Their apparent hopeless Despondency. 168 



most emphatic, though painful language, to our 

 feelings deeply is their lot to be lamented, 

 and the more- as it arises out of circumstances 

 they have neither ability to correct, nor power 

 to control, and which there is little reason to 

 hope can be easily remedied. 



It has been the fashion to impute all evil to 

 the state, and to look for all good from that 

 source. Doubtless there is much to condemn 

 in the mistaken policy by which this country 

 has been so long governed ; yet, a great part 

 of the evils so justly complained of, spring from 

 the encouragement given by the proprietors to 

 the increase of an excessive population, in par- 

 celling out their estates into such small allot- 

 ments. The facility of procuring food does not, 

 ultimately, here prove to be a blessing ; if any 

 means could be devised for checking this ex- 

 traordinary advance of the population in Ire- 

 land, it would be highly beneficial ; but how 

 and when this check is to be made to operate 

 seems a difficult problem. In almost every dis- 

 trict, the cabins seem to be multiplying; the 

 necessary consequence of increasing inhabit- 

 ants ; the evil is thus hourly becoming greater, 

 and daily less remediable. Any hasty innova- 

 tion would involve in so much misery a great 

 part of the laborious orders, and bring so much 



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