The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-31
An Old Time lrishman Discusses
the Movement Against Can
ada in 1866
MANY WORCESTER MEN
WERE AMONG THE PARTY
The History of Fenianism and the
Workings of the Order Fully
Explained

WheE old-timers like Representative
James H. Mellen, Arthur McMahon,
Sergeant Walter N. Drohan and Pat
rick Boyle get together these times, the
conversation turns on the Fenian in
vasion of Canada shortly after the
close OF the war of the rebellion. To
use colloquial term, they were in il"
and SC, were many other Worcester men
that are still living.
Nothing can convince the old Fenians
that the invasion of Canada was not
feasible. All it lacked, they will tell
you, was cohesion Of the attacking
forces and an able commanding gener-
al. Another thing that contributed to
the defeat of the movement was the
fact that the United States. had large
bodies of men under arms at that time
and was able to prevent in many cases,
armed bodies from crossing the border
into the dominion. General Meade the
hero of the battle of Gettysburg, was
particularly active in keeping Fenians
on this side of the frontier and it took
all the iHgenuity of Fenian leaders to
evade him.
Worcester was a hotbed of the Fe
mans and there was a big circle" of
them here. For months they had been
drilling in secret, and a quantity of
arms was stored away so effectively
that there was no reason to fear that
the federal government would confis-
cate them.
Among the Fenians were a great
many men that had seen service in the
o. fl1ar II
calculated to lick raw recruits into
shape in avery short time.
To rightly understand the meaning
of Fenianism," said one of the old
timers to The Spy reporter last night,
it is necessary to get an idea of it's
origin The Fenians We're members of
an oath bound secret society that had
for it's object the overthrow of British
rule in Ireland and the establishment
of an Independent republic. The move
ment was widespread, and there were
branches of the order throughout the
United States, and even in hostile Eng
land itself, and her supposedly loyal
colonies
THE intention of the leaders that
planned the seizure of Canada was to
este a. sil there an independent govern
ment under Fenian rule. This would
he made base of supplies with an
ultimate aim OF SfaSplng the OppOrtun-
ity when England was in difficulty. to
send an armed expedition to Ireland
and secure its independence by force
of arms
"Fenianism took it's name from Finn
McCoul, and it is the popular tradition
that the first Fenians made up the
militia that formed part of the forces
of the ancient Irish kings. or ardrighs,
as they were called in the Erse F:nn
McGoul you will recall, if you are
familiar with the old tales of the Gael,
was allied to the house of King Cor
mac, fine old Irisf1man, for all the
fact that nowadays you will find
Scotchmen bearing this name who
claim that they are Anglo Saxons.
ITO skip number Of centuries and
come down to modern times, the Fee
mans We're first established as an Irish
revolutionary society in New York in
1857 or 1858, if my memory serves me
rightly. The society sprung from the
ashes of the old Phoenix society, that
was also revolutionary in it's leanings.
1.-The constitution of the Fenian So
ciety was admirable. Each branch was
called a circle and each circle was