The Sun.
London, England, 1847-03-22 00:00:00

THE FAST-DAY.
(From the Dispatch.)
Mr. Editor,—ln the " good old times when George
111. was king," and the country was always at war for
the sake of "the throne and the altar," Fast-days came
round annually, and seemed to belong to our honoured
institution and constitution. They were occasionally
varied by Thanksgiving-days. When our soldiers
had slaughtered many of the French, we gave
thanks ; and when the French had slaughtered many
of our soldiers, we fasted. The religion and the
slaughtering always went together ; so that blood
did but flow, there was sure to be devotion, and I
suppose this was what inspired Wordsworth with the
thought that "Carnage is God's daughter." The nation
of that strange relationship is not abandoned, if we may
judge from the recent Proclamation for a Fast. As in
those days, our rulers ascribed to Deity the destruction
of the French, so do they now ascribe to him the star-
vation of the Irish. The difference is, that then we
wished Him to continue to destroy the French, and now
we wish Him to leave off destroyine the Irish. Both
slaughteringa are referred to Providence ; working in
one case by leaien bullets, and in the other by rotten
potatoes.
It was gene rally supposed that this sort of barbarism
was at an end. The number of those who know better
has been multiplied in the interval. A new generatie II
has sprung up; and if little has been done for its educe •
tion, there is a widely-acting Spirit of self-instruction
amongst the masses. Honest Fanaticism has been made
more modest; and mere cant has become less effective.
The proclamation for a Fast. day took the public by sur-
prise. People had thought of a hundred different things for
the relief or mitigation of Irish distress; they had thought
of opening the ports last November; of prohibiting the
exportation of food; of making large purchases abroad
with Government funds ; of a temporary subscription;
of a permanent poor-law ; but they never thought of
fasting as a cure for famine. Only a superannuated
devotee, here and there, is to be found with any faith in
its efficacy. Providence is net generally believed to be
particular about our eating flesh or fish. It gives no
outward and visible sign of a curse upon mutton,
or of merit in mackerel. There is no obvious
reason why roast meat and repentance should not go
together, and be not less available than contrition upon
cod-fish. Calamity does not spare those who feed only
upon sprats. That a meagre diet constitutes devotion,
has come to be regarded as a superstition. The surprise
at the doctrine of the Proclamation has sunk into a quiet
disgust. People raise their eye-brows, and shrug their
shoulders, and wonder what it means. Some imagine it
a counterpoise to the recent developments of liberality at
Rome. Since Popes have become enlightened Pro-
testant authorities do the superstitious to sustain the
world's balance between the absolute and the progressive.
The calm dignity that should characterize a Procla-
mation is not evinced in this document. Its tone seems
to anticipate a sceptical and scornful reception. "We
do strictly charge and command," that reverent state of
mind which no human being, with whatever brief
shadow of authority invested, can effectually command
in the conscience of another. The proclamation
threatens disregard with the " wrath and indigna-
tion" of " Almighty God," Who dares thus talk
of throwing thunderbolts? Who made the conclave at
Osborne House, the Privy Councillors of Providence?
And what further and earthly punishment is to be su-
peradded to the divine? With a strange assumption,
after the command upon people to be fasting, reverent
and devout "as they tender the favour of Almighty
God, and would avoid his wrath and indignation," it is
added, " and upon pain of such punishment as may be
justly inflicted ou all such as contemn and neglect,
the performance of so religious and necessary
a duty." So then, the culprit is first to be
delivered over to the devil, and afterwards to the
Attorney-General. He is in danger, first of the penal-
ties of divine indignation, and then of the statute (where
is it) in that case made and provided. This is taking
great liberties with heaven, and with human conscience.
Neither our numerous and independent sects, nor the
members of the favoured Church, are accustomed to be
thus commanded. More will be disposed to anger than
to humility; while the millions will eat their dinners,
and go their ways, as if nothing had happened of all
this sonorous fulmination.
The Irish famine, and the comparative scarcity which
is beginning to be felt in England, are ascribed by the
Proclamation to " the iniquities of this land," and to our
" manifold sins and provocations." Now, Sir, if this be
the fact, and if the Deity be really visiting the Irish with
a wise and righteous punishment for their wickedness, I
humbly suggest that no more public money should be
voted for relieving them, and thus counteracting the
Divine dealings. On that theory, it makes us ex post
facto accomplices in their guilt. God punishes, and we
help. He shuts them up in the dungeon of despair, and
we set open the prison doors. He starves, and we feed.
The piety of the Privy Council is a strange jumble. It
blunders somewhere. It is at fault egregiously, either
in the pecuniary grants, or in the providential judgments.
The sins should have been particularized. What
Edmund Burke professed himself unable to do, is at-
tempted in this document ! it "draws a bill of indictment
against a nation." But the counts are not clear. The
specification is omitted. The Irish peasantry may de-
mand of the Privy Council " What sins ?" They
may appeal to that portion of Scripture introduced
into the service which completely nullifies the spirit
of the Proclamation. The bishops, as if in
sly rebuke—(can the Right Reverend Fathers be
so humorous?)—have put in the text which tells us
that those on whom the Tower of Siloam fell were not
sinners above all men in all Jerusalem. The Irish may
infer that starvation is no test of sin. Job's comforters
must have assisted at Osborne House. The
peasants have lost their potatoes, and, there-
fore, are plundered of their character. They
must be in fault, for they are famishing.
The foulness of their deeds is inferred from the ravages
of fever. If this be Christian consolation, it is very
cold. It would be horribly heartless, if the concocters of
the document had any meaning in their words. Pro-
bably they thought of nothing more than the common
conventionalisms of a religious dialect, and so went
blundering on—now vilifying Providence, and anon the
people.
It' there be " iniquity," " sin," and " provocation" in
the case, and they have caused the potato blight, the
offenders should be ferreted out. The Irish people have
not been particularly wicked of late. They have re-
formed their ways as to whisky, marvellously. In the
matter of repeal they may have been wrong-headed, but
they have very meritoriously kept the Queen's peace. l
do not see that any peculiar and enormous sin can be
brought home to their door. Nor does it appear that
"the iniquities of this land, so far as they are charge-
able upon the population at large, have been unusually
heinous. At present the all-covering mantle of charity
is over them. Patience, energy, unfailing generosity,
have been evinced, to an extent that might have saved
the potato, if it rotted simply from the want of righteous-
ness. Who then are the sinners? Mr. Plumptre points
to Sir Robert Peel and the Maynooth grant; Lord G.
Bentinck intimidated the free traders; Dr. Chalmers
glances towards the railway directors that run Sunday
trains; the juries of Irish coroners bring in a verdict of
Guilty against Lord John Russell and the Whig
Ministry. If any of these charges can be es-
tablished, let the culprits be prosecuted. But it
gives a very odd idea of Providential govern-
ment to represent such parties as punished
by the badness of potatoes. Bad they been the Offen-
ders, and nature employed (according to the proclama-
tion doctrine) for punishment, the blight would rather
have fallen upon the vineyards of the Rhine and tht
silk-worms of Syria. There would have been typhus
among the turtle, and a scarcity of champagne. White-
bait would be bad and venison villainous. No, they
have their faults, and grievous ones; but they have not
brought on us the necessity for fasting by any of tin
offences just enumerated.
In another way, their case is not so clear. It now ap-
pears that a much larger stock of food might have been
accumulated in our warehouses, from Eastern Europe, had
the corn duty and the navigation-laws been suspended
last autumn. For that neglect, that deep sin of go-
vernmental omission, we are beginning to pay dearly.
The pressure will become much heavier, before any sup-
plies can be obtained. The industrial classes, who are
(by taxation) the true feeders of the Irish, are already
pinched themselves ; and have the prospect of severer
privations. Proclaim a fast for them, indeed ! It is
proclaimed by the prices in Mark-lane, and ob-
served. not in churches or chapels, but at bakers'
shops. A clergyman in Spitalfields advertises for
broken victuals to distribute amongst the desti-
tute on the evening of the fast-day. Charity is in-
voked, that thousands may have a chance of breaking
the day, and a bit of bread, together. This doctrine
of fasting is an ill-timed mockery to suffering millions.
They have, per force, fasted enough already. And
how many operatives can ill afford to lose the day's
work, by which they forfeit the day's wages. The
piety of the rich is the penalty of the poor. Royal
and ducal revenues know no intermission. Rents
ntnhde
rich man, not a sixpenc
and dividends are not diminished by fast-days. The
.
poor man is fined a sixth
eof hTish
wuse, tlekliy i m
e fastingcoe ;
a
prayers of the Peer are paid for by the peasant. A
that there may be an im-
hardship is wantonly created,
endure a 1 ths, for fear
of the noisy vituperations of the few who pretend to
mon sense of the country should en
i
posing display of devotion. It is too badlthat the com-
fjustice
interpret the will of Heaven. A little more o
and charity would be worth a deal of fasting and pray-
ing; and not the less acceptable to Piety for being bene-
ficial to mankind. PUBLICOLA.

TO TIIE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.
Sir,—As a labourer at the Ducks at 2s. 7d. per day,
with a wife and large family (six children under four-
teen), pray do point out to those in authority the great
injustice myself and hundreds other poor men like
myself are subject to, iR not being allowed to work,
and our families almost starving as it is, upon
this little pittance ; and, although I am grateful
to those who employ me at all, yet on Good Friday we
shall have to make another sacrifice of a day's labour ;
for it is with us as in the India warehouses—no work no
pay. Your interest on our behalf will be received grate-
fully by hundreds, and by yours very obediently,
HENRY GORING.
14, Holywell-lane, March 20.

A BOY SHOT AT PENRITII.—Thomas Bell, a
youth aged sixteen years, son of Robert Bell, of Eamont-
bridge, stonemason, was accidentally shot in Sandgate, Pen-
rith, on the morning of Monday last. It appears that a boy
of the name of John Little (son of a labourer of that name
who lives in Friar-street, Penrith), had been entrusted with
a gun to frighten the ;cows from a field of wheat, the pro-
perty of Mr. Foster, of the Crown Hotel, Penrith. This boy
in charging the gun so fixed the ramrod in the barrel that
he could not get it out again, and meeting Bell in the street,
asked him to pull it out. When attempting to do this the
gun went off, and the ramrod passed through Bell's body.
The boy still lives, but is in a most daugerous state.—New-
caek Journal.