THE FENIANS IN AMERICA.

Westport Times, Volume 1, Issue 133, 3 January 1868, Page 3

THE FENIANS IN AMERICA.

[PBOM THE NEW YORK HERALD, OCT 11.] " Erin-go-bragh" was on Tuesday (Bth October) again tbe watchword of a certain portion of our citizens who affect Milesian interests and believe still in the fortunes of the " Emerald Isle." "What was the occasion of the unwonted festivity of the Fenian Brotherwood history sayeth not. It may have resulted from the boyant tendency of animal spirits which would not be kept down, or from a sudden increase in the funds of the exchequer, or on account of a multitude of other reasons. Be that as it may, however, Tuesday was a gala day again for the Irish Americans, and there was a grand muster and parade of the Fenian forces round the city, the whole fete terminating in a picnic and general " jamboree" at Jones's Wood. At ten o'clock, in the morning of course, some three hundred strong, the Fenian brigade mustered in "Washington square under the command of General, Spear and Colonel Lennox as staff officerwhile the several captains and lieutenants of the various companies were fully represented. Half an hour afterwards the line was formed again into companies and " marched through the town." In their passage through Broadway and the avenues there was not that amount of enthusiasm which used to be common when Fenianism was in the full tide of fever in New York. There was a paucity of servant girls, visible they having revolted in a body against the donations of farther alms out of their hard earned wages to the boys in greem. A few people assembled to see the sight, attracted by the sound of the music discussed by the band, but there was no cheering beyond an occasional " hurrah " from some frantic Pat who " dearly loved " his country " still." At Jones's "Wood there was the usual gathering of blind beggars around the gates and along the different road-ways leading to the enclosure who droned out their " Pi—l—se remember the poor blind " into the ears of every passer by ; and usual number of blind fiddlers also within the grouuJs, who scraped away

at " Pat Molloy," and " the Wearing of the Green," with thread-bare catgut on worn out fiddles. The gatherings of the friends of Ireland was pretty numerous —perhaps a couple of thousand, but not so numerous as might have been expected on the occasion. Lager beer sellers were of course fully represented, and if the " green " was not very prominent there was no pancity of the amber fluid which maketh the Teuton merry and which has become acclimatised to the Milesian palate. The regiment arrived at halfpast one, and paraded, after which they were dismissed for a time to enjoy themselves until the real business commenced. Patrick enjoyed himself very fairly with dancing on the platform, " swinging in the lane," and other in nocent amusements, until the roll call sounded to fall in again. Then, at four o'clock, the regiment formed in line and went through a number of manoeuvres before President Roberts, who after making a stirring address on the present state and future prospects of the Fenians and Penianism. The festive part of the ceremony was kept up until a late hour, and, although there was much hilarity, there was little noise or rioting to disturb the the harmony of the gathering. The Herald thus remarks:—" Those terrible fellows in buckram, the Penians are again poking the British lion in the sides, and threatning him from Jone's Wood. A muster and parade of the 'grand army' of the Irish Republic, consisting of a single brigade of'centres' and patriotic recipients of the money of poor servant girls, took place on Tuesday, and was followed by libations of lager beer and the usual hackneyed assurances of the wonderful power and prospects of the organisation. The servant girls, however, taught by the experience of the last two years, keep aloof, and there is little to be got now when the Fenian hat is passed round they have been humbugged too often, not to know now that a flank movement by way of Jones's Wood is directed against their pockets and not against the "cruel Sassenach." At the last muster and bluster of the ferocious yet funny Fenians the organisation was represented by the usual set of gentlemen, gamins, poets adventurers, filibusters, saints and sinners, who jump up like a " Jack-in-the-box," whenever a policeman is beaten or a prisoner rescued across the ocean. But their race is run, as, with Archbishop M'Closkey and his clei'gy against them, their raids on the hard earnings of their poor, honest fellow countrymen in this city have been efectually stopped."

(For remainder of news, see fourth page.)