Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1844-07-05


1t is new to me, also, Count; neve
saw you wear it,
No, my dear friend, nor have for moro
than forty years; but ! bcthonght me if TIL,
were to be, as it may in all likelihood, the
last anniversary shall ever keep, of one o
our great and glorious days, could not bet.
ter honor the occasion than by a souvenir o
my old corps. This is the uniform of the
Irish Brigade.''
Indeed, said the Colonel then the oc.
casion is most apropo to present country.
NANNY friend here
The old Counts eyes sparklcd, and even
thought his checks showed heightened col
or as he held ont a hand toward me.
'Seventy-six years Of absence, sir, have
erased every personal recollection, but have
not obterated the love I bear my country
May take the liberty to shake your hand
it is only thus can ever salute Ireland.
There was graceful ease, and elegance
indeed, in the air Of the old Count, that i'm
parted c',arm TO the very simplest phrase ;
and he displayed, to the greatest advantage.
the perfection Of that courty bearing of the
old time by divesiine it of all its frvolity, and
only preserving the suavc urhantv winch
gives all its charm. His slightly stopped fig
ure, his venerable head, the scarcely percep-
tIblo trcmor of his voice, were all indcscri-
badly touching; aud feel ashamed at my
own abortivc effort to convey any adequate
idea OF Il manner the most fascinating | ever
remember TO have met with.
The dinner proceeded as pleasantly as
Ia ~, II - l.
exerted himself to establish that feeling Of
ease between strangers which insuvcs the
happy flow Of conversation, and induces a
freedom akin to actual intimacy.
The old Count made many inquiries about
the places | had visited in the East of E.u-
rope, and asked for many persons, some of
whom had the fortune to meet WITH and of
whose career he heard with pleasure. In
Vienna he was well known, and had passed
some Of his happicst days; and of these he
spoke with ardor and feeling, recounting
many anecdotes, which amusinglv OBJECTED
the varying aspects of the world at dilercn,
craS of his life.
DE Bourqncny from time TO time seemed
disposed to give his "reminiscences Il turn to-
wards the military events Of his career; but
the Count, either inatcniivc to his sngucs-
tons, or, as | suspected, studious to avoid the
topic, scarcely ever advertcd TO them, and
then but briefly.
And now, sir said O'Mahon, that we
have discussed Austria and Italy, and have
wandered along the Danube almost to the
Black Sea, tell me some news ofa land far
nearer and dcarer TO us both. What of Ire
land lis she more prosperous, or richer. or
happier than | knew her, in times long
past 2
: must also speak from memory, sir-a
short interval, indeed, compared to the alb
sence you allnde tO-but should say, that
she is both richer and happier than former
ly. The benefits Of freedom more widely
dIlused have engcndcred social ampliora-
ton also; the condition Of the peasan,ry has
improved as the resources of the land have
met development; and state of things,
more nearly approximaling to that of Eng
land, has introduced more confidence in the
law, and more obedience to its mandates
SO far so good this is happy change.
and must lead TO great results. But the peo-
ple-how are they affected toward England!
Has this prosperity you speak Of blunted the
memory OF former wrongs! Do they desire
to Hiss the hand that smote their sires p
Neither their prosperity nor their forgiv-
ness have been so great as Won suspect.-
When | spoke of the first, did so merely
in comparison with what have heard and
read of their former condition, for certainly
there Is little to warrant the employment of
the phrase on other grounds. In no country
have witnessed such poverty as in my own:
nowhere have | seen The sulferngs which
want and mlSrry engender, so great: nor. |
Will add, have | ever heard of people who
have borne up with a more enduring patience
under evils so heart crushing
You are right, quite right; political
privileges wore doed out \, scantily as even
to be behind the requirements of the time
The nation, poor and uneducated, and unn-
structed, was, in actual intelligence, in adj
vance OF It's rulers; and deemed each new
concession as a boon too long withheld to
demand gratitude in return. II was con.
CURED country that never confessed defeat:
while the conqueror too proud of his success
and too contemptuous toward his foe, never
bestowed thought upon him, nor thought
that the smoulderipe embcrs could ever burs,
into blaze. The nation should have been
incorporated with England, hear, and soul,
at once there was no other course to follow !:
equal laws and equal rights would have en-
gendered equal loyalty and good faith"
The guarantees were never equal, Count;
the allegiance to Rome
1.-The allegiance to Rome interrupted he,
smiling; an affair of the PRIESTHOOD
But the Celt never did love the Saxon
SAID |, lnattentive to his former remarks.
whose spirit knew too well to dream of
contradlctlng; and when a few moments
since, | spoke Of the endurance of the pco-
pie, alluded not 10 political, but social evils.
The poverty that met not bencvolencc to
relieve, nor sympathy to soothc it; the want,
disease, and wretchcdncss they were suffer-
ing beneath the eyes OF their own country
men-the sons Of the soil, the descendants of
their own ancient famiies--who preferred
denounc'ng the cruelty of England to making
one bold or generous effort to help the poor
b'Ihe lanllorlc Of I,,l,nI ;,,l =, I...,,,