The Irish standard., 1892-08-20
IRISH HISTORY.
The Rise and Fall Of the Irish Nation in
the Last Century.

The Rise and Fall Of the Irish Nation in
the Last Century.
It is just ninety two years the twenty
second of last March, since corrupt and
venal Parliament voted the people OF
Ireland into slavery. On that day one
hundred and fifty eight members of Par
lament, most of whom represented
pocket" boroughs, accepted pension or
Offices from the governmental of
which were sinecures-and in return
gave Castlereagh the desired majority
which he and Pitt had planned and
plotted and drenched country in blood
to receive. But the peculiar and exqui-
site vililny of this transaction was that
the people of Ireland paid the purchase
money of their own sale to their enemies.
Two years prior to the act of Union the
national debt of Ireland was 94,O00,OO
When the act of union had passed the
national debt had increased to e26,841,-
219. So that Castlereagh plundered the
Irish treasury of ,219, and used
it for the purpose of destroying the life
of the nation.
AS O'Connell we'll said, ''it was strange
that Ireland was not made to pay for the
knife with which Castlereagh, twenty
years later, cut his own throat" It may
be asked, how came the Irish people to
elect such venal representatives? They
were not elected by the Irish people.
They we're sent to Parliament by titled
rascals some of whom were allowed to
send half-dozen members to Parlia-
naent for pocket" boroughs. The appel
lation pocket boroughs come from the
fact that there WAS not a single voter in
one of them. Indeed they were slowed
away in the breeches pockets of the
landed proprietors, hence the name. 1t
was this glazing outrage which Grattan
and Flood tried repeatedly to have RENE
died by reform of Parliament but were
unsuccessful because England's hopes
of a legislative union depended on the
pocket boroughs. Flood in a speech adj
vocating the Reform of Parliament, said:
''That they must adE.t that 1t was con-
trary to right and justice that individu-
ais should be permitted to send into that
house two, four and six members of Par
lament to make traffic of veaal bor-
oughs as if they we're household utensils"
But it is gratifying to Catholics to know
that of this shameless barter and sale
not single Catholic was amongst the
venal wre5ches who sold their birthright
for the proverbial mess of porridge.
Corrupt though that Parliament had
been during the eighteen years of it's ex-
istence the country increased in wealth
with rapidity that alarmed England.
Linen and wooden manufactures sprung
up all over the country and the manu-
featured goods we're exported to the col
onies, the United States, Portugal and
several other European countries. Pau
perism was unknown in the land. Plow-
den, an English writer, admits that you
could travel from Donegal to Cork and
not see beggar. Well, if the country
increased in wealth under such corrupt
system of government it is not too much
to expect that she will prosper under a
government that will have the interest
OF the Irish people at heart. Mines and
mineral will be developed and manufac-
tories will again spring up all over the
land. What are now but decaying viii
lagos will few years hence become
thriving and prosperous towns. Those
are not the views of dreamer. They
are the views of the late Sir Robert
Kane, for many years president OF the
Queens college IN Cork, an authority of
world wide-celebrity. Writing on the
natural resources of Ireland, he said that
'swere Ireland's natural resources devel-
oped-her coal and iron mines and water
power-she would become dangerous
compititor for England's trade"
Such an assertion coming from such
an authority carries weight The west
of Ireland has water power at present
running to waste that could be utilized
in running hundreds of cotton manufac-
tories. Besides the extreme humidity of
that locality the superior water is
more favorable for such manufactures
than any part of England. The south of
Ireland back in the days of Swift manu-
featured the best woolens in the world
until repressive legislation on the part
Of England prohibited the expectation
Of such goods, resultil g in the death OF
that article of commerce. During the
past few years there have sprung up
several wooden factories in the south and
other parts of Ireland, and with Home
Rule to foster home products there is no
fear but that Irish woolens will again
come to the front. All things considered
Ireland's future is bright and her friends
may consider themselves fully recon-
pensed for the sacrifices which they have