Manchester, 23 May 1856 

Dear Marx, 

During our trip to Ireland™ we travelled from Dublin to Galway 
on the West Coast, then 20 miles north and inland, on to 
Limerick, down the Shannon to Tarbert, Tralee and Killarney, 
and back to Dublin. In all approx. 450-500 English miles within 
the country itself, so we have seen approx. */s of the entire 
country. With the exception of Dublin, which is to London what 
Dusseldorf is to Berlin, bears altogether the stamp of having been 
a small royal seat and is, moreover, built entirely in the English 
style, the whole country and particularly the towns give one the 
impression of being in France or Northern Italy. Gendarmes, 
priests, lawyers, bureaucrats, lords of the manor in cheerful 
profusion and a total absence of any and every industry, so that 
one could barely conceive what all these parasitic plants live on, 
were there no counterpart in the wretchedness of the peasants. 
The ‘iron hand’ is visible in every nook and cranny; the 
government meddles in everything, not a trace of so-called 
SELF-GOVERNMENT. Ireland may be regarded as the earliest English 
colony and one which, by reason of her proximity, is still governed 
in exactly the same old way; here one cannot fail to notice that the 
English citizen’s so-called freedom is based on the oppression of 
the colonies. In no other country have [I seen so many gendarmes, 
and it is in the Consrasutary, which is armed with carbine, bayonet 
and handcuffs, that the bibulous expression of your Prussian 
gendarme reaches its ultimate state of perfection. 

Peculiar to the country are its ruins, the oldest 5th and 6th 
century, the most recent 19th, and every stage in between. The 
earliest, all churches; from 1100, churches and castles; from 1800, 
farmhouses. Throughout the west, but particularly the Galway 
region, the countryside is strewn with these derelict farmhouses, 
most of which have only been abandoned since 1846. I had never 
imagined that famine could be so tangibly real. Whole villages 
are deserted; in between the splendid parks of the smaller 
LANDLORDS, virtually the only people still living there, lawyers mostly. 

Famine, emigration and ciearances between them have brought 
this about. The fields are empty even of cattle; the countryside is a 
complete wilderness unwanted by anybody. In County Clare, south 
of Galway, things improve a bit, for there’s some cattle at least 
and, towards Limerick, the hills are excellently cultivated, mostly 
by Scottish Farmers, the ruins have been cleared away, and the 
country has a domesticated air. In the south-west, numerous 
mountains and bogs but also marvellously luxuriant woodland; 
further on, fine pastures again, especially in Tipperary and, 
approaching Dublin, increasing signs that the land is occupied by 
big farmers. 

The English wars of conquest from 1100* to 1850 (au fond” they 
lasted as long as this, as did also martial law) utterly ruined the 
country. With regard to most of the ruins, it has been established 
that the destruction took place during these wars. Thus the very 
people have acquired their unusual character and, for all their 
fanatical Irish nationalism, the fellows no longer feel at home in 
their own country. IRELAND ror THE Saxon! That is now becoming a 
reality. The Irishman knows that he cannot compete with the 
Englishman, who comes armed with resources in every respect 
superior to his own; emigration will continue until the predomi- 
nantly, indeed almost exclusively, Celtic nature of the population 
has gone to pot. How often have the Irish set out to achieve 
something and each time been crushed, politically and industrially! 
In this artificial manner, through systematic oppression, they have 
come to be a completely wretched nation and now, as everyone 
knows, they have the job of providing England, America, 
Australia, etc., with whores, day labourers, maquereaux, pickpock- 
ets, swindlers, beggars and other wretches. Even the aristocracy 
are infected by this wretchedness. The landowners, wholly 
bourgeoisified everywhere else, are here completely down-at-heel. 
Their country seats are surrounded by huge and lovely parks but 
all around there is desolation and where the money is supposed to 
come from heaven only knows. These fellows are too funny for 
words: of mixed blood, for the most part tall, strong, handsome 
types, all with enormous moustaches under a vast Roman nose, 
they give themselves the bogus martial airs of a colonel en retraite, 
travel the country in search of every imaginable diversion and, on 
inquiry, prove to be as poor as church mice, up to their eyes 

4 More precisely, from 1169, when the English feudal lords first invaded 
Ireland. - > in the main - ¢ pimps - 4 retired colonel 

in debt, and living in constant fear of the Encumaeren Estates 
Courr. 

About England’s method of governing this country—repression 
and corruption (long before Bonaparte tried them)—more very 
shortly if you don’t come up soon. What are the prospects? 

Your 
F. E.