Manchester, 29 November 1869 

Dear Moor, 

It is very amusing that Carey is also worthless in the only field 
in which one might expect that he must have a certain knowledge, in 
the history of the colonisation of the United States.* After this, au 
fond,” the fellow is left with nothing. 

The election in Tipperary is an event. It launches the Fenians 
from empty conspiracies and the fabrication of coups on a path of 
action that, even if legal in appearance, is still far more 
revolutionary than what they have done since their abortive 
insurrection.*”? In Fact, they are adopting the methods of the 
French workers, and this is an enormous advance. If only this 
business is carried on as intended. The fear this new turn has 
produced amongst philistines, which is now screeching through 
the whole liberal press, is the best proof that, this time, the nail 
has been hit on the head. The Solicitors’ Journal is typical noting 
with horror that the election of a political prisoner is unprecedented 
in the British realm! Tant pis,, show me the country except 
England where this doesn’t happen every day! The worthy 
Gladstone must be terribly annoyed. 

Bat you really should look at The Times these days. Three 
LEADERS in 8 days either urging the Government to end the excesses 

et 
a See the previous letter. - > basically - © So much the worse. 
P y 

of the Irish national press, or in which the Government itself 
urges this.* 

I long to hear about your debate tomorrow evening, and about 
the result, of which there can be no doubt.” It would be fine to get 
Odger into a pickle. I hope that, apart from him, Bradlaugh will 
stand for Southwark, and it would be much better if he were 
elected. Incidentally, if the English workers can’t take an example 
from the peasants of Tipperary, then they are in a bad way. 

Here, in the Free Lisrary, and the CuerHam Lisrary (which you 
know) *° I have discovered a mass of very valuable sources (besides 
the books with second-HAND-Information), but unfortunately neither 
Young nor Prendergast,° nor the English edition of the Brehon 
Law **? commissioned by the English Government. Wakefield,‘ on 
the other hand, has put in an appearance again. Also, various 
things by old Petty. Last week I ploughed through the rracts of 
old Sir John Davies (Attorney General for Ireland under James) **; I 
don’t know whether you’ve read them, they are the main source, 
but you’ve certainly found them quoted 100 times. It’s downright 
shame that the original sources are not everywhere available; one 
gets infinitely more out of them than from the compilers, who 
make everything that is clear and simple confused and intricate. 
The tracts show clearly that, in Anno 1600, common ownership of 
Jand still existed 1 FuLt Force and was cited by Mr Davies in his pleas 
on the forfeited land in Ulster as evidence that the land did not 
belong to the individual owners (peasants), and thus [belonged] 
either to the toro, who had forfeited it or, from the outset, to the 
Crown. [ve never read anything finer than this plea. Re- 
allotments were made every two or three years. In another 
PAMPHLET he describes the income of the chief of the clan in exact 
detail. I've never seen these things quoted, and if you can use 
them, I'l] send you them in detail. At the same time, I’ve caught 
out Monsieur Goldwin Smith beautifully.“ The fellow never read 
Davies, so makes the most ridiculous assertions to exonerate the 
English. But I shall catch the fellow. 

Today I have not yet been able to set my eyes on the oration of 
the noble Louis-Napoleon, but only the sweet hopes of the worthy 
Prévost-Paradol,*’ who imagines he is living once again under 

a Apparently the reference is to the leading articles in The Times of 23, 25 and 29 
November 1869: ‘From Our Own Correspondent’, Dublin, Nov. 24; Dublin, Nov. 25; 
Dublin, Nov. 26. - > See this volume, pp. 392-93. - © A. Young, A Tour in Ireland; 
J. P. Prendergast, The Cromwellian Settlement in Ireland. - 4 E. Wakefield, An Account 
of Ireland, Statistical and Political. - * See this volume, p. 374. 

Louis-Philippe and that the constitutional millennium will dawn 
today. Incorrigible.e! 

I wanted to get good old Dido* to reply to Tussy’s letter this 
evening, which only arrived today; but the cur has run out into 
the rain and snow to avoid this duty, and now it is close of post, so 
Tussy will have to be patient until tomorrow. But she is certainly 
thinking more about O’Donovan Rossa in Chatham Prison than 
about HER OWN OLD chap, Who has just come in cold and filthy and is 
also locked up like a convict in the Back CELLAR. 

Best greetings to all. 

Your 

F. E.