ly　bursting　it　in　pieces。　　That　never　was　a　〃human〃　destiny　for　any　honest　son　of　Adam；　nowhere　but　in　England　could　it　have　lasted　at　all；　and　now；　with　Ireland　sharer　in　it；　and　the　fulness　of　time　come；　it　is　as　good　as　ended。　　Alas；　yes。　　Here　in　Connemara；　your　crazy　Ship　of　the　State；　otherwise　dreadfully　rotten　in　many　of　its　timbers　I　believe；　has　sprung　a　leak：　　spite　of　all　hands　at　the　pump；　the　water　is　rising；　the　Ship；　I　perceive；　will　founder；　if　you　cannot　stop　this　leak！
  To　bring　these　Captainless　under　due　captaincy？　　The　anxious　thoughts　of　all　men　that　do　think　are　turned　upon　that　question；　and　their　efforts；　though　as　yet　blindly　and　to　no　purpose；　under　the　multifarious　impediments　and　obscurations；　all　point　thitherward。　　Isolated　men；　and　their　vague　efforts；　cannot　do　it。　　Government　everywhere　is　called　upon；in　England　as　loudly　as　elsewhere；to　give　the　initiative。　　A　new　strange　task　of　these　new　epochs；　which　no　Government；　never　so　〃constitutional；〃　can　escape　from　undertaking。　　For　it　is　vitally　necessary　to　the　existence　of　Society　itself；　it　must　be　undertaken；　and　succeeded　in　too；　or　worse　will　follow；and；　as　we　already　see　in　Irish　Connaught　and　some　other　places；　will　follow　soon。　　To　whatever　thing　still　calls　itself　by　the　name　of　Government；　were　it　never　so　constitutional　and　impeded　by　official　impossibilities；　all　men　will　naturally　look　for　help；　and　direction　what　to　do；　in　this　extremity。　　If　help　or　direction　is　not　given；　if　the　thing　called　Government　merely　drift　and　tumble　to　and　fro；　no…whither；　on　the　popular　vortexes；　like　some　carcass　of　a　drowned　ass；　constitutionally　put　〃at　the　top　of　affairs；〃　popular　indignation　will　infallibly　accumulate　upon　it；　one　day；　the　popular　lightning；　descending　forked　and　horrible　from　the　black　air；　will　annihilate　said　supreme　carcass；　and　smite　it　home　to　its　native　ooze　again！Your　Lordship；　this　is　too　true；　though　irreverently　spoken：　　indeed　one　knows　not　how　to　speak　of　it；　and　to　me　it　is　infinitely　sad　and　miserable；　spoken　or　not！Unless　perhaps　the　Voluntary　Principle　will　still　help　us　through？　　Perhaps　this　Irish　leak；　in　such　a　rotten　distressed　condition　of　the　Ship；　with　all　the　crew　so　anxious　about　it；　will　be　kind　enough　to　stop　of　itself？
  Dismiss　that　hope；　your　Lordship！　　Let　all　real　and　imaginary　Governors　of　England；　at　the　pass　we　have　arrived　at；　dismiss　forever　that　fallacious　fatal　solace　to　their　do…nothingism：　　of　itself；　too　clearly；　the　leak　will　never　stop；　by　human　skill　and　energy　it　must　be　stopped；　or　there　is　nothing　but　the　sea…bottom　for　us　all！　　A　Chief　Governor　of　England　really　ought　to　recognize　his　situation；　to　discern　that；　doing　nothing；　and　merely　drifting　to　and　fro；　in　however　constitutional　a　manner；　he　is　a　squanderer　of　precious　moments；　moments　that　perhaps　are　priceless；　a　truly　alarming　Chief　Governor。　　Surely；　to　a　Chief　Governor　of　England；　worthy　of　that　high　name；surely　to　him；　as　to　every　living　man；　in　every　conceivable　situation　short　of　the　Kingdom　of　the　Deadthere　is　_something_　possible；　some　plan　of　action　other　than　that　of　standing　mildly；　with　crossed　arms；　till　he　and　wesink？　　Complex　as　his　situation　is；　he；　of　all　Governors　now　extant　among　these　distracted　Nations；　has；　as　I　compute；　by　far　the　greatest　possibilities。　　The　Captains；　actual　or　potential；　are　there；　and　the　million　Captainless：　　and　such　resources　for　bringing　them　together　as　no　other　has。　　To　these　outcast　soldiers　of　his；　unregimented　roving　banditti　for　the　present；　or　unworking　workhouse　prisoners　who　are　almost　uglier　than　banditti；　to　these　floods　of　Irish　Beggars；　Able…bodied　Paupers；　and　nomadic　Lackalls；　now　stagnating　or　roaming　everywhere；　drowning　the　face　of　the　world　（too　truly）　into　an　untenantable　swamp　and　Stygian　quagmire；　has　the　Chief　Governor　of　this　country　no　word　whatever　to　say？　　Nothing　but　〃Rate　in　aid；〃　〃Time　will　mend　it；〃　〃Necessary　business　of　the　Session；〃　and　〃After　me　the　Deluge〃？　A　Chief　Governor　that　can　front　his　Irish　difficulty；　and　steadily　contemplate　the　horoscope　of　Irish　and　British　Pauperism；　and　whitherward　it　is　leading　him　and　us；　in　this　humor；　must　be　aWhat　shall　we　call　such　a　Chief　Governor？　　Alas；　in　spite　of　old　use　and　wont；little　other　than　a　tolerated　Solecism；　growing　daily　more　intolerable！　　He　decidedly　ought　to　have　some　word　to　say　on　this　matter；to　be　incessantly　occupied　in　getting　something　which　he　could　practically　say！Perhaps　to　the　following；　or　a　much　finer　effect？
  _Speech　of　the　British　Prime…Minister　to　the　floods　of　Irish　and　other　Beggars；　the　able…bodied　Lackalls；　nomadic　or　stationary；　and　the　general　assembly；　outdoor　and　indoor；　of　the　Pauper　Populations　of　these　Realms_。
  〃Vagrant　Lackalls；　foolish　most　of　you；　criminal　many　of　you；　miserable　all；　the　sight　of　you　fills　me　with　astonishment　and　despair。　　What　to　do　with　you　I　know　not；　long　have　I　been　meditating；　and　it　is　hard　to　tell。　Here　are　some　three　millions　of　you；　as　I　count：　　so　many　of　you　fallen　sheer　over　into　the　abysses　of　open　Beggary；　and；　fearful　to　think；　every　new　unit　that　falls　is　_loading_　so　much　more　the　chain　that　drags　the　others　over。　　On　the　edge　of　the　precipice　hang　uncounted　millions；　increasing；　I　am　told；　at　the　rate　of　1200　a　day。　　They　hang　there　on　the　giddy　edge；　poor　souls；　cramping　themselves　down；　holding　on　with　all　their　strength；　but　falling；　falling　one　after　another；　and　the　chain　is　getting　_heavy_；　so　that　ever　more　fall；　and　who　at　last　will　stand？　　What　to　do　with　you？　　The　question；　What　to　do　with　you？　especially　since　the　potato　died；　is　like　to　break　my　heart！
  〃One　thing；　after　much　meditating；　I　have　at　last　discovered；　and　now　know　for　some　time　back：　　That　you　cannot　be　left　to　roam　abroad　in　this　unguided　manner；　stumbling　over　the　precipices；　and　loading　ever　heavier　the　fatal　_chain_　upon　those　who　might　be　able　to　stand；　that　this　of　locking　you　up　in　temporary　Idle　Workhouses；　when　you　stumble；　and　subsisting　you　on　Indian　meal；　till　you　can　sally　forth　again　on　fresh　roamings；　and　fresh　stumblings；　and　ultimate　descent　to　the　devil；that　this　is　_not_　the　plan；　and　that　it　never　was；　or　could　out　of　England　have　been　supposed　to　be；　much　as　I　have　prided　myself　upon　it！
  〃Vagrant　Lackalls；　I　at　last　perceive；　all　this　that　has　been　sung　and　spoken；　for　a　long　while；　about　enfranchisement；　emancipation；　freedom；　suffrage；　civil　and　religious　liberty　over　the　world；　is　little　other　than　sad　temporary　jargon；　brought　upon　us　by　a　stern　necessity；but　now　ordered　by　a　sterner　to　take　itself　away　again　a　little。　　Sad　temporary　jargon；　I　say：　　made　up　of　sense　and　nonsense；sense　in　small　quantities；　and　nonsense　in　very　large；and；　if　taken　for　the　whole　or　permanent　truth　of　human　things；　it　is　no　better　than　fatal　infinite　nonsense　eternally　_untrue_。　　All　men；　I　think；　will　soon　have　to　quit　this；　to　consider　this　as　a　thing　pretty　well　achieved；　and　to　look　out　towards　another　thing　much　more　needing　achievement　at　the　time　that　now　is。
  〃All　men　will　have　to　quit　it；　I　believe。　　But　to　you；　my　indigent　friends；　the　time　for　quitting　it　has　palpably　arrived！　　To　talk　of　glorious　self…government；　of　suffrages　and　hustings；　and　the　fight　of　freedom　and　such　like；　is　a　vain　thing　in　your　case。　　By　all　human　definitions　and　conceptions　of　the　said　fight　of　freedom；　you　for　your　part　have　lost　it；　and　can　fight　no　more。　　Glorious　self…government　is　a　glory　not　for　you；　not　for　Hodge's　emancipated　horses；　nor　you。　　No；　I　say；　No。　　You；　for　your　part；　have　tried　it；　and　_failed_。　　Left　to　walk　your　own　road；　the　will…o'…wisps　beguiled　you；　your　short　sight　could　not　descry　the　pitfalls；　the　deadly　tumult　and　press　has　whirled　you　hither　and　thither；　regardless　of　your　struggles　and　your　shrieks；　and　here　at　last　you　lie；　fallen　flat　into　the　ditch；　drowning　there　and　dying；　unless　the　others　that　are　still　standing　please　to　pick　you　up。　　The　others　that　still　stand　have　their　own　difficulties；　I　can　tell　you！But　you；　by　imperfect　energy　and　redundant　appetite；　by　doing　too　little　work　and　drinking　too　much　beer；　you　（I　bid　you　observe）　have　proved　that　you　cannot　do　it！　　You　lie　there　plainly　in　the　ditch。　　And　I　am　to　pick　you　up　again；　on　these　mad　terms；　help　you　ever　again；　as　with　our　best　heart's…blood；　to　do　what；　once　for　all；　the　gods　have　made　impossible？　　To　load　the　fatal　_chain_　with　your　perpetual　staggerings　and　sprawlings；　and　ever　again　load　it；　till　we　all　lie　sprawling？　　My　indigent　incompetent　friends；　I　will　not！　　Know　that；　whoever　may　be　'sons　of　freedom；'　you　for　your　part　are　not　and　cannot　be　such。　　Not　'free'　you；　I　think；　whoever　may　be　free。　　You　palpably　are　fallen　captive；_caitiff_；　as　they　once　named　it：you　do；　silently　but　eloquently；　demand；　in　the　name　of　mercy　itself；　that　some　genuine　command　be　taken　of　you。
  〃Yes；　my　indigent　incompetent　friends；　some　genuine　practical　command。　Such；if　I　rightly　interpret　those　mad　Chartisms；　Repeal　Agitations；　Red　Republics；　and　other　delirious　inarticulate　howlings　and　bellowings　which　all　the　populations　of　the　world　now　utter；　evidently　cries　of　pain　on　their　and　your　part；is　the　demand　which　you；　Captives；　make　of　all　men　that　are　not