Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1824-07-31
IErTER FROM IRELAND.

The city presents the most eytraordina-
~ contrast OF poverty and magnhcence to
be met with in Europe.s As you approach
il you fad suburbs composed OF bowels,
the sides OF which are partly stone anu
partly earth, the roofs OF turf, the entrance
about Al leet high, and The whole dimen
sions of each not exceeding l2 10 IA teet
SQUARE. These miserable caves, may or
NAV not have hole Tor window, and an
aperture on the top TO let out the smoke,
il the luxury of FIRE can be afforded. A.
round the door the dirty children are
buddled--uot one half are decentiy clad;
some of than still evince notions OF civil.
zation by Sinking into the house, or turn
Ing their bare parts against wall as
stranger passes by.
see hundreds whose whole dress, con-
sisling of mass of rags, OF all colOrs and
of all sorts OF fabrics; will not furnish one
piece OF CLOTH eight inches sauare-and
these tatters seemed 10 be sewed together
only 10 prevent Them from deserving each
other.
am here giving you no high cojored
picture, nor am selecting a few rare m
stances Irestrain myself within the bouads
Of veritable accurscy--l am talking of
what composes the whole environs OF Dvb-
Gin, and embraces very large proportion
Dfits 200, 900 inhabitants. There is moth.
;Ag in France, Germany or Holland, and
think IN Italy. that approaches the spec
.scles of raggedness, poverty and "Fetch'
y6ness which swarm &c Dublin.
haying passed the suburbs, the dwell
hngs improve; and on reaching Sackville-
sireet, you imagine yourself 10 one OF the
elegant cities of Europe. 10 walking o.
yer the city, the late parliament house,
(uow the Bank the exchange, the quay
along The Life, and several OF the public
ssuares. excite the strangers admiration.
There is no part OF London which can
compare with the centre OF Dublin IN
beauty andsmagni6cence.
But in turning the eye from the archl-
tectural splendor which surrounds him,
upon the crowds which flow along the
streets, he stranger will be struck with the
motley nature OF the ihTong. Here Is
lass almostibuOyanl with satin and feathers;
there is trembling girl OF l8, purple
from cold-sbEinking from shame, and
drawing around her the poor rags which,
with all Der care, scarce cover her body;
here is an exquisite, pertaining the air as
he passes, with rings ON his fingers, dIa'
monds in his breach and a gemmed quiz>
ziOg glass at bis side: there is an DO.
nest fellow who cannot afford hat, whose
feet summer and winter know not the lux
ury of shoe or stocking, and whose whole
wardrobe, consisting OF but two articles,
viz. a taItered jacket, and pair OF small
clothes; and not TO multiply pictures. while
the lord LIEUTENANT dashes by 10 coach
aud tour, the stranger gaZes at the gallant
and costly pageant, while be empties bis
pockets 10 satisfy the throng OF beggars
who pray him in the name OF God give
Kim penny.
You will not wonder that my interest
was soon excited for ireland, alter witness.
Ing those scenes. lfsuch misery prevails
in Dublin, where more charitable socie-
ties exist for the purpose OF melioratlng
the condition of mankind, than in any O.
Their city in the world, what must be the
state OF the renoter paris or ireland?--
) From my own observation, & the testimony
OF intelligent people here, think may
safely affirm that there is not so wretched
a community on the globe as that OF great
part of Ireland. How, indeed, can it De
otherwise? All the lands IN this island be-
long to rich propFietors, who live out OF
the kingdom, and spend abroad all that
they can scrspe from the soil, what else
than poverty can be the LOT OF country
thus situated? And when you examine
the subject more in detail, you find things
still worse than, from general statement,
could have been Imagined.
Many OF the proprIetors employ agents
who reside in England, and let the lands
10 sub-agents, called land pirates, or mid
die men, who monopolise the soil, and ex
act what is called rackrent from the pea
SAINTS. Nor is rack-rent the most serious
burtheu which this devoted people have to
bear. Every tenth part OF the produce OF
the soil is wrested from them by the minis
tiers of the Church OF England, in whose
religion they do not believe: while they
are still obliged TO support their own nj
nisters, IN whom they do believe.
That things are strongly tending to a
great change in Ireland cannot doubt =
The subject of tythes in England, (Bot>
withstanding the clergy insist that they are
of divine ordination, and that the Quarterly
Review maintains they are only part
OF the rent of land the clergy being co-pro-
prietors with The landlord, IS one which
excites extensive disaprrobstion. With
respect to Ireland, the system of tythes is
felt to be still mole liable TO apprehension.
That SD poor people should be obliged
10 paw 1000 dollars a year which is stat
ed 10 be the average OF irish benihces, TO
ecclesiastical many OF whom instead OF
living among the people, aud min'stering
to their spiritual and temporal welfare.
betake themselves TO the fashionable plea,
sures Of Bath and Cbeltenham, heedless OF