Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1855-11-03
The P,o.peots of Ireland

Mr.. Thomas Darcy Mcgee delivered an inter
esting lecturer few evenings since before large
audience of his countrymen. in New York, on
the present condition and prospects Of Ireland.
Mr.. Mcgee visited his native country last sum
mer, after eight years absence, and the conelu
sion which he draws from his observations Is.
that a radical change is rapidly taking place in
the manners, habits and intellectual character Of
the people of Ireland; in short. that the country
is undergoing n revolution complete as If it
had been proclaimed from the lannon's mouth
The Emerald Isle is in n transition state, and n
new volume of its history is now opened Mr. Nc
gee attributes the change to three principal eau.
ses.
FIRST the system of railroad communication.
which is bringing both ends of the island
together scattering local prendices and making
of the Irish one compact people. The rail
road has banished the fairies from Ireland
it has walked up the intellectual faculties
of the agricultural classes, and introduced
among them habits. of punctuality and indus
try.-Tbe absence of national Capitalization
has heretofore been the cause, according to Mr.
Mcgee. of the absence of national unity. The
most remote parts of tho island, Leinster and
Cannaught, Munster and Ulster, are now made
acquainted with each other by the influence Of
the railroads.
The second revolutionary agent at work in Ire
land is the English language. Language is always
a powerful instrument in forming the habits and
character Of people. In 1874 more than million
of pupils under age, were learning English, and
already cheap English publications arc in great
demand throughout the country.
The third element of change in Ireland is the
new social relation between the agricultural
classes-the propretors and the culivators of
the land The old farm labor has gone with tho
year 1876. The farm laborers which have been
left by the famine, and the emigration to Ameri-
ca can almost dictate their own prices. They are
paid in money wages, and they make their pur-
chases at market prices. Indian meal has sup
planted the potato, and this is also an i'm
provemeni. The gentenan's gentleman is not
now tho formidable power he was. Tho famine
was great forecloser of mortgages. 1t squeezed
up the spongy cxcrescences of title.
The Encun,bered Estates bin of Sir Robert
Peel did II great deal to redeemed the character
of the English from the disgrace incurred by their
neglect of the Irish in 1876. No less than four
millions of acres one fourth Of the cultivated sur
face of the island, has been sold by the Encum-
bcrcd Estates Court, and moro than one half
ofthc purchas crs are native 1rishmen.
The people Of Ireland have very little interest
at present in domestic politics. The new pro-
prietors are busy in managing their estates, and
the laboring classes are favorably impressed with
the novelty cf their situation.
\ mixed feeling and kind of n wondering in
terest seems 10 DO felt in regard to tho war; Ire
land looks at the contest in much tho same spirit
as the woman who stood by and saw her liege
lord in fight with II bear When the former
was uppormost she cheered him. but when the
bear was on top she eheered Bruin just as heart
lily.