The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1851-10-07
.s From the Dublin Nation.
Ireiand-Tfe History of Ten Years.

> le4l--le5l. These Ten short years have
been more grievous ard overwhelming chan
lges 10 Ireland thar befal TO hor countries il
The course Of centuries. Down those long files
ofhgures on the census table is indexed one
ofthe most mournfu national histories that
the eye Of God has ever rested upon. Within
ten years the world has advanced greatly TO-
wards its goal-nobe thoughts and actions
keeping apt harmony with the music OF her
spheres. America has doubled her power, and
carried her banners to the waters of The pacific.
France has become Republic. England freed
her trade, and increased in population and
prosperity; all Europe has been 10 aims for
liberty aud democracy coped with despotsm
not ia vain. From the VisIula to the Morsey.
man has grown stronger. and freezer. and fitted
for freedoms aud lands have been titled to album
dance. and the people have increased and mul-
tiplied. But Ireland has struggled and starved
for ten years. A worse desolation than war
has scattered or slain our people. And. of all
the vide world, ours is the only country we
know OF. that during :hs decade, has retrogra-
ded in the scale Of national strength, happiness
and liberty
| We are fewer now than we were thirty years
| ago. We have lost, within few years, rot a
lone the actual increase of population during
| the last thirty years-not alone the probable in
crease OF the last ten, ii the circumstances Of
the country had favored an increase-but the
prospective increase for many years 10 come,
by the exile Of the very generation who were
heirs 10 the country aud destined to perpetu-
ate its people. As many Of our people have
fed away, carrying their stiengh, energy, cour-
age, and faith TO the great republic Of the west
as would suffice TO found new nation anywhere
on the earth, and more than live within the
boundaries Of prosperous and independent Eu-
ropean Statos. Far more have died OF starva-
ton and government than fell under rope and
sword in the bloodiest sIraggle OF onr forefath-
ers affainst England. There are as many pau
pers in Irish workhouses today as there were
people 10 all Ireland at the beginning of the last
century. The landlords have leveled 10000
houses, and driyon forth as many famiies-on-
~ 100000 less heauhs left desolate than there
were IN all Ireland century ago. Connaught
has lost % 6-l0: Ulster 16; Lienster Is 5. 10; |
Ireland, on an average 90 per ceht one fifth of
It's whole population. OF the other fifths, one
at least is pauper, ore may be able to live by |
profession, property, or indusiry and the others
stru ggle hard between the extremes OF our So
clal state. Such is the summing up Of the case
OF Ireland 10 day. II Is very easy TO order the |
decimels and parallel the statistics. But what |
human tongue may tell all the wo and evil all |
the causes ard consequences which these few
figures cipher, and preach the duty that lies |
upon US all before God aud man thereby?
Ten years ago the world had great hopes Of
Ireland. More men and women of the Irish |
race stood together upon Irish soil than ever
before since tho abouoding days of Cahal Nor.
A strange moral revolution, to which there are
few parallels in the history of mankind, had
suddenly been wrought in the habits Of whole
and old crowdng in myriads
round simple iIiar, as Of yore. when the her
init called Europe TO save the sepulchre Of our
cd ;,a |
mer from the follies and vices Of slavery; tenn
pefanoe bands on the roads; temperance read
ing rooms IN the villages; temperance and its
virtues IN all the acts and words Of the people
II seemed us though one act Of volilion should
lilt them to the full stature of freedom. True.
there was great distress in many parts of the
country, as there had been, indeed. for years G.
ven OF The most prosperous times but il was
borne with pride and patience, and no one look
ed at The work houses, which were first begin
nIDg 10 open, as remedy or receptacle foi H.
Who should dream that those beggar- barracks
should be crowded with the proud, hopeful,
temperate Irish peasantry! The national schools
had besn fairly established, and buzeed by the
1igh roads with their quarter OF million of no |
Die young children, whom one yet hoped to see {
rec and happy citizens Of independent Ireland |
heir quarter OF million recruited by its little {
'ratilIng hundred thousand year. 1t is only {
In old mans dream. perhaps, that len years 7
'go the sun beamed brighter, and the streams {
an with more silvery clearness, and deeper {
erdure was on the fields, and the happy smile G
II God shone more often in the air over Ireland.
And then The next year, when the great ma | h
ional agitation begun, how the people aroused
o O'ConnelI's call, as clansmen when the fiery il
ross is on the hills! How all Europe gszed a
owards this great movement, with its proud, C
mpetuons language -wiihiis meetings OF mill il
ons--with IFS great aggregate force, able to a
Verwelm all the opposition OF England And T.
"a soul came into Ireland" That fiery nation Il
spirit, silent since the graves Of the United y
rIshmen had closed, or speaking only in rare Il
nd distinct mutteriDgs, echoed like thunder d
hrough the island again. And then followed S
'efa, Mallow. Mullaghmast, Clontarf; and Eng ia
md and Ireland were now assuiedly ffee.- al
md Peel recognized the Irish difficulty. Ii
The Stale trials being in the Queen's
'ench, and ended at the Chancellors Wool
ack. And the day passed in which the en-
nusiasm OF the monster meetings could real RI
se its true purpose. The aLgel Of opporu- F
iiy vanished. A dreary agitation of .'chari- at
'ble boquests 'and "infidel colleges" followed d;
I'd men began TO ask, would the repeal ever m \
G gou And then came the wings, Dupgsr. b,
10, the "eleven measures" the secession, the h,
mine. On a single night the food ofthe be
hole nation was blighted. Since then we TO
ave lived among chaos and death, until now w
c see hundreds killed every week 10 the work. he
ouse, and thousands flying panic stricken w
ross the seas, and the census returns leave m
) some three millions ofpcople less than we ST.
iould be. ho
The hand Of God has lain heavy on Ireland. of
or our own sins and shortcomings il is that ON
eland is lifeless and desolste to-day, and that w
10 flower Of our population have fed to dis vi,
mt lands. Contemplating that terrible state, GU
e head reels as over a precepice But when h.
Q are dead and gone, History shall paint our he
mes in their true au eternal lneaments, and in,
ace the cause and effect that We are blind TO hi
e. God defend the right in that judgement! Sc
7 hose renders Lies Dir .4ns'' 1640-'50 ru- IN
will teach lesson the nations ofthe, earth an
ay listen TO with fear and trembling; Tor new
was neonla of ariculate sneakinp men an