The Irish republic. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1867-18??, 1867-05-25
The Twelfth of July and the Seventeenth of March
Ireland The Immense Emigration to America
The Present Social and Political Condition Of
Ireland Effects of Over Taxation -Absentee
ism
From the Special Correspondence of the Cleveland Herald
BELFAST, Ireland, April %, 1867.

BELFAST, Ireland, April %, 1867
With soil Astounding in resources Ireland ought to be the
home of happy and prosperous people From one eno OF IL
to the other the proofs poverty among the farming
and labong classes sadly manifest For miles and miles
the will carry you through the most beautiful country
dotted with onestory hut having win
dows and door, the majority with floor but the
ground and ceiling but the straw and rafters Occasion
ally you respecabeookng house. rarely paaal resi-
dence The result Ireland is bleeding at every The
population flying by of thousands to America Every
mort is crowded with emigrant The steamships, though
crowded to sufocation have scarcely capacity Tor
off fast as they come There are two reasons why
wish devote this letter to its social and political condition.
First Ireland furnishes fearful example of the dangers OF an
arstocracy of andhoders and the causes OF It's present de-
cline furnish interesting chapter in history for our own
guidance Second The Irish becoming numerous in
America and Feniansm SO important problem that all
thoughtful Americans will be interested in knowing the facts
as to present condition of Ireland also the causes
There is general recognition of the great evils under which
Ireland suffering but blank despair has settled down
upon people, and they look ongngy to America for ut
mate deiverance
Since 1916 the population of Ireland has decreased nearly
two millions From 1851 to December 81 1852 the emgra-
ton was 297S27 in 1868, 1929 in 1854, n4l69 in
1865 II 497 average of more than 900 annually
since 1862 The number last year and this will be greatly in
of these figures By the last of the Registrar
General shown that the population decreasing at the
rate of 600 annuay-tha is the births fall much short
in supplying the losses caused by death and emigration At
first the emigration consisted chiefly of aboers how
ever they made largely of the better farmers
shopkeepers small capitalists and employers OF aborers
They the very bone and snew Of Ireland They
the young and young hearty In 1861 sxtytwo
per between the ages OF fifteen and thlrtyVe
And all this immense drain goes and must on until
Ireland depleted that here and in America will be
nearly equzed As long day aboer here can earn
American money, than from twenty-five to thirty
per day. and hard working servant girls not more
eight twelve the drainage OF Ireland must go
The is blank rayles despair has cast its backness
America and Fenanism their only hopes
The Irish people heart enough take hold of
great for reform which going on in Eng
land despang apathy has seized them This condition
of things already growing alarming to the leading news
papers and of England The London Re0tew in
recent powerful" leader the Extremity of Ireland,
English legislators that if the present dsquiet OF the
people continues of troubles with the United
States the gallant Celtic trooper Phil Sheridan might land
with thousandnen the of Connaugh and rally
ing of thousands his standard drive English lsrue
into St. Georges Channel quick he sent the rebels spin
the Shenandoah Ireland would be splendid country
for just radng The boys in blue would find plenty OF
fat cattle and sheep, plenty of pasture and pork and no
sweeping from end of Ireland to the
other
For many years has been the custom OF the Eng press
and arstocracy the OF Ireland III PPah6
spirit. They call them sentimental sorrows some
times they attempt little tnkerng legislation but generally
ignore the manyvoced compainngs that nave gone up from
this country have heard many reasons suggested 1or It's