National Republican., 1883-04-16
THE IRISH FAMINE.
what Is Told OF the Distress in the Em-
eraId Isle.

Mr. James Bellew, treasurer of the Clan
ma. Gael aid society, has received the follow
ing letter showing the extent of the suffering
in Ireland, and that il is not in any way les
sened:
sw1NFoRD, COUNTY MAYO, Mar 2s.EDtgy Sir
am in receipt OF your check TO aid In relieving
the very destitute poor of this neighbOrbOod, and
beg TO thank you and the Clan. na.Gael asso-
citation of Washington for this timely and charila-
II Is painful 10 have to say that the small FARM
ers and agricultural laborers OF this locality are in
great famine of 1876. They are without money,
without provisions, aud without credit. HOW
they exist on the small aims they get from their
neighbors and friends is wonder. How they
will be kept alive for the next four months, can
not see or know. Fever Is already making its raw
ages in our midst. Mill street, a street III this
town of Swinford in which live has not house
in IL in which one or more OF It's inmate are not
lying in fever; and in our country DIS.
fever fever is not having its victims. 1t is
not sparing the comfortable more than the desti.
tutc, and thus II is becoming terrible epidemic
among us. And this sad change in the condition
OF our hard working, industrious people has been
brought about by no fault of theirs, but by cir
cumsances over which they have had no control.
They have had contending against them, besides
a succession of bad seatons aid the failure or
their crops, and inhuman and uneearabe rack.
renting system more than sufficient to crush and
beggar any people in the world. Mainly by this
system of racktenting-the outcome of the in.
satiable greed Of landordism-our people nrc now
in thousands without food, without clothing,
without credI without seed TO crop their farms,
and yet they aru offered by theexecutive only the
often fated cmigrant ship or the demornllzcd
workhousel These Grecian gifts they Will not
have and thus again IN the oheckered ana sad
history of country are we flung for the neces-
saries of life on the charity Of the world. Between
us in ireland and the Irish in America aud in
Australia there is u bond Of fraternal union which
neither time, nor distance, nor oceans, nor pros
perty, nor adversity, nor life, nor death can
break Never has Ireland in her need called in
vain TO her children abroad, ami never before
scarcely did she call III greater necessity. This me-
cesslty will developIsef iearfnlly during the next
and succeeding three months, as well as during
next year. unless the small farmers are supplied
with food and the means Of cropping their land.
Ii helped over this crisis, we have good hopes Of
better times before us.
let us n0tlbe forsakcn by our friends we are by
our rulers and so sure as 10. days sun has shone,
there are for Ireland IN the not far distant future
days of brightness and happiness which are likely
to be long and permanent. Pray with me, my
dear sir, that our good God may give us grace to
be patient and orderly under our heavy trials,
and that the hand of Justice at home and charity
abroad may be quickly extended to us TO- savo
thousands of our people from the most horrible OF
deaths-death from starvation.
am, dear sir, &c, NJ, FINN,
Vicar General, Dean Of Achonry.
JAMES BRLLEw, esq.