"
Although Mr. Foster is here, as in several other places throughout his
letters on Ireland, unjustly severe upon the people--poor, helpless,
unaided, uncared for as they were by those whose sacred duty it was to
come to their assistance--still many of his views, as in the present
instance, are full of practical good sense. He gave many valuable hints
for the amelioration of Irish grievances, and several of his
recommendations have been since embodied in Acts of Parliament; but when
he says the people will do nothing, are apathetic, and so on, he ought
to remember that in such a fearful crisis, combined effort alone is of
value. This must come from the leaders of the people. The best army
cannot fight without generals, and in this battle against famine the
Irish people had no leaders: their natural leaders, the proprietors of
the soil, did next to nothing--the Government of the country did next to
nothing. The Government alone had the power to combine, to direct, to
command; it was called upon from all parts of the country to do so--the
Viceroy was waited on--Mr. Foster himself, in the passage quoted above,
warned the Government to act, and to act at once, and yet what had it
done up to the time he closed his Irish tour? Where was the real, the
culpable, the unpardonable apathy?
Mr.
Pages:
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137