REMINISCENCE OF THE FENIAN TROUBLE OF 1866.

Otago Witness, Issue 2456, 10 April 1901, Page 68

REMINISCENCE OF THE FENIAN TROUBLE OF 1866.

JAMES STEPHENS. TJy An Axglo-Nlw Ze \l vvdf.r. (See Portraits in Illustrated Sheet )

The death of James Stephens, the once notonous head centre at Dublin of the Fenian movement, marks many incidents of the troubles of 1865 and the following years. It -was a great surprise to the «.omew hat slow-tlimking British people to find themselves dealing with an elaborate conspiracy to overthrow Bnti^h mle in Ireland, and it took them some time to grasp it. Rumours of the existence of a dangerous confederacy exited in 1865, but ■\ cry little notice was taken of them until the following yeai. At fust few men of any position took part in the nv>\ement. Stephens, a schoolmaster, v. a* one of iLe first educated men connected with it. The mainstay of the conspiracy v, a^ the In&hAmerican. There adventurous spirits — sodvj of'ihem weie wanderer*, and oth"is ram of good character — wci-p fcl at lar o e -nub. their talents unengaged by the ending of the American wfu- in 1865. - They found nothing better to do than disturb the peace of a neighbouring State. Vast, number-, of Jnsh had rendered equal servke to the Republic in restoring the union, and they not unnaturally carried with them into their new enterprise considerable sympathy. The Americans at that time were unfriendly to England tor many reasons, and this is probably the origin "of the appear mcc ot unftiendiiness about election time to this diy. One morning all the thre> kingdoms were startled by hearing of the arrest of one James Stephens, a, man of superior education ; a very short time afterwards they were still more startled by hearing of his escape. The authorities were very reticent, being evidently ashamed at the ease with which an important prisonr had walked out ot the strongest fortress of the land. It is of course well known that the escape was effected by means of a bribe, and it was freely mentioned in Dublin a few weeks later that a warder had received £1000. The name was even hinted at in a popular riddle : "When was Stephens the -most highly honoured man in the kingdom.' When he walked out of prison between two Peers (piers) led by a marquis."'

Nobody was punished, but dismissals were rumoured. I was in Dublin Fhortly afterwards. There was manifest unrest among the lower orders. The events of the day entered into the cries and songs of the streets. I remejnber one parody an a scng very popular atthis period: Stop! bang l 'Stephens' is the man! Catch him if you can! Catch him if yem can! So quietly was the transaction carried out and so absurdly easy l did it seem, that it actually injured the reputation -of Stephens. His ignorant followers, not knowing the real story, would not believe that he had walked out of the grasp of the British (lover nment without an effort ; subsequent witnesses bear testimony to the fact thiit Stephens was always regarded with a certain amount of suspicion, the impression being that he had been set at large by the authorities in order that he might make himself useful as a spy. Theie was no foundation whatever for this imputation. Very little, however, was heaid of Stephens afterwards. He was known afc one time to be in Paris, at another in the States. Presumably the police kept touch J of him for many years. There never was any imputation against his personal character, and it i.s certain that he was unconnected with the subsequent murder and conspiracies which brought all later Tiish plot' into discredit. His appearance as disclosed by his photograph, compares iavourably with the ruffianly aspect of his chief, John O'Mahony. Fenianism is a long story, and its too close connection v. ith America. led to its ultimate discredit. An liish Republic was created in New York, which ultimately led to a split between two rival "republics," and a shameless: scramble for funds levied upon the ignorant m all parts of the world." Many emissaries from the "republic" found their way into British goals ; four, at least, to English gallows. There were many trials in England and Ireland, a-nd several death sentences for treason. None of them were carried out. the. executions referred to being for murder. Fenianism in a purposeless way even spread to New Zealand. There were committals for treason at Hokitika. the once famous or notorious Father Laikm being the leador. A Q.C., none othei than the famous, R. X>. Ireland, ivas imported from Melbourne, with a fee of lOOOgs, to defend the "traitors," but good prevailed, and, headed by their genial but msuboidinate priest, they pleaded guilty. The judge treated it as a case cf riot rather than rebellion, and very short sentences met Ihe ends of justice In the United Kingdom, however, and in Canada, Fenianism proved a serious trouble, and for many year's taxed the best energies ot the police There wa> a small insurrection ,jn Ireland, and a considerable invasion of Canada. It was b^d enough ns it stood, but apparently the actual "Fenian conspiracy" was not directly responsible for the subsequent dynnmite outrages, thciigh no doubt one thing led to another. The great crimes of Fenianism Mere the blowing up of the ;vall of ClerkenwelJ Prison and the rmudsr of Seigeant Brett, when the Manchester prison van was capture J. Both these wer's in 1867 Fenunism has now passed aw.iv as a bad dieam, and has given wav to troubles wlrch to cure themselves owing to the chronic di«unior of the disaffected It is a notewoithv fact thai ■uhen in 1866 the

British Government first asked Parliament

to suspend the Habeas Corpus Act. only six members of the House of Commons voted against the measure, so entirely Avas the movement regarded as a foreign consphacy. At a later stage most member could be got to vote against almost anj - thing Oui port ia it of James Stephens was .purchased in. EfcibUa in 1866.