Page:A thousand years hence. Being personal experiences (IA thousandyearshen00gree).djvu/170

 distress proverbially inseparable from its masses. Society had now, indeed, at last, begun effectively its march towards that enviable stage, afterwards substantially attained, where every component individual was well educated and well mannered, well dressed and well off.

The nineteenth century, which had begun so badly with us for Ireland, did not promise, just at the opening of my retrospect, to close very much better. But it did close very much better, indeed, ere the century ended, and I am now about to tell how. As the first facility in the way, all parties were at length cordially agreed to regard Ireland as an entirely exceptional case. The abstract must be freely sacrificed, if we could thus but secure the concrete. There were two duties before us; first, to put down the rampant crime to which extensive and protracted social unsettlement had given opportunity; and second, to settle to the utmost possible, the resident Irish people as proprietors upon the Irish soil. A resolute hand being brought to bear, both of these objects were at last and concurrently accomplished.

To eradicate the criminal elements, after a long reign, which was latterly of almost complete impunity, was no easy task. But it was at last undertaken in earnest, after repeated appalling outrages had aroused the entire country, and exposed more clearly the enemies to be dealt with. A thoroughly detective system, aiming directly at criminals, was the chief want, rather than extraneously coercive general