Before a rancorous convention, Roberts' "Senate" faction succeeded and O'Mahony was deposed. Raids on Canada During the early summer of 1866, thousands of armed, uniformed and supplied Fenians crossed the border from the US into Canada as part of an invasion. Although having some initial success against inexperienced Canadian militias, the Fenians were undone by poor logistics and the American government moving swiftly to block their efforts, fearing their activity would the pretext for a war between the US and the British. Roberts participated in the invasion, and for his part, he was arrested in New York on 7 June. He would be detained until 15 June. 3 days later, Roberts (thanks to the support of Irish-American politicians) was allowed to deliver an address to the US Senate appealing for them to support amnesty for IRB prisoners in Ireland. Afterwards, Roberts went on a speaking tour of America, where he told audiences that American politicians would not receive the support of the Irish community unless they supported Fenianism. Perhaps aware that this might be an accurate reading of sentiments, in September 1866 President Johnson ordered that the arms seized by the United States army from the Fenian during the invasion be returned. In March 1867, Fenians in Ireland launched the Rebellion of 1867. Although augmented by a number of veterans of the US Civil war acting as leaders, the effort was generally a disorganised failure, partially bourne out of the Fenians' inability to decide whether their focus should be on Ireland or Canada. In the aftermath Roberts sent men on his behalf to take control of the Irish Republicanhood Brotherhood. In June 1867, Fenians from both Ireland and American assembled in Paris for a convention to decide their next move. Roberts proposed that the IRB replace the office of President with a "Supreme Council", of which he would be the head. While the motion to create a Supreme Council succeeded, Roberts was not named the new leader. Incensed, Roberts resigned as leader of the Senate faction on 31 December 1867 and began to withdraw from revolutionary Fenianism. In 1870 he opposed more raids into Canada. In January 1871 Roberts led a welcoming committee in New York for five recently released IRB leaders who had been exiled from Ireland by the British. This would be amongst the last of his Fenian activities as Roberts' attention shifted to American politics. Career in