exhibited toward America among the masses of the people.

On one very important occasion his remarks relative to the progress of freedom, and the downfall of slavery, were received with tumultuous enthusiasm.

Alexander II., Czar of Russia, the true and faithful friend of America, having seen the evils of slavery in his own vast empire, and feeling that the strongest bulwark of a nation is the love of the people for their ruler, by his "imperial manifesto," published March 17th, 1861, provided for the emancipation of millions of serfs, and thus gained for himself a proud name among the world's benefactors.

Switzerland has been and is still in the enjoyment of a good degree of liberty. She has sympathized heartily with us in our struggle for freedom. One can almost imagine that her lofty mountains have shouted to one another for joy at the triumphs of liberty, and have veiled their heads in clouds when slavery seemed to succeed.

The condition of Ireland is now an object of especial interest and importance, which is enhanced by the feeling, that the excitement in that country and in England is in a considerable degree the result of the vindication of the free institutions of America in the late civil war. Our friend Professor Gold win Smith, whose admirable address delivered during the

war in this place you well remember, in an essay ou "Irish History and Irish Character," shows very clearly that Ireland has been and is still an oppressed country.

One of the abuses which he mentions is that foreign landlords are assisted by the British Parliament in maintaining a system of land laws, which deprive the tenants of their rightful earnings, reduce multitudes of them to pauperism, and are inhuman and barbarous. Hence the condition of the Irish is any thing but prosperous. With a fertile soil and a be

nignant climate they have a poor agriculture. With excellent ports and harbors they have but little commerce. With the most extensive manufactures in the world in a neighboring island their supply of home manufactured fabrics is very limited. Therefore they have been and are now emigrating to this country in great numbers. It is estimated that nearly two millions of the Irish people are paupers, and a very small number have the right of suffrage.*

Daniel O'Connell,-who was indefatigable in his efforts for the good of Ireland, and whose admirable letter, written to his countrymen in America some

* Earl Mayo, chief secretary for Ireland, in reply to a speech of John Francis Maguire, member of parliament for Cork, March 10th, 1868, on the wrongs of Ireland, adduced this very singular evidence of the prosperity of that country, viz., that the consumption of spirits was increasing.

years since, denouncing them for the sympathy with slavery which many of them had, and still have, notwithstanding their love for their own liberties, was circulated by the Loyal League, and helped greatly the cause of freedom,-openly advocated universal suffrage, and opposed the state church, which, supported as it always has been by the public treasury, and compulsory tithes, and entirely at variance with the wishes of a majority of the people, is an injury to the cause of true religion and of liberty.*

Surely the way to christianize Ireland is not to keep any such institution as that over it, which savors of the spirit of persecution and religious intolerance, but to remove it, and to spread the Bible far and wide in every hamlet and peasant's cot.

Then will Ireland bloom and blossom as the rose. Then will intelligence and virtue prevail. Then will Irishmen understand their rights, and be able to maintain them. Then will the eloquent words of one of her most gifted orators be fully realized in spirit, whether she remains a part of the United Kingdom, or becomes entirely independent.

When in 1782, Ireland by a resort to arms had extorted from England the independence of her judi

*This evil has now been removed by act of Parliament. The church and State are now separated to the mutual advantage of both.

ciary and parliament, Grattan arose in her House of Commons and said:

66

"I am now to address a free people; ages have passed away, and this is the first moment in which you could be distinguished by that appellation. I found Ireland on her knees; I watched over her with a maternal solicitude. I have traced her progress from injuries to arms, from arms to liberty. Spirit of Swift, spirit of Molyneaux, your genius has prevailed. Ireland is now a nation. In that character I hail her, and, bowing to her august presence, I say, 'Live Forever!'"*

In England the cause of liberty, already considerably advanced, as we have seen, is making slow but decided progress.

Several years since, the anti-corn law and the bill for reform in parliament passed after great opposition, principally through the earnest efforts of John Bright and of our distinguished and much lamented friend Richard Cobden. The masses of the English

*By the passage of the Land Act, the two great questions which have agitated Ireland have now been settled, though there is still great commotion in that distracted country.

It seems as though the effect of the passage of the Land Act would be beneficial. The landlords are often obliged to make sacrifices, and the tenants are beginning to make improvements. The next great reform will probably be that of the ballot, and then the Irish people will really be politically emancipated.

people are not adequately represented in parliament, nor have they the privilege of voting.*

Sir Morton Peto, in a speech on reform made at Bristol, alludes to this fact as especially worthy of the consideration of his countrymen, that after having put down a most formidable rebellion, our army of a million of men should disappear almost entirely in the ranks of the people far more quietly and quickly than it was raised.

Said he in conclusion: "If these men can go and

* "The word borough (or burgh) meant originally a fortified town; but the term was early restricted to those towns which sent burgesses to parliament. Previous to the reform of parliament, which took place a few years ago, several centuries had elapsed since the distribution of the representatives among the towns was fixed. Many places, formerly populous, and entitled to be represented, had dwindled into insignificance, and yet still retained their original privilege of sending members to the parliament. These were called rotten boroughs. Other cities had in the mean while risen into importance, with a large and dense population, without enjoying the same privilege. The reform of parliament was effected by taking the undue privilege from the rotten boroughs and bestowing it upon the towns or cities in some proportion to the present population."-R. G. Parker.

"Some of the principal causes of dissatisfaction that now exist among the poorer classes in England are:

1st. The disproportion that exists between the great landed proprietors, and the actual cultivators of the ground.

2d. The great burden of the taxes; and 3d. The overgrown revenue of the Established Church with its very unequal and unjust division."-R. G. Parker.

4