New-York daily tribune., 1843-10-28
GsIlmpses of Europe. No. VII.
From the Special Correspondent of the n. Y Tribune
IRELAND AND THE IRISH.
SY A TRAVELLING NEW-YoRKI

IRELAND AND THE IRISI
To learn the real character, feelings, and habits
Of people, a traveller must turn aside from their
cities, their curiosties, and even their great men,
and talk with that portion of them who have not
been rubbed down into the uniformity Of sea-
shore pebbles, by the attrltion of education and
polished society. The lower classes of nation
alone preserve its original peculiarites, and they
express its real sentiments. In Ireland have
found this to be especially true. The higher
classes here are English, in habits and feelings
the populacc alone retain their nationality.
A peasant who drove me from Colcra;n to Lon.
donderry, (herc called "Derry,') was true
Irishman in his mixture of humor and poetry,
shrewdncss and simplicity. Several Of his friends
had cmigrated to America, and prospered there,
but he said, would rather lay my bones in the
grave tomorrow in ould Ireland, than live to be
Methuselah and Crpsus in furrln country"-
Still he made many inquiries about the chances
of success in the United States and | took the
opportunity of impressing upon him, for the ben
eft of himself and friends, the advice which you
have so often and so Justly urged upon cmigrants,
not to stop day in any large city, where they
are as little wanted as at home, but to hurry off
to the Great West, where strong arms and willing
hearts cannot fail eventually to prosper.
His prejudlces against the English were equal
ly strong. We were passing through BaAykeHy,
very beautiful and fourishing village, owned
by the Fishmonger's Company of London
They had received it, like the other London
Companies, as what in Wastreet is called col
lateral security" for royal loan. By the terms
Of their bargain, they were bound to expend on
the land all its returns, after paying themselves
the interest of their loan. They seem to have
done so most faithfully, for the land is very
highly improved, and studded with school-houses,
churches and hospitals. The place far surpassed
any thing around it; but on all this my Irish
driver turned jaundiced eye and could see no
beauty in it, for it was " all English work"
But ia all the old traditions of the country he
was kecnly sensitive. Soon after leaving Cole
rain, we passed the ruins of Drummacorse church,
laullless specimen Of the picturesque, with its
moulderng fragments of WALL and pointed win
dows, perfectly covered by mantle Of the most
luxuriant ivy. My unaffected admiration of it
opened his heart and after promising that this
was one of the churches built by Saint Patrick
in every county in Ireland, he went on to tell the
story of these ruins, while | made a hasty
sketch In coors, sir, when you was at Dun
luce castle" he began, "you heard all about the
q - &c .L,o Mo- nd fho Nc
AIDS "Oh yes, know all about thcm.' :" We'll
then, SIR" he resumed, here they had very
fierce battle. But as Ill luck would have it, the
daughter of the Mcdonald loved the son of the
McQueclan. They met here the night before
the battle, and she gave him feather, which she
had worked all over herself to wear n his cap
that she might know him in the crowd She |
watched the fight from the tower of the church,
and there S a bit of it wing beside the road
The McQueelans were badly beaten that day,
and she saw the young man fall They laid him
beside clare sthrame-and there 1t is, sir-and
when they came the next morning to lift him.
they found her lying dead beside hun. They
buried them together in the grave, Just under
tfldt Dig Tree you see tIlelc Oh llldt HUI iee M
There is morsel Of romance for you which you
are doubtless too busy in President making to do
Justice to, but which you may hand over to some
poet, to be'framed and glazed in meodlous verse
Unlike the generality of his countrymen in
the North of Ireland, my hero was a Repealer.-
He did not know exactly what Repeal was, but
ONLY that it was something for the good of ouId
Ireland" The implicit and thorough confidence
of the people in O'Conncll is most extraordinary.
Some one entered into dispute with this man
about the truth Of his religion. His reply was,
:. And sure, is Mt O'Connell Catholic And
sn't he knoDleegeabLs man? And would he
believe it, then if it was MT true ?" OConnell
can have no stronger argument in his favor, and
should need no stronger incentive to single heart
ed patriotism than this unwavering, unqualified
trust Of the people.
From the same authority, beard of curious {
coincidence, which he looked on as most dee' q