WHAT WILL DO GOOD IN IRELAND. 235 



out-of-the-way spot in other parts approaches their bad 

 state, but the quality of the land and condition of the 

 people are far different. Before the famine of 1846 

 the subdivision of farms caused us to approach to this 

 bad state. Since then we have advanced to a quite 

 different condition. In Sir Charles Trevelyan's 

 articles in the Edinburgh Revieiv for 1848, and 

 which he has lately reprinted, and from his letter to 

 the Times, in July last, it will be seen what was then 

 our condition and what we then went through. He 

 says plainly, that was done then, which M. de Moli- 

 nari advises to be the only possible thing that can be 

 done now. The distress was fully relieved whilst it 

 lasted. Afterwards the modest part was taken of 

 helping the healing work of Nature, and acting on 

 the sound principle of Laisser faire. 



This, M. de Molinari adds, does not satisfy modern 

 doctors; but Ireland in time will learn that the 

 doctors are worse than the disease. 



The Government of that time was Liberal, like the 

 present. Sir C. Trevelyan is surely a Liberal. He 

 had met the evil in Ireland, and grappled with it for 

 near two years, being then Secretary to the Treasury. 

 The words and acts of men like Sir C. Trevelyan and 

 M. de Molinari cannot be passed over in favour of a 

 brand-new revolution to turn everything upside 

 down. 



I believe there is clear proof that poverty is the 

 only evil, and self-exertion the only cure. The dis- 



