Another view of this large subject, public safety of Canada, lies in the pathway of this narrative which cannot be here avoided. Let us look it in the face. CHAPTER VIII. _American newspapers had a “grim satisfaction” at seeing Canada “scared.” Assertion that Canadians, as a people, during the American civil war sympathised warmly with the legitimate government and loyal citizens of the United States. Extracts from “Canada a Battle Ground,” published 1862. And, “Where is Canada Drifting?” 1863._ Though this chapter may seem to interrupt the story of Canadian operations of defence, its matter forms an integral part of the larger field of circumstances which gave character to those operations. The Fenian invasion only became possible by sufferance of American popular opinion; and that was widely, deeply distempered, as regarded the British American Provinces and Great Britain, A full, true account of the Fenian invasion, cannot be given without the writer adverting to that distemper, speaking, as he believes he is about to do, for five-sixths of the whole people of Canada, and for the true national opinion of the British Islands. The two following paragraphs are from a journal of New York called the _Citizen_. The first purports to be the conclusion of a statement made by an officer of the United States army. “The mistake of the Fenians was, that they allowed too much talking and writing about their contemplated movements. They should have collected all their men and material along the frontier—their equipments were plentiful and good—without allowing one word to leak out of what they were doing. This, taught by experience, they promise to do next Fall; and if so their success cannot be doubtful.” The next is the comment of the Editor of the _Citizen_, who is styled General Halpine, reprinted in Canadian papers, August 3rd, 1866, with the italics as given here. “The foregoing remarks we commend to the attention of all American citizens who are not enamored with the course of England and Canada toward the United States during the late rebellion. Here was an opportunity to have avenged the wrongs of the British pirate vessels without costing the American Government one dollar. Here the Canadians might have been allowed to realize the scoundrelism of their conduct in sheltering the raiders of St. Albans, and the yellow fever and assassination conspirators. What Mr. Seward may think about it, we do not know; but _are well satisfied a majority of the American people regret that the Fenian flag is not to-day floating over the steeples of a captured Montreal_.” The next two paragraph’s are reprinted from the Buffalo _Courier_ of June 1st, but written on the previous day. Both of them are texts: