Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1847-04-27
RICHMOND. April -, 1871.
For the Richmond Palladium.

Hangs heavy around thee al last
There hopes for each country and cline
There are turns in the fortunes Of men,
But the changes OF realms and the chances Of
Time.
Can never restore thee again,
Thou art chained to the wheel of the foe
By links which world could net
With thy tyrant through calm ana through storm
thou shalt 60,
And thy sentence is Bondage forever.
In the nations thy name IS left void,
Thou art lost from the list of the free.
Even realms by the plague ana the earthq axe
destroyed,
May revive, but no hope IS for thee
Such nearly such is the language which
was pnt into the mouth ofthe Inflated Fitzgerald
few days before his melancholy death, ana not
withstanding the utter hopelessness Of the future
prospects of his country, set forth in these
ynouynfuly thrilling lines, almost ready
at times TO believe when rejecting the situa-
ton of Ireland, that they shadow forth nothing
but stern reality, for since the rebellion Of
1898, may mark her slow but decline.
The Herculian efforts of her eloquent ana world
renowned O'ConneI. seemed for a moment to
his voice has died away into an echo ami moth
ing seems 10 remain for his country but, bon
dags forever" Let us look at ireland in the
most favorable light can, still she presents a
gloomy picture. Borne down to the very depths
of ignorance, superstition, poverty aud wretch
edness, by the combined forces Of Priestcraft,
land monopoly, low wages, ana enormous tax
alton without political representation, the situa-
ton Of large portion Of her dense population
has long been any thing but cures5le. AMI yet
depIorabie it has been in days past Iretaud
has been land Of happiness and plenty.
when compared to the present Ny very blood
runs cold, my heart dies within me as read the
every day account of It's destitute and starving
millions. Men with haggari and emaciateI
conntenancea, roaming like midnight ghosts
tie ficlds-women and children covered only
with a few rags. huddled together like many
swine IN their miserable novels the cold damp
Fathers beholding their wives and tenaer
spring. in the last stages of starvation, totally
unable to afford them the slightest relef.-Motl.
crs 18th feeble effort, clasPlng their infants IN
their arms, while every glance at the future on
IL rirets conviction still closer. that the slow.
lingering and horrible death from famine will
terminate the existence OF themselves and crying
babes-Chdren, already reduced almost to sllel-
etons, moaning and sobbing piteonsly TO their
parents, who can yield them no relief, for NOR
sci of bread to allay the fiery gnawings Of hum
ger Such is faint picture Of Ireland, Green
Erin, is 10 longer the land Of peace and plenty
that II was in days of yore Famine, is queen of
the Emerald Isle. She hath brooded over the
fcns and marshes-she hath fapee. her murky
wings over the fcds-she hath dwelt IN the fer
tile valIeys--she hath borne her meagre form
the desolate hills until nature herself seems
to have bowed vassei al her feet
When we take into consideration the situation
Of ireland, with population of near 300 persons
to the square mile, and a largo number Of these
absolute paupers-wlen we reflect that the price
of provisions is two or three times much as in
own country, while wages are but twelve
pence per day-that the land. instead Of being
distributed generally among the Inhabitants. IS
mostly in the hands of few wealthy English
men, who even in the present crisis, doing
but Little reeve their su! rim cs-that tie sea-
sons are too snort and cold for the common pro-
auctions o. the temperate zone-that in all prob
ability the potatoe crop viii be total failure IN
futu-e-and Ia addition TO all this, that the OPP
pressed ana starving IRISH are paying an enor-
nous tax TO the British crown, the grand author
of many Of their caaDIties. We may well ask
ourselves what be done for their permanent
relief. We can hardly hope that England will
come to the rescue Of Ireland; for with Ma
tonal de5t the interest Of which she is Lut little
more than able to pay. and with all disposition to
come promptly and speedily to her relief, even
III the present crisis, expect bat little at
her hands. These are matters, which, after hav-
ing done sviiat to relieve her from he
present deplorabie condition, it will be well for
US to think Of a friend seems in earnest in pro-
posing a plan. Of which the following may give
idea. Let the Government of the nited
States, with as little delay possible. put an end
to the unjust and disgracefui ar, which it IS low
wagIng with Mexico, and which exists, according
TO a recent statement of J. C. Calhoun, in con-
sequence Of the American army being marched!
from the Nueces TO the Rio Grande, and expend
the enormous sum required for It's prosecution, in
purchasing vessels to carry over provisions to
Ireland. and that each vessel in returning. bring
over TO America load of such Of the poorest
doubt thousands and perhaps millions who would
rejoice at such opportunity not TO be left in
the cities along the Atlantic, but 10 be conveyed
TO the west, where provisions are cheap and pen-
ty, and endless Of labor to be perform
ec- Such plan NIGH; lie adopted ana carried out,