THE Marlborough Express. SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 1868.

Marlborough Express, Volume III, Issue 109, 28 March 1868, Page 3

THE Marlborough Express.

SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 1868.

« Give me the liberty to know, to utter, and to rrgue lieely according to conscience, above ail other liberties.” —Milton.

The astounding news which we have been the means of disseminating this week, demands notice at the hands of everyone who has in his power the means of making himself heard among the people. It is a duty every loyal man owes to his country, to speak out and condemn the system of cowardly assassination going on under the name of Fenianism.

It is idle to ask what harm the young Prince had done to the skulking ruffians who attacked him, since the Fenian Brotherhood —as represented by the Hokitika Celt —profess to seek but to harass and injure the English nation by these deeds. What surprises us most, is to find in these Colonies, distant as they are, newspapers defending the course pursued—and still suffered to exist. We have before us a copy of the Freeman's Journal, published at Sydney on Feb. 15th, in which the Fenian conduct is defended. We might quote largely from it in proof of our position, but shall only give the following, which has significance from the tragical event that so soon followed, “ There can be no doubt that a rising is at hand, though the precise day fixed, is of course, known only to those high in rank in the Brotherhood.” The wickedness and yet silliness of such counsel as these journals give, has already borne fruits, and doubtless we shall soon hear that such treasonable language has by this time met with its reward. At all events, we trust so. The horror with which the news of the attempted assassination of a mere boy—who, by the accident of birth, is the Queen of England’s son—was received here, will be repeated wherever the news may reach, “ What will England say T —has been the exclamation of scores of people in our hearing this week. Yes indeed ! Our beloved Queen trusted her son among us, and we have watched him with such care, that a ruffian was enabled to shoot him in the back!

One good effect will follow the dastardly deed ; we shall now consider Romanism to be, beyond doubt, what it was called in the Royal Speech, “an organised system of violence and assassination.” They blow up defenceless women and children —murder police officers —liberate felons—blow down prison walls —burn houses and shops of people who are not concerned with them in the remotest degree—and lastly shoot a inoffensive youth from behind. Like murderers, they skulk under the shadow of night, and strike where there is nothing to resist them ! They destroy, what as honest Republicans, they should be the first to protect, and consistently enough with their character, they make war on everything that represents public order and security ! Test them by their acts, and will anyone be bold enough to ascribe to the men who commit these outrages anything but the gratification of a fiendish and purposeless revenge ? They are simply assassins without the and brutal hardihood of homicides. Not a shadow of a justification can be urged for their acts. They outrage and shock us as much by the senseless mischief they make, as by the uttfer want of thought, reasonableness, and mischief they exhibit. They commit wanton atrocities, which even a savage would be ashamed of.

And yet the Freeman's Journal would lead its readers to believe that these abominations are committed by the Irish people, suffering under grievances, and claims for them the status of belligerents at war with England ! We traversed a considerable portion of the Southern part of Ireland—the finest country we have yet seen—some years ago, on foot, mixing with the poorest people, and conversing with them upon all the topics imaginable, from the famine to the vice-royalty j but even from men then earning but fourpence a day, we heard no complaints of dmcontent, br misgovemment, they were i©y^ahly" t cheerful, kind, and warmhearted;;'and the Impressions made

upon our memory thereby, will never be effaced, and we say most emphatically it is a foul slander upon one of the findst countries and people, to lay these atrocities to their charge as such. On the other hand, we know it is not so, and Fenians have no more right to be identified with Irishmen than -with Americans —nor so much—for the men who have done these things, are but the refuse thrown up by the Civil War in America. They are wretches who have learnt the taste of blood, and who care not how it is spilled, so long as they themselves escape the penalty. For them, there should be no escape, when their offences are legally proved against them. Far be it from us to condemn a race for the acts of a few, and we can only trust that another mail will assure us that these wretches have received their just deserts. In conclusion, we may adopt the words of a recent writer :—“ This slight breeze is nothing to the gales through which England has safely sailed, and we have this comfort in our little troubles, that we at least are in the light, and our dastardly enemies are in the wrong. They are outlaws of humanity, and their punishment cannot wring a word of sympathy from any but the enemies of liberty, law and religion.”