The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-08-12


condition OF the peasantry who not yet in door
paupers ! regret 10 say q am speaking of the
most western part of Iroland) see no improvement
whatever in their social condition what | saw
1t TO be this time last year; il Id true, do not
see that harassed look of pressing fear which the
prevalence Of cholera and fever had then put upon
them; but sec every outward and visible mark OF
the inward working fcare and mental depression,
the result of the want of shelter the want of suf
fciency of wholesome food nay, the want of food
in suihciency Of any kind. To Englishman,
every mile he travels in the West of Ireland, with
the exception OF some few favored spots, tells him
the same sad tale; The all prevailing feature on
all sides ia evict1D. Within the last few weeks
God alone knows now many thousands of gable
ends, monuments of house havoc-how many sites
of dwellings, but lately wholly levelled, i have
passed. ! can hardly say where this mad indis-
criminate war on habations has prevailed most; ii
seems almost universal in this part of Ireland
supposNdrishmen of property have here learnt to
regard women and children without houses as they
regard them without shoes, arguing that the head
needs no more covering than the feet. ] am the
more inclined 10 think this from the cool, unmoved
way in which masses of ruined dwellings
garded, and the practice of their ruin defended.
The traveller must be warned against being led
to suppose that when he has the multitude of
rootiess gables which abound, he has seen all the
evidence OF the destruction of houses which has
taken place; in very many localities especially by
the side of public roads, the owners of property
move as fast as they can all trace of the dwellings
they destroy ! am not prepared 70 say but that,
forced on the land owner, measure of sef-pres-
ervaton. do not deny but that, in some instances
great humanity was shown in endeavoring to pro-
vide refuge for some of those who evicted, by
giving them passage TO America, &C., but am
prepared to assert that very large amount of by
gone, nay, OF now acting eviction, is carried out in
wanton, unfeeling spirit, towards the evcted, and
grounds of mere selfish expedcncy most dis-
graceful. Since began this letter have been in
formed that within the last fortnight 81 houses
were leyelled in one district in the Listowe
Union
Because there are leviathan workhouses because
to these are attached immense auxiliary accommo-
dation, although these houses are cranmed to a
degree nothing can justify although all the
mediation for in-relief which can be procured is
known TO be insufficient for the present pressure,
still the cry is, There is the tcor.ouss, let them go
there's phy should they cuu,be' The ground Of our
tdt,sl'
The operation of house tumbling" is in itself
very simple affair. The legal notices having been
given 10 the relieving officer that certain number
OF houses given day TO be :" tumbled" }" he
meets the sheriiis deputy on the spot. This official
issometimes accompaniedb by body ofarmed police.
The agent OF the owner of the property attends also
with his gang Of operative destructives The parties
TO be turned out are now offered by the relieving
officer tickets for the workhouse. This they very
generally refuse The sherf's officer goes through
certain form, putting the agent in fun possession.
The word s now given, and with a speed only 10 be
acquired by long practice the people put outside
their dwellings, their furniture, e.--the potato
pot, btOOl OF tWOs square bON, and some
thing meant for bed, with some things meant for
clothing, removed come little distance from
the house. IL is often that the men are at home
but the women and children thus forced out now
take up chorus OF prayers passionate entreaties for
mercy, not seldom endingin passionate impreca-
tons Of vengeance, such as the women of this
try alone give effect TO. They will throw them
selves on the ground they will embrace the very
feet Of the agents horse; they will bca their breasts
and "skene" the fall of their rooftree, they
used to skenc over their dead before the death of kin
dred became very common. IL is all in vnin such
prayers are mere routine, the thing is done every
day; like the dust Of the falling thatch curses or
prayers arc just necessary Inconvenience attend
ant on the operation in hand "Go 10 tcOrk, boys;
u isn't all day can tpdit" A "boy" is ssoa ON
the roof-a hole u made-a rope fastened round the
timber, which goes from the apex Of one gable 10
that Of the other there others ~ pull the rope
a crowbar or two is placed under the wall plate a.
one or more OF the cornerstone good pull and lift
or two, and down comes the whole roof.
was told by one accustomed 10 such sights, that
TO destroy thirty day not oyerwork Tor an ac-
tive gang Of Jewellers. Where do the poor wretchcs
now e., At fret and for many DAYS, nay, for
many weeks they will not hear " seeking shelter
away from the wreck Of the dwellings which, how
ever humble, had known their own and the births
Of those they love, the deaths of many they have
loved and lost They seem TO be tacitly allowed,
for time, TO hang upon the outskirts of the pro-
perty which lately was their own; they are
also allowed very generally to take the timber aud
thatch Of tue iallen roois with these materials
they build against the roadside bank against the
ruins OF the ucighboung dwellings a species Of
shed, which does Just shelter them from the wind,
though but barely from the wet; into such sheds
they crowd, and in such many hundreds have died;
IN such, j believe, many hundreds are now spin
ming out the thread OF an existence which scarce
deserves, as applied 10 a human being. the name of
life.
will now give some illustrations Of the condition
OF the eviCted In passing through part Of The
county Of Clare on which The hands Of the home
snHFr huAN 49,. d. a
Of congrcgated rooAoss gables, and marks Of
ground lately troddcn by some wholesale leveller.
thought saw some smoke coming up from the
corner OF ono Of these ruins. Calling tho attention
of my friend 10 II, we left our car aud proceeded
10 explore the ruin in question. We turned be-
tween the roOaess walls rather abruptly, and came
at once upon woman with two children; the cid.
est, girl Of about twelve years Of age peJfecy
naked. The mother had made FIRE win few
pieces Of peat IN Of the ruin; over this
snc was crOuching 10 hide its smoke from tho in
quisitiNc eye Of the agent or owner Of the place
She had 50 placed board that II directly over
I the fuel. She snatchcd up fcw Iags, and gave
% her child about much clothing for the sake Of
decency, as she herself had got-thst H. Just enough
| 70 save utter shame. very few mile. further on
we found a woman with a family Of children exist.
ing under the hall of her roof which had been torn
OF her dwelling, but which now rested its lower
end on the ground, the upper against what was lof
OF the wall Of the ssid dwelling Here she and hers
/ had been for wecks She was almost naked 10 the
! in large bundle Of nettlcs and cornweed picked
/ from the ncighboring fields She had some rags
on the ground for bed, and these, with horsclf
her green food and few bits OF turf were all that
/ thatched kennel contained.
/ We came in our journey through the county Of
\ Galway TO tho stll standing framework Of a small
village or cluster OF houses, lately "tumbed." In
| exploring them we found-under some remains of
thstch, supported on some sticks, making a lean.
TO, within the Of roohcss dwelling the lean
70 being four feet high at its highest, descend.
ing at once to the ground, but leaving space per.
hsps eight feet long by four wide ground floor
a woman lying on some ragged saoken, just recon-
ering from fsUsr here she had lain for weeks, her
three children with herr the only thing besides her.
self, when We stopped 70 look IL, square old
box she all Toured towards it, and uulOc king IL
with key tied round her neck, showed its con.
tents-a Jar " cooked corntvcsd her only food Its
a curious fact, but % IL Is, you seldom hear one
word of direct complaint from these poor Creatures
they tell you their history when you ask il, but
they never thrust Il you; they are not boggars;
no, they have the day coming which snOuld
their roof othe earth, and send themselves the
wide world, or the--to them-world's terminus, the
workhouse. II has come; they are now holding on,
in their torn, TO life with liberty, they had seen
others hold on they may or they may not die, or
lose some by DEATH before they seek life At the lose
Of liberty within the workhouss