He set fire to his
cabin, and, mounting the table, noosed his neck to a beam, drank a large
quantity of poison, and, as he kicked over the table, simultaneously
shot himself through the head and drew a razor across his throat. Later
on the doctor had to fill in the usual certificate. At "Cause of Death"
he paused, pondered, and at last wrote, "Causes too numerous to
specify." The fable possesses a certain suggestive value upon which we
need not enlarge. How, one may well ask, are we to itemise the retail
iniquities of a system of government which is itself a wholesale
iniquity? But since we must begin somewhere let us begin with the
Economics of Unionism.
In this often-written, and perhaps over-written story there is one
feature of some little comfort. Whatever quarrel there may be as to
causes, the facts are not disputed. Pitt and his friends promised that
the Union would be followed by general prosperity, development of
manufacturers, and expansion of commerce.
"Among the great and known defects of Ireland," he declared in a
typical statement, "one of the most prominent features is its want
of industry and of capital.
Pages:
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95