The Duchess of Marlborough, who has charge of the fund that is being
distributed to certain portions of Ireland's suffering poor, has issued
a circular pitching into Parnell and others for claiming that she is
acting in the interest of the English landlords. She closes her circular
as follows:
There is nothing that strikes me with more admiration than the
generosity of the British nation. I have innumerable letters, all
expressing good will and compassion for the calamities which a series of
bad seasons have brought to the west of Ireland.
To the family that is suffering for the necessaries of life, that would
look upon a large sized potato as a bonanza, there is nothing that
is pleasanter than to read a letter from an Englishman expressing
compassion. How it tones up the stomach to read of the good will that,
by a large majority, occupies the heart of the Briton who writes the
letter to the Duchess of Marlborough.
You take two plates, and put on one of them the letters expressing good
will and compassion, and on the other plate you put some of the food
sent by Americans, and offer the two plates to an Irish mother whose
famishing children are tugging at her scanty skirts, and let her take
her choice. How her trembling hand would clutch the plate containing the
letters of compassion. Eh? She wouldn't take that plate, do you say? She
would take the plate with the good, honest, star-spangled food on it,
eh? O, you are mistaken. There is so much sustenance and warmth in a
letter of compassion, that the famine stricken person would no doubt
take it and make soup of it.
But if you think she wouldn't we won't argue the case. However, you
will admit that the Irish are very queer, and if they went back on their
English benefactors and took the rebellious American food, they would be
guilty of treason, of course you will. We are not astonished that
there is nothing that Strikes the Duchess with more admiration than the
generosity of the British nation. It is the most remarkable thing we
ever heard of.