177 



PLYMOUTH INSTITUTION. 



PROCEEDINGS IN THE ATHENiEUM. 



January 29th. — Mr. Purdon's Lecture on Ireland. 



After some preliminary observations, the Lecturer proceeded 

 to examine into the causes t)f the evils of Ireland, on the testi- 

 mony of history, and to show that the policy observed towards 

 that country compelled the mass of people to become barbarous. 



Ireland had been severely and unskilfully dealt with prior to 

 the Union— she was deprived of her manufacturing industry — 

 her commerce was extremely reduced, and she was left without 

 the means of acquiring true religious instruction, national educa- 

 tion and useful knowledge ; because England would not come 

 down to the vernacular idiom. These circumstances subsequently 

 compelled the Irish to become barbarous. 



The harsh and injudicious conduct of Ireland's legislators 

 would be strikingly contrasted by that of the kind and wise 

 Agricola, the Roman conqueror of Briton, who treated his newly 

 acquired subjects as friends and children — not as slaves and 

 enemies. The stern Norman conquerer of England, governed 

 by the same laws, which had existed prior to his descent upon 

 the Island ; and Edward 1st, communicated the English laws to 

 the Welsh, after he had conquered their country ; in short, every 

 where but in Ireland, the maxim seemed to be 



" Tros, Tyriusque mihi nullo discrimine habetur." 



There indeed had been practised that Machiavelian policy 

 " Divide et impera." 



The English statesmen of that period took advantage of the 

 religious dissensions between the Protestants and Catholics to 

 treat the country with a more selfish policy than ever was exer- 

 cised towards any colony however distant or degraded. 



When a government was first organized, an attempt was 

 made to rule Ireland by an interest purely English, but the 

 native interests so increased as to paralyze the government whilst 

 some of them tended to demoralize the wronged population. 



Then succeeded an attempt to govern the country by means of 

 undertakers, who were Irishmen by birth, and possessed of influ- 

 ence.' These persons acted as deputy Lords Lieutenant, and 

 managed the public affairs during the continued and long absences 

 of the Viceroys; but this scheme was replete with evils and 

 effected no good purpose. British statesmen who had some 

 VOL. V. — 1835. X 



