The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-02-02

by a great population. in which, so far as
their material condition il concerned, the
people are az savage as any savages 10
the world. Whole families habitually live
in the same room an cows, pigs and hens;
that is literally their normal condition:
They are clothed in rags and tatsrs. and
subsist in the poorest way; untidily, Gull
| tivating very small patches OF halt re-
claimed lands, with no implement higher
than the spade. In great districts that
most ancient and widely spread OF all
machines, the pillow. is literally Lnkncwn.
There is, l think, nothing to compare
with stbe condition Of these people
in any part of Europe. 1t is constantly
said with truth that it they were excused
all rent and present was made to them
of the land they cultivate. they would not
earn q decent subsistence from it alone.
So far, then, there appears to be much to
support the views of those who maintain
that these poor and populated parts OF
Ireland are plague spots on the face of the
earth, only to be cured by getting rid OF
the population. But there is great deal
to be said on the other side. To begin
with, if these peuplo are to be crowded to-
gether on miserable soil. not 6t properly
to support them. that is not their doing.
but ours. 1t is the British colonists who
have driven these Celts from the better
part of Ireland till. hemmed 10 between
the Saxons and the deep sea, they have
taken refuge among the boys, mountains
circumstances, they do not so much de-
serve blame for living so miserably RS
credit for having lived at all. Ii their
cultivation is not so good and tidy as it
might be, what could we expect of serfs
who have so long lived without any rights
of property?
In my view we can hardly. as some
do, attribute all the ills of ireland to the
race, FOR our Scotch Highlanders are of
precisely the same race. yet they have
turned out quite differently. l rather
think that the English mode of treating
ireland may have more to do with it, !"
Comment upon this testimony-whioh
might be increased indefoitely-is quite
unnecessary, The witnesses. American.
German, French, Italian. English
and Scotch, some wiring a
hundred years ago and othsrs
o-day. all agree upon the essential points:
the wretchedness of the Irish laboring
classes. and the legal oppression and out
rage Of which they are the victims, Aud
the indifference of England is as amazing
as its consequences are horrible. The
Devon commission. composed exclusively
of landlords. felt obliged to express their
strong sense of tbs patient endurance
which shs Irish laboring classes have
generally exhibited under sufferinss
greater than the people of any other
country in Europe have to sustain" The
commission recon- nended the following
remedy:
Although it is certainly dasirab bic that
the fair remuneration to whioh a tenant
is entitled for his outlay Of capital
or Of labor 10 permanent i'm
improvements, should be secured 10 him
By voluntary agreement rather than by
com pulsion of law: yet, upon q review of
Gil the evidence furnished tS Us upon the
subj sct, We believe that s0De legislative
measure viii! be found necessary in
order to give efficacy to such agree
ments, as well to provide for
those cases which cannot be settled by
private arrangement. We earnestly hope
that the legislature will be disposed to
entertain bill OF this nature. and to pass
it toto law with full discussion of its
principles and details"
The commentator was made thirty
years ago. and nothing has been done yet
What Sydney Smith said eighty years
ago, in letter addressed to parliament. is
as true now as it was then:
Your conduct to ireland is that of a
man who subsoribes to hospitals. weeps at
charity sermons. carries out broth and
blankets to beRgars, and then comes
home, and beats his wife and children
You have compassion for
the victims of all other oppression and
injustice except those at home.
The very moment tbs name OF ireland is
mentioned. tbs English seem TO bid adieu
to ommon-sense, common prudence and
common feeling. and to act with the bar
barity of tyrants and the faulty of idiots.
And rapacious Eng lish rulers have actual
ly coDfscatsd Ireland twics over"