Page:Irish In America.djvu/625

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.
ONE OF THE CAUSES OF ANTI-ENGLISH FEELING.
603

every movement. A quarter of a century before, the owner of that house and farm was evicted under circum stances of singularly painful severity, his cottage had been assailed by the crowbar brigade/ and he and his wife had barely time to snatch their children from the crash ing ruin of what had been their home ; and in his heart he cherished a feeling of hatred and vengeance, not so much against the individual by whom the wrong was perpetrated, as against the Government by which it was sanctioned, and under whose authority it was inflicted. He had not the least objection to tell of his difficulties in the new country, for he had every reason to be proud of his sturdy energy, and his hard struggles for the first few years ; but, whatever the subject of which he spoke, he would invariably contrive to wander back to the memorable day of his eviction, when, as he said, he and his were turned out like dogs worse than dogs on the road-side/ See, sir! he exclaimed, I tell you what it is, and you may believe me when I say it, though I love the old country and God knows I do that same I would not take a present of 200 acres of the finest land in my own county, and have to live under the British Government. Not if the British Government had anything to do with it, I suppose, said the wife, as if explaining her husband s assertion, which she seemed to regard as reasonable and natural. I ll never forgive that Government the longest day I live. Why then, indeed, Daniel, it s time to for give them and everybody now, put in the wife, for sure, if that same didn t happen, you would not be here this blessed day, with your 400 acres of fine land, and plenty for all of us, and the schooling for the children, and no one to say " boo " to us, and all our own ! May the Lord make us thankful for his mercies! Well, Mary, no thanks to the British Government for that, twasn t for my good the blackguards done it and if you and the children didn t perish that day, twas the Lord s will, not