Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1837-02-17
From The N. Y. Observer.
DR.. Hnmphrey,s Tour.

ing al thy beggary, and lending his ear only
for few days 10 thy comprehensive shall
he say2 How little eau he know from per-
sonal observation Of the extent Of thy power
ty, or the depth Of thy wretchedncss, or Of
the causes ofthy manifold suffcrings2 And
yet, he can see and hear more than enough
in single week. to make his heart ache.
nay bleed, from hour to hour. and II he is an
American, TO call forth many ihanksgiyings
to Hin, who makelh his own beloved coun-
try 10 differ so essentially. from this teen.
ing. but furnished almost out-cast island Of
the sea.
need not saw, that the history Of ireland.
for six centuries. is history OF wrongs and
sufferings and crimrs-a mournful record,
on nearly every page, Of idencss and staTva-
tion--of ignorance and supers,ition-of OPP
preston, rebellion and slaughter Its pres.
ent condition. certainly. is not so deplorahle
as il was two centuries. or even half cen
fury ago Between l724 and 1872, there
were eierea years Of famine in Ireland -
and not one year. OF what we should call
plenty. throughout the whole island Bn,
although the people are now, perhaps, better
fed, better clothed better sheltered and bet
ter governed than they have been al almost
any former period, the state Of the country.
especially as il regards subsistence, mendici.
" and want Of employment, is deplorable.
The following statements, extracted from the
report OF the Commissioners. who were
sometime since appointed by the king, 10 en-
qure into the condition Of the poorer class
| es in Ireland, and which was made to Par
Lament at the last session. are truly uppal-
ing.
That a great proportion of the laboring
population, are insufiicicntly provided with
the common necessarics of life. That no
less than 2.3S5.000 persons Of that class, are
in distress. and require relief thirty weeks in
a year, owing to want Of work. That the
wives and children Of many. are obliged re-
luctantIy, and with shame. TO beg--and
mendicancy is likewise the soul resource OF
the aged and impotent Of the poorer classes.
in general. whereby. encouragement is Civ
en- TO imposture, idleness and crime
| have already, in former letter. glanced
AT the filth and wrcichedness and swarming
4 beggary Of two or three considerable towns.
through which passed. and although did
not 90 into the poorer districts OF the south
and west, at all, saw enough every where.
scented by the Commissioners TO the British
Legislature, is not overdrawn. Even IN
Dublin, where provision is made for the
poor at what we should consider most cnoI.
nous expense. and they are forbidden BY the
city authorizes to beg in the streets, you
/ can scarce walk fifty yards, without being
lassailcd BY some miserable object. in human
1 form. imploring your compassion and il
4 you stop TO enquire into the case, you are
| gone no, do not mean that ckactly-bu,
4 you may as well make up your mind at once,
TO stand regular siege. or rather assault
j from five, or ten, more or less, who are sure
TO surround you and deaien you by their i'm.
portunitv. The manner in which they
swarm around the hotels, and inies, the more
public places Of resort, is extremely annoy
ling; and the expedenls which they employ,
to arrcs, your attention and excite your sym
4 pathy. are often disgusting. and sometimes
Il inhuman Passing, about 10 o'clock one
Il evening, By the old Parliament House in
/ Dublin, almost stumbled under the portIco
lupon a group OF children nestled down, ap
parently for the night. close 10 the wall, up
on little straw, or an old rag perhaps, but
!. witbou, any covering ut all Here was q
picture of starvation and death, which
shall never forget consisting OF girl eieh,
or nine years Of age. little boy, believe
. about half as old, and an infant under year
II struck me with a feeling, but linle short o
horror. for really thought the child was
: dead--it YEAS SO still and SO pale. | saw I
in the same place the next day--ihe breath
I of life was in il for it moved and moaned -
but am sure il must have been nearly fam
ished or in the last stage OF disease. The
: object Of this inhuman exhibition, by nigh
aud by day, undoubtedly was, to excite III,
compassion Of strangers and get money!
land Il was moi al all Improbable, that the pa
! rents OF these children, were themselves
hale and sturdy beggars, pursuing their vo
J cation, in some other part Of the city.
!, Something like this. though not quite SC
!, shocking, | Witnessed again and again, il
: one Of the principal streets OF Belfast. J
was lad about dozen years old, with TIN
!, mere rag Of shirt, and another OF pantn
looms, to hide little of his nakedness. stand
! ing up BY the wall with young child upoI
: his back, nearly as naked as himself.--
There he Stood from hour to hour like tn
statue of famine ITSELF facing all who pass
: led along. and seeming piteously TO crl
Help or we perish Now this boy and tn
: lamiiy 10 which lie belonged might hay
. been nisetabiy poor. dare say they we're
: Ills not improbable, however, that in such
J, Thriving place as Belfast, they might hav
2 gaineda comfortable Subsistence. by homes
- IL r. Ill -. $50