Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1865-12-20
THE CROMWELLIAN SETTLEMENT
OF IRELAND.


To the Editors Of the UNION AND AMERICAN:
In the October number of the Edinburgh
Rerietc, we find an article with the above cap
ton, reviewing a work with that title. As
History is Philosophy teaching by example
we may learn from the history of the Crom-
wellian settlement, something of the policy
toward the late Confederate States, proper
to be pursued by the Federal government
Historical precedents and their results es-
tablish the superiority of President John
sons plan of reconstruction over that adyo-
Gated by his Radical opponents. The wri-
ter of the article in the Edinburgh Revieu is,
of course, decided Cromwellian, still he is
far from iustifying the dreadful severity OF
the stroke that fell like the hammer OF
Thor upon Ireland. 1t was by act of Par
lament, September 26, 1858, that the Crom-
wellian settlement was established. We
gather from the Rerieo some of the particu-
lars of that settlement The Government
reserved for itself all the towns, church
lands, tithes and the four counties of Dub
lin, Kildare, Cork and Carlow All Of the
remaining counties, except Connaught and
Clare, were given to the officers, soldiers and
adventures in payment of their demands
on the Government, amounting to nearly
T4, 100000. Connaught, together with the
adjoining county of Clare, was reserved by
the Parliament for the habitation of the
Irish nation, and was then, as it is still, the
least fertile of the four provinces.
Here, the Roman Catholics of Ireland,
high and low, the Countess with her tender
and beautiful daughters, the peasant with
his couple of COWS, and the laborer with his
implements of toll, were to be transplanted
within six months from the three rich PROV
inces adjoining, and penned up among its
wet boys and in hospitable mountains,
guarded from escape, seward and landward,
by the river Shannon, the Atlantic Ocean,
and ten miles of forts garrisoned with sol
diers; while for still greater security, belt
of land from one to four miles wide, running
round the entire province including Clare,
was reserved from the Irish, and given to
the soldiers to plant All the inland castles
and forts were destroyed lest they should be-
come dangerous in the hands of the Irish.
On September 26, 1865, all the ancient es-
tates and farms of the people of ireland were
declared to belong to the Adventures and
the army of England; and it was announced
that Parliament had assigned COmanght,
Americans was not then Accessibility for the
habitation OF the Irish nation, whittier they
must transplant with their wives and daugh-
tiers and children before the LIST of May fol-
lowing, under penalty of death if found east
Of the Shannon after that day. The country
was wasted by the ten years of war, and the
soil wretched; some parts so barren that
there was not wood enough TO hang man,
water enough TO drown him or earth enough
10 DUTy MIN.
'The fatal order went forth and excited great
lamcntation throughout the whole land. An
exception was made in favor of those who could
show that they had borne n constant good affec-
ZION TO the Parliament of England during the ten
years contest, and on behalf of those Irish women
foro DE December . 1850 provided fbev became
Protcstants and bows under fourteen and girls
under twelve in Protestant service to be broug m
mn ms Protestants Fathers and heads of families
Were 90 commanded 70 proceed before January 70
l654 TO Loughrea in Connaught where certain
were to aIlot them out lands in
proportion to the stock possessed by them
and the friends and tenants transplanted
Snts(or their families before Nav. The Com
missioncrs were TO be guided by a statement
which each proprietor before leaving home was to
present 10 the revenue officer for his certificate
Here is one: Sir-Nicholas Comyn of Limerick
precinct, numb at one side of his body with
dead paIsv aecompanied only by his lady
CathaTine Comyn, aged thirty-fve years, fiaxen
haired middle stature and one maid servant
Uonornh Mcnamara aged twenty years, brown
hair middle stature; having no substance but ex-
Meeting the benefit of his qualification.
Tho Irish. of course demonstrated and thou
sands claimed dispcnsations. Some alleged that
their wives or children were sick or their cattle
unfit to drive; others that Their crops were to get
t p Ur op 70 SnSin "'O'' iO' ''eii
The result Of thousands of applications (for cx-
emption) was that while the owners were trans
nlnnfnn children
cases allowed to remain behind with one or two
servants to crop the ground and reap the harvest ;
but rs the new settlers entered upon their hold
ingS on May, !, 1901, 1t often happened that the
S o abn or Seer oT Tos r
their cattle.
Three months after May ], 1854, only sixty
families had removed TO COnnaught; the Tories
mostly diSpoSseSsed owners, who had turned
robbers. had increased to a fearful eN-
tent; and the Commissioners were at last OBJ
ligcd TO seize the crops of all who delayed the
transplanting, and 10 fill the gaols with trans
plantable persons, who would not go TO Con
naught. .. .. .......
At length the terrible seventies of the law be-
gan 20 have their effect, and in short time so
complete was the depopulation in the county of
Tippcrary-uow the most anti English in the
country-that four persons had to be sent for from
Connaught 10 point out the bounds of lands for
the officers of the Down Survey. lt is needless TO
remark that the transplantcd suffered great hard
ships Some went mad. some hanged themselves,
others lived on and founded families which -four
ish their TO this day: like the Talbots and
Chevcrs: and some, like Lord Trimeston. laid
their bones in Conunught though their heirs
came back at the Restoration"
What Is tho lesson tought nv this instance
e IL, ,,,,I;a,,;,,,, 80 an . ,-;.;,,Io &c y.
W - 'nN i'iN".ioi va th' PiiH Pr
ltchS-Noe TO the conquered Let TINS
admircr of the great Protector answer:
.,rTt clfar III a,,t,t;,, ,yos c,,,dol imam
tho r,llss ,,rsy; ;o,, ~ n whole not;on AMI II
/; n I'LL Lrcyrn ,,ni;t;cal a,;,, tb,t ~ measures
can cvcr finally snccecS In Which tbe interests of
ali classes nTr moi in some ,ynv consulted
Il, ~, 6,., coI,,,,,, &c ~ or,;cln s,,ooL;ps,
'"0 ~. % 70 ' ,f'o
oil the present condltlon oil Ireland, ne says;
"The disaHection and rancor of other DAYS.
which misguided ambition or instructive tlir-
bulence could so easily direct to purposes Of
dangeT; nave no Soa0t largely aSsp Ipnt
by modern statesmanship. The dcmagoque by
nature the rebel by temperament. the malcon-
tent by mssrL nave Amos, sone OUT o. 9nte i 99o
with modern movement in hopeful alliance with
British progress and ideas, like the Gulf Stream
keepang MS own dlS4cI SI b, 1n,TuEn aS
IL there are sill discernble in Irish Society GER
tain traces eff the ancient luminosity Of race and
resSn trnsn d Sy aF' g ~
century. The recent ebullition Of the Fenian
conspiracy, without leaders without object, with
e9t Iacr pV oS he Trsb %ropS
listen to any one who appeals to their ancient
hatred Of the saxon; Bayonets ana hemp, as
moore "o,c'N o. ato nv kSpu et''s "i,u