The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-06-04

Mr.. Boyd RACED to the ground the dwell.
| ings that had afforded shelter and q home
TO 3OO persons in that parish. Many o
these people were comfortable and respect
able, and the area cleared was very con
siderable. stated, thirdly, on the au-
the parish in which Mr.. Boyd resides, that
he evicted 1s6 persons in that parish, In
what was commonly called the 'Old Road
Clearance offered to read for the com
mittee their very names. Some of these
people held up to fifty acres of land. Mr..
Boyd, as l understand him. admits the
first named eviction in quite harmless
and modified form but plainly denies the
fact substantially, as had stated it. He
denied the second named eviction in toto.
He knew nothing whatever of it, and it
could not happen without his knowing it,
He meets the Old Road eviction by some
special pleading which do not clearly
comprehend, but plainly denies the sub
stance and magnitude of the fact as have
described it," The" Bishop describes an
eviction in the following terms "Now,
an eviction is public fact, occurring in
the broad daylight, and surrounded by
painful horrors; if you have once wit
messed 1T, you must ever remember it, The
speechless agony of men; the piteous
shrieks and wailings of women; the terror
and CONSERVATION of children, as their
houses are pulled down, their homes de-
molished, and themselves sent adrift on the
world-all contribate their share to make
upS . horrible scene. that will force it's way
into the duiiess capacity and can never he
forgotten throughout the length and breadth
of the locality in which it occurred. The
existence, therefore, of an eviction ia a fact
which, from its very nature, can admit of
no doubt or controversy. From
aryen IL 4s,so 10
others before the committee by whom the
character of the Inhabitants of the three
counties has been unjustly blackened and
misrepresented, it would appear that clear
ances are things utterly unknown to them,
although the official records, published in
fact-at which the future reader of the
story of the Irish peasantry will start with
wonder-that during the last twenty eight
years, out of total population .of All ,955
souls in the three counties-Meath, West
meath, Kings County-20O,O O4 have dis
appeared and in the came period, out of
SO, l7 houses, 90 ,46l have disappeared from
the face of the land" His lordship con-
cludes thus: "My lord, what can be expect
ed from q peaceabie aud industrious people,
who feel that they hold from their Creator
the right to live by honest toll and labor, az
long as they observe the laws and do man
any wrong, when they see themselves thus
feelings, and mercilessly set adrift upon
the worldf There are hundreds of evicted
tenants in Westmeath at present with the
very same feelings and in the same con-
dition as Mr.. Boyd's. The contrast be-
tween their past comparative prosperity
and their present extreme privation is con-
stantiy goading them almost to madness.
There is not single walk in life or single
department of labor now open to them.
With the exception of month in autumn,
and another in spring, there Is hardly any
employment anywhere. Mr.. Boyd, the
proprietor of $4,000 acres, with only ten or
twelve laborers, is, after all, only an ex-
aggerated example of what may be seen
every where. 1t is not in human nature
| that such men as these could be peaceable
orderly, and loyal to the unjust system OF
legislation by which they have not only
been utterly ruined, but driven actually K
despair. Until you extiDguish the cause'
which continually recruit the ranks ant
add daily to the strength of disaffection
you cannot expect to govern this part o
the country with credit and success. Yo
may suspend the Habeas Corpus Act 20
may pass Coercion and Peace Preservatio
Acts; but these measures, instead G
remedying, will only aggravate the evi
while the causes that produced it RENAL
untouched. The Church Act aud the Ian
Act, detective though the latter be, are Il
two solitary Ways of hope that have as y
h dawned on the present generation of Irisl
a men. Larger and more generous legisl
Q ton of the same character will coon i
e spire confidence, and convince people til
p the laws-hencefOrth at least-mean
q protect their properties and themselvt
g Supplement- that legislation by taking fro
If men the unlimited irresponsible pow
l. they have abused so long. Dismiss fro
l. the ma9istracy any man, no matter VII
'. his position, whose conduct is reproa
At upon the administration of justice. RefO
l. the poor laws; relieve the labOrer from
9, present wretched condition. Do this, q
d, 1 warrant you that, before twelve mont
v. shall have passed away, the people
e, Meath, Westmeath and Kings County "