356 Evils from the State of the Irish Press, 



himself, he made free with the seal, and after 

 reading, " Two geese from the country have 

 quarrelled, good brother : I'll pluck the one, 

 and have sent you the other," he thought it 

 most prudent to exhibit the note, and make 

 offer of a conciliatory shake of the hand, which 

 was wisely accepted by his neighbour. 



Serious evils arise from the luxuriant pro- 

 duce of those weekly hotbeds of intemperance: 

 prejudices are fomented and fortified discord 

 perpetuated every object seen, every circum- 

 stance heard, is distorted, and truth suffocated 

 or wholly extinguished on both sides. If the 

 state of the press could be considered as a fair 

 indication on which to form an opinion of the 

 refinement in the manners of a people, the re- 

 sult would by no means be favorable to Ireland. 

 The insufferable vulgar abuse which is so libe- 

 rally bestowed on the late Lord-lieutenant, is 

 too contemptible to be worthy the attention even 

 of his adversaries : the absence as well of wit to 

 excite risibility, as of argument to elicit a reply, 

 evinces the editor's stupidity, as well as that of 

 his reading. The enthusiasm of party devoted- 

 ness disqualifies both sides from the fair exer- 

 cise of their judgment, and blinds them to all 

 objects not presented to their view in their own 

 favorite colors. The supporters of government 



