His name will long linger in evil fame
among the mountains and deserts.
It is but just to the memory of this man to say, that some, who with
good reason abhor his memory, do not believe that charges of gross
immorality made against him were true. Others who think themselves
equally well informed hold a contrary opinion. To think of mentioning
all I have heard of his oppressive injustice would be impossible. I was
told that when news of his death came into certain places, men clasped
hands and drank one another's health as at a festival; that pious people
thanked God for the deliverence, who abhorred the means by which it came
about.
I saw among the hills three nice farms, which a well-to-do farmer bought
and improved, and finally bequeathed to his three sons. One died and the
Ahab-like Earl took possession. Wishing to evict another for the purpose
of throwing two farms into one, he offered the farm to the remaining
brother in addition to his own. The man refused to ruin his brother. The
Earl, to punish him, raised his rent from L35 to L70. Griffith's
valuation of this farm is L29 5s. Another eviction from Milford was so
pitiful in its cruelty that the compassion of the country was aroused,
and a home bought by subscription for the old people. I saw the property
from which these people were evicted in Milford, a valuable row of
houses.
The present Earl acknowledged the justice of the claim of John
Buchanan's children, and spoke of restitution, but his agent, on whom
the mantle of the late Earl had fallen, persuaded him against it, as
nearly all the property in Milford town had been acquired in the same
way. "Making restitution to one would open up the question of the
others, and could not be afforded."
VII.
IRISH COLD AND CANADIAN COLD - EVIDENCES OF THE FAMINE - PREPARING FOR
THE IRISH LAND BILL - THE BAD PEOPLE OF DONEGAL - INFLUENCE OF THE BALLOT
ON LANDLORDS - A MOUNTAIN STORM - A "BETTER CLASS" FARMER'S HOME.
To make excursions to a short distance from this pretty town of
Ramelton and to return again has been my occupation for the last week.
It was arranged that on Monday, March 21st, I was to go with some kind
friends to see life up among the mountains of Donegal, but down came
another storm. Snow, hail, sleet, rain, hail, sleet and rain again.
Storms rule and reign among these hills this March, destroying all
prospect of March dust I am afraid. Nothing could be done but wait till
the storm was over, going to the windows once in a while to watch the
snow driving past, or to notice that it had changed to sleet or rain.
The mountain tops are white again, and look wild and wintry. To-day it
rains with a will. The cold here at present is more chill and
penetrating than Canadian cold. I have put on more, and yet more
clothing, and I am cold. Many, very many, people during the past dreary
winter have had no bed-clothes at all.
I am afraid from what I see and hear that the famine was more dreadful
here in Donegal than we in Canada imagined. Plenty of people even now
are living on Indian meal stirabout, without milk or anything else to
take with it. This, three times a day, and thankful to have enough of it
to satisfy hunger. It was pitiful to see little children and aged women,
with but thin clothes on, walking barefoot through the snowy slush of
yesterday.
My attention was drawn to a ballad singer, almost blind, "whose looped
and windowed raggedness" was picturesque. His dreary attempts at singing
with his teeth chattering, the rain and sleet searching out every corner
of his rags, was pitiful. He was hardly able to stand against the
cutting wind. I sent out and bought his ballad as an excuse to give him
the Queen's picture. The songs were clever for local poetry. They were
treasonous too, but then loyalty is the song of the well fed, well clad,
well-to-do citizen. Treason and wretchedness fit well together, in a
helpless, harmless way.
Your London correspondent of February 11th remarks, "Even Ireland has
nothing left but to settle down and attend to putting in the crops."
This is an English and comfortable view - the remark of a man who was not
there to see. It is far otherwise here in County Donegal. Evictions are
flying about as thick as "the leaves of the forest when autumn hath
flown." This wild second winter is the time selected for these
evictions. Every local paper has notices of evictions here and there.
They tell me that the reason of the great number of evictions at present
is to prevent the wretched tenants from having any benefit under the
promised Land Bill. If they are evicted now and readmitted as
caretakers, they can be sent off again at a week's notice and have no
claim under the Ulster custom for past improvements. I think any candid
person can see that these people are not in a position to pay back rent,
or even present rent at the high rate to which it is raised. In some
instances they are not able to pay any rent at all. There had been some
years of bad seasons ending in one of absolute famine.
The report of the Relief Committee for northern Donegal was published on
28th of October, 1880. I met with a member of that Committee, which was
composed of sixteen Protestants and eleven Catholics, including the
Catholic Bishop of Raphoe and the Presbyterian member of Parliament.
This gentleman informed me that food was given in such quantities as to
preserve life only.
