Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1847-05-08
Ireland i'm Future.

Ireland iEa Future.
The following passage from recent
speech by Lord John Russell in the
debate in the House of Commons on
the State of Ireland, will be read with
interest:
| do not despair Of Ireland; say
there is no reason, unconnected with
laws which happily have ceased TO ex-
ist-unconnected with unhappy cir
cumstances, to which do not like to
advert-there is no reason why Ire
land may not at a future day rise to a
state of great happiness and prosperity.
| will read the description Of country
in which these evils were stated to &C.
cur, by an old English writer:-
"The husbandmen be thrust out of
their own, or else, either by GOWN or
fraud, or violent oppression, they be
put beside il; or by wrongs and iniu-
ries they be so wearied, that they be
compelled to sell all. BY one means,
therefore, or by the other, either by
hook or by crook, they must needs
depart away, poor, wrctched souls
men, women, husbands, wives, father
less children, widows, woful mothers
with their young babes, and the whole
household, small in substance and much
in number; as husbandry requireth
many hands; away they trudge, say,
out of their known aud accustomed
houses, finding no place to rest in
All their household stuff, which is very
little worth. though it might well a.
bide the sale--yet, being suddenly
thrust out, they be constrained to sell
for thing of nought; and when they
have wandered about till that be spent,
what can they then do but steal, and
then justly, pardu be hanged, or else
go about a-beggingp'
This was a description not unlike
that of parts of ireland, where wretch
ed families, being turned out of their
holdings, were driven at once either TO
the commission of robbery, or to go
about begging. Yet, the description
have read is that given TO England,
by Sir Thomas More-(hear, hear) -
that was an account given of England,
in his day. Ifany one should suppose
this was an effort of the Imagination,
can assure him that we have other
authentic accounts which corroborate
it. | will now read description Of
another country, at different period,
namely, the end of the seventeenth
century:
"Tbere are, at this day, in Scotland
(besides a great number Of families
very meanIy provided for by the
Church boxes, with others who, with
living upon bad food, fall into various
diseases, 100000 people begging from
door 10 door. These are not only no
ways advantageous, but very griev-
Gus burthen 20 so poor country; and,
though the number of them be perhaps
double to what it was formerly, by
reason of the present great distress, yet,
at times, there have been about 1907
600 of these vagabonds, who have lived
without any regard or submission, eli
er to the laws Of the land, or even TO
those of God and nature; fathers in
cestuously accompanying their own
daughters, the son with the mother,
and the brother with the sister. No
magistrate could ever discover, or be
informed, which way any of those
wretcbes died, or that ever they were
baptized. Many murders have been
discovered among them; and they are
not only a most unspeakablc oppres-
sion to poor tenants (who, if they do
not give bread or some sort Of proyis-
ion to perhaps forty such villains in
one day, are sure TO be insulted by
them; but they rob many poor people
who live in houses distant from any
In years of plenty,
many thousands Of them meet together
in the mountains, where they feast and
riot, for many days: and, st country
markets, buriaIs, and other
the like public occasions, they are to
be seen, both men and women, perpet-
nslly drunk, cursing, biaspheming and
fighting together"
Such was the description OF indus