Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1824-07-06
IRELAND.

The following is an extract from the
speech OF the Hon. Mr.. North, delivered
on the II,b ut. in,ihe British Parliament,
in The debate on the condition OF Ireland:
sln ireland the people had for series
ofyears suffered variety OF Misery
They had proceeded from one affection 10
another. Each season brought its pecu.
liar horror. In the one it was famine, in
the next it was fever; 10 the third II was
murder! These cad events seemed TO
form perpetual cycle, the parts of which
were of regular aud mourntul recurrence.
The evils which all felt, all sscribed TO
different causes. She peasant attributed
them to the rapacit5 of the landlord-the
landlord to the bigetry OF the clergy. For
his (Mr. Nortb's) part, he believed that
they originated in many causes He per.
fect!y agreed with the noble mover of the
proposition before the House, that one OF
The most conspicuous causes Of the dis.
turbed condition of Ireland, was its unen-
pIoyed population. No political axiom
was more certain, than that there was no
State policy, no secret OF government, by
which il was possible 10 reconcile Tranquil
lily with dleness (hear, hear, bearD All
the arts OF civilization were in fact but so
many expedients 10 make peace and in
dustry mutually productive OF each other.
To 81 energetic people. especially, EN-
ployment was positive want. They bad
as eager 40 appetite for it as for their food.
Where such people were left without oL-
cupatien, they became wild, untsmeable
and ferocious. Disguise il as they might,
such people were in savage state, and
fuctuated as the history of Ireland but loo
plainly proved that the Irish people had
buctuate6 between hopeless Incidence and
desperate mischief ihear,) Placed at the
bottom OF the scale of human beings, the
Irish peasant never looked upwards. He
was excited by no euulaiion-be was in
spIred by no hope---be was deaf TO every
whisper of ambtion-be was influenced by
neither fear nor degradation, nor expecta-
lion OF advancemecit-be remained fixed
on the spot at which be first drew his
breath, without the wish. and still more,
without the power of motion. He saw
whatever existed OF prosperity among his
superiors, placed at an imP-easurabIe dis.
lance from his grasp. he saw himself
surrounded by mem 81 religion different
from his own, whose interest appeared TO
him TO be al variance with bis own, and
whose chief or sole business he supposed
TO be armed as they were, With The sword
OF the law, to keep him quiet and poor
Under such circumstances. his character
became hardened and desperate; he saw
ia the violation Of the law no moral culpa-
bility; he trsnsgressed it, therefore, with
out self reproach. and when his !misdeeds
brought him their apportiosed punishment,
be suffered under its infection with the tri-
umpb OF martyr, and not with the COM
FUNCTION oil criminsI hear, hear, heaI!)
All the noble traits Of such a mans origi-
nal character became degrade aad deba-
sed. dis courage was converted into fero-
city, bis intelligence into fraud; bis whole
state and condition was gradually deterio.
rated; and the peasant was at length lost
in he murderer and incendiary (hear,
hearty These two circumstances, the place
which The Irish peasant held in society,
and bis want of employment were unques
lonably the chief sources of the pertufbed
condition Of Ireland"