oftheschoolmastercouldapply，totheconditionsofproductionandpopulationofthenineteenthcentury，thestandardofthe14th，thisnaïveté，intothebargain，overlookedthefactthatwhilst，aftertheplagueandthedecimationthataccompaniedit，followedonthissideoftheChannel，inEngland，enfranchisementandenrichmentoftheagriculturalpopulation，onthatside，inFrance，followedgreaterservitudeandmoremisery。[124]
TheIrishfamineof1846killedmorethan1，000，000people，butitkilledpoordevilsonly。Tothewealthofthecountryitdidnottheslightestdamage。Theexodusofthenext20years，anexodusstillconstantlyincreasing，didnot，as，e。g。，theThirtyYears’War，decimate，alongwiththehumanbeings，theirmeansofproduction。Irishgeniusdiscoveredanaltogethernewwayofspiritingapoorpeoplethousandsofmilesawayfromthesceneofitsmisery。TheexilestransplantedtotheUnitedStates，sendhomesumsofmoneyeveryyearastravellingexpensesforthoseleftbehind。
Everytroopthatemigratesoneyear，drawsanotherafteritthenext。Thus，insteadofcostingIrelandanything，emigrationformsoneofthemostlucrativebranchesofitsexporttrade。Finally，itisasystematicprocess，whichdoesnotsimplymakeapassinggapinthepopulation，butsucksoutofiteveryyearmorepeoplethanarereplacedbythebirths，sothattheabsolutelevelofthepopulationfallsyearbyyear。[125]
WhatweretheconsequencesfortheIrishlabourersleftbehindandfreedfromthesurplus—population？Thattherelativesurplus—populationisto—dayasgreatasbefore1846;thatwagesarejustaslow，thattheoppressionofthelabourershasincreased，thatmiseryisforcingthecountrytowardsanewcrisis。Thefactsaresimple。Therevolutioninagriculturehaskeptpacewithemigration。Theproductionofrelativesurplus—populationhasmorethankeptpacewiththeabsolutedepopulation。
AglanceattableC。showsthatthechangeofarabletopasturelandmustworkyetmoreacutelyinIrelandthaninEngland。InEnglandthecultivationofgreencropsincreaseswiththebreedingofcattle;inIreland，itdecreases。