IRELAND— ITS SOCIAL STA TE. 125 



CHAPTER XI. 



IRELAND — ITS SOCIAL STATE. 

 July 1880. (From Macmillan's Magazine.) 



I AM told that it will be useful to give some expla- 

 nations touching my paper on " Ireland from 1840 to 

 1880 " in April last, and to add what I can on the 

 Social state of Ireland, a question which underlies 

 all particular questions like that of land. I fear it 

 will be impossible to write about the social state of 

 Ireland without saying things that will give offence. 

 I shall be sorry if this proves to be so. It is far from 

 my wish, but m Ireland men fear to speak the truth 

 when unpleasant. It is right and necessary the 

 truth should be told. These then are the motives 

 with which I write. 



The Freeman s Journal spoke of my paper in a 

 friendly tone on the whole, but objects that, as my 

 grandfather never saw the estate, and my father never 

 saw it but once cursorily, their neglect was the true 

 cause of the state in which I found it. 



The fuller facts, I think, show whether this is 

 true. 



