The Irish republic. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1867-18??, 1867-05-11
SPIRIT OF THE PRESS.
Bulls Opinion of the Work he has done in
Ireland
LA TERRA DEL MORTI.

of the extraordinary facts connected with the
Fenan rising of Ash Wednesday last the singular apathy
hbited by the population The key and the enigma is
discovered in the present abnormal social and political con-
don of the country In the epoch often
said that Italy la terra ds mort the land OF the dead
The land of the dead Ireland Obsevant men who have
visited Ireland in these latter days have seen with grief and
the thick cloud that has settled the land
Misery Improvement, disappointed hopes, have at last
broken the spirit of the ayest aid most sagune OF all races
The Irish peasant of fifty years ego, the Irish whom
Lev loved paint thing of the past Putanism and
Formulism have not quite eradicaed all of merry
England but oud Ireland" has passed away forever The
grandfather the Irish peasant of to-day if very
noble, least interesting being. Living roots
housed in mud cabin, he was happy king His iood was
easily procured He had paraphrase Jerrods sayings but
tickle the earth with spade and it laughed an abundant
harvest potatoes. Accordingly he had ample leisure de-
vote to dancing, drinking lovemakmg and quarrellng
varied by occasionally shooting landlord
sayiDg with white shirt his jacket to burn the big
house of some obnoxious squire.
They changed all that in Ireland One by all the
avoe have disappeared On saints days crowds
seeking physi al spiritual health no longer throng to the
holy wells That graceful superstition the last relic of the
rites pacced thousand years ago by the Drus who
made groves Tara musical with their hymns forgotten
The wake that barbarism has passed ANY, the
wild caone of the women no o ger the funeral
Irish fair is nowadaysa place where there much chatter
ing and little drinking OF the Gull type the
wboop the rival faction is heard dragged
the green shegh welded there of the un
the fighting that made the Irish fair once the most amusing
if the most dangerous of specaces The match MAKER the
cosr the danci gmaser only mofes of the past
the old village piper broken hearted pauper the
workhouse the hedgechoo broken the old teacher lies
in forgotten and uncaredfor grave of his little
scholars shepherds in the Australian bush others
have found their last resting in the grounds of
Virginia And the political well the social life of Ireland
dead In the old times the sanguine Irish peasant had
hope for atona existence he doubted that
assurcd the and day of deverance would
dawn his country And such hopes not it be
remem bered, entirely unreasonable
Twenty years ago. The population of Britain was little
than double that of Ireland the priests unreconced
the Imperial rule the Continent all parties felt strong
sympathy with Irish disaecon the egitmists ympathzed
with the hostility of devout catholic people to heretiea
sovereign and heretca priesthood the left wished
well the democrats who sought fling eff the yoke of the
of Governments One by every hope
frustrated the population of Ireland diminished
became stronger numbers and in wealth. Continental
thes grew cold the priesthood the folly Of resistance
the Imperial Government and ncucated in their focks the
necessity of submission the neyitab and far the
rural population concerned Irish nationality died gno
mnous death the widow Cormacs cabbagegaden On the
ruins of all the high hopes and impulses of all the fun
and poetry of old Ireland strong and aembracng aspa
ton grew np 1.-The Irish peasant said Mr. Bright at the
Rounda banquet when he asks for food and freedom and
blessings his follows the setting the aspiration of his
reaches yond the wide Atlantic and in spirit he
hands with the great Republic of the West"
The love of the Irish peasant for that
breast OF earth,
That exuberalt nourished love and mrth,"
has slowly abandoned for passionate desire to leave the
old country for that Dorado of the poor the
Atlantic where there parsons landlords where want
is thing unknown and the peasant 10 supreme lord OF the
land he III