The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-10-17
Lecture OF Mr.. McCaee ON the Condition OF
Ireland I'm le45.

large and respectable audience assembled last even
ing in the Broadway Tabernacle to hear the lecture OF
Mr. MCGEE the present condition and future prospects,
of Ireland. The country he represented in fourshing
and prosperous state and the people in state Of compa
ratve comfort His auaon to the popular feeling with
regard to the present war; and which, he said OPP
posed to England was received with an enthusiasm that
seemed to know no bounds.
Ireland said he, Il undergoing at the present moment
gradual change; not change OF fundamental prnci-
pies but char In the manners, the habits, the Gus
IONS and in the intellectual traits Of her whole
people She is undergoing change that will take time
10 eject but II will become complete revolution as
ever was accomplished in any county II is change
from an old state Ct society and superior condi
ton Ireland has close one part Of her history aud the
date its close is between the 1910 and 1850 She
il undergoing transition, and she Is now in better
change said Mr.. MCGEE is exhibited ia the extension Of
railroads and the improved condition Of the agricultural
population The railroads making the countrymen
IKE the townsmen and teaching habits of punctuay and
business and bargaining and traffic to the rural
population, which no other agency In 50 short time
could have taught them They have helped to scatter
the old prejudces and differences and traditions and to
put stop those old feuds which have SO long existed
The North and the south and the East and the
West. The railroad system, too, continued Mr. McGee,
is centrsizng and producing union among tue people,
q ape einstes and onnausht into close ties q
necon with each other There are railroad trains pass
ing from Dublin to Galway in one half Of 2 summers
day Then the agrcuua oil classes taught more or
der ard regularity in their habits In the farmer house
YOU will see the time table, setting forth the hour ct
be ready at the sppsinted time. and he Is ready;
How very unlike the old system this Is when the good
teope to look at the weather three or four days
before fair time TO whether u would be hne; and
when they started before daylight in the morning,
dri, ing the cattle before them with good long wattles
AID on the way they ppsS ct that
sort that the temptation could not be resisted augh
ter) The shebeen houses, am afraid suffered by the
railroad system but the country has benefited greatly
by It, The people becoming more utilitarian than
they were, although there is no danger Of their re-
ng into the ed Ieao1 :, 1ns
has gone with the faminethat is, the cotier or con-
acre system There farm aborers still but they are
Ly the lord Of the soil, in return for the labor
they expend in the cultivation Of his land. The
farm laborer now almost dictate his own price'-that
is during the busy The aborers paid In mo-
ney wages with this money they buy their oxn
food prices and instead OF the potato they
sumo for the most part, indian meal That Is change
No one, continued Mr.. McGee can forget, and one
ought officially to forget the government tue richest
allowed chivalrous and gallant to be starved
down the minimum point fixed by their heartless eco
nmy. The famine, though it fell hardest upon the poor
did not however sfare what called the upper classes
OF the country 1t squeezed the spongy excresccnces
titled nobility that pretended to DC the owners o. iee
| out more than one. fourth Of the most valuable
land, and it is peculiarly gratifying TO know u,
birth, and that some Of them are the very descend
ants those who held those estates two ani three cen
sso n met asn o Se That there
will be entirely and better social system IN ope
ration there in very few years, than Is known IN the
memory Of man. Mr. McGee concluded by speaking o.
the feeling of the people In regard to the There was
he aid feeling decided satisfaction a. the severe
YER es England had met Crimea and this
men was received with the most enthusiastic applause
by the audience which broke out again and again There
was he added sort OF eager unsettled curiosity with
which they watched the progress OF the in the hope
as the celebrated Micawber would say that something
may turn up"