The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-06-01
May ls, 1878
More Of Our Prosperity.

Only few weeks ago our daily journals
and the whole set of Castle politicians were
in Autser of excitement over the opening
of the s'new Dock" on the Royal Canal.
The opening was effected amid much cere-
mony !; soldiers and police in great mum
bers were ranged about the place; the ex-
tent of bunting displayed ON the occasion
was enormous; o small metal bridge was
awning round, and little steamer passed
between the piers, bearing on her deck the
Lord Lieutenant General aud General In :
augurator of ireland, with other official
trumpets,' after which his Lordship, in
brief terms, declared the Spencer Dock"
open for business. This ceremony was
followed by q banquet and series of pros
perity speeches and next morning there
were gushing articles on the subject in the
daily Journals. One might naturally sup
pose from all that had been spoken and
written in reference to the Spencer Dock
which 10 simply little portion Of the canal
widened and deepened by some feet-that
there were any number of vessels in the
river waiting for the accommodation of the
new dock, and that there was a great
amount Of merchandise on its banks await.
ing shipment. A visit to the place will
dispel any such notions. A more lonesome
spot one could not easily see about the
city. It is occupied by two mud barges
and small schooner, whose business there
is not readily discoverable. No doubt the
place will be useful, and was in some
measure needed by the railway company
who have had it constructed; but the i'm
pOrtance of the work has been enormously
overrated by the spouters on Irish pros
perity, and the significance which they at
feet to attach to it is simply unreal.
On Tharsday the Inaugurator- General
was again at work, this time in opening q
small connecting line of railway in the
North. The usual twaddle Of Irish pros.
perity was talked once more, and the daily
press, as usual, repeated it with variations
and amplifcations. But while this deiu-
sive and dishonest sort of chatter is going
on, there are coming at intervals from the
government press instalments of an i'm
portant government return, in which an
other tale is told. We allude to the CEN
sus of Ireland for the decennial period end
ing in 1871. Within the past few days the
tables relating to the county Longford
have been issued and what is the tale
the same tale which is being told for near
ly every county in ireland.
In the year 1881 there were in the county
Longford IS, 4Is inhabited houses.
In 1s41 the number came down to 49,
145-reduction of 4iS.
In 1851 the number had come down to
13,622-a falling off of 1928 within ten
years.
In 1861 the number was 13, 030, represent
ing decline of 800 inhabited houses within
the preceding ten years:
And in 1871 the number had still further
fallen to 12,O02-a reduction of 1923
houses within the last decennial period;
or of 7,4l6 from the date of the census of
1881.
In like manner has the population
dwindled away. Between 1881 and Is4I
the figures show slight increase since
that time the decline has been continuous.
In ls41 the population of the county
Longford mum bered liza ,491.
In 1851 it had fallen to 81, 48-a decline
Of 80, 143.
In 1861 the number was II Goa reduc-
ton of 1O,654 within the preceding ten
years.
And in 1871 the number was 81, Sol
showing decrease of 7,l93 since the date
Of the preceding census.
These are very unlike statiAtics of pros
perity. In no country in the world would
they be regarded as such, or taken to indi-
cate anything but the wasting away of
France, In Austria, in England, such fg-
1res would be looked on as ominous and |
Alarming. If such a state Of things e1-
sted, the rulers of the land would at once |
% called on to Investigate the cause and |
arrest the progress of the national declen- |
SiOn, Anu euOEtS O1t6COoo w thNb OnO Wbntu |
nost assuredly be adopted. But in Ire
and We are asked to look on at the rapid |
winding away of our population, not |
simply with indifference, bat with positive |
Who are they that ask us to |
AXE 80 false and mischievous view of the |
case they are the foreign rnlers of Ire
and, and their Irish party; and that fact |
accounts for the origin of the story aud |
explains it's meaning.
1t is true that those who maintain that |
Ireland is prospecting ia q marvellous de- |
gree have make out for themselves sets of |
agnres which they declare afford proof pos |
tive Of their conclusions. These figures !
have reference to the number of horned |
sattle in the land, to the Increased depos- |
it's in the banks, and the increased con-
sumption Of some exciseable articles. But |
even il We accept the figures rs accurate, |
hey do not really sustain the view of the |
Ease put forward by those persons. Even
{ it were true that the remnant which is |
eft of the Irish population participate to |
'ome extent in the flush of commercial &C.
Ivity, the increase of wealth, and the i'm
proved economic cOpditious which, during
Tie past fifteen or twenty years, have been I
general among the civil ized nations of
he world, that circumstances would not |
'rOve the state of affairs in ireland to be-