Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-03
THE FAMINE OF 1s4s.
How the Irish Peasants Suffered for Over .
Year.

TREss-9REAr MoRrALIrY-wHIIr TIE FArrNE
LASTED FOUR PERSONS DIED EVERY MINUTE
FROM OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES CONDITIONS NOW.
London Correspondence New York Sun.
Mr.. Parnelrs arrival in Dublin. his triumph
ant reception, his speeches from railway and
private carriages, the fiery controversy and
antagonistic parties Of the same cause, have
somewhat obscured the deeper and more
deadly evil under which Ireland is suffering at
present. and it would seem as il the reckless
prodigality which casts thousands Of pounds
into the extended hand of ''Gen." Booth has
exhausted itself in this boom Of generosity,
and that charity can spare very little for the
victims OF the Irish potato famine.
Since 1915 no such calamity has fallen on the
inhabitants OF Ireland. As the potato is
they sell their other crops to paw their rent:
as no family or individual can or does put bv
anything for future contingency; as thew one
and all live, or rather vegetate, in the present,
to thousands
Ireland has not vet had time 70 obliterate all
remembrance Of her dire straits forty-five years
ago, and the memory adds poignancy to the
woes OF today. 1t was about the August of
iS45 that the Irish farmers first noticed a few
brown spots on the still green stalks of the po-
tato plants; insignificant at the outset, they de-
veioped rapidly, the stalk withered and the
tuber rottcd in the ground
RAeE'oF THE HUNGRY MASSES.
The country-an occurrence not unusual
was then convulsed by political and religious
but famine soon ouelled or at least
suspended them. England and. indeed. Ire
iand herself, with constitutional Indifference.
only began to be alarmed when the time came
!or gatherlng In the crops. There were vir-
tuaiiy none to gather. Everywhere the hungry
MASSES rose seditiously, the Infatuated crowds
howled through the streets. insulting masis-
trates, assaulting the police, plundering the
bakers and provision shops stopping the con-
Voys OF corn, stealing. burning. killing, deter
mlned at any cost not to starve. As to the
they almost all left the island.
Inc government appears to have lost its
head and found no better way of relieving
Ireland than by sending additional troops to
garrison It. Social economists seemed equally
inefficient and unable to suggest a remedy.
Some proposed to send supplies and sell them
at reduced prices; others-notably Lord John
husseI-were strongly opposed to this and
that rations should be distributed to the needy
pure and simple. But this idea was met with
the objection that wholesale aims were degrad-
ing and engendered hereditary pauperism!
Inc next plan was to open Irish ports free to
Giles, so as to introduce into the island food
whlch could be purchased cheaply by the suf-
ferers by selling their few remaining goods
But here the burning question of protection or
free trade stepped in and the protectionsts
would not agree to the free importation Of any
ARTICLES Whatever into Ireland.
IRELAND WAS DYING OF STARVATION.
Meanwhile Ireland was dying of hunger.
Parliament at last fully convinced of the fact,
voted f2,0oO, 600 for the relief of the victims:
private charity did its best and for awhile the
calamity seemed STAYED of. But the worst had
not yet come. Some fields had been spared:
others only partially affected. By surrounding
the sounder ones with troops and escorting
the harvest wagons by soldiers some crops had
been gathered in, and, however poor the farm
ers were at the time, they still retained some
ture that they could dispose of in exchange
for meal, and they had been provided with
enough seed for the coming year.
Unfortunately, the summer Of 1916 was an
wet one all over Europe. The Irish
laborer early saw the symptoms of the disease
reappearlng, and this time there could be no
hope, no uncertainty-it was famine, with all
its horrors.
1t is impossible. without referring to the ac
counts OF the period, to realize the scenes Of the
arrowing distress in Ireland during the winter
of is46-47 ITO depict them" wrotear eve wit
Jerusalem or to borrow from Manzoni the aw-
ful description of the plague at Milan" In
the one village Of Skibbereen seventy inhabi-
tants out of population of few hundred per-
shed in less than a week. The living had not
the strength to bury the dead. Ireland had
become vast charnel house.
OConnell, the chief of the Repeal Associa-
ton, travelled necessarily through the land.
bringing assistance, promising more. preaching
patience and resignation, yet impotent to pre-
vent the scenes of riot and disorder that were
Of daily occurrence.
ALL AID WAS IN VAIN.
In vain did the viceroy, Lord Bessborough,
pend in help all the disposable funds. deter
mined to demand bill of indemnity; in vain
parliament voted IS 600. 600; in vain the gov
created national workshops where
nearly million of Irish were received. and
sent TO Ireland all the food procurable; in vain
private charity multiplied its efforts All the
resources of wealthy England were powerless
% exercise the disaster caused by microscopic
fungus
SO appalling was the spectacle of a whole
country actually starving that the great politi-
al questions OF Europe, even the crucial one
If the spanish marriages." Immediately be-
,ame Insignificant. Queen Victoria. opening in
'erson the session of lS47, with voice made
remulous by emotion, recommended Ireland
o the solicitude of her parliament and Lord
John Russell in the sitting of January Is, speak
ng Of the situation Of that unhappy country,
aid: 1T is a famine of the middle ages exer-
Using its ravages in the middle Of the nine
zenith century" The session YVES extremely
tormy. The Irish members, headed by O'Con-
he'll and Smith O'Brien. made England respon-
ibie for the loss Of life; the latter demanded
hat an official report of all the victims by star
Iation since November, 1885, should be pre-
ented, and, the government refusing. he said:
1t Is because the government and parliament
rave permitted 900 of my compatriots to
lie like vermin that want these figures to be
laced officially before the eyes Of the civilized
voridr'
ocoNNELLs PROPOSITION.
At another sitting. O'Connell having proposed
hat seed should be given to Ireland and that
he land should be titled by the people and the
alary Of the laborers be paid half by the gov
rnment, half by local committees, his motion
lso was rejected. Lord Brougham created a
,urst of hilarity in the midst of the general |
loom when he related that help was not dis |
ributed on Sundays in order not to break the |
lominical rest. Fortunately" he added. |
had not the same scrupies when be |
ought the battle Of Waterloo ON Sunday"
The queen commanded q general fast dav |
throughout the kingdom-a superfuous meas |
Ire Us far as Ireland was concerned-and form |
II public prayer was given out to be read pub |
icly and privately. Those who did not observe |
he fast were made liable to a penalty. How
yer, the famine lasted till the end Of tina. SUM
ner, 1S47, when an average potato crop offered |
he most practical alienation to the countrv's
EMIGRATION THE LAST RESORT.
Of all the measures tried, suggested or pro- |
posed, emigration was the most drastic; the |
government favored it and it assumed the |
haracfer of an exot1us IA Nor pa--ora