The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-02-12
OBSERVATIONS ON IRELAND.
Rev. n. Latham. in Yorkvlllo Enquirer.

Glow does Ireland look 2" is among
the first questions asked by those who
feel any interest in the country. Fol
many reasons, @ very large per cent. oil
the people of every section of America
feel an interest in Ireland and Scotland
that they do in no other. The descen'
dants of the Emerald Isle are scattered
from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and
from Cape Horn to the Arctic lakes.
Some sections Of the United States are
principally peopled by the descendants
OF persons who came from either Scot.
land or ireland. Hence, ireland is, to
no inconsiderable portion Of the people
OF North America, what Jerusalem is to
tho Jew. In Scotland, the grand princi.
pies of American liberty were formula.
ted. There is something in the words
Boutwell,, Airdsmoss, Rusterglen and
Queensferry, which kindles the fires of
patriotism in the bosom Of every Ameri.
can citizen Of Scotch Irish descent.
Around tho name Eaglewing clusters a
series of events far more interesting, be.
cause far more trngical, than cluster
around tn name May flower; and Robert
Blair, of Bangor, ireland, Ia the peer Of
John Robinson, Of Lincolnshire, Eng.
land.
In every section of the Southern
States, and 10 some sections of every
State in the United States, there are in.
dividuals who, 'in dreams, visit the sea.
bathed shores Of Ireland" II is not at
all wonderful that these persons ask I:
Glow does old Ireland look 2"
BY law of our nature, we map out, in
our minds, the general appearance Of
every place in which we take any partic.
ular interest. This picture. making pro.
cess extends to every thing connected, in
any way whatever, with the locality, no
matter whether it be email patch of
ground or n continent Of vast extent.
Its rivers, its mountains, i,s valleys, its
cultivated fields, and its forests, are all
mapped out in their minds. This
map has no material existence, but still
who skstched its outlines and dotted
down on its surface the mountain ranges
and the sloping valleys, 1t is a real some.
thing. Tho number of such maps of
,"Old Ireland" is equal to the number of
her wide scattered sons and daughters.
No two of these maps, possibly, are alike.
They are the creations of Imagination.
Facts collected from any and every avail.
able source, have been arranged so as
to present Ireland, not as it really IL, but
IA it is thought to be. That distance
lends enchantment to the view" Is, in
the case of Ireland, partly true md part.
~ not true. No picture drawn Of
Ireland, by individuals on this side of
the Atlantic, is equal to Ireland, viewed
by the eye-viewed as it Is. The first
glimpse that the individual crossing the
Atlantic gets of Ireland 10 totally differ.
ent from all his preconceived notions Of
the island. He expected, perhaps, to
see level plain, elevated, but slightly
above the sea. Instead of this, he sees
mountains running down TO the very sea.
To an individual who has seen no noun.
tains except those in America, these
mountains of Ireland present n strange
appearance. AT distance they look
like huge, dark grey rocks. On apprach.
Ing nearer them, the stone fences come
into view. When these fences are first
seen they have very much the appear
ance Of gullies RAINING up and down the
mountain side. From the top Of one OF
these mountains the scene IL very differ.
ent from, that presented from the top of q
mountain in America. There is usually
nothing except fog, to obstruct the
view. The whole country, as far as tho
eye can reach, lies out before, or rather
beneath, the observer. Congeries of
mountains and lovely valleys, watercd by
small, winding streams, are seen in every
direction. In summer the fields present
most charming appearance. Every
vegetable wears delicate green. The
green is not that dark luxuriant green
that is presented by vegetation in early
Summer in our Southern country, but
the. whole country everywhere appears
green. The ground Is covered all over
with pale, delicate green carpet. This
green, in contrast with the black soi',
presents most charming variety. 1t Is
ravishiugly delightful.
A large amount of Ireland is in grass.
This of course is green. Then the crops
planted in Ireland all cover the ground
in Summer with living green. The
houses in Ireland are all stone, and the
pointing and plastering on the outside,
give them white appearance. The
fields in Ireland are very email when
compared with ours, and are all surround.
ed with stone fences. The number of
houses is much greater than in our coun.
try. The roads in Ireland are generally
macadamized and walled In With hewn,
or dressed stone wall on each side, and
the face of the country changes often
very abruptly. All these things, when
taken in connection with Its mountains
and bogs. give to "Old ireland" an ap-
pearance grandly pictu fesque, charming.
ly lovely, and strangely gloomy.
The name of "Old Irelapd1p Is apt to
suggest that Ireland Is an old wornout
country. When we Americans speak Of
an old State or an old plantation, the i'm:
preston is made on the mind of those to
whom the fact Is declared, that it Is O
wornout State or plantation. An cold
plantation" In our country means a plan.
tation that is rendered valueless, either
by long cultivation or abusive cultiSa.
ton. Whenever the words "old planta-
tion" are mentioned, in our hearing we
picture to ourselves dilapidated hou4es,
and fields washed into gullies.
In one sense Ireland Is an old country.
When and by whom it was frat settled
no one certainly knows. Parthalon, it Is
claimed, led colony from the coast of
the Egean sea TO Ireland before, or
about, the time oi Abraham, the founder
Of the jewish nation. The Parthalon
colony was followed by the Eemedeans
these were succeeded by the Firboigs,
and these by the Dedapnans, who were
succeeded by the Milesians from Scythia
Whether Parthalon came to ireland
and settled, as Is claimed, near Bally.
Shannon or not, we need not inquire. II
Is fact, beyond all doubt, that ireland
was settled long before the Christian era,
but how densely 40 ono knows. Julius
Cesa.. in his Commentaries. describes f.
| tyiu T..