The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1856-11-05
Depopulation Of ireland..NatuIe's myste.
Ftous Laws.

DepopuIation Of ireland--Natule's a1ystc.
Fious Laws.
The Commissioners appointed to take the
census OF Ireland in 1851, have just made
their final report. They give, no, only mi
mute accoun, of the famine of 1867, bu,
tables of all the great reasons Of scarcity and
pestience, since the historical age Of the
world began. The total mortality, from fever
in Ireland, between the end of 1916 ane 40,
is estimated, in the report, at million and
half. The decline in population, between
1s4l and 1851, as actually determined by
the census takers, was ,622, ,7ss, a decrease
of 1885 per cent; this falling of, the Com
millee computes, has coniinaed, making the
decline a, the close Of 1855, no, less than
2,o97 ,S4i, or one fourth OF The whole popu-
latioo as II stood IN is4i. Even this, how.
ever, does no, represent the full decrease,
for, if the famine had not Get in, the poEula-
lion would have increased in i,s old ratio; and
il il had increased in i!s old ratio, the existing
population would have bean, in 1851, 2,466,-
ala more than il was; end of course, by this
tine, it would have bsen proponionaicly lar
ger. II the potato disease had not appeared,
neither famine nor pestieuee wouN have
followed, nor even emigration, al least 10 the
exten, il did and the inhabitants Of Ireland,
in that event, would have probably num-
bered, to-day, three millions more than they
do.
Tie report reveals to greater extent Than
any document vet published, the social and
eco nomical changes which have taken place
in Ireland within the last ten years. These
changes, in fact, amount 10 q revolulion.--
The reign Of Terror in France hardly worked
more radical alterations in the distribution OF
land, the shifting of popula lion, and the char
acser Of agriculture, than the Irish potato rot
of 1910. No less than 357, ,I34 cabins have
been destroyed in Ireland as consequence
of The famine. To their rlace, however, s6,-
1873 dwellings Of berer kind, chiefly farm
houses, have been built so that, notwi.h.
standing the extirpaiion of SO many roofs, the
people are said 10 be better lodged than for
merly. Another striking change Is 10 the
number Of persons engaged in agriculture
These have fallen off twenty -four per cent.
Yet, in the place OF this, there have been
more than one million seven hundred thou.
sand acres of additional land brought under
cultivation. Cereal grains, also, are more
generally cultivated. Wages have consid-
erably increased. On the whole, the more
! .hercnsh sys.0ra of fu7miug WITCH has been
introduced as consequence Of so large a
portion Of the soil changing hands, and the
substitution Of improved agricultural ma
chimes for rude and unskilled labor, appears
| to have benefited ell classes.
The famine of is46 is another illustration
tina, nature works by great and often mys,e-
rious laws, which, not unfequenuy, when
they seem cruelest, and most 10 be deplored,
are really bringing forth good. Terrible as
the potato rot was at the time, its remote ef.
fecis have proved beneficial TO Ireland /;
while il was not without service, indirectly,
TO the United States, by producing that enor-
m ous emigration, which has added so much
TO our population and industry, and therefore
10 our wealth. The wisest Of men continu.
ally fail to see these laws. Another illustra.
iion forces itself on our notice as we write.
I, is within The memory of most OF our read
ers, that large and influential party, in this
country, not only opposed The war with Mex
leo, bu, was hostile 10 the acquisition Of the
territory il brought; and even so able man
/ as Mr.. Webster dec Jared, after California was
annexed, that ii was wholly worthless. Yet
il is now plain that If California had never
become ours, ils gold mines would still have
been undiscovered and if they had remain
| ed unknown, so would those of Australia
10 that event The increase in the worlds cur
rency, and the consequent development of
industry, which has done SO much, IN IL 9
last eight years, for the operative as agains,
the capitalists, would have been indefinitely
postponed. Few saw it in ls4s, not even
those who desired California, but the war
with Mexico, in this indirec, way, has work
| ed miracles in elevating the masses.