REGENERATION OF IRELAND. 



133 



upon the British public, through their journals — truths, not 

 taken from the writings of others, or collected, as in some 

 instances has been the case, from a tour through the manu- 

 facturing districts of Ulster, but from many years residence, 

 while giving employment to men, women and children, in 

 the cultivation and preparation of Flax, and from having for 

 several years (up to 1841) employed from one thousand to 

 fifteen hundred and often TWO thousand people in 

 making every description of linen GOODS. 



" Sir, I do hope that the move now made for the purpose 

 of connecting manufactures with the agricultural productions 

 of this country, may not (like many other good objects in 

 Ireland) stop short through the want of propelling power u 

 Unfortunately for this country, as Lord John Russell very 

 justly observed, in his speech on the Poor Laws, early in 

 1849, there exists no union ( to repeal) amongst those who have 

 tlie acres ; and consequently no power to do good, when matters 

 that would permanently benefit the people are brought before 

 them. However, it must now be obvious, unless the rising 

 generation of the proprietary classes in Leinster, Munster, and 

 Connaught, are educated to a better understanding of how 

 to reward the industry and toil of their tenants and labourers, 

 and also to know more of the business of the manufacturer and 

 the merchant, the broad and now poverty-stricken acres of their 

 forefathers will not be inherited by their children ; for however 

 degrading it might have been in the days of their ancestors, 

 to be considered men of business, let them look on the position 

 of our Eothschilds, Arkwrights, Peels, Marshalls, etc., and 

 ask themselves, how much of all Ireland could these men now 

 purchase ? If they will but do this they must see that the 

 only ivay to regenerate Ireland is to make it a manufacturing 

 country, by working up, as far as possible, the raw material 

 which may be drawn from its soil, its mines, etc. 



"It has been said that 'cleanliness is next to godliness/ 



