The Sun.
London, England, 1846-10-22 00:00:00

mørtLil. fIL

LONDON, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1846.

It is gratifying to observe that the Repeal Associ-
ation is at present performing an eminent practical
service to Ireland in these days of her tribulation.
Nearly every factious allusion, and all invidious re-
vivals of party squabbling, are, during this period of
scarcity and national destitution, abandoned. The
purpose of the Association scarcely appears to be so
much the repetition of that most fallacious and illu-
sory of watchwords " Repeal," as the consideration
of the necessities of the peasantry, and the avowal of
an anxiety to ameliorate the distresses of the dejected
million. What a noble contrast is this to the vapour-
lag, and the egregious bombast of the physical force
advocates ! While the latter are brooding over the
fictitious insolence of the Sassenachs, and nurturing
a diseased passion for vengeance, the admirers
of the moral force movement are striving
by all reasonable persuasions to expedite
the salutary exertions of the Government, to stimu-
late the patriotism of the landlord interest, and to al-
leviate, by every rational suggestion, the sufferings
inflicted upon their beloved country by the inscru-
table dispensations of DIVINE PROVIDENCE. A
national committee of Irish landowners has been
suggested as the most probable means of rendering
the improvement of the condition of the destitute
multitude a permanent and effectual benefaction. It
has been observed, and observed with justice, that
such a congregation of influential men, assembled
together in Dublin, would materially lessen the ob-
stacles presented to the benevolent efforts of Govern-
ment, for that by accumulating in periodical reports the
exigencies of the different districts scattered through
either of the four provinces—Leinster, Ulster, Con-
naught, and Munster—and by constituting them-
selves the representstives, as it were, of public opinion
throughout the island, extraordinary facilities would
be thereby afforded to the numerous endeavours of
the Executive to dissipate the gloom which has already
descended upon the population. Until that national
committee be convened, or supposing indeed that it
be never called into existence, the Repeal Association
will form its only reasonable substitute. It is the
only organised body of men solicitous for the restora-
tion of happiness and prosperity to their fellow-
countrymen, which, being altogether distinct from the
commissariat and other boards subordinate to the
Government, affords from week to week anything
like a digest of the deficiencies, the expectations, and
the disposition of the Irish people. In this manner
we conceive that the Repeal Association is conferring,
or striving to confer, a real boon upon our sister
island. It is not so much hankering after the pos-
session of a perfectly unattainable object, as it is
struggling to incite those who are competent—the
Ministers and the landlords—to diminish the woes
by which Ireland is now being desolated.
There is an emulation, moreover, among some of
the most prominent members of this association to
endeavour more earnestly to assuage the sorrows of the
million. Instead of the frivolous and contemptible
bickering of some pseudo-patriot in the shape of
at Captain BOBADIL, we observe the generous eon-
tentron between the Hon. CECIL LAwLEss and his
quondam opponent Mr. O'NEIL. In the circum-
stances attendant upon the last meetini, of the Re-
pealers in Conciliation Hall we perceive' the texts of a
homily worthy of the perusal of the Young Irelanders
We would especially remind the latter individuals that.
this is not the time for the breedingof ill blood and for
the brandishing of a wooden sword. Ireland is starv-
ing; the heart of the nation is almost broken by late
calamities; -death by famine, by pestilence, by as_
sassination, and by tumultuary risings, already
threatens the impoverished and despairing peasant.
Surely this is nod the moment for nursing individual
jealousies, for bandying unseemly personalities, for

swaggering like the TELL of a melodrama. Surely
this is not the most opportune moment for intestine
squabbles. The sentiments of Irishmen should at
this awful period merge into one, and that one the
most sacred of all,—the preservation of the existence
of the poor. All parties, without distinction, should
coalesce at this juncture for the better realisation of
the wishes of the Government and the aspirations of
every generous heart—the extrication of the Irish
multitude from the abyss of misery into which they
are plunged. All differences of political opinion,
religious partialities, or class interests, should, at the
very least, be waived during the continuance of the
present alarming visitation.
Another imminent necessity is revived for the con-
sideration of the Legislature, by the brief but em-
phatic adjuration of Mr. O'CONNELL :—" Rapidity is
most necessary—else the people will die of hunger
before the supplies arrive." If any exigency requires
more frequent repetition than another in reference to
the existing destitution, we are fearful that it is this
of " Rapidity !" Assistance cannot be afforded by a
Government with too much precipitation. When a
country is suffering from such grievous and diffused
privations, scarcely any expenditure on the part of
the Executive can be termed extravagant. The
assistance should, indeed, be lavished with a princely
munificence and with a paternal promptitude. The
dominion requiring that assistance is entitled to
that princely bounty and that paternal considera-
tion. We do net hesitate to assert that this is precisely
the period in which the Legislature is afforded the
opportuuity of demonstrating in the most signal man-
ner the fallacy, the impolicy, the madness of the
struggle for repeal. A splendid moment presents
itself for disabusing the Irish population of that
chimera, and of proving—though in a totally opposite
sense than the one implied by the Hon. CECIL LAW-
LESS—that