The Irish standard., 1893-11-11

NOVEM
land was exported; that Ireland was the
only country known in ancient or modern
times which had these two kinds Of
seurplus' for export at one and the same
time people and food; tho only country
NTH too much food for her people and
FOO many people tor her food. In an
other sense, however, there was surplus
population that is, there were too many
men in Ireland to make it safe for what
Che British call alaw and order" Sir
Robert Peel knew all this we'll; but with
that hypocrisy which distinguishes his
race, he entered upon the work of up
roofing and exterminating the Irish upon
she plea that it was for the good Of the
Irish themselves.
In no country save Ireland was there
. famine, yet the potato crop failed
throughout Europe during the same
years in which it failed in Ireland; but
then ia no other country did the govern
nent fail to take steps to keep at home
the grain and crops and cattle necessary
tor the maintenance of the people, and
that for the very simple reason that no
government but that which ruled Ireland
had for it's avowed object the destruction
of the population. Not only in the years
preceding the famine, but in every year
That the famine ragged, food to the value
81 at least 1000, 600 was exported from
Ireland to England, and if am asked
what became of the money realized by
the farmers through this export trade, /
answer that nearly &5, 600, 900 of it went
into the British e1chequer in the shape
ofimperial taxation; that another G5,-
W0, 600 went out Of the country in the
shape Of absentee rents. Irishmen knew
we'll enough what was necessary to save
t1sir people, but they were not listened
Us In parliament Smith O'Brien was
laughed at; and when a. 4deputation Of
our leading men went to Dublin Castle
they were told by the lord lieutenant
that they must "wait," as nothing could
be done without Instructions from Eng
land. And so it came to pass IN q c un-
try where plenty abounded-a country
whose inhabitants raised yearly Aocks
and herds, and grain and roots in abund-
Ia,ce-that in five years 100000 people
perished of famine and famine fever, and
that another million fed away from the
land of their birth.
From that day to this Ireland has not +, =
covered from the cruel blow that England
then struck her. Nay, things have been
going from bad to worse. With popu.
lation declining year by year the drain
upon the nation has been constantly in
creasing. Within two years after the
famine the taxation OF Ireland for i'm
perial purposes was increased more than
so per cent, whilst during the same pc
riod that of Great Britain was not in
creased 20 per cent. One. third of the
whole rental OF the country has been
spent out of ireland, and as Hely Hutch
inson says: ''The sums remitted to ab-
sentees are worse than so much paid in
taxes, because large proportion of these
latter is usually expended in the coun-
try" Our manufactures are gone; and
no scheme has been proposed, or ever
will be proposed, by any British states
man, for the protection of Irish trade, or
for giving the Irish people such control
over their revenue as would enable them
to give bounties sufficient to renew our
ruined commerce. Agriculture remains;
and so fertile is the soil of Ireland that
the Irish farmers have raised crops and
herds and hocks to the annual value OF
100000 900 sterling. But SO perfectly hes
the English government fitted all things
Irish to it's hand, and 90 cunninoly has
it devised to rob us of this wealth, that
tens of thousands yearly give up the
struggle for life in Ireland, and fee away
from her Shores
Such are some Of the facts and figures
connected with the subject upon which
Statesman Chamberlain spoke so glibly.
I write not to him, ,snor to people, but
to my own people, and I ask them to
ponder over the facts I have set forth,
and to draw from them the only conclu-
sion possible. Let US learn the truth,
and speak the truth, for the truth shall
make us free.
Footprints of Irish Monks.
A historical celebration recently took
place in Vienna, when the Abbot Of the
Benedictine Convent of the Scots cele-
brated the fiftieth anniversary of his