298 



DICKSON ON THE HISTORY 



I should rejoice to see the names of my countrymen enrolled 



on the page of Irish history, as they were from the years 1730 



to 1790, as an industrious and patriotic people, out of the reach 



of the demagogues ; men who, to foster jealousy between the 



English and Irish people, debase talent, and neglect opportunity. 



I have ever been confident that such is, to the greatest extent, 



a prostitution of acquirements, that ought to have been turned 



to good and patriotic purposes ; but I am aware that many 



articles have been written, and unfortunately for Ireland, still 



are being written in newspapers, with a view to create a sale 



for them. As Hudibras says, 



" Books and money laid for show, 

 Like nest eggs to make clients lay." 



It is still fashionable for some of the Irish journals (of the 

 Duffy stamp) to abuse everything English ; unless they kept 

 up the fire, they would be considered lukewarm in the cause 

 of " Ireland for the Irish," and therefore to retain their patrons, 

 they find it necessary to hold up on a distorted mirror the 

 blacker crimes and more heinous faults of a sister people. If 

 they were the true friends of Ireland, they would write dif- 

 ferently, and by their publications let the world see that their 

 motto has been and still is, "Amiens humani generis." 



I will here call the reader's attention to the expressed feelings 

 and views of the Conservative press of Dublin, on the con- 

 dition of Ireland, in order that he may know who are the real 

 friends of the people. 



Let us now glance at the existing state of manufacturers in 

 Ireland. The most recent returns on the subject show that in 

 1839 there were at work 95 factories in all, viz., cotton, 24; 

 woollen, 31 ; Flax, 40 ; and the number employed therein was 

 14,870. By a parliamentary paper, published in 1847, it 

 appears that the number then employed in factories was 22,591 

 and of these 17,000 odd were in Ulster, whilst in Connaught 

 not one one was to be found. 



