Year: 1870

M0voments Of the Fenans-A Proclamation


by tho President.


II there is not veritable Fenian operation
against the peace and sovereignty of the New
Dominion on foot there is certainly great
deal Of hurrahing in the woods and marching
and countermarching in the telegraphic reports.
From Buffalo is reported ''great activity dur
ing the last forty-eight hours" of s'large
bodies Of drilled veterans" and five car loads
Of these are reported in later despatch as
moving from Buffalo through Rochester for
some point further east, from which it is con-
jectured they are to approach the frontier.
Albany is full Of the same explosive fellows.
They are heard Of in Auburn as on the way to
Minnesota; Burlington and other points in
Vermont send word of their movements, and
even Boston has story to tell of the same
threatening display. In every case the de-
spatches agree on one or two points-first, it is
the actual presence of men for some unusual
purpose that is reported, and no theories or
guesses are given, because the men were no
where communicative; next, In every instance
where the quality of the men is noted they are
described as men who were formerly in the
United States volunteer forces. Besides-and
more conclusive still Of the earnest intention
can be found on Canadian soil--the govern
ment at Washington has received information
sufficient to warrant the President in issuing
his proclamation warning the Fenians Of the
illegality of their purpose. SO long as the
proclamation is unaccompanied by general
movement of United States troops and an in
discriminate arrest of every suspected person
age bearing arms, however, it will not avail
much, and the invaders, If the necessity occurs
and they are discreet, may even be enabled to
get into the enemy's country by lodging the
troops sent to prevent them. Here, then,
is apparently the fact of Fenian operation
fairly before us, and the further fact that the
persons in charge are putting forward material
that can hold its tongue and stand fire. Specu-
latons of the possibilities of such move
ment may, therefore, well be spared. since it
will certainly not be many days, perhaps hours,
before these fellows will be heard Of as in
more OF less bloody collision with soldiers,
militiamen or the police on the other side the
lines. From tho widely different points at
which the movement simultaneously appears,
Il seems to be intended to throw parties across
the frontier in way 10 battle all possible vigi-
lance on the other side and on this side also.
Invasion in this way is easy enough, but the
concentration in the enemys country of these
isolated parties may prove to be quite another
matter If the Canadian authorities are not
stampeded by the first alarm and act
at the right moment with discreet energy. If
it shall ever happen, however, that two or
three thousand of the reckless and resoute
rascals who probably make up these parties
are concentrated on Canadian soil, under a
leader of only average skill, we do not see why
the world might not be indulged with the
spectacle of real Fenian war on more or
less bloody scale. Until the war really comes,
however, and in view Of the past history of
Fenian movements, we are at present only
authorized in concluding that the Fenian
treasury is empty and that the leaders feel
convinced that something must be done' to
fill it.