Excerpt from A Word for Ireland It was not until the reign of Elizabeth that any general attempt was made, as a matter of state policy, by the English executive, to establish in Ireland Eng lish laws, English customs, and English tenures, in place of those existing from time immemorial through out the island. Before the' introduction of the Eng lish feudal system, the lands of Ireland belonged to the clans of Ireland. The chief of the clan, subject to certain privileges appurtenant to his chieftaincy, held only as trustee, and if by his misfeasance he became personally dispossessed, the rights of his people were 'in nowise affected. When, however, the coun cillors of Elizabeth determined to subjugate the entire island, and to substitute British for Brehon law through out its whole extent, prince and people alike suffered when defeated. Victory for the invaders resulted in the dispossession and spoliation of the clansmen as well as of the chiefs who led them to battle English adventurers, by the Queen's patent, obtained lordship and dominion over the conquered territory; and clan ownership gave place to private property in land. Enormous rents were then exacted from the tillers of the soil by their new masters, and the consequent risings and disturbances thereupon were suppressed with a high hand. Landlordism in Ireland, planted in blood, has filled the country with suffering and misery for the last three centuries and in the following pages a view is presented of its workings from the days of Elizabeth to Victoria, by means principally of extracts from the writings and speeches Of English historians and states men. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.