Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1851-09-12
From the Dublin Nation.



Down those long files of figures on the census table
is indexed one of the most mournful national histo
ries that the eye of God has rested upon With
in years the world has advanced greatly towards
its goal-noble thoughts and actions keeping apt
harmony with the music of her spheres. Ameri-
ca has doubled her power and carried her ban
ners to the golden waters of the Pacific France has
become republic; England has freed her trade, in
creased in population and prosperity; all Europe
has been in arms for liberty, and democracy COPIED
with despotsm not in vain From the Vlstula to the
Mersey man has grown stronger, and freer and tit
ter for freedom and lands have been titled to album
dance, and the people have Increased and multiplied
But Ireland has struggled and starved for ten years.
worse desolation than has scattered or slain
our people. And of all the wide world, ours is the
only country we know of that, during this decade,
has retrogaded in the scale OF national strength hap
piness and liberty.
We are fewer now than were thirty years ago.
We have lost, within few years, not alone the &C
tual increase of population during the last thirty
years-not alone the probable increase OF the last
if the circumstances of the country had favored
an increase-but the prospective increase for many
years to come, by the exile of the very generation
who heirs of the country, and destined to per-
petuate its people. As many of our race have fled
| away carrying their strength energy courage and
faith to the great republic of the west would suf
fee to found nation anywhere on the earth,
and more than live within the boundaries of prosper
Gus and Independent European States. Far more
have died by starvation and government than fell
forefathers against England There are as many
paupers in Irish warehouses to-day there were
people in all Ireland at the beginning of the last cen
fury The landlords have levelled 100000 houses
and driven forth many families-Ony l00O 900 less
hearths left desolate than there were in all Ireland
century ago. Connaught has lost % Clio per cent.
of its population; Munster % 5-10 Ulster 16;
Leinster, Is 5lO Ireland on average, 20 per CT,
or one-ffth of its whole population. Of the other
ffhs. one at least is pauper; one may be able to
live by profession, property, or industry and the
others struggle hard between the extremes ofour
cial state. Such is the summing up of the case of
Ireland to-day 1t very easy to order the decmals
and parallel the statistics. But what human tongue
may tell all the and evil, all the and con-
sequences which these few figures cipher and preach
the duty that lies upon us all before God and man
thereby?
Ten years ago the world had great hopes of Ire
| land. More men and women of the Irish stood
together upon Irish soil than before since the
Astounding days of Cahal Nor. A strange moral re-
volution which there but few parallels in the
history of mankind had suddenly been wrought in
the habits of whole people-young and old crowd
ing in myriads round simple friar as of yore, when
| the hermit called Europe to save the sepuchre of
our Lord The people were redeemed in a summer
from the follies and vices of their slavery temper
ance bands on the roads temperance reading
in the villages: temperance and its virtues in all
the acts and words of the people. 1t seemed as
though act of volition should lift them to the
full stature of freedom. True. there great dis
indeed, for years of the most prosperous times
but it was borne with pride and patience and no
one looked to the warehouses, which first be-
ginning to open as the remedy receptacle for it..
I Who should dream that those beggar- barracks
should be crowded with the proud hopeful, temper
ate Irish peasantry The national schools had been
fairly established, and buzzed by the high roads with
their quarter of million of noble young children,
whom one hoped yet to see the free and happy citi
zens of Independent Ireland-their quarter of mil
ted nv IFS drad
sand year. 1t is only an old mans dream, per-
haps, that ten years ago the sun beamed brighter,
| and the streams ran with more sllvery clearness
and deeper verdure the fields, and the hap
py smile of God shone often in the air over Ire
| land.
/ And then the next year. when the great national
agitation begun, how the people aroused to O'Con-
nelfs CALL cansmen when the fiery is on the
movement with its proud imperious language-with
its meeting of milions-with its enormous treasury
with its great aggregate force, able to overwhelm
all the opposition of England! And g a soul came
into lreland That fiery national spirit silent since
the graves of the United Irshmen had closed or
speaking only in rare and indstinct mutterings,
echoed like thunder through the island again And
then followed Tara, Mallow, Mulla ghmast Clontarf
) and England and Ireland were assuredly free And
Peel recognised the Irish difficulty.
The State trials began in the Queens Bench, and
ended at the Chancellor's Woolsack. And the day
passed in which the enthusiasm of the monster meet
lngs could realize It's true purpose The angel Of
opportunity vanished. dreary agitation of .char-
liable bequests and nde colleges followed and
men began to ask, would the repeal ever be got q
And then came the wings. Dungarvan, the eleven
measures the secession, the famine. On single
night the food of the whole nation was bliohted-
Since then We have lived among choas and death,
until now we see hundreds killed every week in the
workhouse, and thousands flying panic-stricken a.
cross the seas and the census returns leave
three millions of people less than should be-
The hand of God has lain heavy on Ireland. For
our own sins and short comngs it is that Ireland is
feless and deso,:te to-day, and that the flower of
our population have fed To distant lands Contem-
plating that terrible state the head reels as over
precipce. But when are dead and gone, I;1s,,:rv
shall paint times in their true and eternal Inca
ments, and trace the cause and effect that we are
: ment Whose renders il" Les Die Ans' 1940-50
truly will teach lesson the nations of the earth
may listen to with fear and trembling; for never
was people of artculate, speaking men ruined and
. overwhelmed in so brief space
n How is it that yet little realize to our
selves the sacred solemn responsibility of political
n action 1t is vain to say that had Ireland
: fought for freedom in 1845, millions of lives would
have been saved to the country. But it is true 1t
: is IN vain to say that nation never took up
n more solemn justification than Ireland in 1915
: That, too, is true and past. OBrien is in durance
at Port Arthur and those of his band choppng wood
= in Denisons changing But in the face of per-
= ishing people and of prosecuted church. when we
Irish constituencies under the direct instgation
of Catholic clergymen. send the basest wings to
Parliament-to the Parliament that is every day
giving increased facilities for starving the people, and