The Sun.
London, England, 1824-05-21 00:00:00

FOR TIIE SUN.

MR. EDITOR—Since my return to this country,
I have had a little leisure from matters which detained me in
Dublin. May I beg the favour of the advantage of your peru-
sal of the following rapid sketch of Irish statistics, which I
amused myself by etching,- out the other morning before my
ride ; it originated from local and experimental knoWledge of
the singular and interesting country and people it professes to
describe. .

To the Utopian and the optimist, it is a painful reflection to
weaken their sanguine anticipations of Ireland's welfare, by the
unpromising premise, that no rational man can hope for the
sudden and miraculous change in society and manners which
Bible societies, Ladies schools, or other education ameliorators,
would lead us to believe the consequence of their well meant
labours.

It is wall to look at the present unheard-of state of the pea-
santry of this part of the Island, with a steady retrospective eye
to remote causation. No man of observation can miss the true
ones ; these are,
lmo. The Catholic Religion.
2do. Long continued oppression of the lower orders, by an
exercise of all the horrors of distant and Colonial vassalage and
corveeism since the conquest of the Island by Henry 11.
3tio. The total want of public spirit in our landed proprie-
tary, and the disregard of every association connected with
humane feelings, or commonly charitable ones to their inferiors.
Under this head may be included absenteeship, and the conse-
quent drain of capital to a part of the empire already swollen
to satiety with wealth.
4to. From these three generic causes, we may descend to
their consequences, religious intolerance, party zeal infuriat-
ing
both factions, barbarous retribution of the unhappy and
excited peasantry on their heartless oppressors, inducing out-
rages which deform the national page of our istory, and de-
grade us in the eyes of even vassalled Europe, and her asso-
ciated and blasphemously affianced despots ; but it is painful
to dwell on manifest recapitulations—let us endeavour to offer
a few suggestions incidental to the above alarming crisis of
illilesian Politics. -

Imo. The Catholic Religion, unfortunately, is an imperial
one; calculated for any form of Government but free or mixed
ones—Let us make the best of what the errors of centuries ren-
der it impossible to remove in foto, until a moral regenera-
tion of Ireland shall have fitted men's minds for more enlarged
systems of toleration and philanthropy—let us not visit too se-
verely the strong-hold which this most imposing of all reli-
gions leaves on the mind of an ignorant and wretched popula-
tion, irritated by a sense of long oppression and disgraceful re-
ciprocation of cruelty and bigotry. It is true that this is
the worst of all possible religions Ireland could have ; it
fosters the morbid inundation of our vast population ; its
priests are supported in the very necessaries of life, by encou-
raging mariages (one of their chief sources of revenue). It is,
however the religion of five-sixths of the entire census of this
part of Ireland, and no art we possess can eradicate it, or even
change materially the creeds of its followers—we can only
amend, and that gradually.. Let gentlemen (Catholics, per-
haPs, are best for these delicate negociations) sound- the feel-
ings of our irritated and justly enraged hierarchy—let the eye
of the British Government be directed to the arduous effort of
pressing pecuniary support on those already exasperated by
oppression and contempt—lct some modification of tythe pro-
perty be adopted (which, as. the most ancient, would perhaps
tphro
c
e the
Clergy—letleas
t off en
theirs s
i ve;)aoni
_dd
ittstatne attempted patiegdn
dignitaries
iesb
providee fcoorn
ad
Ct:.
o
and talked over by men in whom these Gentleman, repose con-
fidence, men attached to the cause of Ireland by the respohsi-
tie ties of long lines of, ancestry, and themselves descended
from Catholic progenitors. If we have failed in forcing on

this order pecuniary aid in former efforts, let us rather =Mint,
for this striking anomaly, not from the impracticable nature or
the attempt, but from the premature and ill-contrived prose-,
dure of the negotiations. The offer of a boon from an eneola
of itself argues suspicion in the donor. Let Magistrates an,
resident gentry be enjoined by memoirs, transmitted as then'
lars, as to the duties they should observe in conciliating Catb°-
lice, and the respect with which the followers of this religion
should be treated to ensure their confidence and loyalty
all exasperations be forgotten in our future commerce so
Catholic Gentlemen, many of them of family and
tion as enlightened and exalted as their protesting brethrea
themselves ; let us despise the folly of interfering with those
" skiey influences," those fine shades of human idiosyncrasy in:
duced from religious ceremonial; let men incited by despond'
ence and affliction incidental to the loss of friends coolln,lt
t
their relics the dust in any way they shall desire to do;
Catholics come in and go out of the world in conformity t°
their own creeds. As well may we dare in Oriental India t°
stop the silent Hindoo in his connubial or sepulchral Pro'
cession.
Mankind, however divided by rivers, seas, and mountains;:
are still the same animals—their prejudices, if deep-rooted a 8"
erroneous, may have been established three thousand years be-
fore our reformed and regenerated systems of ethics were
thought of, or even their necessity apparent. Humility au"
conciliation, combined with firmness in the governing, hate
kept Asia in peace ; why should not that exalted mind, isb°
directed the energies of distant colonial empire, succeed in this
insular viceroyalty. Ireland is not more savage than Malaga,
nor can her green fields boast an equal culture, or more polish'
ed systems of government than are found in Hindostan. Le!
the Catholic priesthood, by constitutional enactment, OW'
either ecclesiastical or secular property with our own Church,
and not be trampled on by the offensive offer of pecuniary d?"
nation from the funds of the revenue, like tide-waiters. in
fine, let provincial supremacy be waived—let us meet at Ogg
tables gentlemen of equal accomplishments with the most p°-
lished of ourselves—let us make Ireland the fashion, by
eliciting frequent intermixture between the aristocracies of the
two Islands.
2do. Under this head several volumes may be collected front
every quarter. When will Irish landholders learn to adopt the
conviction, that to make their inferiors honest and punctual, YOU
must give the wretched vassal an interest in the glebe which he
turns—you must foster his newly-acquired habitudes which re'
cent industry shall have induced--give him a place among hi°
peers, by enabling him to accumulate the honest proceeds of
industry, and thereby facilitating his reliance on the resources or
his own prudence and correct demeanour. Let the resident gentry
begin to despise the silly and preposterous, if not absurd, attempt,
to extract from the pockets of their dependents the utmost far-
thing of the value of their lands, which an ill cultured and pat'
perized peasantry can by any system of labour, however painful,
supply; let the fair and more punctual apportionment whiar
may accrue from liberal reciprocation, he frankly received front
the.wretclied agriculturist; let the kindly fruits of this fertile
island be fairly divided, as in other infant agricultural countries
(Tuscany for instance), between the „.-rower, the growers eat'
ploysr, and their several consumers. But, alas, these latter de-
siderata pre-suppose an enlargement of views not intelligible to
the provincial capacities of the few resident of the landed Gentry
of Ireland.
3tio. The unheard of outrages which distract this division
of the island, while they bring a blush in the cheek of every
Irish Gentleman of birth and family in the kingdom, have their
real origin in causations not remote or concealed—the total dis-
regard of all the relations which connect society among man"
kind—is here notorious ; that first of all bonds, as its name to
truth implies, Religion, fosters the contagion of the disease;
dereliction in all the leading duties of men and citizens. Heart-
lessness and absence of the whole circle of cordial reciproca-
tions which endear man to his fellow, are here unappreciated,
unacknowleged.
The barbarous outcasts from their paternal farms, repay
their oppressors by taking on themselves the task of retribil-
tion, as the laws, are, an must e silent i affording tem re-
lief. It would seem thad t extrabordinaryn efibrts are called
for on the part of Government to meet this anomalous
and most heart-rending evil. I would suggest the esta- •
blishment of a very peculiar description of military or
more properly municipal defence for the loyal resi-
dents in distant and unprotected districts ; let us imitate the
Northern Germans in establishing a Landweer, with this dif-
ference that Government shall solicit the Great Landed Pro-
prietary to aid them in introducing a healthy population of agri-
culturists from the sister countries ; let townships be established
in different remote parts of the counties, Cork, Limerick, Tip-
perary, Waterford, Clare, and the western and aboriginal di:
tricts of Ireland ; let these peasants or selections from those al-
ready residing, who can be confided in, repair monthly to a day
or two's drill ; let their arms be deposited in a village depot'
Let us by all means in our power encourage emigration of tltt
useless and abandoned among the old peasants of Ireland, while
we make way for the new race ; let these efforts be aided bY,
empowering assistant Barristers and Magistrates to dispose °L
the unworthy members of the vicinity, by enlarging the power
of the local Magistracy
.I.l` directed to this particular view. r valuable acquirements in agriculture, peaceful demeanor, alaci;
- industry, which the example of the new comers would induce,
would materially benefit the acute and reflecting race ahead,'
immersed in error and vice ; let these armed Colonists be seta- blished on the principle of the Prussian or Swedish Landifeer*
having already formed an admirable local Police, the transfer
of its valuable members would be easy and desirable for the
lately raised troops themselves.
I know not how far this mixed military and civil force O'Y
not be combined with recent associations for mining, and other
societies connected with agriculture or manufactories.
I have thus cursorily adverted to what may be looked on 8s
affording avenues to amelioration in this barbarous and vote,'
country.
This county (Kilkennyshire), in the centre of the Island., is
perhaps at this moment as ready for insurrection and outrage 85
the worst parts of thecounties, Cork or Limerick. Armed ban-
ditti are well known to reside in many villages ; men of rank
and place in society are afraid to reside even on their estates
in the immediate vicinity of the towns. The secret of all this
rests in 200,0001. annually being drained away by absentees--
the names could easily be supplied.
Such is the perplexing state of Ireland at this moment, its
Government has the unparalleled task to contend with an in'
furiated faction, incapable of appreciating the generous and-
laudable sytems which enlightened Rulers have in vain a--
deavoured to inculcate. The asperities of faction, and the bad.
passions of aristocrates and democrates alike are let loose 00 4
Government, which even had it the power to adopt their sae'
rat Metastases, could really never radically avert the conse-
quences of the crimes and the vices of Ireland.
The misfortune is, the remedies for Ireland do not, rest in her
Government, which, if celestial itself, could scarcely meet pre
sent exigencies, the vices are deep rooted and must be gra-
dually assailed ; to elicit exertion, we must first induce wantge
A ragged peasant, whose hovel is pervious to the rain and'
wind, whose vegetable provender is shared with his children
and the cottage pig, must be brought by slow degrees only to
appreciate and to live—clean shirts, airy rooms, and well vole
tilated habitations, removed from their old friend the dung-
hill, extending to the threshold. Melancholy the reflection,
that man should abuse an Island, the advantages of which
are unrivalled, the population of which exhibits capacity for
moral and religious improvement !

Ridicule seems the most appropriate weapon with which to
assail those sensitive patricians, who crowd the metropolis and
watering places of more favoured England ; let it be made the
fashion, and be an established instance of tact and good taste
to uphold Ireland, and let there examples be-furnished front
the highest orders of the State, from the Ruler himself.
All former systems of Government have boon ascertained to
be defective. Let others in these enlightened days be resorted
to ; and above all things, give the governed (by benefits to
be conferred) an interest in the innovation intended to be
adopted.

ANGLO 3IILESIA.NI.7S.

BIRTHS.
Yesterday, in Gloucester-place Lady Osborn, of a son.
On Sunday, the 16th inst., at his house in Brook-street, the
Lady of G. J. Legh, Esq. of a daughter.

MARRIED.

On the 18th inst., at Trull, Somersetshire, the Rev. David
Smith Stone, only son of Webb Stone, Esq. of Conieytrovie-
house, near Taunton, to Isabella Ann, eldest daughter of the
late Captain Thomas Elphinstone, of the Royal Navy, and of
Belair-house, in the County of Devon.
At St. Mary's, Lambeth, on Thursday, the 20th inst.,. Geo.
Washington Abbott, Esq. of flay, Brecon, to Elizabeth Ca-
roline,• second daughter of the late William Van, Esq. of the
Council-office.

On Thursday, the 20th inst., at Tettenham, Mr. Henry
King, of Falcon square, to Sarah, youngest daughter of John
Chaplin, Esq. of Tottenham.

DIE.
In St. James's.place, on Tuesday evening, the 18th inst.
Miss Isabella Pigot.
On the 15th inst., at Coventry, Mr. Herbert. Bury, late Of
Malta, merchant.
On Saturday morning, the 15th inst., at Limehouse, Mid-
dlesex, Mr. Matthew Belcher, in the 44th year of his age.
On the 20th inst., in Tavistock-square, Mrs. Sharp, widow
of the late Wm. Sharp, Esq. of Winchester-street.

Printed and Ptiblisbed for the Priontivrons, at the SUN..
OFFICE, 112;Sterand, by J. B. CAnsTAtits.