The Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1834-184?, 1847-02-25
RELIEF OF IRELAND.-MR. CLAY's


| Mr.. President and Fellow Citizen.-I
hesiiated to accept the invitation which has
brought me here being mere soiourner and
not member OF this comm uniiy,l doubt
ed the propriety OF my presence and parici-
/ patton in the proceedings of this morning,
and apprehended that my motive might be
misunderstood. Button consulting my pill
low, and considering that the humanity of The
object of this assembly is bounded by 40 lat
itude nor locality, and ought 10 be co-exen-
sive with the whole human lamily-ii seemed
TO me that all considerations of fasiidous
delcacy and etiquette should be waived and
marged IN a generous and magnanimous eff
fort TO contribute 10 The relief of the suffer
| ings which have excited our feelings. If |
should be misc0nceiVed or mistepresented.
The experience of a long life has taught me
that the best response 10 mIsconce plion
and Misrepresentation is the fearless and
faithful discharge of duty in all the conditions
of life in which we may be placed, and the
best answer to traduction and calumny, is con
/ scious rectitude and the APPRECIATION of ones
own heart.
Mr.. Prcs,dent-If we were to hear tina,
laEge numbers OF the inhabitants oil Asia, Of
AREA, or Australia, or the remo,est par, OF
The globe, were daily dying with hunger and
iamIHe--no matter what their color, what
their religion, or what their civillz alton, we
should deeply lament their condition, and be
irresisably prompted, If possible to mitigate
their sutierlngs. But il is not The distress oil
any such distant regions that have summon
ed us together on this occasion. The ap-
palling and heart-renderIng disresSes of Ire
| land, aud lrishmen form the object of our
present consultation. That Ireland, which
has been in all the vicissiudes of our nation
al existence, our friend, and has ever extern
ded 10 US her warmesl sympathy those Irish
men, who, in every war III which we have
been engaged, on every battlefield, from
Quebec 10 Monterey, have stood by Us, shout
der to shoulder, and shared in all the perls
aud fortunes of The conflict. The impIoring
appeal comes 10 US from the Irish nation,
which is so Unidentified with our own, as to
be almost part and parcel of ours, bone Of
our bone and flesh of our flesh. Nor is il
any ordinary case of human misery, or
Few isolated cases of death by starvation,
that we are called upon TO consi der. Fam
inc is stalking abroad throughout Ireland;
whole towns, cOunties-counIless human be
ings, of every age and of both sexes-at this
very moment are starving or IN danger of
starving 10 death for bread! Ofall the forms
of dissolution ofhuman life, The pangs and
lagony Of that which proceeds from famine
are the most dreadful If one dies fighting
glorousy for his country he is cheered in
his expiring moments, by the PATRIOTIC ma
x.gI l.. IL IL.
surviving relations and friends while lament
ing his loss, will be graiifed and honored by
his devotion to his country. Poets, painters,
sculpiors, historians-wIl record his deeds
Of yalor and perpetuale his renown. If he
dies by the sudden explosion of the boilers Of
a steamboat, or by Storm at sea, death is
quiet and easy, aud soon, performs its mis-
sion. A lew piercing shrieks are uttered,
he sinks beneath The surface, and all ia still
and silent. Bula death by starvation comes
slow, lingering and excEucialing. From
daV TO day the wreiched victim feels his
flesh dwindling, his speech sinking, his friends
falling around him, and he finally expires in
horrible agony. Behold the wrelched Irish
moiher-wilh haggard looks and streaming
eyes-her famished children cliuging 10 her
it0llCICO uuo ptlSOuSft III
her face begging for foodi And see the dis
tracted husband and father with palld cheeks
q Standing by, horror and despair depicted in
his northumberland with the reflection
that he can afford no succor or relief to The
dearest objects of his heart about TO be snatch
ed forever from him by the most cruel of Ill
deaihs This is no fancy picture; but, il we
are to credit the terrible accounts, which
Ireach US from that theatre of misery and
wrelchedness, is one of daily occurrence
Indeed, no Imagination can conceiye-no
tongue express-no pencil paint-ihe hor-
rors OF the scenes which are there daily ex
hibited.
u ireland, in respect 10 food, is differently
situated from all The countries OF the world.
Asia has her abundant supply of rice; Africa,
her dates, yams, and rice; Europe, her bread
OF wheat, rye aid oats: America, double
resource in the small grains, and never
failing and abundant supply of Indian corn
that great supporter of animal ife-lor
which we are mol half grateful enough 10 a
bounlfnl and mercful Providence. But the
staple food OF large parts of poor Ireland is
the poiatoe, and when il fails, pinching want
and famine follow. II is among the nscru
table dispensations Of Providence, that the crop
has been bligh,ed the last two years, and
hence, the pfiVaion OF food, and this appeal
to the sympathy OF American hearts. Shall
starving irelaud-the young and the old =
g. diving women and children stretch out their
hands TO us for bread land find no relief?
Will not this great city, the worlds store
house of an exausiIess supply of all kinds of
food, borne to its OVERLOOKING warehouses by