The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1850-02-16
a Small Bit Of Truth A bout ireland.

IL has been the fl.hn for longer time than we
can remember at least with Irish writers 10 speak
e Ireland rs the undoubed gem of the sea the
very pearl and paragon ofall lovely spots on EARTH
for beauty, fertility and romantic natural charms
But the Dublin Nation publishes letter rurport.
ing to be written by a Mr. Bramble but actually
cmana;ng, as We nudge, from the pen Of Thomas
Carlyle, who it is known, has been or is travelling
in Ireland, which throws a considerable shadow
upon the green lovelincss of the picture; besides
Indicating, with few vigorous touches, the besct-
ting sin OF all Irish attempts to do the country good
which forever result in sheer waste Of energy
md effort in the pursuit of unattainable objects,
snowy but Improbable, to the utter neglect of
more homely things whic perhaps would not
achieve much hut yet would no. achieve some
thing and surely The extract we give below
strikes US as containing about as much wholesome
truth nc is often to he found in a passage Of the
came lengthy y Con-, ddperti"r.
"Many Irlshmeh talk Of dying DC for Ireland ;
and really believe almost every lrishman now
alive longs in his way for an opportunity to do the
dear old country some good Opportunities of at
once uScfully and conspicuously dying for coun.
tries are not frequent. nr1 truly the rarer they are
the better; but the opportunity Of usefully if
unconSpicouslv living for ones country, this was
never denied to any man. Before diving for your
country, think. my friends, in how many quiet
strenuous ways you might henefcially live for 1t.
Every patriotic Irishman. Chat is, by hypothe
sis almost every Irishnnn now alive) who would
so flin make his dear old country n preseu, Of his
whole life and self why does he not for example,
directly after reading this and choosing feasible
spot--at least plant one tree That were n small
act Of self devotion small hut feasible Him such
tree will never shelter. Hardly any mortnl but
coull manage that-hnrly any mortal ifhe were
serious III it, but could plant and nourish into
growth one tree EIGHT million trees before the
present generation rim ont that were an indGhit.
able acquisition for Ireland for il is one Of the
bnrest raggedes countries now known; FAR too
ragged a country, with patches of beautiful park
and fine cultivation, like shrcds Of bright scarlet
on a beggars clou,ed ccat--a country that stands
decidedly in needof shelter, shade and ornamental
ringing. look ut its landscape where You will.
Gonce us the old chronicers write, a squirrel (by
bending its course little, and taking lVngi,h
leap here and there) could have run from Cape
clear to the Giants Canseway without once touch.
Ing the ground; but now, eight million trees. and
rather conjecture eight time. eight million wonll
be very welcome in that pr Of the empire On
fruit trees, though these too nrc possible enough,
do not yet insist but trees--nt least trees.
THAT eight million persons will be persuaded
:" plant each his tree, We cannot expect lust vet ;
but do thou, my friend in silence 20 and plant
thine-that thou canst do one most small duty,
but real one, if among the smallest conceivable,
anda duty which hcnceforh it will be n sweet
possession for thee dying to have dopc. ireland
for the present is not to be accounted pleasant
landscape. Nigourous cornbut thistcs aud dock
equally vigorous; ulcers of recainable boz. living
bleak, n>iry and abomnable, Of intervals of few
miles; no tree shading you, nor fence TINT ayals
to turn cottle--most fences merely. as It were,
soliciting the cattle to be so good as not come
through--by no means beautiful country lust
now But it tells all men how beautiful il might
be. Alas, on it, as the surface of this earth ever
does. intellectually legible, the physiognomv Of the
people that have inhabited it; people of hold
breeches dirty faces illroofcd huis-a people Of
impetuosity and lcvity--of vchemcntc, inra.
tience, imperfect iifu industry, imperfect, iiiful
veracity Oh Heaven! there lies the wo Of woes.
which is the root of ALL
Trees of Liberty though m abbc wrote
oook on them. and incalculable trouble otherwise
was taken, have not succeeded well in those ages
Plant you your eight million trees Of shade shelter
ornament fruit that Is u symbol much more likely
70 be prophetic, Each mans tree of industry will
oe oi surety, his tree Of liberty: and the sum Of
them, never doubt oft, will be lrelani's"