Troublous Times in Canada | Page 3

occasional outbursts of revolt as succeeding
leaders appear on the scene to inflame the passions of the people.
Of the Irish troubles of earlier years it is not the purpose of the writer to
speak, but rather to deal with events which occurred immediately prior
to and during the period involving the Fenian invasions of Canada.
For some time previous to the year 1865 the leader of the revolutionary
movement in Ireland was James Stephens. He was a man of
considerable influence among his compatriots, possessed of good
executive ability, and had great capacity for organization along
revolutionary lines. Being an energetic worker and a forcible speaker,

he quickly enlisted the cooperation of other "patriots" in promoting the
establishment of the Fenian Brotherhood, of which he was chosen the
"Head Centre" for Ireland. This organization spread with such rapidity
throughout Ireland and America that it soon became one of the most
dangerous and formidable revolutionary forces ever known in the
history of any country. Its members were oath-bound to use every
means to bring about the emancipation of Ireland from the rule of Great
Britain, and to encompass the downfall of "the bloody Sassenachs" on
every hand. After thoroughly planting the seeds of sedition in Ireland,
Head Centre Stephens and his coadjutor General John O'Mahony
visited America for the purpose of invoking the aid of their compatriots
on this side of the Atlantic. Their idea was to make an attempt to
emancipate Ireland by striking a blow for freedom on the soil of the
Emerald Isle itself, and if successful to establish their cherished
Republic firmly, become recognized as a nation by the different nations
of the earth, and thereafter govern their own affairs. On their arrival in
the United States the Irish envoys received a most enthusiastic
welcome from their countrymen, and receptions were arranged in their
honor on their visits to all of the principal cities in the Union. The
speeches delivered at these gatherings were of the most fervid and
enthusiastic nature, and the hopes of the Irish people rose high in the
belief that an Irish Parliament would soon hold a session in Dublin.
Money and men were asked for from America by Head Centre
Stephens, both of which were freely promised "for the sake of the
cause." In due course of time the Irish-Americans contributed over
$200,000 in cash, besides an immense quantity of war material,
towards making the proposed insurrection a success. Volunteers for
active service on Irish soil were numerous, and everything looked rosy
for Head Centre Stephens when he left America for Ireland to direct
"The Movement of '65." But, alas, his high hopes were doomed to be
shattered. The initial steps in the campaign had barely been taken when
"dark clouds in the horizon" began to loom up. A small vessel, called
the "Erin's Hope." had been despatched from America with a cargo of
rifles, ammunition and other war supplies for the use of the Fenians in
Ireland. A company of adventurous patriots were on board to assist
their brethren in "the rising," and all were brave and confident of
success. They had hoped to run into a secluded bay on the coast of

Ireland during the favored hours of night, and land their expedition and
supplies. But on arrival at the chosen point the ship was hailed by a
British man-of-war and captured without resistance. The officers and
crew were consigned to a British dungeon, and the ship and cargo
confiscated. A British spy had kept the authorities informed, and the
war vessel was at the designated point of landing to gather in the
"forlorn hope" of the invaders. Other Irish-Americans who were
constantly arriving as passengers by the ocean steamships to take part
in the conflict were promptly arrested as they landed on the quays, and
the rebellion of 1865 was nipped in the bud. Much dissension and
dissatisfaction then arose within the Fenian Councils. A great deal of
money had been spent and the attempt had proved a failure. The
vigilance of the British authorities was so keen, and arrests so
numerous, that the available prisons were soon filled, and the hopeful
warriors who so valiantly boasted that they would quickly unfurl the
"Sunburst of Erin" on the walls of Dublin Castle were obliged to retire
into strict seclusion until an opportunity occurred to be smuggled out of
Ireland by their friends and stowed away on ships bound back for
America.
The failure of the rising in 1865 caused a serious division among the
adherents of the cause in both America and Ireland, and the Fenian
Brotherhood was split into two hostile camps thereby. It was
considered that Stephens' policy of carrying on the rebellious
operations in Ireland was an impossible and suicidal one to the success
of the cause.