, 1861-12-18
THE FAMINE IN IRELAND.
What Sir Robert Peel Would not See.

tAicAG0. OGC- II, Loot
MEssRs. EDITORS: notice in your issue Of |
tlis morning IN article headed "No famine in
Ircland,' and prefaccd with the remark that
there arc some rcasons for believing the re-
ports Of such deficient crops in Ireland as
would cause a flnline there, are greatly e1ag-
geratcd,' and in support thereof you give an
extract from speech purporingt to hare been
delivered by S1R RoBEBT PEEL in Belfast. I
have heretofore been under the impression
that the editors Of leading papers knew some
thing Of the manner in which Ireland has been
treated by the British Government, and have
yet to learn that the language Of d s' Chief
Secretary is to be relied Oh before the dread
reality which is unfortunately. 80 apparent
throughout the western districts Of Ireland.
In rcfutation Of SIR ROBERT PEEL's account
Of the prosperity in Ircland, I call your atten-
ton TO the following article from the columns
Of the irish american. Of the 18th inst:
When, some time ago, we announced the
approach Of actual famine III I1e}and, and sta
ted that the people need expect no relief or
Government, its officials, or landlord "garTi-
son." We could not have imagiued-Heu-
grounded as was our information-tha our
| prediction would have been 80 soon or SO
fully realized. But SO it has been. Already,
in one Of the most fertile districts Of the South
| west, a man has died Of starvation; while the
! instance given in our columns this week Of a
| father staggering for miles under couple
stone Of rotten potatoes, in hopes to find few
| mouthfuls therein to allay his children's hun
| ger and his OWN, is but type Of the vide
Spread misery prevailing at this moment
| throughout Connaught. To the pangs OF
| hunger are superadded those Of cold, the fuel
Of the people having been destroyed at the
| same time that the bulk Of their staple food
| periEhed. So dire has the disaster in this par
ticular become, that Te afe informed the fish
ermcn along the coast Of Galway have been
obliged to burn large portion Of their miscr-
able fishing gear to save themselves and their
families from perishing.
to the notice Of the Government; and what is
the response? The Chief Secretary for Ire
land, Sir Robert Peel-a man placed IN that
responsible position for no apparent reason
than his entire ignorance Of the country, and
goes down to the West; with . policeman
at his elbow, to prompt him, he flies through
/ the country at the rate Of one hundred miles
day, stopping nowhere longer than the de-
, 1uands for food and rest required, consulting
dict is that there is no famine, TINT the coun-
!. try is marvellous1y prosperous, and that in.
| stead Of looking to Government for aid, the
| | Inhabitants ought to become more entcrpris
ing and selfre1iant, and he thankful to Pfoyi
! dence-as he is-that they are SO well of!
This Is the manner in which the present
English Government propose to meet theil
: tIrish difficulty" viii the people of Irelani
: tamely submit to renewal Of the famine
: slaughter Of '46 and II? The greAt Dr.. Doy1'
6 once declared that, In such case, if the peo
: pie rose in arms against their tyrant rulers, b
would utter no censure against them. Ih
question has now taken tic direct form, VII
] the Irish nation submit to be murdered II
detail, at the rate of million per decade, 0
$ will they Ect their feet down and their face t.
the the @ aG hs, and sy s. h1Te o 6os @ too o0d 1ng W
+ alone, it rests whether Ireland shall be a Ma
0 ton again, or remain as she is, the Slave an
# the paupeF Of the world.