Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1880-12-07
Ivks1AI HoRIIaa. DEoENsER 4. 1850.
IRELAND AND HER TROUBLES.
Irish Land System.

Edlor Spuitof Jeferson.-You will very
: much inform me, and, 1 have no doubt,
many of yoar readers, if you explain what
the causes are of the present agitation in
ireland. Poor Ireland She seems always
TO have some trouble or another. Some
times it is famins-semetinesz it is some.
thing else What is the matter? England
Is net only 4 great country, but would be
surprised if yeu did not admit (Which is the
cause of her being surprised go often) that
she il the wisest country in the world. Well,
then, why this continual distress. di,afsc,
tion and agitation in a country that is BY
her side and under her control2 I confess
am q IyRPathizer with ireland on general
principles. Her orators were the glory of
my boyhood, and however others may affect
Iennyson, AID, to me, the ineomprehensi.
Die broWnlag, give me still Lalla Rookie and
tho melodies Of from Moore.
l am ashamed to say, however, that 1 am
ignorant of the history of a land whose sons
have been to me q source of so much inter
est and eHjoyment; hence, the interest 1
lake In the views that now ELL tho daily pa
peri, and ths question with which 1 take
ths liberty of troubling you.
Yours, &c, \ IS
Reading this letter to 4 friend, who is
we'll informed on the subject of it, we give
his in very much his ewn words (:
What the causes are of tho present agita-
zion in ireland could be very briefly ex>
planned. But any brief explanation would
be unsatisfaetory, and only suggest further
questions aud the necessity of further an
NessThere is NO royal road, to learning ;
no shert cut. To properly understand the
Irish situation, 1t is necessary that the his.
tory of the eouutry-its connection with
England, and very especially The national
character of its osn pseple, sheuld be
studied. Had England mastered this latter
branch of information, and been governed by
1t in its Liquidation, it would have saved her
nuoh of the trouble she has hads and much
that she may yet have, with the sister Isle.
Races havo in latter years become rather
mixed, and PECULIARLY speaking, rather than
sshnslssioaliy, referring moro to their hab.
its and manners than to tho blood thai. flows
in thoir veins, the English are Sa1ons,
while the 1ri.h are in everything celtic.
English governments never seem to have re-
gardsd this fact. In former times Charles
James Fox saw it, and had he lived; and
asd in power, much of the admirable
work OF Mr.. Glaastone would. possibly have
been anticipated, AID much. good done.
Work, too, that would have been tho more
effective, from its being done Voluntarily
and ia good time. Mr.. Bright gees it to-day.
but the fact remains az we have stated. 40.
eordingly. England, responsive. to English
necessity and feeling, exaots laws for tie
government Of. the Empire, forgetting that
Cork is not Lancashire, and that a coat
which might FIT a Csoknsy very we'll, would
very likely be an inaouveaieut and clumsy
affair on the back of a Dublinite. Let us
further" illustrate this matter: Suppose Two
or three smokers, smoking, enter a room
where there are persons to whom smoking
is offensive. Now, how unreasonable, how
rude this would be Well, under the DIR.
cunstanees, what is to be donsH because,
let Us bear in mind, that both parties have
their rights. Why, the course is obvious.
Divide tia. room by q PARTITION, 80 that
though in the same house, or travelling on
the same train, personal taste may be graft
8'd, asd offence given to no enc.
Prior tie the year 1900, Ireland had a par.
lament of her own, just as,the States OF the
Union have their legislatures. In that year
Hr. Pitt, by means Of a system of bribery
aud corruption thai the world has eon>
dsnned, deprived her Of this, her local Leg
i%slature, and of course Of every vsstigs of
Independence. Then sforward all laws. of
however a local character, wore enacted by
the British Parliament, the great majority
of the members of which knew-leavine 70,
Igiaus and pelitical' prejudices entirely out
OF the qusstion-less about the land for
which they were legislatiug than they did
about Timbuetoe.. From that TT That
mslaneholy hour in her history the cry of
Ireland has been for the restoration of her
Parliament. A demand that is perfectly
constitutional and legal, aud with which,
naturally enough, now, as in the past, the
great msjority of the American people sym
pathizs.
AS time rolled on many measures were
passed looking to the amslioratien and the
Paoihoation, as the phrases went, of Ireland.
A Catholic is obliged no longer to worship
in q cave, TO cell his horse, however valua>
BE, for five pounds. The professions are
open to him, and he can sit in the House Of
Commons. Unfortunately these measures,
each and every one of them, were extracted
from the fears, and not q sense of English
justice. They were, therefore, followed by
NO national gratitude, or any of the good
feelings that otherwise might have bios.
somed into suoh magnificent reeults. OF the
measures that We have enrsferring to, tho,
Act of Catholic Emancipation, passed in