The Irish standard., 1899-10-21
Interesting Paper Contributed
by William O'Brien.
WHAT The PATRIOTS ACCOMPLISHED
Mr.. Gladstone Disendowed the
Established Church.


there is a lengthy article on Fcnianism
by William O'Bricn. 1t is taken from
a paper i'll the Contemporary Review of
TWO years ago, but never published be-
tore in Ireland, 1t is of just as much
interest now as it was at the time Of its
writing. Mr., O'Bren says in part:
An Irish nsurrcction NOWADAYS
would be an affair OF 100000 against
100000, and OF population possess
ing fewer firearms than any African
tribe against an empire with quick
firing guns enough to kill everything
within 500 yards of their muzzles
Under such conditions English states
men fnd t di0cult, even for cam
paign against a home rule bill, to work
themselves into any very blood-curd-
ling apprelensions OF attempts to cstab-
lisl an Irish republic by force OF arms.
Nevertheless, the innocent English cleo
toratc couple Of years ago allowed
themselves to be persuaded that ireland
would be the most dangerous foe OF the
empire il she were once contcntcd and
they may easily enough lift into Tho
opposite absurdity OF concluding that
all danger from Irish disaffcction is
over, now that lrcland's vows OF CON
ciliation have been cast back in her
teeth. Talk OF the Irish proncncss to
cXaggcration! II there is anything
more cXtravagant than English apprc-
tensions whenever Ireland is angry, it
is English bcatifc sclf-complaccncy the
moment Ireland is peaceful or cx-
haustcd, II may help to produce
more rccollcctcd state OF mind, in view
OF the unexpected turns the Irish dif-
ficulty is apt to take, il ! recall that,
within the experience OF many OF us
who have not yet many gray hairs, the
English governors Of Ireland have
passed through more anxious moments
than any they have had since the day
Hochc and his warsIips and transports
sailed through the Raj OF Brcst
The insurrcctionary hzzlc OF March,
1867, is almost the only recollection a
slort-livcd public memory retains OF the
warlilc aspect of Fcnanism. A couple
of dozen American officers, ashamed of
going home without something to show
for rather liberal promises in ncwspa-
per interviews, invited some thousands
OF young men to rise up one fine night
(or rather one very foul nighD, with
out arms enough all told to fight
single company OF soldiers, and without
the slightest idea where they were to
get their breakfast the next morning.
They passed the night in taking or fail
ing to take a few isolated police bar
racks. A fortnight of pitilcss slcct and
snow came down, and saved the troops
the trouble Of dispensing the insurgents.
Coroncrs' inqucsts were held upon the
bodies OF the slain, and more men we're
sent into penal scrvitudc for the csca-
padc than there had been rifles in the
whole revolutionary army. 1t was easy
to snccr at all this as "coroncr's inquest
war;" but the rising" OF 1867 was the
mere suffering out OF a movement
whose pride and strength had really
been crushed more than eighteen
months before. 1t was in 1866, and not
in 1867, that Fcnianism had the capacity
to strike formidable military blow at
England; and it is from its inner his
tory, rather than from its performances
in the field, that a prudent statesman
will measure its Importance. To begin
with, the civil organization was, to all
ntcnts and purposes, the enrolment OF
thrcc-iourtls of the able-boded popula-
ton OF the country (and the population
was then I.3oo, 900 more than it is to-
day.. For the province OF Munster, at
least, l can say with certainty that any
young man OF spirit who was not a
sworn or unsworn item in the ranks
would have felt as much ashamed of
himself as a young Englishman who
would refuse to volunteer if foreign
army were landed in Kent. There are
proofs in the strong boxes of Dublin
Castle that at one moment 100000 men
at least would have responded to the
signal OF any capable military leader
who would put arms in their hands.
And if modern war lords, secure behind
their girdle of hell fire from magazine
rifle and Hotchkiss cannon, should be