THE ONE STEP.
THE organ of the Young Ireland party grows more and more sub- lime—one step more than sublime. Its most emphatic writing is re. served for a kind of exalted Billingsgate, poured forth, with the fine phrensy peculiar to poets and fishfags, against England. It is so pointed and dramatic, that you would imagine England per- sonally listening to the vituperative eloquence of her impersonated sister. The harshest phrases are provoked by the immense sub- sidies which England has been making to save the Irish from starvation. On this point the language of the Nation becomes terrible : the charity is construed to be a treasonable conspiracy!
"Our' abundant harvest,' for which they are to thank God tomorrow, is still here; and there has been talk of keeping it here. So they say to one another—. Go to let us promise them charity and church subscriptions: they are a nation
of beggars—they would rather have alms than honest earnings; let us talk of alma, and they will send us the bread from their tables, the cattle from their pas- tures, the coats from their backs.'
"We charge the Government,' we charge the Cabinet Council at Osborne House, with this base plot. We tell our countrymen, that a man named Trevelyan, a Treasury clerk—the man who advised and administered the Labour-Rate Act— that this Trevelyan has been sent to Ireland, that he, an Englishman, may ,end over from this side the Channel a petition to the charitable in England. We are to be made to beg, whether we will or no."
The writer labours under some peculiarity in the turn of his in-
formation. He has an idea, it seems, that the Irish are not a begging people : it is only in fiction, we suppose, such as that of Lever or Miss Edgeworth, that the Irish are beggars ! He also imagines that the English people still say to one another "Go to," as he has before talked of Ireland's not owing England "a ducat."
He will not bear of the benevolence of individual English- men " ; and this is the most striking passage of the diatribe-
" Who are the people who keep the Parliament that robs us P—Individual Eng- lishmen. Who hire the Government that slays us P—Individual Englishmen. Who thrive and fatten on our famine and death P—Individual Englishmen: Who read the Times, and all the other papers that abuse us six times a week P—Why, individual Englishmen. When these individual Englishmen say to their Govern- ment and their Parliament, Take your fangs from the Irish throat, your claws off the Irish dish; plunder and murder Irishmen no more '—then we can afford to applaud them; but not till then." This passage will remind the reader of "that horrid one "— "Who made the rluartern loaf and Luddites rise? Who 611'd the butchers' shops with large blue flies? Who with an earthquake ravaged the Caraccas'
And raised the price of dry goods and tobaccoes?"
The nearest approach to a prototype' however' is to be found, not in the works of any Englishman, but of an Irishman—Gold- smith. When "the Goodnatured Man" is arrested, those true representatives of John Bull, the Bailiff and his Follower, pour forth their honest indignation against the French. Honeywood is sitting with his unwelcome visiters the party is joined by a young heiress to whom the gentleman is attached, and he tries to pass the " officers " as belonging to a higher service. In the conversation Honeywood alludes to French critics—. " Follower—damn the French, and all that belongs to them I
Miss Rkhland—Sirl
Roneywood—Ha: ha hal Honest Mr. Flanigan! A true English officer, Madam; he is not contented with beating the French, but he will scold them too. Miss Richland—Yet, Mr. Honeywood, this does not convince me but that 80 vent in criticism is unnecessary : it was our first adopting the severity of French taste that has brought them in turn to taste us. Bailif—Taste us: By the Lord, Madam, they devour us. Give Monsters but a taste, and I'll be damned they come in for a bellyful. Miss Richland—Very extraordinary this! Follower—But very true- What makes the bread rising 7—The Parley-voos that devour us. What makes the mutton tenpence a pound P—The Parley-voce that eat it up. What makes the beer threepence-halfpenny a pot?—"
"Right, gentlemen," as Honeywood exclaims, "very right,
and quite to the purpose." The Nation agrees with the Times "in this one respect, that there ought to be no Irish alms "— " Neither as loans nor as alms will we take that which is our own. We spit upon the benevolence that robs us of a pound and flings back a penny in charity. Contribute now, if you will—these will be our thanks." So said the Nation on the 16th, the day before the Irish beg- ging season recommenced after the brief vacation. England, of course, will contribute, and will receive these Irish thanks : the question is, whether she shall at least have the consolation of see- ing some real good done with her money, instead of its merely serving to foster Irish indolence, Irish extortion, and Irish grati- tude.
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