The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-12-31
Ins sunsrin1Isl;. aIs I.| Yre|Iana.

and Main streets TO HoffF wood instea6 of
r TEenty-Hstfs and M streets, as heretofore.
3 1ns sarer.fns ia KreIan4a.
4 Edlsors Dispatch Aa yon, haSe opened
your columns TO tho admittalee of sularys
articles In relation 10 the famine ins Ireland.
and the suffering for want OF .oed existing
there now, may { ask the tfaFoE sas Your
hands oil giving room to 2 few remarks
from me? is.g .;sl (: sss.ssz ~
Ia 1883, 1854, and 1855 I was in Ireland.
The nature Of my business there was sucn
as to bring me i'm close aud fafnlhar utter.
course with the Catholic clergy in the coun-
ties OF Clare, Cork. and limerick, aud in
the nroyince Of Connaughts and feeling
profound interest in the fortunes Of my fet-
ior-eountrymen, i araiIed myself OF the
opportunity to make, particular inquiry
among the clergy and OF The great John,
Archbishop OF Tuan with whom ] had
the honor Of diniBgI, as to the extent
OF the famine and the stifferings OF the
the people In 1917, and while they admitted
that the sHfferings were Intense, at the same,
time they. acknowledged that they were
largely alIeyiated BY. charitable eontribu-
lions from Amefica; but I never heard in
all my inquiry and oil my iouraeying while:
i was there, nor have i ever heard until I;
saw your. paper of the 18th OF December,
1879, that in 1916, 1S47, and IS4S the suffer.
ing Irish ate the flesh from their own shoul-
ders, and ate the, leaves or the trees and the
grass until after, death their bodies assumed
their greenish hue "a chemical result the
possibility OF which I doubt very. muchl,
nor do see any, evidence that those scenes
go urfs fU.1,aY 0fsifi0 renewed y
l wish It distinctly understood that am
not doubling the yeracity OF the respected
and talented lady who signed the communi-
cation in your paper OF the Goth, nor the
yeracity OF her informant.
/ only state what came to my own know
ledge. have no desire 10 enter into con-
troversv on the subject, but I do desire to
state distinctly that the Efforts made in Ire
land on all hands to relieve the hunger
stricken, as described to me, were OF a cha.
racter amply sufficient to prevent Seif-cdn-
ni6alism and the devouring Of grass and the
leaves OF trees.
There was no war in ireland in 1S4I !;
there was no destruction Of crops by any
human enemy. Peace rcigned supreme, and
| the whole people-almost the whole-de-
voted themselves to each others relief;
and the majority OF the deaths that took
place was the result OF typhus and other
wasting feyers, and not OF absolute hunger.
God forbid that l should palIiate any
crime or cruelty against my countrymen.
OF whatever denomination but the sensi-
tive and patriotic, especially those OF the
tender sex, in drawing pictures OF Ire
lands sufFerings, sometimes without know
ing ii, are carried away by an exces-
sive sympathy, aud unintentionaly give a
coioring to occurrences heightened beyond
| the actual.
1t is cminently meet and proper that the
| Irish should assemble in every quarter OF
| The globe and speak words OF encourage
ment and hold out the hand OF suhstan-
| ial relief to the hunger-stricken In Ireland.
| Charity demands it, Christianity demands
| it, brotherly love demands it, and the Irish
people all over the world owe it to their
own good name and fame, aud owe it to
| their own manhood and self-respect, TO rise in
their might and of themselves and by them
selves, for they have the means and the
power to do it, to send sufficient money, and
| food, and raiment to ireland to meet all tht
present and impending requirements, with
out circulating the beggar's poor-bOX
among other nationalities on whom they
have no claim. say it would be more
manly to do this, and tend more to the honol
and glory OF tue Irish outside OF Ireland
than to make 1t appear by their appeals II
everybody that they are OF no account u
themselves aud no better than parcel o
beggars, who are too poor to render alt
themselves or too stiugy to grant 1t.
am an Irishman, body and soul, loving
dear old Ireland with rs deep love and de
yotion as any man ever born on its soil, aat
rs anxious for its material prosperity ant
its civil and religious liberties rs any maj
can be-, and as such | express the conviction
that the true policy OF Irish patriots, for th
present at least, is to keep the peace; 70
what between ecclesiastical admontion
and warnings on the one hand, and thu
menaces OF the British Government on tn
other hand, the hearts OF the people are al
most subjugatcd and broken, and any etfor
at revolution, now that .hey are being en-
fecbIed by hunger, would end in disaster
| Moreover, there are no Sucn mel
Ito lead now as led in 18l8-meI
like O'Brien, Mitchell, and Meaghcr-
men OF splendid talents, truthful, honest
and elf-sacriiicing, and in whose compost
ton there was no sham, no CANNON, ant
no humbug-men who didn't seek proml
nence for bunconbe or for seif-aggrandiZe
ment-men whose patriotism was pure ant
unadulterated, and who had an eye alOn
to the success OF the cause they espoused
and not to their own self-gloritication o
the obtainment Of posts OF honor and profit
like some of the small patriots OF the presen
time, who talk big, monopolze all Ii
prominence on public occasions, and il
ineau and contemplate cliqucs and con
spiracies try to crush out and put their foo
upon honest and better men.
One word more: In speaking Of the mel
OF 1s4S, would as an Irishman be an in
crate and derelict in the respect due Il
honest and patriotic manhood did | not e<
press my respect and esteem for the charac
ter and devotion OF q weIl-known citizeI
whose white head and silver beard have re
gistercd on the dial OF time not less THAI
three-<core years, and who was compa
tIiot OF the glorious men whom L hav