish revolutionist of
modern times held higher place in the
estimation of his countrymen than James
Stephens. He first attracted attention
in the insurrect1onary movement Of
1848. In the skirmish between the
police and Smith O'Brien's band of
patriots at Ballingarry on July %, l848,
James Stephens, then a student IN en-
gineering, was shot In the right log.
He was hurried off to tue mountains
with another patriot, Michael Doheny,
and for two months they were hunted,
suffering much privation. Eventually,
Stephens got off to France, disguised as
family servant. His companion drove
cattle on board q British steamer at
Cork, and III this way escaped to France
and thence to New York, where he died
in 1862. Stephens was joined in Paris
by John O'Mahoney, Tipperary far
mer, who subsequently became the
leader of the movement in America.
Stephens returned to ireland clandes.
timely, having an understanding with
O'MahoneY that if they should have an
opportunity in the future they would
try and strike another blow for Ireland.
The overthrow of the Tenants Rights
League opened up another hopeful vista
of revolutionary experiment, but prepa-
ration and organization were necessary
to any degree of success. Stephens
met jeremiah Donovan, The latter, in
the exuberance of his patriotic order,
resumed the 20" to his name, and as
his people belonged in Ross, he assumed
the distinguished Gaelic affix Rosa, and
has been known since as O'Donovan
Rosa. The latter, inspired to some ex-
tent by promises from Stephens of as
sistance from America, may be said to
have really started the conspiracy. which
developed into the Fenian movement.
The Irish organization was first known
as the Phoenix Society.
It met IN it's infancy blow from the
government that it was supposed would
be the means of suppressing the aglta-
tation, but the encouragement received
from Irishmen in America inspired re-
newed hope IN the movement. Stephens
attributed the failure of the Phoenix
movement to the influence, more or less,
Of the Nation, the organ of the Grattan
Nationalists, who did not believe in
physical force. Charles j Hickman,
John OLeary and Thomas Clarke Luby
were Srepens' conspicuous l,eutenants.
On the American side the movement
was being directed by John O'Mahoney,
Michael Doheny and Colonel Corcoran
of the Sixty ninth regiment. O'MahoneY
was head centre. It was he who desig-
mated his branch of the organization
s'Fenians.' Centuries ago the Irish
national militia were called ''Flana
Erion,'' or Fenians, from Fenius, Fin
or Flon, their famous commander.
Stephens preferred the name Of Irish
Revolutionary Brotherhood, shortened
into /. r. B for the home section.
The beginning of the American civil
war threatened to extinguish the move
ment, but stronger impulse came to
press it on. There was an idea that
war would be declared between this
country and England on account of the
latter's concession of belligerent rights
to the confederacy. Another circum-
stance which helped produce excite
ment in the ranks of the Irish revolu-
tionlsts was the death IN 1861, in San
Francisco, of Terrence Bellew Mac
Manus, one of the .'Forty-eight" leaders
who, in 1851. effected daring escape
from prison IN Van Dieman's Land.
His body was born with public cere-
nonial across continent aud ocean to the
land OF his birth. It was only when the
funeral preparations mad been somewhat
advanced, whisper went around that
the affair was altogether in the hands of
the Fenian leaders, and was being used
to advance their projects. At one time
the purpose was seriously entertained
of making the MacManus demonstra-
ton the signal for instruction Ste
phens, however, said he would not
4 r r. Il