'
Daniel O'Connell may continue to boast about Irish morale and Irish
intellect--the handsome women, and stalwart men of his 'beloved
country;' but no sensible persons will pay the least attention to him.
It is, at all events, too late in the day for we 'Saxons' to be either
cajoled or amused by such nonsense. An overwhelming majority of the
Irish people have been proved indolent beyond all parallel, and not much
more provident than those unhappy savages who sell their beds in the
morning, not being able to foresee they shall again require them at
night. A want of forethought so remarkable, and indolence so abominable,
as characterize the peasantry of Ireland, are results of their religious
education. Does any one suppose the religion of that peasantry has
little, if anything, to do with their political condition; or can it be
believed they will be fit for, much less achieve political emancipation,
while priests, and priests alone, are their instructors? We may rely
upon it, that intellectual freedom is the natural and necessary
precursor of political freedom. Education, said Lord Brougham, makes men
easy to lead, but difficult to drive; easy to govern, but impossible to
enslave.
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