15 FEBRUARY 1868, Page 1

" Captain " Mackay, a Fenian bred in America, and

supposed to be the author of the attack on the martello tower near Cork, has been captured in the regular way. He was betrayed by a confederate, surrounded by armed police, and though he shot one man in the leg, captured. The Fenians of Cork have therefore been ex- tremely excited, have attacked the police night after night, and have compelled that most faithful body of men to use their mili- tary training, and charge the crowd with the bayonet, killing one lad and wounding others. It is all very bad, but what help ? Be the wrongs of Ireland what they may, the mob of a city cannot be allowed to upset social order, or dictate who shall and shall not be tried. Mackay seems to be a young man of deter- mined courage, fit for a thousand better purposes than hanging ; but what is any regular government to do with such people ? In the field they could give quarter, but this battle is in the streets.