William Archer Butler to his elder brother, James – a rare 1...

Hammer

£50

William Archer Butler to his elder brother, James – a rare 1848 Irish Famine autograph letter from the poet and University of Dublin Professor of Moral Philosophy, who was reputed to be ‘the cleverest man in Ireland’. He died three months later, aged 38, having contracted ‘famine fever’ while administering relief to his parishioners at Raymochy.

Friday, March 31st 1848

Dear James,

I enclose Margaret's last. She gives a wretched picture of the state of things, but we have great cause to be thankful that it is no worse, for Chapman1 appears to have put his actual savings out of danger and I suppose commerce and business must return some time or other.

I cannot but think the gentry very remiss in not taking combined steps to discourage the growth of rebellious peoples in Ireland. Surely there ought to be County-Meetings or something of the sort to back up the Government. Really, if men will not take a little trouble to preserve their lives and fortunes, they deserve to lose them.

It is not fair to throw the whole weight of sustaining peace and order on Lord [Viceroy] Clarendon. He would not mind such vermin as Mitchel and Meagher, were it not for the really diseased state of the Country.

Would that the owners of property would be wise in time and themselves agree to originate a fair settlement of the Landlord and Tenant question, for settled it must be in some way.

What think you of the £50 from Ballinkeel1?

Yours affectionately,

W.A. Butler

1.   Their brother-in-law, the merchant George Archer-Chapman (1805-1869), who had married their younger sister Margaret the year before.
2. The landowner and Deputy Lieutenant of Wexford, John Maher of Ballinkeele House had joined the predominantly working-class Irish Confederation a week before. In doing so, he ‘fervently hope[d] to be followed by many others who have superior claims to position in the country' and donated £50 to be used in the defence of the IC’s co-founders, John Mitchell (editor-proprietor of the United Irishman), Thomas Francis Meagher and William Smith O'Brien MP, who were on bail and due to stand charges for sedition. Mitchell was transported to Van Diemen’s Island (Tasmania) for 14 years; Meagher and O'Brien were acquitted, but later found guilty of treason for their part in the Young Irelander Rebellion (aka the Battle of Ballingarry) in July. Sentenced to be hung, drawn and quartered, they too were ultimately transported to Tasmania.

(Imperforated Penny Red P-J with black 17 diamond handstamp; green Derry AP 1 1848, red Cahir AP 2, and green Cahir AP 3; remnants of wax seal)