to be paid big salaries as Irish statesmen, and that they are
unfit to clean the boots of the men with whom I acted thirty years
ago. The Fenians, or rather the Irish Revolutionary Brotherhood, had
no wish to make money by their patriotism, and what is more, they were
ready to risk their skins, whenever called upon to do so. They were
willing to fight. These chaps do nothing but spout. The I.R.B. agreed
among themselves, and obeyed orders. These fellows can't agree for
five minutes together, and their principal subject of quarrel is--Who
shall be master? Gladstone is fooling them now, and good enough for
them. A pretty set of men to attempt to govern a country! They don't
know what they want. We did. We swore every man to obedience to the
Irish Republic. That was straightforward enough. The young 'uns round
here have the same aspirations, but they dislike the idea of fighting.
They expect to get round it some other way.

"John Kennedy, of Westport, damaged the cause in Mayo more than any
man in Ireland. He was a young fellow of about five-and-twenty, only a
few years in the constabulary, but somehow he got into sworn meetings
in disguise, and burst the whole thing up. The queerest feature about
this business is the fact that although everybody knew the man not a
shot was ever fired at him. That shows the fairness of the Fenians. A
member of the Brotherhood would have been promptly dealt with, you
bet. But Kennedy was an open enemy, and had a right to circumvent us
if he could. Give us credit for some chivalrous feeling. We certainly
deserved it, as this case amply proves.

"The Land League? The Ruffian League, the Burglar League, the
Pickpocket League, the Murder League--that's what I always called it.
A hole-and-corner way of carrying on the fight, which had been begun
by MEN, but which the latest fashion of Irishmen have not the courage
to canduct as men. The Fenian conception was high-souled, and had some
romance about it. We had a green flag with a rising sun on it, along
with the harp of Erin. Our idea was an open fight against the British
Empire. There's as much difference between the Fenians and their
successors as between the ancient Romans and the Italian organ-grinders
with monkeys. Good morning, Sir, and--God save the Queen."

This was a jocosity if not a mockery, but it was the first time I had
heard the words in Ireland. The tune is almost unknown, and the
current issue of _United Ireland_ ridicules the