Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1847-03-11

H REmARxs by DR.. DAvI6 KIsc, at the meet
ing Of the citizens ofNcwporr,'on "Wednesday
evening the 9Th inst. for the relief Of the des-
titute sufferers in Great Britain and Ireland.
Il The question being on the passage Of the
Resolutions, which we publish in a preceding
column, and the meeting having been success.
sively addressed by Messrs Ennis, Cranston,
and the Rev. c. 7. Brooks--.Dr. King follow
/ ed and said M ~
lie had listened with the deepest interest
and attention to the gentlemen who had preee-
ded him. But as the whole ground Of the
subject had not been, entirely, occupied, he
would venture to makea few remarks on tho
occasion, which had called, them together. II
was pleasant to see SO large portion Of our
citizens assembled there, to acknowledge tho
relationship Of brotherhood with the people Of
Ireland to evince their sympathy with man,
as man, and to recognize the doctrine Of chris
tanity, which binds, by mutual obligation.
Nation TO Nation. Rhode Island men and
Rhode Island women, by answering, SO univer.
sally, the call for this meeting. by crowding
this Hall, had shown themselves susce ptible of
the noblest of human emotions, aud deternin-
ed to aid in carrying out one Of the noblest
ends, that this nation had ever proposed to it.
self.
Ireland commended herself to dur sympa.
thies by her history and her character. He
spoke Of the sacrifices she had made for liber.
ty,--of her sons, who had fought for freedom,
during the wars, which grew out Of the French
Revolution, of her. brave and generous char
acter.---He then spoke Of the miseries, which
encompassed the irish Peasantry-of their re.
lance on the potato, ay, the, principal article
Of diet. Though the abundance and cheap
ness Of this kind Of food heretofore had slim
ulated the population Of that country, to .
great degree, yet Ireland was capable of sus-
tanning much larger population, than now
existed within her borders. He said that the
calamity Of famine might hereafter be pre-
vented by the adoption Of new schemes Of in
dustrial enterprise, calculated to develope,
still farther, the physical resources and cspa-
bities Of Ireland He alluded to the more
vigorous prosecution Of her fisheries, As tend
ing to afford large additional supply Of
cheap and wholesome food to her population.
He then examined into the results of agrieul-
tural labor in lreland-contrasted them with
those of England, and referred to certain
measures, the simplfcaton Of tepures Of land
in Ireland, and the adoption of = more perfect
of ~. xxrh.ch ,~nuld vapAop
the soil Of Ireland more productive.-In rela-
ton to this subject he spoke of the British
Parliament as about adopting measures, which
would be followed by the most beneficial con.
sequences. He, then, alluded to the mining
resources of Ireland, and her great natural
facilities for manufactures. In all these cir
cumstances, he saw hope for Ireland in the
future. 49,.
lie SPOKE Of the debt Of gratitude, which
we, as Americans, in a peculiar manner, owed
to Ireland, and to her sons, who had made this
their adopted country. They had contributed
to the unelampled developement Of the physi.
cal resources ofthis country. o. ir~
lie, then, considered our obligations to Ire.
land for the intellectual benefits shs had con.
ferred upon us-hene6tg, which We ,are apt to
forget, but which, in fact, are the most pre-.
cious gifts that one nation can .be'tow upon
another. He alluded to HEsKY GRArrAH,
whose pure example of PATRIOTS I'M, was beyond
all praise--to EnMusp BvnkE, who had left
as his legacy to mankind, the most compre-
hcnsive and profound exposition Of the nature
of government the most thorough develops-
ment of those principles, by which civilization
is made progressive among mankind-the most
eloquent enforcement Of the sacred obi.
cations, which rest upon individuafs in socie-
ty. The truth, and example, we owe to such
men as Edmund Burke and Henry Grattsn,
were worth all the relief, which we may afford
that unhappy country in this hour Of despair.
However much Ireland commended herself
to our sympnthics by her history, her charac.
ter, her genius, and the physical and intellec-
tual benefits she has conferred upon US, on the
present melancholy occasion, she stands for
ward upon the common ground Of humanity,
and makes direct appeal, for charity, to the
best feelings Of our nature. In that neighbor-
ing and noble hearted nation, men, women,
and children are dying Of starvation-a word,
that sends horror into the human soul. The
iron.hand of famine is pressing, At this mo.
ment, upon whole families, and creating a dis.
tress, accompanied by sights and sounds Of
woe, which may be seen and heard by the out
ward eye and the outward ear, but which the
ina gination can scarce comprehend. Nopage
of history, that he knew Of, conveyed faith.
fu picture of the horrors Of famine. Poetry,
perhaps, in her more terrible creations, armed
by images and by words Of power. had been
most successful in conveying to the soul,
some faint conceptions of these terrific scenes
Of human despair. Those who are familiar
with the immortal Poem of DANTE, may have
some ndistinct idea Of what famine is-some
indefinite notion Of that agony Of hrart, which
father endures, when he looks upon the vis-
age of his children, pcrishing from hunger.