The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-02-15

Congress VIII, nom this day to the 4tV oil March,
shut out all petty squabbles and personal
plantations.
Work, work, work Throw into Mexico men
and means enough to bring the war to speedy
conclusion That's what we all want.
The Famine In IreIand-The Revolution In
Prospect.
From the time when the influence of English
gold succeeded in bring around a union between
England and Ireland, the latter has been a thorn
in the side OF the other, and has caused more
troube-the enactment of more laws-and more
deliberation in and out OF Parliament, than any
other subject. That union was effected by fraud,
perjury and bribery, and is destined, we think, at
no late day, TO be repealed ana severed, not
through the nstrumentality of the windy dema-
gogues and smooth ongued politicians of the
O'Connell school, but by circumstances that can
not be controlled. 1t will be caused by reorgani
cation of the social and political system of Great
Bntain--by change in the whole fabric-which
we think is approaching faster than people gene
rally suppose; in producing which, we think, the
example Of the United States has had considerable
influence.
1t is unnecessary now to refer back to the time
when this change took its date, or to trace its
course and its progress to the present time. 1t
is sufficient for our purpose to know, as we do,
that the rights of the masses are better respected
than they ever were before that the people
know that tkey not serts, at the bidding or
disposal of their lordly masters but that they
have rights which must be respected and that
those temporarily placed in authority over them
derive their power from the people. In word,
the people are becoming democratic more and
more every day.
This change, that has been gradually coming
on Tor some time past, is, we think, about
reaching u crisis little expected or thought OF,
and which we think will be the final denonement
Of the whole tragedy and that crisis will be
brought about, not by any cause that could be
controlled, but by the hand of Providence.
This cause is famine, gaunt, naked and skele-
ton hunger-the usual accompaniment OF revo-
lnions in all ages and all countries (; and this
brings us to the point of what we desire to say.
The potato, it is well known has failed for two
successive years-in the first it was only partial,
but in the second it is complete. This failure is
not peculiar Ireland, bat to a limited extent has
reached the whole of Europe and even America;
nowhere, however, has it failed so completely as
il has in Ireland. BY this calamity one third
Of a nation of nine millions of people are
deprived Of the of subsistence; and
as pit is doubtful whether third year would
last, the peasantry will not be induced to take
from the little stock that is left any portion of this
vegetable for seed The probability, therefore, is
that very limited amount of potatoes will be
planted next year. Indeed we think they would be
more than half right in not planting them 70 any
great extent, because it is probable that this root
IS running out, and destined to become extinct all
over the world. Instances are known where
plants have disappeared within few years, and
are comparatively rare. We can, if
our memory rightly, instance one
in the Johnswort--a weed which overrun
our fields in the Eastern States to such an
extent, not many years ago, that it was con-
sidered curse, but at the present day hardly
a specimen of it is to be seen 1t appeared
without any apparent cause, and is now nearly,
il not altogether, extinct. Why may not the potato
be undergoing the same process! Men OF science
and learning have devoted their experience and
attention 10 the discovery of the cause of the
rot /" they have examined both the soil and
potato, but science is baffied, and forced to ac-
knowledge that the cause is inscrutable. Indeed
we think il very reasonable that the potato is
undergoing the same process as the Johnswort.
But whether il is or not ittle very little of that
root will be planted next year, and what substi-
tute can be found? None at all; oats, barley,
or wheat will not make up the deficiency, be-
cause from one acre OF potatoes more nutriment
can be produced, than from five OF cereal
crops. There will, therefore, be deficiency in
the food Of people which must be made up in
some way; and how can it be made up except
by extra tillage? and where is the extra land to
be found 1t is TO be found in the demesnes of
the wealthy-in the pleasure grounds of the arts.
tocratic, of which there more than five mil
lions of Irish acres, or seven of American mea-
surement, that have been diverted from the pur-
poses for which Providence provided it. These
immense tracts have been made to contribute to
he pleasure of a few, instead of to the support of
the many. The lordly proprietors of these do
mains came into possession OF them not through
a course of honest succession. Their ancestors got
them by fraud, violence, bloodshed and robbery.
From them they have descended to the present
owners, who hold them by the same bloody title.
The masses of the people know this-the
descendants of the ancient Mlesians the
O'Connors, the O'Shaugbnessys, the O'Rourkes,
all the descendants of the ancient posses
sors, have looked, from the time of the
famous representations, with jealous eye on
the proprietors OF these days; and will they,
when with starvation staring them in the face,
death would be relief to their troubles and
affections; VIII they look on ana see these acres
remain uncultivated, when, by tillage, they would
produce enough to support all rather will
they not despoil the present owners of them 2
Now, is il at all improbable that some effort will
be made to redeem these andsl And if any
such attempt be made, what will folowl kevo.
luton, of course, and the slumbering cmbers of
500 years once ignted, confasration will break
out, that all the bayonets of England could not
suppress An army Of fifty or hundred thousand
men can be put down, but a nation OF starving
people cannot be restrained.
In our opinion, there is change going on, and