The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-06-03
From Me London JGeekiy News, May ! ].
u


What have the Irish done for themseIves:
The deplorabe revelations which three great Irish
iscts impart 10 the knowledge of the world, demand
| the consideration of the Statesman and all classes
in these kin gdons
The first is the barrassInents of the. nominal
landlords as brought To the glaring light Of day,
under the endorsements Of the Encountered Estates
| act.
The second is the emigration in rnultiudes of the
most healthy OF the rural population with consider
| able means which they carry with them, TO the
United States OF America, " be invested in lands
III that country, and which ought, under more ia
vorabie circumstances to be applied to Irish in
| dustry
| The third is of long duration The invasion
| upon tho means acquired from Industry, i'll Eng
| land and Scotland, by the swarms of Irish poor,
| chiefly old persons, women, and children, who
generally unfit for labor, and who, with their dis
eases, dirt and poverty, constitute real plague,
and fill the most wretched abodcs that are found
the banks of the Mersey and Clyde.
These facts bring US TO ask, WHAT HAVE the
lRlsH DONE FOR THEMSELVES! Their natural abili
ties and their capacity are undoubted Ireland has
sent forth men who have earned the greatest repu
tation out OF their own country. The families OF
Patrick Henry of Carroll of Carrolton of General
Jackson of the late J. c. Calhoun, were all lrish
and their names will always be recorded among the
llustrious of America We could enulnerate many
other Irish of the highest distinc tion out of
| Ireland, who have acted in America, in England,
| and in France Both the members for South Lam
cashire are irishlnen by birh and Wa do not know
| any men who are more practical III all matters Of
! business. But IN Ireland there appears to bc
| extraordinary fatality attached to the country,
which has hitherto prevented the Irish doing eff
cient good for themselves. At early period the
Intestine quarrcls OF the irish clans invited Eng
lish invasion and ensured a conquest. The absence
OF general cooperation, for the benefit and indie
pendence ot all Ireland, led to the Cronwellian
nlassacres, and afterwards to the supremacy of a
dominant Protestant hierarchy over the great Ro-
man Catholic majority
Until late period, the government of England
over Ireland inflicted the most serious grievances
| uut he Roman nf Irela Vet
England was never able to oppress Scotland with
religious intolerance. The real fact with regard
10 the latter country is, that the people have been
ever since the reiormation under all circumstances,
! firm and unanimous III defence Of their reli ligious
| freedom, and have faithfully boldly, and con
stantly adhered to that solemn league and
nant under which they bound themselves as a people.
Have the Irish done likewise for themselvese
They have not. They submitted, until within a
quarter OF century to the greatest of human evils
religious and political degradation. small mi
nority only of the Irish have had voice in the e-
gislaton and in the government The great ma
jority were altogether excluded from both by the
uncharitabe seltishness of the dominant church
and by the unchristan injustice of the professors OF
that form of religion which constituted the neces-
sary qualification for power. The Irish people, the
small minority excepted, we're excluded from the
practice OF legislation and government, until the
act of emancipation became the law Of the United
Kingdom II is To this excltisionit is To former in
Justice and msrule that we must attribute the evils
! which have taken such fatal root in, that have
/ spread 80 widely over, Ireland.
! The charges, however, which have been made
during the last twenty years against the English
people and the government have been altogether
uniounded. The administration of the Duke Of
Wellington, of Lords Grey and Melbourne, of Sir
| Robert Peel, and Lord John Russell, were, we are
persuaded, sincerely desirous extend full Justice
] to Ireland and To the Irish people. The encum-
| brances on Irish estates no doubt contracted
! partly by extravagance and imprudcnce, partly
through necessity, and greatly in consequence OF
the system which prevailed of the landlords not do
ing for themselves, from generation ~ generation,
/ that which they were in duty and in common pru-
dcnce bound to do--that IL, TO manage practically
and cectually their own landed affairs. By trust
ing TO the ,ntddieman system they have caused the
great majority of the Irish people TO grow up into
wretched mud hut and cottage lodged peasantry.
The best Of the rural inhabitants escaping from
! the poorrates of their native land by emigrating
to the far west while the poor are left behind te
I eat up the fruits of industry in Ireland, and
/ many of them can escape remove for the same
purpose tu Great Britain.
Ii is plain that without self reliance and una
nimity among the Irsh they will do little good for
I themselves. We believe that in both respects they
have become far more in earnest. than they have
ever been before.
One fact Is clear to US that unless the cofieT aud
middle man system be extinguishcd, there be
solid prosperity in Ireland. II means be adopted
10 Introduce capital into that country, in order
! purchase the vast estates that doomed To
into the market, 10 create class of substan-
tial farmers, who will give that remunerative en-
ploymcnt which the soil of Ireland amply affords
/ Tor every person able to work in the country, we
consider that then the prosperity OF Ireland and of
the Irish people, may be established solid foun-
4 cation, and trade and manufactures will grow up
and flourish concurrently with agricultural m-
I prOvemcnt aud diminished poverty.
This is what the Irish ought long ago, but which
1 they have not, done for themselves. Let them now
join unanimously in doing 80. or in aiding 10 the
utmost those who able and willing to carry into
effect those measures. without which Ireland can
not be saved from ruin.
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