"I have seen, and I know land to be
set one-third above its value."

It would be useless to give more of this evidence, for the details are
always the same. The people were almost starving. They could scarcely
get a sufficiency of the poorest food, yet they were compelled to pay
rent and tithes far above the value of their land. If they were unable,
they were thrown out upon the wayside to die like dogs.

There can be no doubt that the outrages thus perpetrated were very
fearful. Every man's hand was against them, and their hand was against
every man. They shot their landlords, and they "carded" the
tithe-proctors. Gentlemen's houses were barricaded, even in the daytime.
Many families of the higher classes lived in a state of siege. The
windows were made bullet-proof; the doors were never opened after
nightfall. It was a fearful state of society for a Christian country,
and the guilt and disgrace of it was surely on those who had caused it.
Yet we do not find that the knowledge of these facts produced any effect
upon the men who heard them, and who alone had it in their power to
apply the remedy. Still something was done; and although it is one of
the stern facts of history, one can scarcely choose but smile at the
simplicity of those who planned and carried out such a scheme for the
improvement of Ireland.

The "second reformation" was commenced in 1827. The Catholic priests
were challenged to controversy; even laymen interfered. Theology and
theological differences became the town and table-talk of Ireland.
Bibles and tracts were distributed in all directions amongst the
starving poor, food and clothing were occasionally added; yet,
notwithstanding these powerful inducements, the people starved and
remained Catholics. Writs of ejectment were then tried; and the Irish
poor had their choice between the Bible and beggary--but they chose
beggary.

So far did the Bible craze go, that it almost amounted to a monomania.
One noble lord, to show his reverence for that book, and to convince his
tenantry of the estimation in which he held it, flung every volume of
his library into the lake of his demesne, and with the Bible in his
hand, which commanded him to feed the hungry, refused to feed them
unless they complied with his commands. Moore's satires were,
unquestionably, the best weapons against such fanaticism. Sheil wrote in
the _Gazette de France_, and hundreds of pens wrote in the American
papers. A loud cry of "Shame