Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1843-04-12
JOB PRINTING.
Ireland and the Irish.

The following is an extract of letter from
President DURBIN to DR.. SEwALL;
No country has interested me more than Ire
land She is problem in society yet TO be
solyed With general destiIulion that has no
parallel in Europe, she has Increased in popn-
lalion for the last fifty years in proportion much
faster than any other European country; while
al the same time, she has parted with millions
of her children by enlislsments in the army
and navy, and by emigration 10 the colonies
and foreign States. This fact of the rapid In
crease Of her population, with the general ab-
sence of The comfortable means of subsistence
and residence, is directly al variance with what
has been considered a settled law in political
economy, that the increase Of population as IN
proportion to the means of subsistence | pass
ed through the length Of the island, and made
little volume of notes and reasonings; and f.
naIly came 10 this conclusion that the early
marriages (grls generally marry at from four
seen to sevenleen) were owing. not 10 natural
improyidence Of the Irish, but 10 the utter
hopelessness of improving their condition pre-
paratory 10 marriage. Hence they follow the
frs, sudden impulses of youthful passion in
order to secure the longer continuance of plea
sure which cannot be improved by delay.---lf
the inquiry be, why cannot they improve the ir
coaditlon ! the answer is, the land is held mostly
in large tracts by absentee proprietors, and the
demand for il is so great, owing 10 the density
of The population, and the rent Is so high,
(much higher in proportion than in Engand,)
that The family can scarcely meet its payment
while they live on potaiues OF these last
believe they have sutIiciency and | was
strongly inclined to jump 10 the conclusion that
potato diet is favorable to the production, well
as the sustenance, of numerous population.
satisfied myself that the miseres of Ireland
do moi arise from nisgovernmeni by The mother
country, but from an overgrown population
from large landed estates, divided up into ien-
ures Of from half to ten or twenty acres, at ex-
orbiIani rents from the absence Of the proprl-
etors in England, 10 whom the rent is sent ic
be spent in London, or in travelling on the Con
,inem and 10 Catholicism, which, from IL:
very genius, is less friendly 10 improvement
and industry Than Proiestantism. This is evil
dent by comparison of the North and South
of Ireland. To remove, therefore, the ills o
Ireland, would require an exertl0n OF the Gov
ernment ia the violation of vested rights, by
compelling the division Of large landed estates
and The common right Of citizenship, by com
pel!ing the proprieiors 10 reside in the country
and improve ii by the products Of their estates
Large landed estates in entail and hereditary
titles Of nobility are The true sources Of the mis-
cries of Europe; yet the Irish are the mos
gav-spniied and cheerful people | have seen
aud both the population and the country, und e
Il right policy and free system Of government
for which they could be prepared in half cen
tury by good system of public instruction
might be made equal to any in The world.