The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1849-07-06

mental capacity is lowered, their moral
character is degraded. They are hopeless
themselves /; and they offer 40 hope to
their country, except in the prospect, so ab-
horrent to humanity and christian feeling,
of their gradual extinction by der,h. Many
families are now SUITE ring extreme distress,
who, three years since, enjoyed the com
fort, and reiiuemcnts of life, and admins.
tered 10 the necessities Of those around
them. Thus we have s,en the flood Of pau
persm widening more and more, enguph-
ing one class after another, rising higher
aud higher in It's effects on society, until it
threatens ia some Of the worst districts, to
swallow up all ranks and all classes within
its fatal vortex.
Meanwhile there is much land lying
waste that was formerly cultivated, while
the strength of the country is standing by
idle, auxiously asking for work. and will
ing Ia accept the lowest wages; but finding
no one 10 employ them, because the owners
Of the ground have not the money to pay
,hem,-and the dread Of underlined taxation
and uncertainty as to the future, prevent
others from taking the land on lease.
Residing as we do, for the most part, in
the large cities, or il the comparatively
prosperous districts Of the East and North,
we see little more Of the extreme distress Of
our countrymen than the people Of England,
But we find our poor rates increased by the
influx of country panpers; We see them
begging IN our streets; we witness the eff
fects of the gradual reduction of the means
Of the country ia the diminulion Of its trade;
our constant intercourse with various parts
Of Ireland make us acquainted with the
progress Of deslltutiOn, aud the question
involuntarily arises, When and how is
the end 10 Gomez To trust to the poor
law and do uOthing--to wait until pauper-
ism is ex,inguished by the death Of the pau.
pers-is to " ait until the country is stripped
of her strength by the loss of her people
To convert Ireland into one large Union is
TO bind the living TO the dead.
In abiding TO the course pursued by us in
the administration of our trust, our object is
to show the extensive intercourse we have
had with all parts of the country, and the
opportunity thus afforded us Of forming
correct opinion Of ITS presen, state, and of
the meausnost likely 10 contribute to its
improvement The proprie'y Of making
such abatement of orr views has on several
occasions been urged upon us, but we have
hitherto been unwilling to obtrude ourselves
on the public attention. Our conviction of
the urgency of the present crisis must plead
our apolOgy--a crisis which affects not ire
land alone, but the whole empire. Paupers
from our western districts crowd the cities
of Great Britain as they do those Of ireland,
and are even now depressing their laboring
population by an undue competition. The
distress move, onward dav by day. aud I'M
less checked in time, threatens ultimately to
involve both countries in one common cal.
ami,v.
We have long felt that the chief ground
of hope, the main source Of Improvement.
is the improved cultivation Of the soil: and
that the Surest means Of eITecting this object
is by aHnrdlng security 10 the cnI'vator.-
That this security does not generally exist
in Ireland is admitted. On this point there
is scarcely second opinion among thinking
men in this country. The laws which reg
uate the title TO, and the conveyance of
land, require To be changed, so as TO give
the utmost freedom otis sale aud transfer
so as to pass those estates, whose propre-
tors are irretrievahly ruined, into other
hands and to enable those who are partial
" encumbesred to free Themselves from
their difficulties, by di>rosiup Of part Of their
landed property. Until this he effected;
until the soil Of Ireland be held by clear
and marketable title: until the owners be
enabled to sell the whole or any par, Of
their property without the ruinouS DELAYS
aud the heavy costs which now prevent
them: until the creditors Of land owner
have those facilities for enforcing payment
Of their debts by the sale of his property. TO
which Justice entities them: we are couvin.
ced, and we feel ourselves bound thus pub.
licly to state our decided conviction. that il
is vain to hope that Ireland can raise itself
from a state Of poverty aud degradation
The potatoc may grow again. and nv It's as.
sistance our country may he enabled to cs
cape from the immediate pressure Of its diff.
ficultieS but without those changes in the
laws relating To the tenure aud conveyance
of land, which shall open free scope for
the employment Of It's capital and its indus.
try, and give ample security to the cutiva.
tors OF the soil, we cannot hope for general
and permanent improvement.
An enormous expenditure Of money has
failed to relieve us. II could not do so nm.
less free scope were opened to the energies
o' the country. The partial remedies hich
have been applied have served butte tight.
Ell the net which trammels the exertiOnS OF
the great mass Of our population. Meas.
ures OF much more decided character are
necessary to psoduce any permanently use
ful effect. The situation of the country is
daily becoming worse. There is no time
TO lose, if those now suffering are to De sa.
we'd. Money must still Se advanced for
temporary purposes, during the interval
which viii elHpSe before efficient measures
can be brought INTO general aud active ope.
ration. But our paramount want is not
money; il is The removal of those legaldif
iicul'ies which prevent the capital Of Ire.
land from being applied TO the improved
cultivation OF It's soil, aud thus supporting
its poor by the wages of homes, aud useful
labour.
We believe these views to be founded in
justice and sound policy, aud therefore es.
sen,ial to the social regeneration Of our
country but we do not propose them AS n
panacea for all her evils. II is no, for us to
attempt to penetrate the secret designs of
the Most High; but we may without pre-.
sumption regard the mysterious dSpensa-
ton with which we have been visited, in
the blight Of the potatoe, as a means permit.
ted by an all.wiSe Providence 10 exhibi,
more strikingly the unsound state of our
social condition. The monrntous events