IRELAND ITS SOCIAL STATE. 139 



absenteeism deprives the country of. That some 

 one should spend money on such improvements is the 

 necessary root of any prosperity in Ireland ; but, as 

 the toes of the Divine right of tenants are thereby 

 trodden on, the evils of absenteeism are overlooked, 

 and the shouts are directed against the wicked im- 

 proving owners, who lay out money, and look for a 

 return in better rents. The whole argument is, that 

 outlay of capital on the land and better farming 

 cause the prosperity of the country and of all classes 

 in it. Those who have lived there as long as I have, 

 see the change unmistakably, and in those parts of 

 the country where the largest outlay has gone on, the 

 comfort of the people is much the greatest. 



It may reasonably be asked, If this is so, what 

 is to be done to make things go on in Ireland, as they 

 do in England and Scotland ? 



To answer this question we must realise what is 

 the general state of Ireland, what are its shortcomings 

 and their causes ? 



1. It may be doubted whether the intermixture 

 of races between England, Scotland, and Ireland is 

 not much greater than has been often supposed, 

 though there are differences of race. The great differ- 

 ence does not probably lie in that. 



In very early times the state of Ireland was one 

 of constant conflict between tribes. Like the Ish- 

 maelites, a man's hand was against every man, and 

 every man's hand against him. The country was very 



