The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-08-22
], THE FENIAN EARL /;
By Patrick Egan.

By Patrick Egan
 (Ex-U. s. Minister to Chilli. in the N.
 Y. Ameriacn)
 The death of Earl Spencer, generally known as "the Red Earl" and among his friends as ''the Fenian Earl.' twice Vieeroy of Ireland. recalls one of the most interesting and amusing episodes of the national struggle of forty years ago in Ireland in which he was led in to playing, unwittingly. the leading role in one of the most important Fenian gatherings held in those troublous days. and made to contribute very materially to swell the then depleted Fenian exchequer and to put new life and courage into the movement
 After the seizure of the revolution ary organ, the Irish People. in 1865. and the prosecution and Imprisonment of a large number of the active work CTS, including Thomas Clark Luby. John OLeary. O'Donovan Rossa and others: followed by the suppression of the attempted rising of '67 with it's prisonments for high treason. treason felony and the rest of the litany of crimes against British tyranny. the Fenian organization and it's excheuuer were very badly demoralized.
 To add to the difficulties of those
 
 to keep out of prison and who. under cover of the Amnesty Association. which we started in 1868. had been keeping the flag flying. we were obliged to take such care as we could of a number of the habeas corpus prison CTS. then being liberated. and of many of the relatives of the long term pris- oners who had been left almost desti- ute. Indeed. in January 70. we were driven almost to our wits end when. fortunately, the happy thought oc cured to the writer that by a little the enemy into service. as well as our friends, to help along the cause.
 My plan was to organize grand popular fete for the coming Saint Pat ricks Day with a great peoples ball in the evening, the whole to be given under the patronage of the Lord Lieutenant" which. in accordance with custom. would insure the pres ence at the <fete of the viceroy and Countess Spencer. accompanied by their entouraEe. with all the fashion ables trailing after. while the Fenian organization and influences could be counted upon to supply the rank and file; the whole to be. of course. for the benefit of the F'enian exchecouer.
 The idea was warmly taken up by my associates of the Amnesty As sociation; and its secretary. John No Ian, one of the managers of a city de partment store, afterward universally known among the Irish race as "Am- nesty" Nolan. threw all his marvel lous executive power into the work and contributed largely to it's success.
 Knowing the keen desire of the Dub lin Castle crowd to get by hook or crook close to the people. with the view, of course. to eventually win them away from their nationalist leaders. we determined to utilize this desire. We first secured from Court Shamrock of Foresters. of which was a member. authorization to hold. under its aus pices. for benevolent purposes. a popu- lar outdoor fete and popular ball. Armed with this we sent a carefully selected delegation. under the leader ship of a young city attorney. to Sir Arthur Guinness. afterward Lord Arde- laun, a true blue Tory. who owned the Dublin Exposition Palace with its mag nificient grounds. to ask for the use of the palace and grounds for Saint fete and ball for benevolent purposes. to be held under the auspices of Court Shamrock of F.oresters-a strictly nOn- political and non-sectarian organ1Za- ton, extending over England, Ireland and America-and to say that we be- lieved we would be able to secure the patronage of the Lord Lieutenant. This programme seemed so attractive to Sir Arthur and so anxious was he to get upon good terms with this strictly non-politieal and non-Sectarian with its broad extensions. that he promptly agreed to let us have the palace and grounds for the day with out charge.
 Then our delegation approached Earl Spencer. the Viceroy. and with the gift of the use of the Exposition Palace from Sir Arthur Guinness. he was only too happy to extend his viceregal pa tronage to this grand popular celebra- ly non-po1itica1 and on-Sectarian or ganization extending over England, Ire land and America"
 Our delegates then applied for and secured from the officers of the gar rison the service of Her Majesty's Milf tary Band to discourse music for the occasion and also permission for the soldiers of Her Majesty's garrison to compete in military drills. sword and bayonet exercises and general athletics. for prizes offered by our committee. With the patronage of the Lord Lieu tenant, how could the officers of the garrison do otherwise than accede to our request?
 Saint Patrick secured for us ideal weather for the fete. while our organ ization supplied the people in such numbers aSe to pack the extensive
 
 Earl and Countess Spencer and vicere- gal suite arrived, accompanied by the usual cavalry escort. and were receiv- ed at the entrance by fifty members of our committee. every man a Fen ian, escorted through the grounds and upon departing, after witnessing many of the military and other featS. they expressed most cordial appreciation of the courtesies extended. being all the time entirely ignorant of the fact that they had practically been attending a Fenian camp meeting. and had act ually committed treason-felony by ma terfally aiding and abetting the revo- Iutionary organization and it's ex- chequer.
 Tn the evening we had truly a peo- ple's ball, the attendance having reach ed about 50, 900. and the vast floor area of the exposition being so crowded that there was no space left for danc- ing
 Notwithstanding the myriad chan nels of information possessed by Dub lin Castle, ranging from the common informers upward to persons that would seem to be above suspicion. it took quite a long time before ''the English garrison in Ireland". as the loyalist elements are called. and their friends in England. learned the inside of that grand popular fete and ball. held under the auspices of Court Shamrock of Foresters-a strictly non- political and non-sectarian organiza- ton, extending over England, Ireland and America. and when the joke got or of f11o