Editing Thomas D'Arcy McGee (section)

==Impact of the assassination==
P. M. Toner argues that the assassination was an important historical marker in Irish-Canadian history. He argues that the Fenian element among the Canadian Catholic Irish was powerful in the 1860s. The reasons for Fenian influence included McGee's failure to rally moderate Irish support before his death, and the fact that no convincing moderate leader replaced McGee after his death.<ref name="Toner 1981 27–47">{{cite journal |first=P. M. |last=Toner |title=The 'Green Ghost': Canada's Fenians and the Raids |journal=Éire-Ireland |quote=When he was hanged, it was in front of 5,000 people and this was also the last time this was done in public in Canada |date=1981 |volume=16 |issue=4 |pages=27–47}}</ref>

In addition the Catholic bishops proved unable to control the Fenians in either the US or Canada. A final factor explaining the influence of the Fenians was the courting of the Irish Catholic vote by Canadian non-Catholic politicians. Behind all these reasons was Canadian fear of the 'Green Ghost': American Fenianism. After 1870, the failure of American Fenian raids into Canada, followed by the collapse of American Fenianism, led to the decline of Canadian Fenian power.<ref name="Toner 1981 27–47"/>