The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1872-11-10
tyrom tho New York Hsrald.)

thing was manifest, for whole nation does
not mutiny without some cause. AS Mira |
beau has said, nation that complains ID
alWAys in the right. The solution of the
problem was easily solved by look at
richer than Scotland, and as rich as the
best parts Of England, was an uncultivated
waste, just dotted with potato patches.
These we're from an acre to half an acre in
extent. and were paid for at the old rack
rent Of five and six guineas an acre. The
novels in which the Irish lived were mere
shsds, with a hole in the centre for the exit
Of the smoke, no furniture except q rough
table and few pots and pans and in the
miist Of this squalor fat sow and half
dozen suckiDg pigs wandered about In
comfort. The food of the people was po-
tatoes and buttermilk. This wrethed state
81 things did not depress the spirits Of the
light-hearted people, who were happy, in
spite of everything around them, If they
were not evicted. The classes above them
were three-the mobiles, who were either in
England or ON their estates In Ireland; the
middlemen, who managed for the absentee
gentlemen; and the hunting, drinking,
duelling squireens. These last were the
most popular, since there was an openness
aad frankness about their manners which
pleased the peasantry. The men they
hated were the landlords who wanted to
improve their estates, who introduced
farm laborers and Scotch battles, and evic-
ted their paupers tenants. The peasants
regarded these "a tyrant conquerors, en-
deavoring to drive them off their natal
soil, and they fought against them in
their own manner. They united In secret
the doors of obnoxious authorities and
slew them before the eyes of their wives
and children. That this was q wretched
way Of appealing against oppression is I'M
questionable, but the fact must not be ig-
nored that these things were
THE RESULT OF REAL INJUSTICE.
Another difficulty was the religious one.
Whether the priests could have prevented
agrarian outrages may certainly be asked,
but in justice to them, it must be said that
their influence had kept the peasants won
derfully moral. Wealthy men may sleep
in Ireland with unlocked doors with Sc
curity that no police in New York or Lon
don could secure, SO absolutely honest are
the people. Offences of impurity, also, are
almost entirely unknown. But, despite
these things, it cannot be denied that the
Catholic influence was once in Irish history
. pretext for disloyalty. 1t was only after
the peace of Utrecht that Catholics were
given to understand that their allegiance
TO the Pope did not conflict with what they
owed their own monarchs. And when the
French Revolution burst upon the world,
and Catholicism was hailed as safeguard
against the radical anarchy, the English
statesmen desired above all things that the
last trace of penal laws against the Catho-
lies should be removed. 1t was the merit
Of Dan. O'Connel that he perceived the
toward Catholic emancipation. 1t is GER
tain that without him this piece of justice
would have been conceded, but as he was
the first to demand it, the glory of the
movement must be his. But two of the
greatest reforms in Ireland, though done in
hsa TINA puara cnD farra1 af the inafonoa of
Sir Robert Peel and the English liberals.
One of these was the Irish Police force,
and the other the common schools, where
the Catholic and Protestant children were
taught side by side. But the hardest ques-
tion remained behind-that of the land
tenures. Half of the country was held by
gentlemen who were absolutely over
whelmed in debt, and however willing to
be kind to their tenants, could do nothing
for them, because they were in the grasp
Of the money-lenders, who vigorously ex-
acted the last half-penny from the unhappy
tenants. The people had increased amaz-
ingly in spite of this, and from three mil
lions and half in 1850, the Irish had
swollen to nine millions in 1876. And all
these were supported by the eternal potato.
Cobbett had warned the Government of
the madness of allowing millions to depend
on such a source of supply. The potato
failed, and six millions and half of human
beings were at once deprived of food. The
famine showed the best qualities of this
angular people, who, though resisting
agrarian wrongs to the death, have ever
borne great masses of misery with pa
tenee aud
RELIGIOUS RESIGNATION
peculiarly their own. They laid down
without complaint to die, aud one quarter
of million actually starved to death.
England subscribed money most literally.
SO did America. Vessels of food were sent
30 all parts, money and advice flowed in
rom all quarters, and at length the plague
nus stayed. one OF the Consequences or