New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-03-20
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to do with the present difficulties in Ireland. But
years ago their influence was extensive and profound
Their origin dates back TO considerable antiquity,
and must be sought in the national circumstances of
the people. They represented the genius OF the Irish
secretly on the watch over their destiny To all
| classes they were terror. Tenants dreaded them
almost as much as landlords for they took
care not only that the latter did not OPP
press but that the former did not succumb.
The tenant was their victim about as frequently as
the landlord, and many sober, thriving, docile.
harmless man, who attended to his business and
paid duly his debts, persisted by murderous hands.
| The aim OF the Ribbon Society was twofold. Pri-
| marily it was to prevent any landlord. under any
circumstances whatever, from depriYing tenant Of
his land. FIxity of tenure was their motto; motto
they swore by and acted out with deadly persever-
ance. parallel object was to deter by menace Of
death, any tenant, under any circumstances from
| taking land from which another tenant had been
evicted. These two objects were pursued with unre-
| lenting Hgor But as may easily be supposed, the
societies did not very scrupulously confne them
selves to them. BY degrees the Ribbon men assumed
to be the redressors of all wrongs fanced wrongs
connected with landed property and its management.
Threatening notices were served on landlords for
ejecting tenants of the most worthless description,
and on the best tenants, who succeeded the elected
Doors. If respectable farmer dismissed careless
plOwman for cause if gentleman refused to hire
shepherd who was approved of by the local Ribbon
lodge, he might be threatened with certain death.
These Hibernian KuKluxes sent letters illustrated
with bloody collins, fanked with the skull and
cross-bones, to honest agents who discharged profit
gate carpenters or smiths. Respectable tradesmen
were shot down in cold blood, and we'll
TODD farmers brutally murdered in
open day, within sight of human habita-
lions, by sworn and secret emssaries who knew that
they were occupying land which some nsolycnt ten
ant had thrown on his landlords hands. Such An
institution this holding sessions by night plotting
in the dark. arraigning and condemning without
process of law equity, its members bound by oath
to execute whatever deed should be assigned to
them, on pain of death to themselves was perma-
nent cause of barbarism. 1t made a community Of
brigands and assassins. The agent who went into
County Tpperary, or Kings, or Queens, into Meath,
Westmeath, Louth, or Monaghan, with honest pur-
pose to do his duty to lord peasanty had to take
his life in his hands, and was fortunate if he kept it
there. Bailifs useless; police were Of no avail.
The murderer had need to flee, for the people
were in understanding with him, and gave him shell
ter. The cOnspiratOrs would die sooner than betray
each other. How could civilization gain ground in
such state of society," How could law and order
prevaili What arts could thrivei
To one who considers all the results and bearings
of the Ribbon Code the effect of the potato rot is no
mystery. That episode in modern Irish history is a
very sad and moving but it was a consequence
OF misery as well as cause and its SORROW had
regenerating side. The potato was of easy culture in
Ireland; it was the only green crop that grew
luxurlantly in rough ground imperfectly cultivated
moderate application of guano, which was brought
INTO use about 25 years ago. assisted the production
prodigiously. The potato was used in retaining
rough mountain pasture land covered with heather.
BY spreading lime over the surface of the ground,
blowing it in ridges, putting in the seed by
dropping it over the back of a spade, set two or
three inches under the SOIL scattering guano lightly
over the whole and taking that the guano should
not be mixed with the seed the lime, was made to
grow in perfection with very little cost and with
great profit. The crop worth at least ESQ the
acre. The crop on l62 English acres was almost sure
to bring, at moderate price in the market, much
as $4,000. Good farmers cultivated the potato ex-
tcnsyely for the purpose of reclaiming their waste
lands, and also as an easy way of employing their
superintendent labor. Hundreds Of laborers were
engaged on the large estates, draining leyeing,
lining, digging and gathering. 1t is a mistake,
therefore, TO suppose that the extensive potato
culture was due to the thrftlessness Of
the poorer classes of the people, it was
encouraged by the thrift of the better class Terri
Bile, consequently the effect of the mysterious
blight that fell on it in the Summer Of 1896 1t was
the loss of fortune to large farmers and the utter
destruction of life to small ones There was dead
loss of thousands of pounds on individual estates
and the perishing of the people awful to see All
the signs OF the visitation were awful horrid
blackness covered the uxuriant fields: an ntoler-
able stencil poisoned the air. In the best cultivated
midland counties, where the raYages of the disease
we los
insufficient diet from fever, dysentery, crowdinc in
warehouses, exposure and hardship. So numerous
and swift were the deaths, that in some districta
collins could not be made for ALL and sliding coIins
were used. which, by dropping the corpse through
the bottom and then being closed up conld be made
70 90 service over and over again. lie is computed
that over 100000 people died. either from actual star
'ation or from sickness oecasIoned by bad and IN
sufficient food. Public relief works were soon set ON
DOT by the Government. Presentment Sessions ,vera
heidi relief committees organized; soup kitchens and
stirabouV houses were resorted to; free trade was
partially adopted; Indian meal was sent TO ireland
enormous quantities; individual exertions were IN
essant charity was profuse and still the people
iaiy noble and Drncely people, men and woman
ost their lives or their health while endeayorae To
tay the calamity; but it was OF no avail Even in
he less afflicted places, human effort was in fearful
isproportion TO the evil to be In the Sonth
nd West of Ireland, where the cottier system pre-
allied more extensively than anywhere else. and in
ne mountain districts. where little corn was grown.
nd people lived almost exclusively on the potato.
le distress was direful. There men, women, and
lildren actually died from starvation by thousands
Schulz. in the County of Cork, even the Profess
nts, who constituted the weather. portion of the
suffered too hideousy for description.
'omen were seen bearing collins on their backs la
lie village the Roman Catholic chapel was used asa
fin factory. Many poor creatures were flung into
70 grave, or pit rather. in their rags and in soma