Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1854-07-14
The Irisi Exodus,

During the famine years of 1858 Ireland mad sunk
to the lowest depth of wre,chedness. wases fell to
point low that the laboring scarce received the
OF supplying the senderest physical wants of him
self end his dependents. Pesiiepco ragged throughout
the land, sweeping away myrads with slow fayeY and
leaving desoa.e the homes aud the heaits of the ury
yoTs The unhsppy people distracted aud appalled, by the
misery which they had endured for so many years Ard
completely overwhelmed by the iuolerable burden D
present suffering appeared lose all attachments to the
native land and fled by hundreds G thousands across tbs
Atlantic in search O happier and better homes and tn,
very name Of Ireland became the eptome OF every soca
misfortune.
lu the year lsIs the number OF paupers or of thos,
receiving ci;her in door door relief under IN,
Poor Laws amounted millions aud forty. three thou
sand being near third O! the entire population aud "a,
emigration from Irish ports louecomparAtiyey smul
part Of the wboleamouucd nearly one bundled t1ou
sand but the darkest hour precedes the light Of day snd
from that time TO the present. the history Of rc4ud ha
been one Of steady and unprecedented progress in
rial wealth and prosperity.
The emigr alton Of 50 large portion Of the Youngest
and most industrious popul on combined with that from
England to Australia, 10 consequence OF the discovery
the gold mines naturally produced great increase 10 the
value OF labor throughout Gres, Britain The passage Of
the "eucumhered estates act u the year lSiq threw
large amount OF the iaudsi property Of Ireland into IN,
market, and caased its transfer from the impoverished
and careless proprietor TO active and encfprsing capa
iss OF the United Kingdom. For the years ending with
1851, SIX hundred ana f1y thousand had been adj
dcd 10 the cultivated suds O the leland These and 9th
cultural laborer but is is In the manufacturing depart
Of Industry and chiefly IN the muslin trade III
the greatest development Of Irish progress has occurred
The pum0cr Of acres cultivated 10 fax, which in lst7
amounted ouly hy eight thousand had risen in 1851
to one hundred aud forty thousand The increased cu
Of ihe material has been attended with an
eqps development OF the manufacturing interest which
hes Increased steadily but oWly, owing the compeu-
ton OF other naiions. The manufacture Of sewed mus
ns has however increased IN greater ratio During
the period succeeding the famine years already referred
to, capitalists, whose benevoence was at least
cquaed by their shrewdnss conceived the idea of ca.
uoishment industrial schools, Tor giving employment to
aud children in that species Of needleWork The
Exhibitions Of Dublin apd Cork succeeding to that oil
London tforded aem opportunity for bringing :hei,
goois ioo competition with those Of other nations and 10
cquence OF the demand thus created the
Of scwed muslins has risen from comparatively trifus
to annual value Of several million pounds and
is estimated to siord employment for near thre,
hundred thousand persons.
The Influence Of hese various causes In promoting ID,
social aud material welfare Of the people Of Ireland
shown IN the rspid decrCsse Of psupsrsn The number
Of persons receiving relief under the poor lau for IN,
year 1859 averaged little over one hundred and 81
ttousaud while, we learn from the report Of the com
nuee, Just published 10 Tondor the number teseivnr
aid duriog the year 1888 less than that Of the pre-
vious year by at least forty thousand.
Whether the present state OF as In ireland will have
any great influence in checking the emigration TO this