To what extent can this source give insights into Irish peoples agency during , and experience of, the potato famine? ‘The Potato Disease: The South (From the Tipperary Vindicator.)’, Freeman's Journal. Dublin. 19 January 1846 It is to us a profound mystery what the poor people of this county are to do during the summer months. Nothing can be more clear than that many of them will be utterly destitute of food long before they can be relieved by the new harvest. The evidence taken before the Poor Law Guardians – the statements of the people themselves – the reports made by disinterested witnesses, all prove that there is a scarcity of food in the country, and that the inhabitants are not likely to have enough to support them until the produce of the next harvest becomes available. And yet, with this appalling fact staring our rulers in the face, we do not find them taking any steps to avert the calamity. In Sligo whole districts are now without potatoes – the baronies of Corran and Liney (sic) are in this position. The people have struggled up to this, and they still have some oats in their possession, but they have nothing like a sufficiency to bring them through the year. What will be their condition – to what want and wretchedness will they be exposed, if the government do not take the matter up, and give a liberal grant of public money for the purpose of employing the population? It is really frightful to contemplate the prospect before the people. Some heartless miscreants there are who have endeavoured to give the potato failure a political aspect. They pretend that there is no such thing – that there is abundance of food in the country, and no prospect of want, and this is done to stifle what is called the “famine cry”, and save “the government and the landlords from embarrassment.” We wish their statements were true, but alas the contrary is the fact. One-half of the staple food of the people is gone in this country, and the people not only run the risk of starving, but also of being deprived of all the sympathy and aid, in consequence of the base misrepresentations of designing politicians. The Mail may say there no failure, but the gentleman of this county know better: they have but to inquire of their tenants – to examine their own pits, to discover the sad truth. A failure there is, and unless means be taken to make up the deficiency, hundreds will be reduced to the last degree of want. Sligo has suffered most; the epidemic in the potatoes, as was the case with the cholera, has proved severer in this locality than any other part of the kingdom. The consequence is that this individual suffering in this county will be enormous. Will the landlords do nothing – will they remain unconcerned and inactive spectators, while want, and disease, and misery, decimate their unfortunate tenantry?
To what extent can this source give insights into Irish peoples agency during , and experience of, the potato famine?
‘The Potato Disease: The South (From the Tipperary Vindicator.)’, Freeman's Journal. Dublin. 19 January 1846
It is to us a profound mystery what the poor people of this county are to do during the summer months. Nothing can be more clear than that many of them will be utterly destitute of food long before they can be relieved by the new harvest. The evidence taken before the Poor Law Guardians – the statements of the people themselves – the reports made by disinterested witnesses, all prove that there is a scarcity of food in the country, and that the inhabitants are not likely to have enough to support them until the produce of the next harvest becomes available. And yet, with this appalling fact staring our rulers in the face, we do not find them taking any steps to avert the calamity. In Sligo whole districts are now without potatoes – the baronies of Corran and Liney (sic) are in this position. The people have struggled up to this, and they still have some oats in their possession, but they have nothing like a sufficiency to bring them through the year. What will be their condition – to what want and wretchedness will they be exposed, if the government do not take the matter up, and give a liberal grant of public money for the purpose of employing the population? It is really frightful to contemplate the prospect before the people.
Some heartless miscreants there are who have endeavoured to give the potato failure a political aspect. They pretend that there is no such thing – that there is abundance of food in the country, and no prospect of want, and this is done to stifle what is called the “famine cry”, and save “the government and the landlords from embarrassment.” We wish their statements were true, but alas the contrary is the fact. One-half of the staple food of the people is gone in this country, and the people not only run the risk of starving, but also of being deprived of all the sympathy and aid, in consequence of the base misrepresentations of designing politicians. The Mail may say there no failure, but the gentleman of this county know better: they have but to inquire of their tenants – to examine their own pits, to discover the sad truth. A failure there is, and unless means be taken to make up the deficiency, hundreds will be reduced to the last degree of want.
Sligo has suffered most; the epidemic in the potatoes, as was the case with the cholera, has proved severer in this locality than any other part of the kingdom. The consequence is that this individual suffering in this county will be enormous. Will the landlords do nothing – will they remain unconcerned and inactive spectators, while want, and disease, and misery, decimate their unfortunate tenantry?
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