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1 2 3

■ I

;v
i ' ''

Irish in America.

JOHxT FRANCIS MAGUIRE, M. P.,

AfJraOR OP "nOME AND ITS RULKR ;" "FATHER MATHEW, A BIOaRAPlIY ;" ETC.

I8i-

1 C- M ( 3

!^7b

FOURTH EDITION.

1 i oo ^ 5h 3 ^ /

NETV YORK.:
D. & J. SADLIER & CO.. 31 BARCLAY STREET

MONTREAL:

CORNER NOTRE-DAME AND ST. FRANCIS XAVIER STREETS.

1873.

3 2 S. 2^1^

To the IRISH IN AMERICA,—
who, devoted citizens of that great country which has
afforded an asylum and given a home to millions of
their race, cherish a fond attachment to the
dear old land of their birth and their
fathers, and reflect credit upon
it by their virtues, —
this volume is
dedicated

THE AUTHOR.

■1

ill^b

PEEF A.CE.

MORE tliau one motive infliiouccd me in the desire to
visit America, and record the results of ray impres-
sions in a published form.

I desired to ascertain by personal observation what the
Irish— thousands of whom were constantly emig-rating,
as it were, from my very door— were doing in America ;
and that desire, to see with my own eyes, and judge with
my own mind, was stimulated by the conflicting and con-
tradictory accounts which reached home through various
channels and sources of information, some friendly, more
hostile.

I was desirous of understanding practically the true
value of man's labour and industry, as applied to the
cultivation of the soil and the development of a country.
It has been so much the fashion of the day, either to
palliate or excuse even the most grievous wrong done to
the poor and the defenceless on the plea that in conse-
quence of their 'want of capital' nothing could be hoped
from them in their own country, and that emigration to
another country was their only resource ; or to despair
of any material improvement in the condition and circum-

r R E r A c K .

.staricoH of Ireland until 'cjipilur— moaning l)ullion or
linnlv-|»n|mi* wuh by sonu; nuMuiH or other inlroducod, and
applied to her soil, (hat, I dotorniined to test this pro-
liletn, or laliaey, by visiting settlements actually in their
inlaney, thus going to the very commoneement., and .seeing
how the liist diflienltieH were overcome, and how pi-ogrcss
was gradually elVeeted. I have in more than one instanco
given the result of my own observation in this respect;
and where I had not the opportunity of judging for
myself, 1 have relied on the accounts given to mo by
persons both intelligent and trustworthy. In whatever
prominence I have given to this subject, I had another
and tlistinct [)uiposo in view — to combat, by argument
and illustration, a sad error into which, from many causes
and motives, the Irish arc unhappily betrayed ;' that of
not selecting the right place for their special industry —
of the Irish })easant lingering in the city until he becomes
merged in its popuhition. and his legitimate prospects of
a future of honour and independence are lost to him for
ever. Ami to this portion of the volume 1 earnestly im-
plore the attention of those by whom advice may be use-
fully given or inllucnce successfully exerted, so that its
lesson may be urged upon such as have still the choice of
a future before them.

I desired to learn if, as had been confidently and
repeatedly asserted, Irish Catholics lost their faith, or
became indiftercnt to religion, the moment they landed in
.Vmerica : or whether, as it had been asserted in their
lefonce, they were at once the pioneers and the pillars of

PREFAOl:.

ullioii or
need, and
this pro-
ill illCMl"
11(1 HOCillJ^

progress
I inatiinco
respect ;
giiig for
mo by
whatever
another
irguniciit
\y causes
■ that of
d us try —
becomes
pcctp of
him for
estly ini-
r be use-
that its
loice of

itly and
faith, or
iided in
in their
liars of

tliclr fiiith. In this enquiry I was mainly influenced by

the convictijn that loss of faith or indilferonco to re-

li.i2:ion would be the most terribh; of all ealumitira to

Irish Catliolics; that the necessary result of tiuit losg

of failh or that indilTereuco to reli«,non would 1)0 fatal

to their material i)r()«,n'ess, would disastrously interfero

with the proper pcrfornuiuce of their duties as citizens,

and would bo certain to turn the public opinion of

America against them. I have devoted a considerable

portion of the following pages to this vital sul>ject, and

given rather an elaborate sketch of the history and

progress of the Catholic Church of America— of that

institution by which, humanly speaking, the education,

the character, the conduct, the material welfare and

social position of the Irish and their descendants aro

and nmst be profoundly influenced. And, indeed, in

giving a history of the growth and progress of tho

Catholic Church I was representing the struggles and

the diflicultics of the Irish emigrant or settler of tho

present century.

I was also anxious to ascertain the real nature, that
is the strength or the intensity, of the sentiment which
I had reason to believe was entertained by the Irish
in the United States towards the British Government;
as I considered, and I hold rightly, that the existence
of a strong sentiment or feeling of hostility is a far
more serious cause of danger, in case of future misun-
derstanding or complication, than any organisation,
however apparent!/ extensive or formidable. I have

▼Ui

PR EPA E.

given tho results of my impressions and information
freely and without disguise. Wliat I have stated will
necessarily be judged of from different points of view ;
but of this I feel certain, tliat did I not write what I
know to be the truth, I should not bo actinjr willi
honesty ; and that disguise and concealment would bo
far more prejudicial than 'open and advised speaking.'
I shall now only express, in one comprehensive ac-
knowledgment, my deep sense of gratitude for the many
courtesies, and kindnesses, and acts of friendship, which
I received on all sides during a protracted and varied
tour.

The book— TVic Irish in Jimerica—is now delivered
up to the judgment of tho reader, with all its imper-
fections on its head.

London: November 27, 1867.

brmation
itcd will
3f viow ;
5 wliat I
iig wiili
k^ould bo
)eaHng.'
isivo ac-
!io many
p, 'vliicli
i varied

clivcred
3 imper-

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

VAO*

Difference of the Position of tho Irish hi the Old Country, and the
New-Dlirerence hi llio Coiintrifs-Powcr and Dignity of Lubour-
Tho Irish Element strong in Ilalifux-Their Progress-Tho Value of
a 'Lot'— No Snobbishness -Tho Secret of Prospe-ity— The Poor's
Asyhim-Cuuse of Poverty-Catholic Church in' Nova Scotia- Sick
'Calls'- A Martyr to Duty- No State Church-Koal liuligious
Equality— Its Advantages-Pictou-My Friend Peter- Peter shows
the Lions— At tho Mines— Irish everywhere— A family Party-
Nova Scotia as a Home for Emigrants

CHAPTER II.

Prince Edward Island-How the Irish came- Visit to an Irish Settle-
ment-Prosperity of the Irish— A Justice of the Peace— The Land
Question— What the Tenant claims— The Tenant League and the
Goveromont— •Confiscation' profitable to the Government, and
beneficial to the People-A Scotch Bishop's testimony to the Irish
—Tho Irish and their Pastors-Tho Sisters of Notre Damo-A
graceful Gift

CHAPTER III.

Scene in the Lords-The Irish Race despaired of-The Settlement a
of Johnville, New Brunswick— We enter the Settlement— The First
Man and Woman-The Second Man and Woman -Celtic Energy-
Jimmy M'Alllster-Mr. Reilly from Bally vourney-How the Man
of no Capital gets along—One Cau»e of Success— Mass in the
Forest— Neither Rent uor ' Gale '—Other Settlements 60

CHAPTER IV.

Irish who settle on the Land-Their Success— Their Progress in
St. John-Three Irishmen-A Small Beginning-Testimony of a
Belfast Independent— Position of Irish Catholics-The Church in
New Brunswick-A Sweet Bit-Missionary Zeal-Catholicity in
St. John— Past and Present 7q

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER Y.

The Irish in Quebec -Their Progresg and Success -Education en
tirely Free— Afontreal—Nuniber aiul position of tlie Irisli— Their
Difliculties and Progress— beneficial Influence of good Priests—
St. Patricli's Hall

rAO]t

CHAPTER VI.

Upper Canada-Number of th.* Irish -How they came and settled,
und how they got along ; Illustrated by the district of Peter-
Joiough-Difliculties and Hardships-Calumnies refuted— What
the Settlers did in a few Mouths-Early Trials -Progress and
Contrast— Father Gordon— Church-building in the Forest— Aa
early tiettlor-A Sad Accident-A Long Journey to Mass— A
Story strnngo but true-Tho Last Grain of Tea-Father Gordon
on the Jiish and their Love of the Faith 103

CHAPTER VII.

Woolfe Island— Jimmy Culfe-A Successful Irishman— Simple Pat
as an Agriculturist-The Land Question in Canada— Wise Policy
of the Canadian Parliament— Happy Results of a AVise Policy 124

CHAPTER VIII. '

The Irish Exodus— The Quarantine at Grosse Isle— The Fever Sheds
—Horrors of the Plague-The ' Unknown '-The Irish Orphans
—The Good Canadians— Resistless Eloquence— One of the Or-
phans—The Forgotten Name— The Plague in Montreal— How the
Irish died— The Monument at Point St. Charles— Tho Gravemound
m Kingston— An illustrious Victim in Toronto— How tho Survi-
vors pushed cn-Tl3 Irish in the Cities of Upper Canada— The
Education System— T)ie Durk Shadow— The Poison of Orange-
ism— The only drawback 131

CHAPTER IX.

Newfoundland— :Monstrous Policy— Bad Times for the Irish Papists
-How the Bishop saved the Colony— The Cathedral of St. John's
—Evil of having but one Pursuit— Useful Etforts-The Plague of
Dogs— Proposal to exterminate the -Noble Newfoundland '—Wise
Legislation — Reckless Improvidence — Kindly Relations — Irish
Girls

162

CONTENTS.

FAOlb

CHAPTER X

an cn-
-Their

ests —

Jttled,
Peter-
-Wliat
) and
— Aa
3S — A
>rdoii

103

> Pat
'olicy

124

sheda
)han8
' Or-
iv the
ound
urvi-
-The
ing'3-

134

plsts
)hn'3
le of
IVise
Irish

162

PA08.

The Irish Exodus— Emigration, its Dangers by Sea and Land—Cap-
tain and Crew well matched— How Thingfi ^ycre done Twenty Years
since— The Emigration Commission and its Woric— Landsharl^s and
their Prey-Finding Canal Street-A Scotch Victim-The Sharks
and Cormorants-Bogus Tickets-How tha 'Outlaws' resisted
Reform-The New System-The days of Bogus Tickets gone—
A Word of Advice-Working of the System-Intelligence and
Labour Department— Miss Nightingale's Opinion-Necessity for
Constant Vigilance— The last Case one of the Worst 179

CHAPTER XI.

Evil of remaining in the -reat Cities-Why the City attracts the
new Comer — Consequence of Overcrowding — The Tenement
Houses of Now York— Important Official Reports-Glimpses of
the Reality— An inviting Picture— Misery and Slavery combined
—Inducements to Int(.'niperance— Massacre of the Innocents— In
the wrong Place— Town and Country 214

CHAPTER XII.

The Land the great Resource for the Emigrant— Cases in Point— An
Irishman socially redeemed— More Instances of Success on the
Land— An Irish Public Opinion wanted— Irish Settlements in Min-
nesota and Illinois-The Public Lands of America-The Coal and
Iron of America-Down South— A Kildare Man in the South—
Tipperary Men in the South— The Climate of the South— California
an Illustration of the true Policy 237

CHAPTER XIII.

California of the Past and Present— Early Irish Settlers— Death amid
the Mountains— Pat Clark. But One Mormon— The Irish wisely
settle on the Land-How they Succeeded in the Cities-Successful
Thrift. Irish Girls-The Church in San Francisco— What a poor
Irishman can do

262

CHAPTER XIV.

Drink more injurious to the Irish than to others— Why this is so—
Archbishop Spalding's testimony- Drink and Politics— Temperance

Organisations-

Hope in the Future 281

O N T K N T 8 .

ClI APTIOU XV.

Poor TiInIj OoMiilHy— HonoHl, liihour Tlio Mill«<r'H Hon--\V(>ll-oarned
Sti(«c».MH No poor Irish (Jcnlilily honv—A H(«iriniulo Man— How ho
bocuino u Mah((>r Hak<>r 'Vho Irish don't do thonifldvcH Junlico
- How (lioy uro rcgurdiMl Scotch Irish 292

CH ATT Kli XVII.

HiMnilfuncos Homo Sonu>lhin>? of tho An^ol still How tlio Family

aro bronglitoni— R(<niittanc(>H A • Mercenary' -A Young I'ionoor

—A I'oor Irish Widow Soll-Hacrillco -Tlio Amount sont 318

Oil Al'T KU XVIII.

Tho Character of Irisli Wouumi In Amorica— An Unwelcome Bap-
tism The Universal 'restiniony— Shadows—lVrils to Fcmalo Vir-
luo— Irish (J iris ; their Valuo to the Kaco 333

CHAl'TKR XIX.

The Catholic (^liurch The Irish The Church not afraid of Freedom
— A Contrast Who the IN>rsecutora were- The Am(>ricaji Con-
Htitution Wasluiiirtou's K'eply (o the Catholics— Tho First Church
in New York-llostou in 17!H) Universality of the Church Early
l\!issions — Two (Jreat Orders- Mrs. Seton— Mrs. Selon founds her
Order— Early DiflicuUicH and I'rivutions— Irish Sisters 346

C II APT E R XX.

Ilishop Connolly's Note-l>ook liaity'a Directory for 1822-I)r. Kir-
wan previous to his Apostacy--The Church in lS22--Progress in
1831 — How the Faith was Lost 37O

CHATTER XXI.

Pr. England. Rishop of Charleston— Pishop England's Diary— Bishop
England's Missionary Labours The Bishop's Trials— Bishop Eng-
land's growing Fame 38j

CHAPTER XXII.

Bishop England's Piuceso— • Music hath Charms '—Preaching by the
Wayside -William Coorgo Read— ' Mister Paul' — Taking a Fresh
Start— Father O'Xoill's Two Hundred Children 392

CONTENTS.

-oiirned
How ho

JiiHlicu

202

CHAPTER XXII I.

PA OK.

405

Fiunily

loiioor

318

(♦ Rap-
lo Vir-

333

CIlArTER XXIV.

r 7 "'"''"^' "^'■'PP^'^ ^' ''■^ SI'i'-t~ Bishop En.lan.rH
DcnUh-Sp.. ual I)eHtit„ilo„-Aa lato as 1847-Tho'sig^ or L
CrosH K.ep„., tho Fuith-«ishop nu,hes -liishop I,, .l^ a'c
the .Schoo QueHt.on-A Lesson for tho PollUcii -T^o rL;
of 1 h,la.ldph.a-Tho xXative American Party-The Biehon and
the Mayor-Progross of tho Church. ^ ^ „

416

00(1 om
1 Con-
/hurch
Eiu-ly
Is hor

346

. Kir-
OSS in

370

tishop
Euff-

381

y the
brosh
392

CHAPTER XXV.

The Know Nothing Movement-Jealousy of the Foreigner-Know
Nothmgs nulijroront io Religion -Democratic Oratofs Ev^ at
the Altm- and .n the Pulpit-Almost Incredible-The Inferna
Miscreant-A Strange Confession. . ,,,

444

CHAPTER XXVI.
The Catholic CImrch and the Civil War-The True Mission of the
WaTTT "r "r' '^"'" '■"■ "--1^-The 'Sisters ' during «t
- What n.e Sister behoves I believe '-The Chariot of Mercy-
Am to Forgive the Yankees? '-Prejudices Conquered-' That's
tll:ZZ^::^. '- '-' '-"- ^-^'^^^ ^^^-^-^ ^^e want to

459

CHAPTER XXVII,

Cuthohc Educahon-The Catholic Church in Advance of tho Age
--Ca hol.c Teaching favourable to Parental A.ithority-Protestant

cil-rV? 'T T""'"'^'' '''''''' American'protestan -
Catholic Schools-The Sister in tho Sphooi n,ni fh- i.vlnm

-Other Teaching Orders-From the Camp to the School 488

XIY

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

PAoa.

Juvenile Reformation— Opposition to Catholic Reformatories— The
two Systems Illustrated — Christianity Meek and Loving— The
Work of the Enemy— Solemn Appeals to Catholic Duty 510

CHAPTER XXIX.

The Second Plenary Council of Baltimore— Protestant Tribute to the
Catholic Church— Progress of Catholicity— Instances of its Pro-
gress—The Past and the Present— The Church in Chicago and New-
York— Catholicity in Boston— Anticipations not Realised— Num-
ber of Catholics in the States— Circumstances of Protestant abd
Catholic Emigrant Different— Loss of Faith and Indifferentism. . . 622

CHAPTER XXX.

The Irish in the War- -Irish faithful to either Side— Thomas Francis
Meagher — AVhy the Irish joined distinct Organisations — Irish
Chivalry— More Irish Chivalry— The Religious Influence— Not
knowing what he preached on— Cleanliness of the Irish Soldier—
Respect for the Laws of War— A Non combatant defending his
Castle— Defended with Brick-bats—' Noblesse Oblige '—Pat's Little
Game— Irish Devotedness— The Love of Fight— Testimonies to
the Irish Soldier— The Handsomest Thing of the War— Patrick
Ronayne Cleburne— General Cleburne and his Opinions— In Me-
moriam— After the War— The Grandest of all Spectacles 545

CHAPTER XXXI.

Feeling of the Irish in America towards England— A Fatal Mis-
take—Not Scamps and Rowdies— Who they really are— Sympathy
conquering Irritation— Indifference to Danger— Down in the Mine
—One of the Causes of Anti-English Feeling— More of the Cause
of Bad Feeling— What Grave and Quiet Men think— If they only
could ' see their way'— A Grievance redressed is a Weapon broken
—The Irish Element— Belief in England's Decay— War with Eng-
land—Why most Injurious to England— Why less Injurious to
America— The only Possible Remedy 590

South Carolina — Bishop Lynch's Letter 626

Essential Importance of the Foreign Element to the United States. . 636
Biographical Sk •■cu of Major-Geueral P. K. Cieburne 642

PAoa.

ies— The
ng— The

510

THE

te to the
its Pro-
md New
I — Num-
iant ahd
itisra . . . 622

Francis
i — Irish
ce — Not
oldier —
ling his
;'s Little
nies to
-Patrick
-In Me-

TEISH IN AMERICA.

545

tal Mis-
mpathy
lie Mine
} Cause
ey only
broken
;h Eng-
•ious to
590

626

Itates.. 636
642

Chapter i.

Difference of the Position of the Irish in the Old Country, and
the New— Difference in the Countries— Power and Dij^nity of
Labour— The Iris!i Element strong in Ilalltax— Their Proo-ress
—The Value of a ' Lot '—No Snobbishness— The Secret of Pros-
perity— The Poor's Asylum— Cause of Poverty— Catholic Church
in Nova Scotia-Sick 'Calls'— A Martyr to Duty— No ^tate
Church— Real Reli<>ious Equality— Its Advantages— Pictou—
My Friend Peter— Peter shows the Lions— At the Minos— Irish
everywhere— A Family Party— Nova Scotia as a Home for
Emigrants.

CROSSING the Atlantic, and landing at any city of the
American seaboard, one is enabled, almost at a glance,
to recognise the marked difference between the position of
the Irish race in the old country and in the new. Nor is
the condition of the Irish at both sides of the ocean more
marked in its dissimilarity than are the circumstances and
characteristics of the country from which they emigrated
and the country to which they have come. In the old
country, stagnation, retrogression, if not actual decay— in
the new, life, movement, progress ; in the one, depression,
want of confidence, da,rk apprehension of the future— in
the other, energy, self-reliance, and a perpetual looking
forward to a grander development and <i more glorious
destiny. That the tone of the public mind of America
should be self-reliant and oven boastful, is natural in a
country of brief but pregnant history— «, country still in its

THE IRISH IN AMEUICA.

infancy, when compared with Europoan Stat(^s, but pos-
scssinjr, in the fiillost sense, the stren<,rtli and vij^^our of nirai-
hood— manhood in all its freshness of youth and buoy-
ancy of hope. In such a coiuitry man is most conscious
of Ills value ; he is the archite(;t' of his country's great-
ness, the autlior of her civihsation, the miracle-worker
by whom all has been or can be accomplished. Where
a few }'oars since a forest waved in mournful grandeur,
there are cultivated fields, blooming orchards, comfortable
homesteads, cheerful handets— churches, schools, civilisa-
tion ; where but the other day a. few huts stood on a
river's bank, by the shore of a lake, or on some estuary of
the sea, sweUing domes and lofty spires and broad porticoes
now meet the eye ; and the waters but recently skimmed
by the light bark of the Indian are ploughed into foam
by coiyitless steamers. And the same man who performed
these miracles of a few years since— of yesterday—has the
same power of to-morrow achieving the same wondrous
results of patience and energy, courage and skill. But for
him, and his hands to toil and his brain to plan, the vast
country whose commerce is on every sea, and whose influ-"
ence is felt in every court, would be stiU the abode of sa-
vage tribes, dwelhng in perpetual conflict and steeped in
the grossest ignorance. Labour is thus a thing to be
honoured, not a badge of iuferiority. Nor is the poor man
here a drug, a social nuisance, something to be legislated
against or got rid of, regarded with suspicion because of
his- probable motives or intentions, or with aversion as a
possible burden on property. In the ol'd countries, the
ordinary lot of the man born to poverty is that poverty
shall be his doom— ti? at ho shall die in the condition in
which he was brought into the world, and that he shall
transmit hard toil and scanty remuneration as a legacy
to his children. But in a new countr^^, especially one of
limitless fields for enteri^rise, the rudest implements of
labour may be the means of advancement to wealth,

IRISH ELEMENT STRONG IN HALIFAX. s

honour, and distinction, if not for thoso who nse fhem, at
least for those who sprinff from thdr loins. Labour, nVhtly
..ndorstood, bo,„f. the ^rent nuraelo-worlcor, the mi:.htv
cvhser, IS rofjarded with rospcot, not looho.l down ,mon
or lofhly patronised; .and though l.irth and position and
superior intelhsence wiU always liave their inHuou^e, evon ■
n, tho newest state of society, still honest industry appre-
e,atos Its own dignity, and liolds high its head a.uidit the
n-o„dest or the best. Therefore America, of aU countries,
IS the one most suited to the successful tran.splanting of a
race which has in it eyery essential element of greatness-
alertness and yigour of intellect, strength and energy of
body patient industry, courage and daring in battle
cheerful endurance of adversity and privation, qnickn ss
of mycntion, profound faith, with iirm reliance in the
wisdom and goodness of God, and a faculty of thorouo-hly

"fd^rifoir ''' ""'"""-■ '■""' -^ '—

And in no city of the American continent do the Irish
occupy a better position, or exercise a more deserved in-
fluence than .n Halifax, which has been well descrilied by

Forltrr'" '^~,'^ «- '^"larf of the Atlantic'
Founmg the majority of the population of that active and
enei^etic city, they constitute an essential element of its
stability and pr„gres.s. This Irish element is everywhere
d>.sce„uble in every description of business and in all
branches of industry, in every class and in every eonditi;"
of hfe from the highest to the lowest. There are in otrer
cit.es larger masses of Irish, some in which they are five
times, and even ten times as niui^erons as the whole popu!
■ation o Halifax; but it may be doubted if therfa^

they .iffoid hemselves fuller play for the exercise of their
gher quaht.e,s than in the capital of Nova Scotia, who™

tlieir moral worth cGPT>s -no ppv'illi fl.-;>. i • ■.
1 • 1 . -Lt^t -s p.ico \vitii tiicir material Drosneritv

winch ,s remarkably great, especiaUy when consi'deri'g S

TEE IRISH IN AMERICA.

liilii

circumstances undor which the far greater proportion of
thoiii arrived in the new world.

Those who are well off at homo do not quit it for a new
country ; contented with tlieir present position, they never
dream of changing it for one which is sure to be accom-
panied with more or less of risk or hardship. The impelling
motive that has driven millions across the Atlantic, and
that may drive millions more in the same direction, is the
desire, so natural to the civiHsed man, of imj)roving his
condition, of obtaining the certain means of a decent
livelihood — in a word, of maldng a home and a future for
himself and his children. It matters little to what portion
of America reference is had, the same impelling motive
has added to its population, and been one of the principal
causes of its progress and development. Instances there
have been of people well-to-do in the old country, dchber-
ately exchanging it for the new, chiefly with the view of
turning their means to better account, and thus securing a
larger inheritance for their children ; but when compared
with the vast tide of emigration to which America is mainly
indebted for the position she this day holds among the
nations, these exceptional cases constitute so infinitesimal
a minority as to be scarcely appreciable. The mass came
because they had no option but to come, because hunger
and want were at their heels, and flight was their only
chance of safety. Thus the majority landed from the
emigrant ship with little beyond a box or bundle of clothes,
and the means of procuring a week's or a month's provi-
sions—very many with still less. Some had education,
intelligence, and knowledge of business ; but of this class
few had money— they crossed the ocean to secure that.
Therefore , when in Halifax, as in all other parts of America,
Irishmen are to be found in the enjoyment of independ-
eni;e, and even considerable wealth, it must be evident
that their success is attributable to tlieir own exertions and
fcheir own merit.

portion of

for a new
they novor
be acconi-

impclliiijj^
untie, jind
-ion, is the
roving his

a decent
future for
at portion
ig motive
! principal
ices there
y, dehber-
view of
"securing* a
compared

is mainly
mong the
initesimal
lass came
ie hunger
lieir only
from the
jt clothes,
li's i^rovi-
ulucation,
this class
nire that.

America,
ndepcnd-
B evident
tions and

THEIR PROGRESS -THE VALUE OF A 'LOT.'

Halifax may bo described as a city of solid prosperity and
steady progrcjss ; and the Irish not only share in its pros-
perity but assist in its progress. Thus, for instance, u
large proportion of the houses of business, several of which
would bo worthy of the proudest capitals of Europe, have
been established by Irish enterprise. One, the most con-
spicuous for its appearance and extent, is the property of
perhaps the most eminent and honoured Irishman in the
colony, who bringing with him from his native country, as
his only capital, character, inteUigence, and industry, has
not only realised a splendid fortune, but enjoys a reputa-
tion for worth and probity which is the pride of his country-
men. In the rapid conversion of Halifax from a city of
timber to a city of brick and stone, the Irish have their
fuU share. Splendid 'stores '-'shops' in the old country
—and handsome mansions have been erected by Irishmen-
and where the Irish trader adheres to the old place of
busmess or the modest dwelling, it is not because he wants
the means of erecting something striking or costly, but
that he lacks the incHnation to do so, and prefers the' sim-
plicity which he associates with his success, and deems in-
dispensable to his comfort.

In Halifax, as throughout America, the Irish necessarily
form the largo proportion of the working population; and
when these men landed on the wharf, they had nothing
save the implements of their craft, or the capacity and wil-
lingness for labour. But whether skilled mechanics or
mere day-labourers, their condition is, on the whole, admir-
able; and the best proof of their good conduct is the pos-
session by a considerable number of them of that which
throughout tho British Provinces and the States, is the first
step in.advance-'a lot '-meaning thereby a piece of ground
on which a house is, or is to be, erected.

There is a kind of magic inlluence in the possession of
tins first bit of 'real estate.' An evidence of frugahtv and
sell-denial, it is an incentive to the continued >.ractice of

• THE IRISH IN AMKUICA.

tho Htimo virtuoH. It is Mm coiniiKnuuniKMif., and jot sorao-
iliiii^»' iiioro tliiin tlio (^oimiu'iKU'inont; it may bo ciillovl
' luilt tlio battle,' ft »r tlui n^st dcipcnds on porHcvoniiuio in
tho Hanio conrsc. Tlio Iiouho may bo rudo in conHtruction,
ni(>an in appcanmro, miHoral)l(3 in acconunodation, bnt it U
a //n/y,sr, in which tho ovvnor and hia family can live ront-
froo, for it is tlioir property— 'their own.' With suffioient
front and KnlHci(int depth, what is there to prevent tlio
owner, in time, from eoverinf-f tho Hpaeo with a line brick
honne, with its attra<!tivo whc^j), and as many .stories as ho
phrases to raise? Oiuio possess the 'lot' in the town, and
the roHt is (comparatively easy. Every year adds to its
value ; and if the owner eannot build a ^n)od house (m it,
somo one else may, and the owner re(!eives in either ease an
aniplr» r<>turn for his investment. But in thousands of :n-
Htanc'.es throu-^hout America, tho Irish, oven of tho very
humbl(>st (class, possess lots on whi(5h they have erected
dw(^llin«^-houses which th(\y themselves occui)y; and in
every city one may daily behold a happy transformation in
the character of tho dwollinji;-, wherever industry is com-
bined with thi'ift and frugality. The structure of timber
is r(>plac(Hl by a buildino- of brick ; aiul so the family, it
may be oi the mechanic, it may bo of the labourer, move up
iji iho. social scale ; and the superior education which their
(•hildrcn receive enables them to improve the position their
father had accjuircnl by his j,n)od (H)nduct r.nd good sense.
That 'lot' is a wonderful friend to the Irish in America, and
this tho wise of them know full well.

The majority of those who now constitute the strength
of tho Catholic element in Halifax came without funds or
frietxds, some literally without a shilling in their pocket;
but with lu)n(\sty, intelligence, and a determination to
work. From tho humblest occupations, natural to their
lirst etforts in a strange place, many of the Irish in
Halifax have risen to wealth and inllueuco. Lidustry and
good conduct --these their all, their sword and buckler,

NO SNOnniSIINESS-TIIE SECRET OF PROSPKlilTV. T

"-il; timy airrmil with tlu,.,., Iho r,.„,,o<.t of the eom-
minuty, hy ,vh„.u the «u<;eoKsful ..ivhitcct of his „«■„
pos.tu.n >H justly estinmtocl ut a higher v.Uuc tlum the

ortuim e inheritors o( the wculOi of those who ,ve„t
iMiioro thorn.

It may perhaps bo too mud, to assert that tlie traus-
plant^ug of the Irislnnan from his own soil to a new
couutry and a healthier atmosphere has been of uumivod
ben<.fit to huu in every sense ; but in one respect his im-
l.rovemout is „„<p,estionable-he is above that shame-
taced Knobl„„l„,ess whieh he too often displays at home
It IS no every one in the old country who will make the
story ot Ins own elevation in life a matter of honest pride
In Hahlax-in Ameriea-it is diderent. From several of
my countrymen, of diilerent decrees of prosperity and social
standing, I have heard the history of thcii- early strug-d^s
and lUtimate success. Some of these had not the acton-
age of an early education, and were self-made and self-
taught; but they were men of groat sagacity and fine
natural talent ,vhom cultivation woiUd have well fitted for
he admmistration of puWic allairs. One of these P-avc as
Ins reason for not accepting an oiKeewhicli had been placed
at his disposoJ h.s own consciousness of the want of early
training which was unavoidable in his ease, owing to the
eu-c.„ms aneos of Ireland at the time of his leaving if and
.Yet he dealt with the question of the houi-the in-oposo
Coniederation of the British Colouies-with a breadth o
tl ought mid a mastery of detail that proved the very fitness
winch he modestly repudiated. eiy mness

•Such a man is worth 5,000/./ 'this man has 10,000/ >
TOOOon?," ''°'-"' 2»'00™-' 'this other man is wortii

io ! / T ' ;' ''"■"' '" l'''""^'' ^"^ '"=™ i-cpeatodly said
me of Irislnnen who made no show .vhatovoi ; but

te IS a steady, prudent man,' 'he is a good, worthy man,'

THE IllISII IN AMERICA.

or, 'tLorn is not a better (toiuhictcd nuiu in tho province.'
Tlio fjcoldt-n nilo of huccchh in lil'is wuh thuH froiiucntly cx-
prcHKod: ' To j^^ot on hero, a man must be induHtriouH untl
wi'll-coniluctod ; ^vith induHtry and j,^ood concbict any man,
DO matter what he is, or what ho has, or liow lie begins,
can get on here ; but not without theno e8s<'ntiais. But
the man who drinks, bid him remahi at home — ho won't do
herc>.' Spoken in Nova Scotia, as tlio exiierienee of people
of all ranks. (Masses, and occupations, it is equally appli-
cable to ev(u-y province of British America, jind every State
in the Union. Industry, sobriety, good conduct — these,
under favourable circumstances, raise the humblest to the
level of the great; and favourable circumstances abound
in America.

A visit to two institutions of very dilVerent character im-
pressed me with a still stronger (!onvicti(,n of the prosperity
of Halifax. These institutions, its Poor's Asylum and its.
Schools.

. The number in the Poor's Asylum, according to the
record in the book, was 35J:. This was the gi-oss number ;
but the number belonging to the city was only 120, which
was small for a population of 3-4,000. The rest had been
sent in from various places in the province — some from
distances varying fi-om 50 even to 200 miles. Strictly
speaking, there was not an able-bodied male pauper in the
estabUshment : those who were there were the aged, the
infirm, the sick, the helpless, or those waifs and strays that
are stranded on the shore of life, 4he victims of their folly
and infatuation. Deducting the children, 04 in number,
the insane or idiotic, about 50 in all, and tho sick, infirm,
and aged, who were the majority, the remaining >vere but
few. As the Master said, there was not in the house a man
who could perform a dn^y't;' \''ork.

What to do with Ow' ' ' n-khouse children — how to deal
with those who are brov.;>Lt up in such institutions — is one
oi t-iio mosv lormiviao-iG Ciixuciiities "witli w'hicii the aciniiiiitir-

s — IS one
1 adniiiiisi-

THE POOIi'R ASVLUM-CAUSE OF I'OVKUTV. §

trators ,.f tl,o Poor-law in Irc'laiul havo to drul. There ia
no iUmcnliy in UrMfax on that score; and .f ihrou.^h.nit
AmvYwu tho clul.h. n of tho poor WTe tn-atod in ono
oHsontial ruHi)e(;t in tho Hanio spirit of fairnoHH, tlicrc wonld
bo fowcr occasions for bitterness tlian nnhappily exist in
Borne of the Northern States. Tlio cliildren bein- carefully
tauoht, the boys are appenticed out as early as tho aj?o (.£
tw(ave or thirteen, and are indentured till tvvontyroncs due
precaution beii.nr ua ^^t only ns to tho means and character
of tho master, but for the protection of the reli^aous faith
of the child; the latter bein^^ secured l)y bindin<( tho
Catholic; child to a Catholic master, and the Protestant
child to a Protestant master— a course which commends
itself to every fair and impartial mind. The -nrls jwe
apprenticted till the a^^e of eifrhteon. By the conditions of
the indenture, the child is to be suitably educated, and to
bo provided vfith a Sunday suit, at the expense of tho
master or mistress. But with very few exceptions, the
chddron, boys and girls, become incorporated with tho
family, of which, almost from the first, they are looked
upon ana treated as members.

Of the entire number of inmates in this HaHfax institu-
tion, about two thirds are Irish; and according to the
united testimony of the secretary and two gentlemen of
local eminence, the greater number of them owed their
social ruin to the one fruitful cause of evil to the Irish
race— that which tracks them across the ocean, and follows
■'lem in o.ery circumstance and condition of hfe— that
which mars their virtues and magnifies their faiUngs^
that which is in reahty the only enemy they have occasion
to dread, for it is the most insidious, the most seductive,
and the most fatal of all—cMnk. Bemarking on the fact
mentioned, the gentleman by whom I was accompanied, a
man of long and varied experience, said:— 'AH can do well
'here if they only abstain from drink, or if they wiU drink
'm moderation; but drii k is tho ruin of men here, just as

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

'in tho old country. No niattor how a man starts, thon,£Th
* witliont a cont in his pocket, lie can nialvo money hero,
'provided he is well-conducted, and does not drink.' Hap-
pily, however, the nnml)er of tlio victims was but small.

My visits to the Catholic schools, which, as is the rnh;
throuj>h()ut America, are conducted by members of reli-
^nous communities, were attended with nnich interest, and
left upon my mind the deepest impression, not so mi: Ai of
the excellence of the teaching, for of that I had no doubt
whatever, but of the substantial prosperity of tlie town,
and the solid comfort enjoyed by the least wealthy portion
(4 its inhabitants — its working pojiulation. I went through
(he schools conducted by the Christian Brothers, wliose
system of teaching and discii)lino is in all respects iden-
tical with that so well known in those cities of the old
country which are blessed by their presence ; my desire
being merely to see the children, how they looked, and in
what mariner they were clad. Nor was my surprise less
gr(\at than agreeable at the spectacle which I beheld. It
was heightened by the force of contrast; as but a few
days before I left Ireland I had, with others, accompanied
certain distinguished Englishmen to the schools of the
Christian Brothers of my own city, and the remembrance
of what I there witnessed was strong and vivid. There —
in Cork — there was much to gratify, much even to astonish,
but there was also too much to sadden and depress. The
boys bright, quick, intelligent, exhibiting in every Depart-
ment extraordinary proficiency, to such a degree indeed as
to excite the openly-expressed amazement of the strangers;
but too man} of them exhibited the unmistakable evi-
dence of intense poverty, not only in their scanty rai-
ment but in their pale and anxious faces. What a con-
trast to this — in this one respect only — was i)rese]ited by
the schools of the Brothers in Halifax ! Not a sin<iie amn
or indication of poverty, not a trace of want, hot a tattered
coat or trowers, not a rent, not a patch — on the contrary,

CATHOLIC CHURCH IN NOVA SCOTIA.

oncy hero,
nk.' ITiip-
i sniiill.
l.s the rule
irs of rcli-
terest, and
io ini: jh of
I no doubt

tlio town,
hy portion
nt through
crs, wliose
)ects iden-
of the old

my desire
vcd, and in
rpriso less
joheld. It

but a few
conipanicd
ols of the
uembranco
, There—
o astonish,
rcss. The
I'y Depart-
! indeed as

strangers ;
.kable evi-
;caiity rai-
liat a con-
3scntcd by
single sign
i a tattered
) contrary,

every boy, whatcyer his age, neatly and comfortably clad,
and havnfg the appearance of robust health. Indeed such'
was their appearance that, had I not been repeatedly as-
sured they were the children of working men, I slmuld
• have taken them as bcaonging to the middle oluss. Jjri.-ht,
int(!lligent, bold-eyed, happy-locking boys, the right stull'
for tlie future citizens of a free counti-y and a progrc^ssivc
community.

In tlie scliools conducted by the Sisters of Chiirity there
was the same air of comfort and neatness in the dreso cf
the female childi-en; aiul even where a special sc^hool
n)iglit happen to be overcrowded, tluire was an absence of
that oppressive odour too connnon in free schools frequented
by the children of the working-classes, which is mainly attri-
butal)le to the poverty of their clothing. There was nothing
li"re but comfort and decency of dress; good proofs of the
conduct and condition of the class thus favourably repre-
sented.

The Cathohcs of Nova Scotia are estimated at 115,000,
being thus divided— 80,000 French, 45,000 Scotch, 'and
40,000 Irish. In Halifax the Catholics form one half of
the population, and are almost wholly Irish.

Without going back farther than the commencement of
the present century, an incident of pregna^it significance will
enable the reader to contrast the position of the Catholic
Church of that day with the position it now enjoys. The
house stiU occupied by Archbishop Connolly and the
clergj^ ^^llo officiate in tlie cathedral, was built by the
Itev. Dr. Burke, or Father Burke, as he was familiarly
called. Dr. Burke Avas a profound scholar, and eminent
for his scdentitic attainments. Following the natural
impulse of ^i learned and zealous priest, he determined to
establish a school for the education of the Catholic youth
of that day. The Pen;-1 Laws were still unrepealed"; and
though, from the growing enhghtonment of the age, this
infamous code had fallen into disuse, it still afforded a

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

read}- weapon to the caprice or hostility of the bigot.
Having been informed of the intention of Dr. Burke to
estabhsh a school, and thus, through the most effeotive
means, elevate the condition of his co-rehgionists, the
then Governor of the province threatened to put the law
in force against the priest if he persevered in his attempt.
In this conjuncture aid came fi-om an unexpected quarter.
The leading Protestants of the town exhibited their oppo-
sition to the iUiberal pohcy of the Governor in the most
effective manner, by sending their own children to a school
which they had the wisdom to appreciate and the moral
courage to support. The Governor, whatever the perver-
sity of his bigotry, dared not enter into conflict with the
influential allies of the Cathohc priest; and so Dr. Burke
and the cause of education triumphed. Young officers
fi-equented the academy, to learn mathematics and the
science of fortification from its accomplished principal
Strangely enough, the Government, whose representatives
sought to crush the school and the teacher, afterwards
marked its api^reciation of the services of Dr. Burke — who,
owing to his influence with the Indians, prevented them
fi-om joining the French in the war then raging — by con-
ferring on him a pension of 300Z. a year. It need scarcely
be added, that this money was applied to the advancement
of rehgion and enlightenment in a young and struggUng
mission.

The progress of the Catholic Church in Nova Scotia was
slow, and not over hopeful, for the first quarter of the
present century. In the year 1816 there were about
1,500 Catholics in Halifax, and save in a few towns, where
small congregations existed, the faithful were scattered
over the province, the greater number hidden in the wilds
and fastnesses of an almost unexplored country, and far
away from the ministrations or influence of a priest. The
Irish carried their faith with them into the forest; and
though many of them for years never heard the once

PROGRESS OF THE CHURCH. 13

famiHar voice of their pastor, they cherished in their
hearts that strong attachment to the reho-ion of their
fathers which is one of the most marked characteristics of
their race. As an ilhistration of this steadfastness in the
faith, It may be mentioned that the present Archbishop
when a missionary priest, on one occasion baptised ei-ht
chiklren of an Irish family in the midst of the woods
The father had not seen a priest more than twice in twenty
years ; and wliat rendered his fidelity the more remarkable
was the fact that he had married a Baptist, who did not
regard with much favour the creed of her Cathohc hus-
band. This was as late as 1842, when there were but five
priests m Hahfax, and fourteen or fifteen in the entire
diocese. The necessary intermarriage of Irish Catholics
with members of various Protestant sects caused many
of the former to lose the faith. No chapel, no priest,
no mass, no administration of sacraments ; nor, from the
special circumstances of a country in which education had
only ceased to be penal, were the Irish emigrants of the
early part of this century remarkable for their hterary
acquii-ements-hence what could be more natural than
that, while the parent clung passionately to the faith
for which, perhaps, he had suffered at home, his children
whom he might not be able to instruct or control, should
adopt the religion of their Protestant relatives ? Such at
any rate, has been the case in numerous instances ; and
though these instances are fewer than they have been
represented to be, they are sufficiently numerous to exhibit
many a strange contrast between the old Cathohc patrony-
mic and the modern creed. The same circumstances pro-
duced the same result in many parts of America.

In 1820 there were but few priests in the province.
The first Bishop of Hahfax was consecrated in Rome in
ISIG, and died in 1820. A little wooden church, dignified
by the lofty name of Hi. Peter's, was his cathedral. On its
site a building more suited to the increasing wants and

iiiT^

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

•n

gi'owiiig importance of ILe Catholic body was erected in
course of time ; until eventually that church, which was
rco-arded as a splendid stru* ture l)y tliose who first knelt
before its altar, gave place to the existing- cathedral, which
is one of the tinest edifices of the kind in America, but
which is to be further extended and bej.rufified by the
addition of a magnificent fa9adG of white marble from the
celebrated quarries of Westchester, in the State of New
York. The wooden 'cathedral' of the first quarter of a
century was a fitting type of the Catholic Church of that
day: the grand stone structure, some 180 feet in length,
and with accommodation for 3,000 worshippers, fittingly,
represents its position at this day. Where a mere log
hut was the only temple of the faith in Halifax, four
churches are now insufficient for their congregations ; and
a new building, of the pointed Gothic order, was roofed in
previous to the winter of 18GG. Where there were but
20 priests in 1820, there are over 70 in the present year.
These have the spiritual care of 115,000 Catholics, for
whom, or by whom, more than 100 churches have been
built. In 18-12 the province was erected into a See, and
in 1845 it was divided into two Sees, the Western and
Eastern. The Western was elevated to the dignity of an
archbishopric in 1852. Bishop Walsh was created the
first archbishop; and on the death of that prelate, in
1859, Dr. Connolly, then Bishop of New Brunswick,
which is still within the ecclesiastical province, was trans-
ferred to Hahfax. Since 1830, when first the Catholic
element of Nova Scotia may be said to have acquired
anything hke the appearance of strength, more than
150,000/. has been expended in buildings for rehgious
and educational purposes. Of this amount, by far the
largest proportion has been raised by voluntaiy contribu-
tion, under tlm auspices and through the influence of the
second archbishop ; a man who, besides possessing a good
intellect, considerable power as a writer and speaker, and

erected in
"wliich was
first knelt
Llral, Avliicli
fierica, hut
icd by the
e from the
te of New
larter of a
cli of that
in length,
s, fittingly
mere log
lifax, fc/ur
;ions ; and
roofed in
were but
sent year,
holies, for
iiave been
See, and
stern and
iiity of an
sated the
relate, in
runs wick,
vas trans-
Catholic
acquired
ore than
religious
far the
contribu-
te of tliO
? a good
iker, and

' SICK CALLS.' j5

strong common sense_a valuable quality in one who has
at aU times to place himself in the front-is endowed with
indonntable energy and perseverance. Like his prede-
cessor, Archl^ishop ConnoUy is one of the many pielatc^s
whom Ireland has given to the American Church. Besid(>s
the four churches and that which has been just completed
there are m Hahfax three convents-two of the Order of
Chanty, and one of the Sacred Heart-with a House of the
Christian Brothers, whose new schools form one of the most
conspicuous of the architectural ornaments of the city Nor
IS Hahtax without a Society of St. Vincent, which fimls
the fitting ime for its benevolent operations in the depth
of the hard winter, when business is usually duU, employ-
ment consequently not so general as in the milder seasons
of the year, and the feeble, the sick, and the improvident
feel Its ngour most keenly. There are hkewise more
pui-ely rehgious associations, whose object is to stimulate
to the constant practice of piety, and protect the youn^^
and inexperienced fixmi the dangers incidental to their

impio ed by increased means of usefulness as to be, if
not fully equal to the spiritual requirements of the faith-
ful, a complete protection against those contingencies to
which loss of faith on the part of individuals or famili s
may .f.urly attributable. There is no longer an insta
-atleas inNova Scotia~of a Catholic who has been for
3 cars without having seen a priest; bvt there is still hard
Ttotiri 1 "^''^^'^^y priest in a territory so widely
extended, and whose population is so thinly scattered over
a vast si)ace.

PoAaps the hardest and most trying d„ty which a
C. tl ohc clergyman has to discharge is connected with
«J.at are so weU known to laity and clergy as 'sick calls'
-luerfs made by the relatives or friend.r'of the i if :;

Catholic priest never shrinks. It matters not what tha

,-»»

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

clislance, the lionr, or the danger, thoiio-h the sick or dyinr*
poison was a huiidred miles away, thougli it was midnio-ht"
and there was not a strr visible in the hcavcns~thou<vh
the place to be visited reeked with t^lie deadliest pestilence
the priest should at once obey the solemn summons The
priest who shrinks from this imperative duty is unfit for
his mission ; happily, an instance of neglect or cowardice
IS rarely heard of in the Catholic Church. But there are
circumstances in which the conscientious discharge of this
duty IS attended with an amount of individual hardship
that can scarcely be appreciated by those who inhabit a
country at once thoroughly cultivated and thickly popu-
laceci.

Father Geary, a Halifax i3riest-originally from Water-
tore, and now about four years dead-fi-equently attended

sick calls' at a distance of a hundred miles fi'om the city
along the eastern coast of Nova Scotia, and did so without
the assistance of horse or vehicle of any kind He had
hterally to walk the hundred miles, and this he has done as
often as four times in the year. As the tidings of distress
reached the city, generaUy by boat, the zealous missionary at
once girded his loins and prepared to set out on his long and
arduous journey, frequently in the depth of a Nova Scotian
wmter, when the snow lay two feet thick on the ground
the thermometer was many degrees below zero, and a
cutting blast blew right in his teeth. There was not in
his mmd a thought of shrinking, a second's doubt as to the
necessity of then setting out : a human soul was in peril
and the priest's duty was to reach the sick person's bedside
as speedily as possible ; and this he did. Twenty miles be-
fore breakfast was 'a trifle' to Father Geary.

Within the last ten years a Nova Scotian priest has dis-:
charged the duties of a district extending considerably o^-er
one hundred miles in length ; and while I was in HaHfax the
Archbishoj) appointed a clergyman to the charo-eof n, mi««ion
which would necessitate his making journeys'of more than

A MARTYR TO DUTY. ^

that many miles in extent. And when a missionary priest
m 1842, the Archbishop would make a three months'
tour from Hahfax to Dartmouth, a distance-jroin- and
returning-of 450 miles ; and would frequently dher^^e
ten and even twenty miles from the main line into the

irwlrr^lf V '''^'' *^'^' ^°^^-' ^''^y ^"^- ^ population of
10,000 Cathohcs, who had no spiritual resource save in

hnn, and a decrepid feUow-labourer on the brink of the
grave.

It is not three years since a young Irish priest, then in
the first year of his mission, received what, to him, was

iterally a death summons. He was lying iU in bed when
the sick caU' reached his house, the pastor of the dis-
trict being absent. The poor young man did not hesitate a
moment ; no matter what the consequence to himself the
dying Catholic should not be without the consolations
of religion. To the dismay of those who knew of his in-
tention, and who remonstrated in vain against what to
them appeared to be an act of insanity, he started on his
journey, a distance of thirty-six miles, which he accom-
phshed on foot, in the midst of incessant rain. It is not
possible to teU how often he paused involuntarily on that
terrible march, or how he reeled and staggered as he
approached its termination; but this much is well ascer-
tamed-that scarcely had he reached the sick man's bed
and performed the functions of his ministrv, when he was
conscious of his own approaching dissolution ; and there
being no brother priest to minister to him in his last hour,
he admnnstere.1 the viatacum to himself, and died on the
lloor ot what was then, indeed, a chamber of death. Here
was a glorious ending of a life only well begun

Bermuda is included within the spiritual jurisdiction of
^^0 Archbishop of Hahfax, and to this fact is ovin- one of
the most extraordinary instances of a 'sick call' on'record
A (.athobc lady in Bermuda was dying of a lingering dis-
ease, and knowing that farther delay might b^ attended

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

ill

iliir

''11

with consoqnenees which she regarded as worse than death,
she availed hernelf of the opportunity of a vessel then about
to sail for Halifax to send for a clergyman of that city. The
(hiy the message was deUvered to the clergyman, a vessel
was to sail from HaUfax to Bermuda, and he went on
board at once, arrived in due course at the latter place,'
found the dying lady still aHve, administered to her the
rites of the Church, and returned as soon as possible to
Ins duties in Halifax; having, in obedience to this remark-
able 'sick call,' accomphshed a journey of 1,G00 miles.

It is the opinion of many candid and unbiassed men in
Ireland, that the existence of a State Church, and that the
church of the smaU minority of the population, is injurious
to the country in many respects, especially in preventin^r
that social fusion and Christian harmony which are among
the happy results of complete religious equality. No one
who has been in Nova Scotia but must, if not utterly
blinded by prejudice, be convinced that the non-existence
of a State Church and a dominant religion is attended with
the most beneficial consequences to that colony. There is
no cause, no legahsed cause, of hostihty and ill blood, no
provocation to anger— no griemnce. The Catholic feels
himself to be on an equahty with the Protestant, towards
Avhom he does not and cannot entertain a sentiment of hos-
tihty ; and the Protestant is pleased to know that his Ca-
thohc fellow-citizen regards him with a kindly and fraternal
teehng. '"We have no occasion to grumble ; we are able to
meet together and go hand in hand in aU matters ; and
in fact, Ave are the happiest people in the world,' said a
Cathohc Irishman, whose memories of his own country
were full of bitterness, but who enjoyed the contrast the
more keenly. 'I hold the opinion,' said a Protestant gen-
tleman, the descendant of an Irish father fi-om the south of
Manster 'that if the foUowers of a church will not sustain
It It IS not worthy of being sustained, and the sooner it
fulls the better.' Few perhaps of this Protestant gentle-

REAL RELIGIOUS EQUALITY,

man's relatives iii the old country would endorse his
opinion ; but he could estimate the advantage to the social
harmony of his country of not having in the heart of the
body politic a perpetual source of mutual exasperation and
bitterness. From persons of all creeds and classes I re-
ceived the most gratifying testimony as to the good feeling
existing between the dillerent churches, and the happy re*^
suit of the prevalence of this Christian sentiment. 'The
Archbishop has done much to promote this feehng,' was
frequently remarked by Protestants and Catholics, officials
and townspeople. True, the Archbishop has done much
to break down the barriers which sect will create under the
most favourable circumstances; but had there been- in
Nova Scotia a State Church, and a domniant party, sworn
to maintain it at any cost or hazard, not.aU the wisdom,
tact, and kindliness of so eminent and influential an eccle-
siastic as the Archbishop of Hahfax could successfuUy
counteract the hostihty these would be sure to engender.

It would be foreign to the truth to assert that CathoKcs
in Nova Scotia have not their difficulties to contend with.
They have difficulties and troubles, but they are in a posi-
tion in which thej can endure if they cannot overcome
them. For i- ' -^oq, unscrupulous politicians wiU occa-
sionally rair,e ai .athohc cry, that for the time in-
flames the passio. '^e unreflecting, and disturbs the
good understanding ,,..ich, as a rule, pervades the colony.
But it not unrarely occurs, that the same pohtician— gene-
rally a man who troubles himself but Httle about rehgion
m any form whatever— who thought it his interest to excite
ill feeling against Cathohcs, discovers that it is more to his
advantage to stand wcU with that body ; and instances are
told of the same unscrupulous party-leader one day ca-
lumniating, and the next making overtures to, those who
can at aU times materially influence the result of an election,
or even the fate of an administration. Nor is this utter
dishonesty and shameless want of principle confined to"a

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

-f

few unscnipiilous individuals in ono British Colony • it is
much to bo regrettod that the species-whose chief cho^
ractcristic is, that thoy arc ready to sacrifice everything
save and except what they think to be their personal
interest, for a good 'cry'— are to be found plentifullv
scattered throughout America. Even the most bankrupt
pohtician finds 'No Popery!' a useful cry-for the time •
for the good sense of the community wearies of the folly'
or the pohtician has probably invented something whicli
has the merit of novelty, and ho aUows Catholics to exist in
peace.

The Irish, including Protestants and Cathohcs, are
estimated at 100,000, The larger proportion of the Protes-
tants wore originaUy from tho north of Ireland, or had
left the United States after they had achieved their
independence ; and their descendants now possess nearly
«ie whole of the counties of Colchester and Cumberland,
ihey took up most of the lands from which the French
Acadians -were banished in the year 1755. That they
should be prosperous and independent is consistent not only
with the sturdy energy of their nature, but with the coun-
tenance and support which they received from the colonial
authorities and home government. With them, as with
their brethren in all the British colonies, things went
favourably : not so with the Catholics, who had much to
contend with, and everything to do for themselves.

A striking proof of the position of Irish Catholics in
Nova Scotia— to which the vast majority emigrated under
the most unfavourable circumstances— may be mentioned •
namely, that of the 2,000 Cathohc voters in the city and
county of Halifax, aH, or nearly all, own over 50/. of real
Bstate, and but very few of them claim the franchise
through the annual payment of a rent of 50/. and upwards

nCTOU. MY FRIEND TETKIt. 2I

The necessity of taking passarro at Pictou for Pnnco
Edward's Island brou-lit me to that town, which is prettily
situated on the shore of the harbour. The Irisli do not
at least as vet, form any considerable proportion of the
population, ihe CathoHe congregation being little n.ore
than one hundred in number. But it would be difficult to
behold anywhere a more remarkable instance of generous
devotion to their faith than the CathoHc Irish have dis-
played in this place, where they are r. nun.orically w(.tk.
-To the stranger entering the harbour the most striking,
object IS a well-built brick church, with lofty spire sui"
mounted by a gilded cross. This imposing structure-the
fu^^t actually built in the town, though a handsome
Protestant church was being erected in the October of
IbbG-is the work of the small Catholic congivgation
whose zeal and liberality may be estimated from the fact
that It has cost about 2,000^., the greatest portion of which'
was supplied from their own narrow resources. In. an

honest compatriot, Peter C , to whom I spgedily became

known I saw the type of the true-hearted Irishman, who
not only maintained the character of his faith by his own
conduct, but would make any sacrifice for the honour of
his chiu-ch. Peter, commencing with httle indeed, had
worked his way with resolute energy, and was then a pros-
perous man, with something laic, by for the rainy day. The
new church, which the Archbishop was to consecrate in a
tew days after my departure, was the delight of Peter',
heart ; and from Peter I heard how grandly the little con-
gregation responded :o the appeal of their pastor, who, his
Glengarry blood notwithstanding, had the fase of a Spanish
samt. Peter gloried in the site, at once beautiful and
commandmg-in the solid well-made bricks, and the manner
m which ihey were laid-in the buttresses, which he patted
with a caressing hand, as if he were encouraging them to do
their duty fixithfuUy; but, above aU, in the steeple, which
could be seen far and wide. 'I collected 100/. myself

Sfl

THE lUISli IN AMEIIICA.

from Protoatants for it ; and what in moro, thoy helped to
clear the fouiidatiouH, which was done in a .sinj^do day. 'Tis
the blensed truth I'm telling you,' said my IViend Peter,
with emphatic triumph.

Peter, like all sober and steady Irishmen whom I have
met with in America, had a keen reKsh for ' real estate,'
and b(ung already possessed of an odd ' lot ' here and there',
lie had his eye on other bits in convenient sites,— I shall
not say where, as in that case I should bo deliberately
violating the promise of strict secrecy imposed on mo
as the condition of hia unreserved confidence. I trust
Peter wiU have gratified the object of his honest ambition
before these pages reach Pictou ; but if not, he may feel
sure that the identical ' bits ' wiU never be even indicated
by me either to friend or foe.

Among tne libns— the live lions— of Pictou to whom I
was duly introduced by Peter, was the American Consul,
and a most agreeable Hon he proved to be ; courteous and
kindly, as all true American gentlemen are. The Major,
for such was his rank, evidently held Peter in high esteem,'
and Peter repaid the Major's good opinion of him witli
liberal interest. Peter had previously held out to mo the
hope, based indeed on his own confident belief, that the
Major would be good enough to favour me with an inspec-
tion of the many strange and curious things which he had
collected, and which had more than once excited Peter's
unaffected amazement. I was of course humbly hopeful
that, through my friend's influence, I should be deemed
worthy of so great a favour, though possessing only the
questionable claim of a stranger and a traveller. The in-
troduction effected, the application, made with modest
boldness by Peter, met with instant success. 'Didn't I
teU you how it would be?' whispered Peter, as we stood
in the presence of the accumulated wonders. A nod,
which eloquently expressed 'You did, sure t^nough,' was
received by Peter as a satisfactory reply. The collection

PETER SHOWS ME THE LIONS. 28

" ludH . fo„„.lH HheUs, unn.ralH, roptiloH, animals, binls
i.Hhos, tcoth c,f extinct anin.alH, in.plon.ontH <.f sava'c
wurlaro, o^udoncos of l,y-^.c>no civiliHation, an<l a variety ".f
ot -- .uattorH AU those .onders were explained and
.ndered .nteUi^able to his visitors hy the Major, who
iavoured us with a sufficient account of each. Peter's
«onunio admiration as he hstened to the Consul, and then
f^'lanced a me, as if to witness the effect produced on my
nund by the tooth of the megatherium, or the fo.sil with
the u.ipression of a plant, a sheU, or a reptile, was every
monuait becoming warmer and more explosive. His 'Oh
Major! grew more and more enthusiastic; but when the
owner of he treasures exhibited in glass jars the various
products derived from a particular description of coal, and
reter was assured that aU those beautiful colours were
produced by chemical action from a himp of coal such as
he held in his hand, his 'Oh, Major!' .was largely tinged
^ith a^^^. He frankly declared that he had never seen
the hke m aU his life, and was profuse in his acknowledg-
ments for the kindness which, at his influential request, had
been conferred on his friend, my unworthy self. The Maior
pleasmgly varied the inteUectual treat with refreshment of
more matBrial kind, to which neither Peter -nor his com-
panion proved insensible.

Under Peter's competent guidance, I sauntered throu-h
the town and rambled along the shore, and, with Peter !is
my companion, I sat on a piece of timber within a few feet
of the water, which murmured in the tiniest wavelets on
the beach, scarcely moved by the soft air of the Indian
bummer that harmonised deliciously with the exquisite
colour of the sky, in which grey and blue were blended
into an indescribable tint of loveliness ; and while the sea
mm-mured as it kissed the beach, and the soft air brought
with It a sense of mental repose, I listened to Peter, who
toid of his trials and difficultieH bravely met and manfully

it
i

■i

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

overcome, and gave me the beneJ&t of liis shrewdly ex-
pressed opinions on his race, their many virtues, their few
iKit dangerous defects. 'T.iis is a fine country for any
man that's inchned to work, and able to work, and it's a
man's own fault if he won't get along, and be respected,
no matter w^io or what he is ; but it's a bitter bad place
for the drunkard anyhow, wliether there is a good place
for him in any country, which I am not sure there is,'
added Peter doubtingly. Peter had an eye for the
picturesque and beautiful as well as for choice bits of real
estate, and was fond of the views to be seen from various
points. Seated in Peter's comfortable 'trap,' gallantly
bowled along by his well-trained and vigorous horse
' Charley, '^ I enjoyed many charming pictures of land and
water, enhanced not a little by my companion's intelligent
comments on men and things.

Peter insisted that I should not think of leaving Pictou
without visiting what he held to be one of the wonders of
the world — the mines at New Glasgow, at the other side of
tho harbour ; and having nothing better to do, I closed with
his ojffer to accompany me in my first subterranean adven-
ture. So uj) at six, breakfast at seven, on board at eight,
at New Glasgow in an hour after, and then on to the
mines. As we crossed the harbour, Peter's glance rested
lovingly on the red-brick church, the gleaming windows,
the tall spire, and the glittering cross. 'Well, surely, it
does look beautiful, out and out ; and only to think how
few of us there were to do it! Glory be to the Lord! It
seems w^onderful,' said Peter.

Arrived at the Albion Mine, permission to visit which
had been previously obtained, Peter and I assumed the re-
quisite but unbecoming costume, and were in rapid yet
easy descent, under the cautious guidance of the head
banksman, an Irishman from Wexford. To one who goes
down into n, mine for the first time, the aspect of every-
thing in a quite new world is necessarily strange, and even

vvdly ex-
lieir few

for any
rid it's a
3spected,
ad place
od place
there is,'

for the
i of real

various
gallantly
s horse
and and
teUigent

^ Pictou
tiders of
c side of
sod with
I adven-
it eight,
1 to the
e rested
dndows,
iirely, it
,nk how
3rd! It

t which
the re-
ipid yet
le head
ho goes
f ovcry=
tid even

AT THE MINES-IRISmiEN EVERYWHERR 25

knes the lofty chamber., faintly ilh.mmecl and repfeto
wHh ense dmdow., the rattle of the cars, the cries of the
dnvers the stroke of the pick, and the other noises of a
coal .mne m active work-all produce for the moment a
bewddenng effect. Below as well a., above were Sen
employed m every capacity, the majority engaged n"he
ordinary manual labour, but not a few entrusted wi 1 po"^
faons of respons^bihty, or employed in work of a iZZr

f praise ."Tr" '"^- "f"^^""' ^"'"^'^ '" '"^ ^ ^
"•There S T . ^ "jd^^teous, sober, and trustworthy.

IndTu'nd '^^;,'"^"S'' "* l»'°P-ty worth several thou-

he young people are now profltlbly e^Cr^l^et
engmeers, some in other skiUed branche .■ ^g; n what

lorn nL ^ " ^''"^ ''''* ^ ""P^'^'l «'^ I'^te^t ticlings
from Dunmanway, m Cork county; to a 'boy' of thirtv

froniConnemaralwasable to communicate tlfe agreeabk
Wr^h-f"' ''^ "'" ^"'* ^"-' was -ar fnd

a^di^^::;: vzc':,:;^;::;::r7 °^ «'" *« '>'-'

rai-v ' thnt tl,„ . , ^' '°"" *™™ «weet Tippe-

laiy, that the 'members stood by the people in viL
ment," he prayed 'that the Lord might strr^t en !„;

:ntr™ii:'/'^t/''^ i""»- i-p>ewantod';ri:;i,"r
rite, 21 r'arinnutf tt r ""^ °^

nv^v /1 1 ^ i 1-1 '"^lifc, uLprn ot Its workuiof seam

P VT^'- .'""'' ^'^ *° ''« ''^°^'^ to the work? at the
Pans Exhibition by the pillar, 37 feet 10 iiichr, in hoi ht
winch was hewed from this magmScent bed 0^0" S
were as^proud of that pillar as if they were the Twnef':^

Owing to the increasing number of CathoHes at the

TIIH llJISir IN AMERICA.

miiios— for il,(.ro nvo w'vcrnl odicrs, includiDg <Ji<> All)i<)ii
and llio Acmliiiii, ilic lali(«i- i\w proporly of an AiiuMicaii
r.Muimny-an iuhliliou was Ixmhj^- uuulo to llio CaJliolic
Clnirch, whicli is (•oiiv(>ni(Miily aiul coiiHpitmously ])lacc(l ;
iu)r is ii; iiunrobuhh^ fluil, in u few years luviico, when tliia
luiiiiii..- ]iai-ish is morc^ porfocily oroanisod, a iino building'
of brick and stoiu^ will roplacd llio neat struciuro now
barely sullicicni for its conf^nv^^ation.

In fli(> i)r(\s(>n('o oF IVt,(>r, and nnu-li fo the dcliobt of
that (Milluisiastio ii-islmian, a Scotch g-ontloman j^avo an
iidniirablt> acconnt ol' onr connirynunh r(>t(U' j>lanccd at
mo with a look of radiant trinnipli, and domandod, in n
luannor at oiico corroborative and clinching — 'Didn't I
toll yon, sir, lli(>r(^ Avasn't a sin^lo bk-icko-nard anionost
the onliro of ihvui'r And IVtor niioht well sp(>ak with
Jintliorily, for ho kiunv or was knt)wn to nearly every man
in the district.

I'eter was anxious that I should pay a visit of eonrtesy
to a fricMid of his in Tictou, but appeared to bo somewhat
doubtful as to my compliance with his wishes. 'To toll
yon tlu^ truth,' s.-iid Vctvv, with an air of no httle mystery,
as wtMvere a-;ain crossin<v the harbour, 'ho is an C)ran<,^o-
man, or sometluno- of that kind, any ho\^; but he's from
your own part, and I know lu>'d bo {jflad to see yon— indeed
he let me h^irn as mnch tVom himself. ''Tis true, lie's not
one of onrselvos, bnt lie's a mighty decent honest man still.'
IMuch relieved by the o-onuine rt^jidiness I expressed to
meet ' the Oranoeman, bnt a mighty decent honest man,'
onr return trip was rendered additionally pleasant to Peter
■who enjoyed the appearance of the church on the hill-sid«
with more than nsnal satisfaction. I paid the promised
visit to the sturdy Protestant from Bandon ; and not even
from Peter himself conld I rcH'cuve a more cordial welcome
tlian from the former iidiabitant of that fanions boroi-.n-h.
'lh(^ whole I'.iuiiily. pjirenis and children— the latter inl Jli^
gent and nicely reared— were glad to see one fi'om the old

A FAMlr.Y I'AIJTY. NOVA SCOTIA. jT

'-". >>'-';"«1.t with l,i,„ ,,„t ,,i, i„,,„,,,,.J „;,, ' ' » t

' ''■• ""'"-™""'' ""'' ite pianc, and pile of „,„«, ,,oro
U.0 ,n,,„t pl...„, l..ti„„„„ u, tl. e,„„f„l, ,„.„ u«to ,;'«::

i<tu Il,at was to tlio r<,„r-l,„„so, wJiioh offorcl •
.,na..l<aI,lo ™„tra.st to .i,„i,a.. i„„Ht„ti„n« , ,. " i

^;^.;A..rp„„.^--r;s:::^;^,-.H.

stituto an ao-roc'iblo varioty in Ireland ^n,n ^ .

pait of Nova Scotia; ai„l if it did not prove the cxisto co

is paiticlar fr.ond' m charge of everybody in the
rfnp.fa.„„. the captain to the captain'.s .boy.' if.deed io
considerate was Peter tli-it I,.„i t i inucea, so

i,roen«« T 1 I- , ' ^ ""'y "'"sented to the

p.occss I beheve lie would have had me labeUcd as weU
as my baggage. In the last .moment I volnntaX ro
uowed my promise, that I would not disclosr to L«
nan the shghtest information as to the 'bits o ground
upon ,rtiich Peter had reposed his speculative eya '
Of Nova Scotia, as a home for the , ,„iLnt it ;=

onskiUed , but It ,s not, like other of tlie British colonics,

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

or tliG States, capable of witliRtanding a rush. There was
a want of labour in Huhfax in the autumn of 18GG ; and
in other parts of the province an addition to the labour
supply would have been hailed with satisfaction. Nova
Scotia does not present the same inducements to the
settler that are offered in New Brunswick or Western
Canada; stiU, there is land, even cultivated land, always
to be had at reasonable prices. There seems to be
a liabit of change common to humanity generally at
the Western side of the Atlantic. This does not arise
either from caprice or unsteadiness, but from a desire to
do better; in fact, to take advantage of opportunities^
which a new an''' yet undeveloped country constantly
offers to the enterprising and adventurous. Thus the man
who has cleared a farm — literally hewed it out of the
forest, hears of something likely to suit him better, and
he does not long hesitate about putting his farm in the
market, and selhng it at a fair price. Or his sons, yield-
ing to the spirit of adventure so common to the youth of
the country, have gone to sea, or migrated to Canada or
the States, and the father has thus lost the physical means
of working his land ; and he also sells, in order to reahse
his capital, and perhaps go into some other business. Thus,
by this constant process of change, the path is opened to
the new comer, who has only to save a little money, bide
his time, and seize the wished-for opportunity of becoming
the proprietor of so much land in fee-simple, to have and
to hold for ever.

The tendency of the young people, not of Nova Scotia
alone, but of most of the British colonies, is to push on to
the States. Better employment— perhaps more nominal
than real— and a wider field for their energies, appear to
be the inducements that lure adventurous youth from the
natural attractions of home.

riicrc was
L8G6; and
he labour
Ml. Nova
ts to the

Western
Lil, always
ms to be
iierally at
not arise
, desire to
)ortunitief^
constantly
s the man
)nt of the
etter, and
rm in the
ons, yield-
3 youth of
Z!anada or
cal means
• to reaUse
!ss. Thus,
opened to
oney, bide
becoming

have and

)va Scotia
3usli on to
3 nominal
appear to
1 from the

CHAPTER II.

r|NE of the smaUest, certainly not the least interesth.g,
\J of the British colonic s of North America is that of
Pnnce Edward Island. Though not exceeding in super-
ficial area the size of an ordinary Irish county, and actuaUy
not more than two-thirds that of the county of Cork
with a population not greater than that of the city of
Cork, this beautiful little island enjoys the advantages of
fi-ee representative institutions, and a system of govern-
ment based upon popular suffrage and amenable to
popular control. The authority of the Crown is repre-
sented by a Lieutenant-Governor; while in the House of
Assembly the leading parties into which the political
world of the colony is divided have their recognised
leaders and accredited organs. To such an extent is this
caiTied that the gentleman to whom the party out of
oflice delegates, either formally or by tacit assent, the
privi 9ge of speaking in its name, is described in the
Parhamentary Reporter ' (the ' Hansard ' of Prince Ed-
v.-ard Island), and referred to in debate, as ' the Leader
ot the Opposition '-the Gladstone or the D'IsraeU of
the colony. It is not, however, with the institutions of
the island this work has to do ; but this bare allusion to
the form of government which its inhabitants enjoy will
be iound necessary when noticing a movement of rather
an important character, fraught with consequences of no

Till') Illisn IN AMKIUCA.

siMiill nioiiKMii io the fiiiuro of a pooplo wIjoho main resource
lies in llio produco of llnnr f(>rt.i]() Hoil.

To ili() o(>„orul popnliilioii of Priiico Edward Island
Mio IriHli hear a ('oiisi(h'rahl(; proportion; and not ordy
are they to U} found in the prnic.ipal towns, and Hcatt(!red
()V(H' tlu! face of th(( island, jnixod up Avith tlio otlu^r
nationidiiics— French, »Scot(!h, and En^dish— of wliich the
])o|)ulafion is composed, hut they form sc^ttlenie " dieir

own, exclusively Irish in race and Catholic in croo.

r(>oplo rar(>ly mi^-ratc to a strange countrj^ and face the
hardships incidcuital to a now existenc(\ from tlie mere lovo
of chauf^-e; nor do the eondV)rtable and the well-to-do
usually ([uit their a^freeablo liomes from a spirit of adven-
ture. Necessity is the i^-i-and stinudus which impels the
Euro])ean io sever with rude hand Jiis old ties of homo
and kindred, and (piit liis uativo land to cross the ocean
in search of a new home. Of all people in the world tho
Irish are—or rather wire — most intensely, even passionately,
attached l,o the land of their birth, and the least willing
to h^ave it for another country, whatevtu- its attractions.
But tlu^ mass of the Irish who (piitted the shores of the
old country had no choice left them : what the process of
law, too t)ften ac(H>mpanied with the pomp and parade of
armed force, but partially elVeeted, was accomplished by
the resistless inlluence of blioht, famine, and pestilcu.;e.
These were tho chi(>f impellino- causes of that rush across
tho ocean which has been one of tho most extraordinary
phenomena of the present century, and which may yet
brino- about events well >vorthy of tlio gravest consideration
of the patriot and the statesman.

A wave of this tide of human life broke upon tho shores
of Prince Edward Island, over whoso fair and fertile
bosom were scattered thousands of men and women, the
majority of them poor, pinched with hunger, Rcj^ntily
clad : but hardy, pati<Mit, enduring, and willing to toil.
A few, a very few, brought with theui a little capital.

1 resource

I'd JmIjiikI
not only
sciitt(!re(l
IJio ()(h(>r
vliicli tho
^ : rlioir

1 fiico the

IIKM'O loVO
Y(ill-t()-(l()

)t' iulvon-
npols tliG

of homo
-lie ocean
vorld tho
sioiiatoly,
st willing
tractions.
OS of the
iroecss of
)arado of
ishod by
o.stilcu.;e.
sh across
Lordinary

may yot
ideration

10 shores

id fertile

men, the

R(.*;iiiitily

to toil.

capital,

VISIT TO AN IRISH SETTLMMKNT. 31

l)orliapH half a dozen pounds, pr()l>ahly not more than as
mi.uy dollars; whereas the majority had scarcely suiU-
cu'ut to purchase tlunr tii'st meal on landin- 'For one
wl.o has come out with a dollar, ten have come out with a
sliiIHii-,' says the estimable Bishop of Charlottetown, Dr.
Mclutyre, a mild and jrenial S(H)tchman, who loves' and
IS loved by his Irish ilock. Many of those who thus
commenced had been fluu- on shore from fever-infected
onuo-rant ships in the tiirie of the Insh Famine, and,
s(^•ltt(;nIl^• over the island, had worked their way by honest
labour to the position of independent settlers, even owners
in fee of tlie farms they now occui)v.

AVishin- to SCO for myself one or two of the Irish settle-
ments, so as to form a more correct estimate of the actual
position of my countrymen in their new home, I readily
availed myself of the kindness of one of the shrewdest and
abh^st ot the merchants of (Jharlottetown='=-whose capital
when he arrived from Ireland, consisted of a good practical
education, keen intelligence, and high principle, and who
IS now admitted to be one of the al)lest and most prosperous
among the business men of the island. Through his kind-
ness I was enabled to arrive at a satisfactory conclusion
on a subject which to me was one of the deepest interest.
From a very early hour in the morning to the dusk of the
evening-with the aid of a strong horse, a light vehicle,
and a well-informed guide, who knew every inch of the
road, and was acquainted with almost every person whom
we met during our prolonged tour— I was engaged in
visitmg and inspecting two Irish settlements, occasionally
entering a farm-house, or field in which the woi-k of har-
vesting was stiU going on, and s].eaking with its hospitable
and industrious owner. Confimng myself to a single set-
tement-that of Monaghan-I shaU state the result of my
ol)servations.

The Monaghan settlers, to use the expression of onn
* Tho Hon. Daniel Brcnnau

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

who knew them well, 'had not a sixpence in their pockets
when they landed.' But they took 'green- wood farms,' or
tracts of land entirely covered with forest, not a rood of
which was cleared when they entered into their occupation.
Selecting the most convenient position for his future home,
the adventurous settler erected his little log cabin, and
aaving secured that shelter for himself, and perhaps for
his family, ho commenced to chop away at the tr^es which
overshadowed his lowly dweUing, until the semblance of a
field— rather an opening in the forest studded with tree
stumps— rewarded his industry, and stimulated him to stiU
greater efforts. By working occasionally for the near-
est farmers, the settlers were enabled to purchase pro-
visions and other necessaries during the first months of
their arduous struggle. The next year they burned the
timber Avhich they had previously cut down, and used
their ashes for manure, and round the stumps of what had
been monarchs of the forest, they planted their first crop
of potat 8S ; the following year wheat was added to their
harvest, and in a few years they began to have a farm —
not, it is true, without hard work, and, occasionally, bitter
privation ; but the prize — glorious independence — was well
worth contending for, while its possession amply com-
pensated for toil and hardship of every kind. These same
men who, as a rule, began 'without a sixpence in their
pockets,' were then in the possession of 100 acres of land
each, with from 50 to 70 acres cleared— much of the land
not exhibiting the faintest trace of a tree having ever
grown upon it, while the recently cleared portion and the
still Hving forest showed that the island had not long
before worn one prevailing livery of green, only varied in
shade by the character of the timber and the nature of its
foHage. The Monaghan settlers had long since passed
the log-cabin stage, and were occupying substantial and
commodious fi-ame houses, with suitable offices ; and most
of them— these Irishmen, who had begun the fight 'without

PROSraRITY OF THE IRISH. 35

a sixpence in their pock .t '-had bronght np thcnr fainihes
with care and in respoctabihty, conld drive to churcli on
Sunday m a well-appointed wa-on, with a good horse, or
a pair of good horses, and probably had what they would
call 'a httle money' laid by in the bank.

As a rule, admitting of only a rare exception, I did not
tor the entire day-during a circuit of nearly sixty miles
-sec a single habitation that was not decent in appear-
ance or that did not evince an air of neatness and comfort.
Al were constructed of timber; but they were weU glazed,
weU roofed, and kept as white and clean as hme or paint
could render them. We must have seen hundreds of
farm-houses during our ten hours' tour; and I can safely
assert I did not perceive more than half a dozen which be-
trayed indications of poverty, or which exhibited an appear-
ance of squalor ; and these latter, I am happy to sa;>' were
not occupied by the Irish. Substantial comfort was the
prevailing characteristic of dwelling and farm buildin- •
and cattle and horses and sheep grazed upon broad acres
from which the stumps had been lately cleared. And
whel^e the forest no longer offered a shelter to the house
or a background to the picture of rural comfort, a cluster
of trees, judiciously spared from the levelling axe, or de-
ibemtely planted, afforded a pleasing variety to the eye. It
too frequently happens in countries which have been re-
cently reclaimed fi-om the wilderness of the forest, war is
so relentlessly waged against trees of every kind, which so
long as they interfere with the free use of' the ^^^:Z

Tven "ir? 1 /' ' ^"''"^^'' *^^'^* ^^^ ^"^ «f barrenness,
e en of desolation, is imparted to the landscapes; and

a t r the lapse of some time, the farmer, whether repenting

f his desolating vigour, or longing for the shade or sheltet

wh ch t stands, those beautiful objects, w^iich adi a charm
and a beauty to the abode of man.

There are people at homo ^Adio regard the position of the

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

farniorwlio is witliont 'eapitiir jia cloapcratc. With thorn
capital — their cjipital, wlii(!h is always money — is the one
thing necessary, and without wliieh all else is worthless. It
were well if these narrow-minded philosophers had an op-
portunity of estimating at its right value the greatest, the
grandest capital of which man could be possessed* especi-
ally in a new country, in which nothing has been done, and
in which everything is yet to be done. Here is the green
forest, the home of the squirrel or the wild cat. For the
liurposes of human Hfc, of man's enjoyment, that green
forest is unavailing. Without the labour of man not all
the money in Threadneedle Street or Wall Street will
suffice to convert that verdant Avilderness into pasture or
urable land. The energy, the industry, the endurance of
man— of the penniless, or it may be fhe despised, emigrant,
— these are worth any number of millions of money. Lack
these, and silver and gold are as worthless as dross, as
valueless as if they lay in the depths of the mine, or were
still incorporated with their rocky matrix. Those Irish
emigrants who landed in Prince Edward Island forty,
thirty, or twenty years since, had to go into the forest and
fight their way, rood by rood, acre by acre, and win their
daily bread by ceaseless labour, until field was added to
field, and the encirchng forest was driven back by the re-
sistless force of human energy — by the powder of the same
God-giving capital which is as capable of making the old
country— the natural home of that hardy, patient, and
laborious race — bloom like a garden, as it is of hewing
abundance, beauty, and civilsation out of the wilderness
in other lands.

In no one proof of progress or evidence of solid and
substantial comfort were the Irish settlers behind their
Scotch or EngHsh or native-born neighbours. Their land
w\as in as good condition, there was as great activity in
clearing, their cattle were as numerous and as valuable,
their hay and their potatoes were as good and as abundant ;

A JUSTICE OP THE PEACE. 35

there was not ovoii the Hii«picioii of iuforiority in any
re.spont whatovor, whothor of capacity or in succosh.

I had the satisfaction of seeing the interior of several
of the tlweUings of my countrynion— men who were in-
fhibted wholly to their industry and energy for all that
they possessed; and the interior in no way behed the
promise of the exterior. Homely comfort was the pre-
vailing characteristic. In Ireland tnese men would be
described as 'warm farmers,' or ' strong farmers.' Not a
few of them had bought the fee-simple of their farms at a
moderate price, and they then held them by a tit^e as o-ood
an that by which Queen Victoria holds her crown. Were
there nothing in the name or in the manner of the settler
to denote his origin, the little library-tho dozen or twenty
of Irish books— stirring prose or passionate pootry—would-
be evidence sufficient of his nationality. The wrongs the
sorrows, the ancient glories, the future 'hopes of Irefand^
these are the most acceptable thcnnes to the expatriated
children of the Irish race.

There was hfe and bustle in every direction, the farmers
being hard at work getting in their potatoes, which were
large and perfectly sound ; and in this agreeable work men
and women were activeh' engaged.

'Come,' said my companion, "let us look in upon a friend
of mine, who by the way is from your part of the country.
He IS a justice of the peace too.'

Passing through a spacious enclosure we arrived at the
house, a well-built, comfortable-lo-oking dWeilling, where
we found the wife of its owner, a comely kindly matron,
with aU the natural courtesy of her country. To the en-
quiry ' mere was himself?' she replied that he was 'out
with the boys, getting in the potatoes.' We proceeded in
search of the master of the house, and had not gone far
when we saw a sturdy strong-built man of middle ao-e
leading a strong horse with a cart-load of potatoes {-it
sized and of healthy purple hue. He was one of the many

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

HioiiFsaiulM of Ills fomitrymon who laiuloil on tho shores of
Anuu'ica without a ])()uii(l in their })OKscasion. Liko t' cm,
his capital cous-iHtod iu his Htrc!n<^th, his iutoHif^^enco, and
his capiu'ity for labour ; and so successfully had ho employed
his capital that, as ho was loadinj^- his horse into his spacious
farm-yard that day, ho was an independent man, not owing
a sliillin<>- in the world, and haviuf^ a round sum in the
hank, liubbin*)- his clay-covered hands in a little straw,
and giving them a final tcmch on tho sleeve of his working
coat, he favourcnl mo with a vigorous gi'asp, such as would
have crippled tho fingers of a fine gentleman ; then, after
having otl'ored us a hearty welcouio, and a cordial invi-
tation to partake of his hospitality, ho fondly enquired
after tho dear old country. Ho was greatly ' jmt out *
when he learned that we could not stop — that wo had to
return to Charlottctown before night set in. ' Not stop !
Oh, that's too bad entirely ! Not take jDot luck ! not even
wet your mouth ! Oh my ! oh my ! that's hard ! Well
now, I'm ashamed of you to treat a man so.' But go wo
should ; not, however, before the brief story of his early
struggles and their crowning success was had from his own
lips.

What a contrast did his air and manner offer to that of
the Irish farmer in one particular — in its manly inde-
pendence of bearing. At home, the tenant is not — at
least in too many instances is not — certain of his tenure,
of his possession or occupancy of the land which he cul-
tivates, and for which he pays a rent that is absolutely
incredible to the farmer of Prince Edward Island — indeed
of America throughout ; and manly bearing and inde-
pendence of spirit are scarcely to be expected in his case :
possibly any special manifestation of their existence might
not be prudent or beneficial. Quite otherwise with his
countryman in this little colony, who cannot bo disturbed
in his possession of his farm so long as he pays the rent —
about tcnpenco the British per acre ; or who has bought it

THE LAND QUESTION.

shores of
iko t' cm,
nice, and
3 in ployed
Hpacious
lot owing
m. in the
lo straw,
1 working
as would
len, after
lial invi-
cnquired
put out *
ve had to
^ot stoj) !
not even
1 ! WeU

Lit go WO

his earl}''
I his own

D that of
ily iiide-
not — at
3 tenure,
L he cul-
bsolutely
— indeed
id inde-
liis case :
ce might-
with his
listurbed
le rent —
lought it

out, and feels that ho stands upon his own propcu-ty, of
which ho is the undisputtnl owner : therefore, wliiU* i;hid
in his homely working suit, witli the red soil sticking to
his strong shoes, and his hands rough with hcmest toi?, ho
l(>oks at you, and si)eaks to you, as a man should address
hi« fellow man, with modest dignity and self-respect.

Strange that in this, one of the smallest of British colo-
nies, very grave and important problems, involving tho
most cherished of the so-called 'rights of property,' should
be practically solved in a manner not only in accordance
with the univ A public sentiment, but with the sanction
of the representatives alike of the people and the Crown.

From the days of the Gracchi to the present hour, the
land (piestion—the occupancy or possession of tho soil-
has been a fruitful source of turmoil and embarrassment.
It was so in ancient Home ; it was one of the causes of the
most tremendous social convulsions of modern times ; and,
because of the deep interests it involved, it is destined to
play a conspicuous part in popular movements in favour
of fundamental changes. Leaving the shores of Ireland,
where the land question is the one ■, liich most stirs the
heart of its people, I cross the Atlantic, and reach a small
island of which not very many in the old country have
ever heard ; and, to my amazement, I find this irrepres-
sible land question the question of the colony, though for
the moment absorbed in the more immediate and pressing
topics of Confederation or Non-Confederation, I had sup°
posed tliat a ' Tenant League ' was one of those things of
which I had probably heard the last, at least for some'time
to come ; but I learn with no little surprise that the most
troublesome movement^ or organisation, which Prince
Edward Island had witnessed within recent years was
known by that title, and that its origin was owing to a
systematic opposition to the payment of rent. The" Irish
demand, during the existence of^ts Tenant League, li^vcr
went beyond 'fixity of tenure,' possession of the land by

THE llirsil IN AMERICA.

::!li;!l

tlio io„a,it SO Icn- us lie fiilimcd his primary obligation of
paying Ins stipulntod rout.

Struck by tlH .iinilarit^' of ilie naino, I enquired of an
iiitollio(3nt Iricnd wliat wore tlie exact objects of the colo-
nial organisation.

'Oh; rephed my friend, 'it M'as a combination to get
rid of rent : the people here don't like the notion of pay-
ing rent ; they are not satisfied until they have the land
in their own possession.' The answer was calculated to put
my moderate opinions to the blush.

* Then I suppose the rents are rather oppressive '? What
are they on the average '? '

'As for that, the rent is but a shilling an acre '
'A what?' said I.

'A shiUing an acre-yes,' a shilling an acre,' was the tran-
quil reply, made as much in answer to my stare of astonish-
ment as to the exclamation with which it was accompanied.
'^\hy how, in the name of common sense, could any one
object to such a rent as that—a rent inconceivably smaU
to one coming from a country where the rent per acre is
twenty times, thirty times, even lifty times, nay, in some
instances, nearly one hundred times greater ? '

' AVeU, as compared to rents in the old country, it is no
doubt low ; but you see the tenants took the land in its
wilderness state, and they had to do everything to it to make
it what it now is. And the rent, small as it may appear
to you— 5Z. the 100 acres— comes heavy enough ; and when
there are arrears falling due besides, it is a serious thing I
can teU you. But smaU or large, our people have an a\^er-
sion to paying rent ; they want to have the land thei?- own,
an 1 fhey are willing to pay a fair price for it too.'

A shilling an acre ! I could scarcely reahse to my mind
the idea of this being a burden, or its payment a griev-
ance ; still to many the burden was felt to be intolerable,
and the grievance one of real magnitude. And, as the
BtrangcBt conlirmation of the existence of this feeling, there

WHAT THE TENANT CLAIMS.

is fclie policy of the leadin^^ public men of tlio colony, Mliich
is to free the actual cultivators from the obli^ration of rent-
paying, by converting the occupying tenant into a fee-
simple proprietor. Already much had been done m pur-
suance of this popular pohcy. Extensive properties— mostly
held by absentees— had been purchased by the State, and
resold to the occupiers on easy terms, ranging fi-om 5s.
to lOx. or 12.S. per acre. The last great property'^thus pur-
chased by the Government, with the view of being re-
sold, belonged to the representatives of the late Sir Samuel
Cnnard. It consisted of 212,000 acres, partly reclaimed
and partly in the wilderness state, and was sold for 53,000/.
British money ; the purchase money including a consider-
able sum in arrears, generously flung into the bargain, or
indeed practically given up. There being no difTerence of
opinion with respect to the policy of converting tenancy into
fee-simple proprietorship, and the only dispute being as to
the best or speediest mode by which this ccmversion can be
accomplished, it is probable that a short time will be
sufficient to bring about a satisfactory solution of the
'difficulty 'which has its origin in the Land Question of
Prince Edward Island.

If the claim to be released from the obligation of pay-
ing rent could in any case be regarded as fair and equit-
able, it would be so when urged by the cultivators of
Prince Edward Island ; as it was they, and they alone, who
by their labour changed the whole face of the country, re-
deeming it from the forest whicli at no distant time covered
the land fi-om shore to shore. About one hundred years
ago the island was parcelled out to about as many pro-
prietors, on certain specified conditions, the principal of
which was, to procure settlers, with a view to the cultiva-
tion of the soil and the population of the colony, and also
to pay quit rent to the Crown. These obhgiiions, the
conditions on whicli the estates w(>re originally -rakted
were generaUy disregarded ; to such an extent,"indeed'

H '

THE IRISH IN AMKKICA.

were they d,.s,-ogardo<I, that, some forfeitures were made
and these forio.tures ,vo„ld have been exteurively enforced
.ul n,,t the defaulting proprietors sufficient influence with
the Home Government to retain their property, notwith-
s an<hng that they had failed in many and fl^gi-ant in-
s anees to redeem their part of the original compact. So
htUo vas done in the way of obtaining settlors, that at the
connneneement of the present century the population of
the whole island did not exceed 0,000 souls; and it was
not „nt,l he year 1830-35 that any extensive emigration
fr..m the United Kingdom took place. In 1832 the popula-
tion was 32,000 ; it ivas 80,532 by the last census ; and in 18CG
It was rather triumphantly estimated at or neoi- 00,000

About two years since, the anti-rent feehng resolved it-
self mto an active organisation, liaving its centre in Char-
lottetown, the capital and seat of government. Who were
Its leaders, or by whom it was originated, is of httle con-
sequence to know. I have heard it stated that the Irish
^vcre no among its active promoters in the first instance,
the Enghsh and Scotch settlers taking the lead. But the

wT^-H "'^ ''"r '"'° ""^ ^"'^'''' "^ "'«y ^ynipathised
heaitilywith Its object, which was not so much to abohsh
the payment of reit, as to compel the proprietors to sell
heir estates on fair terms. Passive resistance was even-
tually adopted m certain districts, the representatives of
the ei«l power being coolly set at defiance, or rather
aughed at by the sturdy colonists. Seeing the inability of
e em force to cope with what a prosecuting crown lawyer
would describe as 'a conspiracy against property at once
wi, e.«pread and forniidable,' it was deemed advlable to
sc, d t , the mam land for two companies of infantry, there
ot then being a single soldier in the colony. Backed by
ths armed force, the law was vindicated, a few individuals
o ng inade the victims of their bold resistance, or legal

;!±7';:':r\,/ '\^<^"™' ^-r- -- to an end ; but^s
*"''•' ""^ ^""^"S ■" which it had it; origin was stiU

THE TENANT LEAGUE AND THE GOVERNMENT. 41

potent, inasmucli as it reaUy represented the universal
sentiment of the colony, an extract or two from the pubhc
records may be useful.

On the 9th of April, ISGG, the Lieutenant-Governor
when opening the legislative session, used these words in
m his 'sjDeech.'

The general prosperity of the past year has been marred by the
cm cLslurbances .vhich took place in several parts of th s co'o y
Misled by Ignorant or designing men, tenants were induced to lb -m
themselves into an association with the avowed Intention of withholding
payment ot t e,r rents, unless their landlords consented to sell thei^
lands on such terms as this association chose to dictate

The la^v was openly and systematically set at defiance, and it beeame
necessary to use extraordinary measures to enforce it A rlu si io^
was therefore made for a detachment of Her Majesty's troof^. o aid he

StSS."^ ^"""^ " ''' '- '- -- --^ ^-"r^

But as if to show that the popular demand was not
devoid of reason and justice, his Excellency made the fol-
lowing important announcement :—

'I have recently concluded the purclmse of another estate
from one of the proprietors. It is my intention to continue to
buy out the rights of the landowners, lohenever lam enabled to
do so on reasonable terms.'
And on the 11th of May, when the short session was
formally closed, the representative of the Crown thus pro-
claimed the triumph, if not of the League, at least of the
popular demand : —

Mr Speaker and Gentlemen of the House of Assembly •
^ 'The measure by which you have extended my powers
ot purchasing land, has my hearty concurrence; and I trust
that, under its provisions, I may be enabled to purchase large
estates from the projm'etors.'
In the ' debate on the address ' many things were said on
both sides of the House which would have been in the last
degree startling if uttered in the senate-chamber of the
mother country. A few extracts wHl suffice.

THE inSII IN AMERICA.

!9i

First from the Hon. Mr. Coles, the Leader of tlie 0]v^o,
sition, who, referring to a proposition made by the late
Duke of Newr-astle, as Colonial Minister, says :—

The Duke's own proposals, however, ought to have satinfled the
Government. His scheme was that if a tenant had regularly paid
his rent, under his lease, for IG years, he should be entitled to the
freehold of his flirra at 16 years' purchase ; if for 10 years, for 10
years' purchase ; and if for 8 years, for 8 years' purchase ; that was
accordmg to the actual interest which the proprietor had in the
leasehold, as evidenced by the amount of rent which he had received
on account of it. At the time it was submitted he thought the
scheme was a fair one, and he thought so still ; but our Govm-nment
thought otherwise, rejected it, and brought forward and carried their
I'ifteen Years' Purchase Bill.

The Sohcitor-Genoral, the official organ of the Govern-
ment, defends the Fifteen Years' Purchase BiU, which,
though derided for its shortcomings by the Leader of the
Opposition, would be regarded in the British House of
Commons as a measure of sweeping confiscation worthy
of the French Eevoliition, or the days of Jack Cade. That
learned gentleman says : —

In every Session of the Legislature since the passage of the Fifteen
Years' Purchase Bill have the Opposition assailed the Government, on
the assumed grounds that that Bill was no boon to the tenantry, was
unacceptable to a majority of them, and could not by any possibility
be made advantageous to them. He, however, confidently maintained
that the Bill was a handsome instalment of all the benefits promised
to the tenantry, by the party in power, through legislative action
with respect to the Land Question. By means of it large arrears of
rent have been expunged from the hooks of proprietors, and declared
irrecoverable, as against all tenants toho shall avail themselves of the
provisions of the Bill for the purchase of the fee-simple of their farms.
Whilst the tenants' improvements were in existence they were a suffl-
ciert security for the recovery of all arrears of rent. On one-third
of Lot M, the property of Sir E. Cunard, the tenants by having
ivailed themselves of the advantages extended to them by that Bill^
had had over ]MOl. of arrears wiped off. every farthing of which'
could have been recovered by thf proprietor, because the tenants
were, in reality, men of wealth. It was the same on the Snllivan
property There were many tenants upon the estates affected by the

'CONFISCATION' PROFITABLE TO THE GOVERNMENT. 48

Filtoon Years' Piirclmse Dill, to whom, before the passing of it, the nro-
pnetors would not consent to sell the fee-simple of their farms, even at
20s. or 30.9. per acre ; hut those proprietors were now compelled to part
loilh the fee-simple of their leased lands at 15 years' purchase.

With tliG foUowing passage from the speech of the Hou.
J. C. Pope, who must be described as the Prime Minister
of this sufficieutly-governed colony, these extracts may be
closed. Nor is it the least significant of the entire. He
shows that the purchase and re-sale of the great properties
has been a paying speculation for the Government ; and
he adds his official testimony to the universaHty of the
feehng in favour of the conversion of tenancies into fee-
simple— or, as he emphatically expresses it, 'the freeing of
the country from the burden of the leasehold or rent-pavin^r
system.' ^ '^ *

'Nearly ah the money which the Conservatives have ex-
'pended in the purchase of proprietary estates has been
'refunded. Every estate which we ham bought has jJroved
'a paying speculation. We have had a i^rofit upon every
'one of them. I think the Government will he justified in
'purchasing all the estates they can, and carrying on, as
'quickly as possible, the freeing of the country from the bur-
'then of the leasehold or rent-p)aying system; and whether
'1 may be in the Government or out of it, I will do all
'in my power to bring about so desirable a consumma-
' tion.'

So much for the Land Question of the British Colony of
Prince Edward Island, which Sir Bulwer Lytton was as
anxious to settle on satisfactory terms to the colonists as
was the Duke of Newcastle. To statesmen who recoil
with dismay from the least invasion of the 'rights of
property ' it may afford matter for useful reflection.*' -

Before dismissing the subject, I may add, on the author-
ity of men of all parties, classes, and positions, that not
only are the Irish amongst the most thrifty, energetic, and
improvmg of the agricultural population, but they are re-

THE IRISH IN AMERICA,

markable for their punctuality as rent-payers. I had no
opportunity of visiting more than two of the settlements
exclusively Irish; but I was generally assured that the
other Irish settlements were in every respect equal to those
I had seen.

While I was in the island, an Irishman, who had not
many years before come out as a labourer, sold a farm for
1,000Z., retaining another worth double that amount. *I
came out here with little in my pocket,' said an Irishman
from Munster, from the borders of Cork and Tipperary,
* and I thank God I am now worth over 2,000Z.' This was
said, not boastingly, but in gratitude to Providence for the
blessing which had attended his humble industry. ' I had
nothing to depend on but God and my own four bones/
said another successful Irishman to me in Prince Edward
Island ; and this form of phrase, so expressive of self-reli-
ance and trust in the Divine assistance, I heard repeated
by men of the same persevering and pious race throughout
the United States and the British Colonies. 'I had no
one but God to hel^) me,' is a common expression with the>
Irish everywhere.

The sums mentioned as the results of honest industry,
and self-reliance of the most elevated character, though
respectable in amount, by no means indicate the position
obtained by many Irishmen in the colony. There are in-
stances of success in trade to which the possession of a
couple of thousand pounds would be but a small affiiir
indeed. However, the moderate success and modest inde-
pendence of a considerable number in a community is far
more indicative of general prosperity than the extraordi-
nary success and the large possessions of a few ; and it is
satisfactory to know that the generally good position of the
Irish in this small colony is not only a fact well established,
but that it is admitted to be the result of integrity, intelli-
gence, and p-ood conduct.

III

A SCOTCH BISHOP'S TESTIMONY TO THE IRISH.

The tcstiiiioii}' of their Scotch Bishop is not to be ovcr-
lookecl. ; it is hououriiig to them and to him :

'They, the Irish, are a thrifty, industrious, energetic

* class of peoi)le, of a perseverance that would be worthy of

* imitation. They keep pace in all respects— in intelligence
'and education, in comfort and independence — with all

* other settlers.

;As for the Irish girls, there could not be a more
modest, chaste, and well-conducted class than the Catho-

* hcs of the town and country. A cause of scandal is of the

* very rarest occurrence among them.

' The Irish are economical when they settle down on the
'land. The Hve poorly at first, then save money, and

* acquire property where they can.

'What they are they have made themselves. For one

* who came out with a dollar, ten have come out with a
shilling.'

And testimony such as the foregoing is, to my know-
not without the highest official sanction in the
colony. *

' The spiritual provision for the CathoUc population of
the island, now estimated ac 40,000, French— Scotch, and
Irish— is steadily on the increase. There are 42 churdies
and 18 priests, besides three convents of nuns, having the
care of academies and schools, in which the children are
carefully instructed in their faith.

Two buildings in Charlottetown attest more eloquently
than words the history and progress of the CathoHc Church
in the colony. The one, now used as a school, denotes, by
certain lines on its roof, that it had been more than once
enlarged while used as the only church for Catholic wor-
ship in the capital— in fact, the cathedral. The other is
the existhig cathedral, a handsome and imposing structure,
furnished with a valuaole organ, and capable of accom-
modating the Catholics of the town, in number about

ledge,

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

fj.j .-III

2,500, who, with but a few exceptions, are Irish, or their
- clcsccndants of the first generation.

To the French, of whom some were the Acadians who had
been so ruthlessly banished from their home in Nova Scotia
was the gift of the faith due in Prince Edward Island.'
Then came the Highland Scotch, strong in their fidchty
to the religion of their gaUant forefathers; and lastly the
Irish, who brought their numbers and their zeal to swell the
ranks of the Church and add to its importance and influence
in the colony. The first missionary was Dr. McEachern a
Scotch priest, educated at Valadohd in Spain, who came to
the island after the first Highland immigration. His was
an exten.nve sheep-fokl and many a weary journey he had
to make in looking after his widely-scattered flock. New
Brunswick and Cape Breton were included within his
jurisdiction, and frequently the faithful from Nova Scotia
crossed the sea to seek religious consolation at his hands
This fir.st Bishop of Charlottetown was a man of ener-y
and resources ; for without any aid, save that which the
zeal and piety of a small and much discouraged com-
munity supplied, he established a school, in which he
educated two priests, who formed the nucleus of the
future ecclesiastical estabhshment of the island, which
gave eighteen priests and two bishops to the church. It
having accomplished its great work, the Seminary of St.
Andrews was closed; and in its place there is now an
admirable institution, St. Dunstan's College, which was
erected by Dr. McDonald, who devoted all his means to
that praiseworthy object. This coUege is suppHed with
every modern requirement and appliance, and is under
the able presidency of the Rev. Angus McDonald, a man
well qualified for his important task, and whose title of
'Father Angus' is as affectionately pronounced l)y the
most Irish of the Irish as if it were 'Father Larry'
or '].i^ather Pat.' Tlie Irish love their own priests;
but let tlie priest of any nationality—Enghsh, Scotch,'

ill

THE IIIISII AND TIIEIIl PASTORS.

French, Bel^nan, or Aniorican— only exhibit sympathy with
tlieni, or treat them with kindness and affection, and at
once he is as thorouohly 'their j^riest ' as if he had been
born on the banks of the Boyne or the Shannon. ' Father
Dan ' McDonald, the Vicar-Genoral, is a striking instance
of the attachment borne by an Irish congregation to a good
and kindly priest; and I now the more dwell on this
thorough liision of priest and people in love and sympathy,
because of having witnessed with pain and sorrow tlio
injurious results, ahke to my countrymen and to tho
Church, of forcing upon almost exclusively Irish congre-
gations clergymen who, from their imperfect knowledge
o^ the EngUsh tongue, could not for a long time make
tiiemsclves understood by those over whom it was essential
they should acquire a beneficial influence. This was
glaringly the case in one Western diocese of the United
States, where its existence was deplored to me by good
men deeply devoted to their faith. But sympathy soon
renders the most imperfect English iiiteUigible to the affec-
tionate Irish heart, and binds the priest to the congrega-
tion in those sacred relations which constitute the strength
of the Church, and secure the safety of the flock.

A fact of which I heard, and an incident which I wit-
nessed, will afford an idea of the vitality of the Cathohc
Church in Prince Edward Island, and exhibit the affec-
tionate respect in which Irishmen in that distant colony
hold those rehgious ladies who devote their lives to the
education of the young.

xit Tignish, where the Catholic element is very strong,
and the Irish are in the proportion 'of one-third to the
French, there is a beautiful church, of stone and brick,
which w^ould do credit to any city in the world ; and this
cliurch was erected, at a cost of 12,000/., in the space of
fourteen months ! This church, as the bishop stated with
just pride, ' was the spontaneous and voluntary offering of
the people.' Thig was not the only effort recently m^ade

THE IIIISII IN AMERrCA.

Ilillliil

by tho higli-apirited citizens of TigniHli ; for in 18G5 a
spaciouH convent, 75 feet in lenjrth by 40 in depth, and
three stories high, the material of brick, was erected in the
same phuie.

Among tho other convontnal estabhshments of Prince
Edward Island is a branch of the famous Congregation
of Notre Dame. Besides a boarding school and day
school for paying pupils, these Sisters also conduct a free
school, wliich is at some distance from the house in which
they reside. I here remarked with surprise, from its
novelty to one who had just left a country in which reli-
gious distinctions are so strongly marked, that Protestants
of various denominations, including those most prominent
in their hostihty to the CathoHc Church, send their chil-
dren to be instructed by the Sisters. As I passed through
America, I found that this custom was almost universal.
There are very grave reasons which induce parents to
obtain for their children tho watchful care and salutary
influence of religious women, themselves models of gentle-
ness and refinement ; and whatever the natural prejudices
of the parents, tho desire to see their children refined,
cultivated, and good, is still stronger. In some communi-
ties the motives which impel parents to prefer the teaching
of 'the Sisters' are more pressing and powerful than in
others ; but though the most violent opposition is oftered
to the practice in many instances, it would appear to be
generally on the increase, and even regarded as a matter
of legitimate precaution on the part of those who adopt it.
In Charlottotown there is no school which can in any way
approach in exceUence tho academy of the Ladies of Notre
Dame ; which fact is of itself sufficient explanation of what
would at first excite some surprise. The Ladies of Notre
Dame are not cloistered nuns. Bound for life by their
vows, like other Orders, they can go about, visit, and teach
m schools not under the roof of their convent.
The Sisters in Charlottotown, as I have said, teach in a

A GRACEFUL GIFT.

exi)eilition and safotv Hio rni\. v "'^^^^^^^^ ^vith greater
brevity. Tlio rrift w«<, ,-1L i ^ simplicity and

ti>at in whic if[.n;~ ::; ""^t--^'"*^ ^i-^ to

gracoM wmth on behl of L 7" '^'t^T^'^^'Soa with

and whore, to „.« t^'tXZ' ITosZ tt'o' ^"^^^■
'tte/am«-scfemo„r /i,rA«to' ^0^1?! Governor,

out the British provine^ I f™'^' ^^^^r. '^s through-

TIIK IRISH IN AMERICA.

CHAPTER ni.

Scene in tlio Lorda— Tho THhIi Race despaired of— Tlio Settle-
ment of Jolinville, New Bninswicic— We enter tlio Settlement—
The First Man and Woman— The Second Man and Woman -Celtic
Energy— Jimmy M'Allister— Mr.Reilly from IJally vourney— How
the Man of no Capital ^ets along — 0\w Cause of Succchh— Mass
iu tlio Forest— Neither Rent uor • Gale '—Other SettlementH.

ON a certain evening of March 18GG, there was a more
than usual attendance of peers in the House of Lords ;
and, attracted by the subject for discussion, many members
of the Commons occupied the bar, or that j)ortion of the
gallery reserved for their accommodation. Among the
strangers who were present, was the Roman Catholic
Bishop of St. John, New Brunswick, an Irishman, but for
nearly forty years a resident in that colony. Earl Grey
had given notice of his intention to submit a series of
resolutions in reference to the state of Ireland ; and the
largeness of the attendance was owing more to the gravity
of the subject than even to the fame of the statesman by
whom it was to be introduced. With that grave and im-
pressive statement, which belongs to the Parliamentary
records of the country, this work has no concern ; a little
incident which occurred during its delivery being the only
justification for its fnention in these pages.

Standing immediately near the stranger, was a gentle-
man who displayed marked courtesy to the * American ' —
as the Bishop simply represented himself to be — pointing
out to him the leading peers on either side, and explaining
such of the forms and modes of procedure as were likely
to be useful to one who was for the first time witness of a
debate in the Lords. In the course of his statement Earl
Grey necessarily referred to the Emigration movement,

THE mrsil RACE DESI'AIItED OF. (j

Which he doploroa a» a groat calamiky-a regret, I may
remark. Hharod .u by the wisest atatosn.en and truest
patuutH of the day; though this annual wasting away of
the 8treugth and vory lif„ of a nation in rog^rdcd „°t
merely with incUfferonco, but with positive ^.tisfac'ti":
by eha low thmkers and falne judges of the character ani
capabihty of the Irish race.

'My dear Sir,' said the courteous neighbour of the
Cathohc Bishop, 'I do not at aU agree with hi.s lord.ship ;
on the contrary my deUbcrate conviction is, unless the
Irish go away of their own accord, or are got rid of in
some manner or other, and are replaced by o„r poople-I
mean the Enghsh or the Scotch-nothing good can ever
be done with that unhappy conntry •

eni^PrH"°7'''t" '''"' deliberately expressed was honestly
entei tamed. There was no hostiUty, no anger, no passion!
but a doep-eeated bdief in the truth of the tex-rible sen-
tence thus tranquilly pronounced on a whole nation A
similar opinion has been too frequently expressed or in-
sinuated in the public press of England, not perhaps so fre-
quently of late as in former yeai-s; and, shocking as the

who caU themselves Irishmen, to indorse this insolent
slander by their unnatural verdict.

f,v!^r' ", ""^ T" '" *''" "''''^^^y """'^l «>ost prac-
tically and completely refute the scandalous proposition
It was the Catholic Bishop to whom, in the dust of the
evening, and while the gorgeous chamber was yet in the
shadows of tw-ilight, his courteous informant tlL vouch!
safed this candid opinion. That same day, a few hours
before he hstened to this sweepmg condemnation »f the
lush race. Dr. Sweeny had described to me the extra-
oidmary success which had attended his efforts to settle
tt^ Irish on the soil of New Brunswick; and how, in the

r.«« • ti v. ^Oi-ig viifliciuues, whicii scarcely any

one in the old country could imagine, much less appreciate.

THE IRISH IN AMKIilCA.

tho samo Irish, of Avliom tlio froiiileman in tbo Housi^ of
Lords so utterly dcspjiirod, iiud, in uu uli.iost incrcHlihly
H lort .space of time, won their way to rude comfort anil
absoluto indc>pendenco. In that interview I accpiainted
Uo Bishop of my intention to make a tour throu-h tlio
J>ntush Provnicos and tho States ; .i^ul before wo s(M)a-
rut(>d It was arranged that I should spcciaUy visit his
Most settlement of our unjustly depreciated countrymen.
Ihe appointment made in London in tho month of March
was faithfully kept in Now Brunswick in the month of Oc-
tober ; and on the morning of Thursday, tho 2r,th of that
month, tho Bishop and I were ni route for the settlomont
a distance of nearly 2{)() miles from the city of St John '
After liavino- passed the first ovenino- ,,t Frederickton,
the capital of New I^runswick, where many Irish are com-
for ably circunistaiuvd, and steadily increasing iii wealth,
und the second at Woodstock, where there is also a fair
pv(^portion of the race ecpnvUy tliriving, we set out at an
early liour on tho foUowing morning for tho settlement of
Johnville, a distance of thirty-iivo miles, not of rail or
water, but of rough road ; and about noon on Saturday
wo were entering the forest avenue which led to the utto/-
most boundary on the western side. The road over which
we travelled had to me all the charm of novelty, and
would have appeared picturesque and striking to any one
from the old country, for it resembled rather a cutting
through a vast and ancient wood than an ordinary hio-h-
way The Bishop was, as I thought, unnecessarily enthu-
siastic in his praise of the new road, which, I must confess
I thought altogether fatal to personal comfort, and in the
last degree trying to the safety of the springs of our
volnclo, though the carriage had been specially adapted to
meet such trifling contingencies as deep ruts, profound
hollows, occasional chasms, with an abundant variety of
watcrcour.es roughly covered over with logs, not always
matched with tho nicest care. I appreciated the road

Tim SETTI.miENT OP JOIlNVil.J.U.

fr<.m a Enr„pcan poiut of vi.nv, „u,l a« it affcetcl ,.„■ in

Ki.n.u, of the laoro lin„l,(,i-.nan'„ truck of tl.rcc or f„„r
youvH prov.ms and co,,]., <.ti.,.at„ at it« ri^lt "■,<."
.;...^wh., .t ,s„„vv„i,,.ay am,...,.„a to hi. Jtt.

wind, tlio dark groou of tlio ,,i„o an,l tl.o bri..htcr vor.lu ,

the COUlltiy WJlo-.rons l.,rlni-. «.U1 • ^

Deploring the tendoncy-the ruinous tondcnev-of hi«

Wn , " *^'°'"'^">' ^l''«cril,ed, and l,ci„f

f loioughly conversant witli the many evils rr,„lt;, t

«™ prevailing habit of the Irish imL^^^^j;:!,

m,l,cis of his people to settle on the soil, and thus amid
.e snnphcity and safety of a rural existence c "ate
«.e.n»elves a happy home and an honourable T^ d™ e

Act, Jio apphed to the Government for tracts of unoccu-

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

pied land on certain conditions, one being that he should
find settlers for this land within a limited time. His first
application was for 10,000 acres, which were to be occu-
pied in twelve months. For this quantity of land settlers
were found within the prescribed period. A second 10,000
acres were then applied for, and similarly occupied ; and
an additional 1G,000 acres, also obtained by the Bishop,
were yet to be occupied by those who possessed the requi-
site courage to face the difficulties and temporary hard-
shijis of a new existence. There were then in actual
occupation 170 lota, of 100 acres each; and allowing for
the settlers with families, and tiio young men who had not
yet entered into the bonds of wedlock, the number of souls
in the settlement of Johnville might be fairly estimated at
600 at the very lowest — a terrible responsibhty to the
Bishop, if his influence had been unwisely used, but a
triumph and a consolation to him if it had been exercised
in a s})irit of wisdom and humanity. Of this the reader
can form a judgment from what follows.

Each settler was required by the State, as the principal
condition of obtaining 100 acres of land, to give work, to
the value of sixty dollars, on the pubhc road that was to
pass by his own door, and was intended for his own ad-
vantage ; but while, if so inchned, he could perform this
amount of work in one year, ho was allowed four years for
its completion. Before ho could obtain the registry of his
grant, somewhat analogous to a Parhamentary title in
Ireland, he should be returned by the Commissioner aa
having executed this required amount of work, cleared
five acres, built a house at least sixteen feet square, and
actually settled as a resident on the land assigned to him.
These conditions had been complied with, in all cases, within
the four years allowed, but in most they had been satisfied
in two years, and by a considerable number of the settlers
in a still shorter time. When the return is made by the
Commissioner, who visits the settlement once a year, tho

G should
His first
be occu-
1 settlers
id 10,000
ied ; and
Bisliop,
be requi-
ry hard-
n actual
wing for
Lad not
of souls
nated at
r to the
I, but a
)xercised
e reader

wincipal
work, to
b was to
own ad-
)rni this
>rears for
L-y of his

title in
ioncr aa

cleared
are, and

to him.
s, within
satisfied

settlers
I by the
ear, tho

WE ENTER THE SETTLEMENT. 68

p-anfc is then formally rogistercd and issued, and the settler
becomes the fee-simple proprietor of 100 acres of land
the property of himself and his family, and of which no
power on earth can deprive him or them. Should a poor
man be fortunate enough to be the father of one or two
or more sons, of the age of eighteen or upwards, he can
procure 100 acres for each of them on the same conditions •
and though a large family is regarded with horror by your
Malthusians of the old country, it is a blessing of inestim-
able value m a new country, in which human labour— that
grandest of fertihsers and mightiest of civiHsers-finds its
true ajopreciation.

The first tenement which the settler in the forest con-
trives for himself is a camp, or shanty. It is constructed
ot logs rudely put together, the interstices filled up with
moss, leaves, or clay, whatever can best keep out the wind
and the cold ; the roof conl^isting of the same materials
further protected l)y a covering of bark, eked out, it may
be, with branches of the pine, the spruce, or the cedar
Warmed by a stove, or carefully prepared fire-place, the
camp or shanty is considered to be a dwelUng of surpassing
comfort by the settler wlio commences his first winter in
the forest. In a year or two, perhaps a longer time, the
rude camp is abandoned for the more spacious and elabo-
rately constructed log cabin, or log house ; and when the
settler arrives at the 'frame house ' and the frame barn, he
looks upon himself as having reached the climax of earthly
comfort, and even the highest point of luxurious accommo-
dation ; though possibly in a few years after tho frame
house gives way to the substantial brick dwelhng, por-
ticoed, and pillared— the glory and delight of its hospitable
owner.

Jolting and jumping over many an agreeable variety in
the surface of tJie road, which the Bishop and I regarded
vvith quite opposite feelings, w^e came to tlie end of our
verdant avenue, and reached a Httle eminence crowned by

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

a chapel of modest dimensions and unpretending archi-
tecture. From this vantage ground the first portion of
the Irish settlement of JohnviUe opened out before us •
and though, on that sharp October day, the sun but occa-
sionally ht up the landscape with its cheerful beams one
could easily imagine how beautiful in must appear in
summer, when the wide vaHey is fiUed with waving corn
varied with bright patches of potatoe, and the surrounding
woods are clad in all the varied verdure of the Hving
forest. Bounded on aU sides by a waU of trees, which in
one direction cover a range of mountains as beautiful in
their outlme as those that are mirrored in the sweet waters
ot Ivillarney, an undulating plain of cleared land extends
about two miles in length by a mile in breadth, dotted
over with the most striking evidences of man's presence
and the progress of civiHsation,-comfortable dweUings
substantial and even spacious barns-horses, cattle, sheep'
hogs, and poultry of aU kinds, from the loud-crowing
rooster' to the puddle-loving duck and the solemn
goose. Even to the eye of an Insh farmer, the vast plain
before us would have presented a rough and rather un-
promising aspect, for not two acres of the many hun-
dred already 'cleared' were yet free from the stumps
of the great trees whose lofty branches had waved and
moaned m the storms of ages. The road, bounded by rude
og fences, and the limits of each holding marked out in
the same primitive manner, and stumps a couple of feet
High plentifully scattered over every field,-this at the first
glance would not favourably impress the Irish farmer to
say nothing of the Enghsh Yeoman or the Scotch Low-
ander ; but were he to overcome his first impressions of
the strangeness of aU he saw, and enquire into its details
he .^^uld soon discover much to astonish and much to
gratify him. The stumps, that impart so strange and
rough an appearance to an early settlement, cannot be
destroyed or eradicated for some years to come ; yet, -fi'oni

THE FIRST Af AN AND WOMAN.

the first year that the trees had been laid low by the
settlei-'s axe, abundant crops of grain and potatoes had
been raised with comparatively little trouble ; and large
, quantities of hay, priceless as winter food, had likewise
borne witness to the fertihty of the soil on wliich a con-
stant succession of leaves had faUen and rotted throu-h
countless ages. '°

In the faU of 1861 the first settlers, a man and his wife
—Mr. and Mrs. Hugh M'Cann-entered the forest, bring-
ing with them provisions for the winter, and a veiy
moderate stock of furniture and other valuables, which
the prudent pair had accumulated by their industry in the
city of St. John. Through a mere track, the oxen, lent by
a kindly Irish family, slowly dragged after them the entire
worldly wealth of this stout-hearted couple, the pioneers
of the civilisation so soon to foUow in their footsteps.
Right in the midst of the forest—never before trodden
save by the Indian, tlie lumberman, or the wild animal—
the M'Canns setled down, resolved to brave the severity
of the approaching season. The first thing to be done
was to erect a log cabin, and for the rougher portion of
this indispensable work the thrifty pair were able to pay;
but they had to cover their dweUing by their own labour,'
which they did with great pieces of bark and branches torn
from the trees under whose shadow they took up their
abode. Here then they were, in the heart of what to them
was a wilderness, more than two miles from a Luman habi-
tation, and even uncertain of the way by which they could
reach the outer world ; their only guide being either a faint
trnck, or an occasional mark, or scar, made on the bark of
a tree. Still they were not in the least deg.ee discouraged.
Mrs. M'Cann had pluck and cheerfulness sufficient for a
more hazardous enterprise. With a good stove, and an
occasional quilt or blanket, suspended on the walls as
tapesti-y, the col.l was effectually kept out, and the lonely
hours made comfortable during the bitter winter. Armed

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

With Lis keen axe, Hugh cut and cliopped through the
months while the snow covered the ground; and so re-
solut(ay did he work, that when the white mantle vanished
W the earth before tlie warmth of the spring, the
M Canns had cleared several acres of their land ; and in
the Autumn of 18G2 they gathered in their first produce-
an abundant harvest of potatoes, oats, and buckwheat. A
proud woman was Mrs. Hugh M'Cann, as she did the
honours of her forest home to the settlers of 18(32 • and
prouder still as she afforded hospitahty and the shelter of
her warm roof to many who had yet to raise a dwellinn.
over their heads. I could well appreciate the brave and
cheery nature of this humble Irishwoman, as the Bishop and
I— alter a lengthened and someMiiat laborious tour throuo-h
the settlement-sat before the well-replenished stove which
had so often warmed the limbs of the wayfarer, and smiled
Its ruddy welcome to the heart of the exile ; and I hstened
to Mrs. M Cann while she chatted gaily to her guests,
making light of trials and difficulties that would have
daunted many a lord of creation. She laughed, as she
told of her furniture being flung by a surly captain on the
shore ^of the river; how she lost her temper 'with the
feUow, and did not recover it for ever so long; how tartly
she rephed, in a spirit not of the mildest theology, to the
kmdly-mtentioned queries of a Free-wiU Baptist; how 'it
was as good as any theaytre' to see Hugh and herself
trampmg after the lumbering oxen, and all their cherished
property nodding and shaking on the jolting wag-on-
how Hugh spent a portion cf his first Sunday-' after
saving our prayers. Bishop, by aU means '-in making the
frame of the door, while she constructed the door 'with
her own two hands ; ' how happy they felt as, the cold
being eil^ctually barred out, they sat down before their
bright stove, and drank a rousing cup of tea ; how, as time
rolled on, and the forest receded before the resolute axe
and the fields gi-ew in dimensions, and cattle lowed round

THE SECOND MAN AND WOMAN. 59

their house, and hogs grunted in the piggery, and roo.ters
and their wives strutted and clucked, she had a tren.endous
batt e Tvitli a skunk that assailed her chickens, and how
single-handed, and appeahng in vain to unheroic or sleeT)v
Hugh, she slew the invader of infamous odour, and then
nearly fainted through fatigue, excitement, and the over-
powering stench it emitted ; how as many as sixteen used
to he at night on every available spot of the floor, and the
priest was curtained off by a quilt in a corner to himself •
and how, with the help of God, the more she gave the
more she had to give. A pleasant hour's chat was that
with Mrs. M'Cann, who did the honours of her log cabin
with the ease of a duchess.

The second woman settler merits special notice were it
only to prove, to would-be sceptics, that the relations be-
tween the landlord and the tenant in the old country have
reaUy something to do with the Irish pcusant's nng-ration
to the New World. "

Mr. and Mrs. Crehan, of Galway, had been tenants on
a certain property in that county ; and this property
having, m some way respecting which Mrs. Crehan was a
httle bewildering in her explanation, come into the pos-
session of a gentleman with a fine old Galwegian name,
the tribulation of the Crehans commenced. The first
thing done by the new landlord was to raise the rent on
his tenants, the second to deprive them of their mountain
pasture, the third to cut off the shore and its seaweed from
their free use, and the fourth to persecute a cherished pig
with degrading pound, and its indignant owners with
harassing fines. It is the last drop that causes the glass
to overflow; and possibly the wrongs inflicted on the
friend of the family and traditional rent-payer filled to
overflowing the brimming measure of their woes ; for the
Crehans made up their minds to go some where — any-
where-' to the end of the world '-rather than remain m
a state of abject vassalage, dependent on the caprice or

TIIK HUSH IN AMERICA.

avari(3e of the gentleman with the fine old Galwegian name,
'and a holy Roman, too, if you plaze,' as Mrs. Crehan
scoflingly assured mo. The Parish Priest was consulted
by the afllicted jjair ; and ho, having seen the letters of the
Bishoj) of St. John, which had been published in the Irish
papers, advised them to proceed at once to New Bruns-
wick, and take land for themselves and their children in tiio
Johnvillo settlement, 'where no man or no law can take it
from you or them,' added their counsellor. The advice was
instantly adopted by the Crehans, to whom the now wiser
landlord would have been glad to lot a much larger farm
than that whose rent he had so arbitrarily raised. But it
*ivas too late ; and so, after paying, ' to the last farthing,
everything they owed in the world,' they took ship for
St. John with their largo family of children, their hard-
earned savings, and, what they prized scarcely less, a letter
fi'om their Parish Priest to the Bishop.

On their arrival in St. John they lost no time in seeking
the Bishop, to whom they presented thoii' only credential,
the letter that was 'to make a landlord of Dinny.' The
wife at that time spoke English imperfectly, while the
husband understood no other language than that which is
the sweetest to the ear and the softest to the tongue of
the Connaught peasant ; and clustering round this seem-
ingly helpless couple, was a swarm of young children,
some Httlo more than toddhng infants. As the Bishop
heard their story, and glanced at the group of young
creatures, he looked upon the case as almost desperate : the
husband, who had to rely on his wife's somewhat question-
able powers as an interpreter, might not be able to make
himself understood, and probably the struggle would be too
severe for the children. Therefore he so glit to dissuade
them from the attempt which they were so anxious to
make. But to go into the forest they were determined,
and go into it they did— with a result which is pleasant
to narrate.

CELTIC ENERGY.

ian name,
i. Crelian
consulted
3rs of the
the Irish
\N Bruns-
•en in tlio
11 take it
Ivico was
low wiser
ger farm
. But it
farthing-,
ship for
sir hard-
, a letter

L seeking
•edontial,
y.' The
hilo the
which is
3ngue of
is seem-
childron,
Bishop
f young
'ate : the
luestion-
to make

id be too
dissuade
xious to
3rinined,
pleasant

Tlioir entire worldly moans consisted of 20/., with tvhich
they liad to provide every necessary for a large family
until the iirst crop could be reaped and gathered in
There was, liowever, tlie right stulf hi the poor Galway
emigrants, although they were of the purest type of th»'t
Celtic race of whose capacity your self-complacent Anglo-
Saxon stupidly affects to despair. In an incredibly sliort
space of time the Crehans had a sufficient quantity of land
cleared, fenced, and cropped, a spacious log house and
ample barn constructed ; a horse, and cows, and hogs,
and sheep, were purchased, or raised on this farm in the
wilderness ; and when the Bishop and I walked through
their property, and inspected their wealth in barn and
field, these despised and persecuted peasants were in
possession of 200 acres of land, and such independence as
they never dreamed of in Galway.

Volubly did Mrs. Crehan— a dark-haired, sharp-eyed,
comely matron— teU of her treatment in Ireland, and her
trials in her new home, as she welcomed ilie Bishop and
'the gentleman from the ould country' into her log cabin,
Avhich, in a few days, she was to abandon for T grand
frame house, constructed on the most approved principles
of American domestic architecture. This mansion was evi-
dently an object of the most intense pride to Mrs. Crehan,
who was much complimented by the expression of our de-
sire to see it. As we proceeded towards the new build-
ing, which was then receiving its protecting coat of ' shingle,'
I remarked that she must have felt somewhat lonely on her
first entrance into the forest.

'Thrue for you, sir, it was lonely for us, and not a hvin-
sowl near us, but the chnder. Indeed, sir, 'twas only ' j an
ould stump that I knew whether I was near home or
r.ot ; and other times we couldn't find our way at all, only
for a cut on a tree. And 'twas the owls— ilie divils!—
that would make a body's heart jump into their mouth.
Oh, sir, th(^y screeched and screeched. I declare, hke any

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

Cliristiari, tiU tlioy fnghtonod the cliiklor out of their sivin
siiisea. The Httlo boy— he's a iiiio feUow now—would catch
hould of 1110 by the gownd, and -iv on, -Qh iiiamniy
nianuay ! wliat a place daddy broui^ht uw to !— we'll be all
ate up to-ni-ht— mammy, mammy, we'U bo aU ate up to-
night " You know, sir, it's easy to frighten childcr, the
crayclicr.s,' apologised the mother.

'But, Mrs. Crehan, I suppose you don't regret huvinrr
come here ? ' o o

'Deed then no, sir, not a bit of it. No, thanks be to the
Lord, and blessed be His holy name ! We have plenty to
ate and drink, and a good bed to he on, and a warm roof
over our heads, and, what's more than that, all we have
IS our own, and no one to take it from us, or to say " boo "
to us. The grief I have is that there's only the 200 acres
-for Id dearly like another hundred for the second

•^' .r '^''''' '^ ^""^ '^'''^'' ^'''^l^i'^^ *« SO to Galway and
see Mr. Blank (the gentleman with the fine old Gal-
wegum name), you may teU him from me, that I'm better
oli than himself, and more indipindent in my mind •
and teU him, sir, aU the harm I wish him is for liini
o know that much. Twas the lucky day he took our
turl and the sayweed— and a bad weed he was, the Lord
knows.'

' Mrs. Crehan, Where's the ould man?' asked a crabbed
httle feUow, who seemed anxious to do the honours of the
settlement to the strange gentleman, and who would keep
us company, foi: a bit of the road.'

'AVhere is he gone, is it? Wliy then, Jimmy, he's gone
to seU a cow,' w^as the good woman's reply.

' Gone to seU a cow ! ' exclauned Jimmy, with an expres-
sion of affected horror. 'Yea, Mrs. Crehan, ma'am, what
do you want partm' with your beautiful cow ? '

'What do I want partin' with the cow, is it? Then,
Jimmy, it's to pay what I owe, and I don't hke to be in
debt ; that's what it manes, Jimmy.'

JIMMY M'ALLISTER. gg

'Bnivo, Mry. Crelian! ' Raid flic Bishop ; 'I admire your
principle. Never be in debt, if you possibly can avoid 'it '

Jiinmy was silenced, tliinkin- perhaps that Mrs. Crehan
had the best of the argument, the more so as his lordshin
■was on her side. ^

_ Jimmy M'AlIister may not be the wisest or most saga-
cious adult male in the settlement; but, fortunately for"
him, he has a better half, who looks sharply after all
thm-s, Jimmy included. Mrs. M'AUister is of so thrifty
a turn that she would pick a feather off the road ; and
indeed so success-fuUy had she picked up and l,artered this
article of comfort and commerce, that she was then after
sellmgfour good beds for the respectable ;um of lfi/-no
small addition to the annual revenue of tho M'Alhsters
Jimmy was of a different turn of mind : he would rather
pick up a grievance than a feather ; and the want of a priest
tor the settlement was a topic on which he dilated with
persistent eloquence, notwithstanding the Bishop's repeated
assurances that there would be a resident priest in the
course of the following spring.

'But, my lord,' persisted Jimmy, 'he's wanted bad; and
that s no he. Faith, my lord, a body may die three times
over m this place before he could send for the priest • and
as for that, a poor fellow mightn't have tho doUars' con -
vavQient to send for tho doctor-two <loUars goin' nnd two

dollars comin'— Be dad, my lord '

'Well, Jimmy, please God. you shaU have the priest
next spring,' said the Bishop.

'Thai may all be thrue, sir— my lord !— but, after all a
body may die three times over before he could send for him
and then, mv lord ' '

'VeryweU, Jimmy, you will be sure to have him,' said
the Bishop with additional emphasis, in the hope of satis-
fymg the unappeasable grievance-monger.

'And, my lord, sure this settleinent is well ble to
support its own priest, and I tell you he's much wanted

Tino finsn in amkiuca.

-and, for <ho ,n.'ti((>r of ihni, tx poor l,o,lv irmv dio tl
tiinoH <,vrr 1m r,)r.> ho couLl !.(> ,il>l„ to H(.n,l for liiin

iree

A nnnour fj.ut, Mr«. M-VUist.,- uuh iu sio-U l,u<l a innr-
volloiis n.llncnco on Jinnn.y, Avho nskc.l for and obtaincl
H ri'a.l.v l(':iv(, of al),s(>nc(-, from the, JJiKhop, on tho ph>a < f
'nr^^ont privato businoss/ Avliicb, in liin /cal for tho spi)-
•itnal wolfaro of hi.s follow-sinnorR, ho liad alto^.(>tlior for-
^•(.tlon Jumny rapidly foil behind, and wan not s(>(>n (ill
tho fo]]o\\ injjf niorninrr.

Anion^^st othor Hc^Uha-.s .vhoni wo visited, was a Cork
liutn. nanuHl Rcnlly, fn,m boyond IVIaorooni, and who
ovory day lio roHo in tho old country saw Ballyvournoy
boforo his two oyos.' l^.iHy ,vas a man of middlo a^o,
fCravo countcnanoo, handsonio foaturos, inoludin- a niarl<od
a(piihno noRo, of doliborato uttoranoe, tho richoHt of IVIun-
Btor bro-nos, and a si,londid faculty for rollin^r tho 'r' liko
tho rattle of a drum under tho hands of a Fienchman ;
and it would seem as if honest llc-iHy had a pr(>ferenco
for words that enabkal him to display tliis faculty to tho
greatest perfection. Tho manner in which ho pronounced
'your lortlship,' 'your-r-r lor-r-rdship,' was griind.

Heilly had come out in the May of 18G2 ; and all ho had,
besides an immenso family— there were eleven children
in tho settlement in Of-tobor 18GG--was a little money for
provisions, and an axe. But tho man, and tho axe, and
tho will and power to use it, were ' with God's help,' equal
to ike work to bo done ; and so resolutely did he set to
his task, so vigorously did ho and his eldest boy hew away
at tho forest, that ho was enabled to gather in 100 buslu^ls
of potatoes that fall. These, and what remained in the
ilour-barrca, kept the wolf from the door of KeiUy's little
sheepfold. And so the stout Cork man and his sturdy
boy toiled on, season after season, and year after year, until,
]u Oclober 18G(I, the settler of 1862 had cleared between
forty and lifty acres of land, and was the owner of two
yoke of oxen, six cows, several sheep and hogs, a good log

MIt. IJKHJ.V FROM JIALLYVOURNKY

<lio throe

iii«l II iiirir-

olihiiiicd

10 plra < f

tllU Hpi)'-

.'tlior for-
' HCOll till

'•i a Cork
11(1 who,
yvouriioy
:ldlo a}f(),
I nmrl<('<l
of Mnn-
[> ' r ' like
iK'liiiian ;
L'oforonco
:y to tlio

llOllllCGcl

[ ho liad,
children
oiicy for
ixo, and
[),' equal
e set to
3W away

bushels
i in the
y'H little !

sturdy
Lr, until,
jetween

of two
ood log

houHO, to wl»ieh lie had just added a coinniodious loft, a
fino burn, a pi^'gery of Hiiitablo strength and diinensicniH.

'W(!ll, lleiljy, I congratulate you,' said the Bishop.
' What you liavo done in tho time is most creditable to
you.'

' Well, niy lord, I am getting along purty well, I thank
my IVlakcr for it. We have raison to be grateful and oon-
t(!nted, your lordship, with what we've done. There is
a good prospect for us and the children, the Lord bo
praised ! Sure enough, 'twas a groat change from the ould
country to this. Glory, too, to the Lord for that same ! '

It may bo remarked, that my excellent countryman
secured to himself in this short speech ample oppeu't unity
for tho display of his r's, which came inagniticeutly into

A glance into the comfortable and spacious house, where
Mrs. Eeillywas employed in dressing a plump represen-
tative of tho floillys, afforded material for pleasing specu-
lation ; for near tho big table at tlie opposite side of the
room, stood a pair, whose conscious manner — the same
kind of thing one may see in a drawdng-room — evidently
portended speedy employment for the resident priest for
whoso advent Jimmy IM'xVllister'so ardently sighed.

Having visited many of tho houses in the first great
clearance, wo drove through the forest, a distance of two
miles, and came to a plain or valley of far greater extent,
stretching five miles in one direction, but similar in its
leading features to that which wo had just left. It may
bo remarked, in order to be accurate, that the Crehan
family were among the occupiers of this portion of the
settlement ; but as Mrs. Crehan w\as the second woman
who li:ul braved the difficulties of a Hfe amidst tho woods,
I somewhat anticipated in her case. The vast tract
stretching out before us w\as reclaimed, or cleared, on the
low ground, and on iho. genllo elevation, and up the side
of the mountain range that ran parallel to the plain.

THE IRISn IN AMERICA.

Here, as in the first clearance, were the same evidences of
the presence of man and the power of that most effective
capital of aU— human labour well directed. Decent houses
and ample barns were to be seen in every direction ;
and, what was the most hopeful indication of the thrift
and energy of the settlers, was the fact that, in very many
mstances, while the family still remained in the primitive
log house, the barn for the reception and storage of grain
and other produce was large, substantial, and built in the
best style common to the province. In numerous cases
we found settlors to possess two fivame barns, with spacious
piggeries constructed of logs, from which the well-known
melodious sounds unceasingly issued. In a very rare
instance was the original camp or shanty tenanted • but
where it was ^stiU the dweUing-place of the family, a fair
proportion of the land was cleared, and a good barn was
hUed with the produce of a prosperous season.

One of the settlers, named M'Mahon. had just com-
pleted a frame house which, for extent, outward appeal-
ance, and inferior comfort and accommodation, was equal
to almost any farmer's dwelHng I had seen in New Bruns-
wick, from Shediac to St. John, or from St. John to
Johnville-a distance of 300 miles. M'Mahon had brouo-ht
some capital into the forest, the result of his industry
as a blacksmith. His new trade appeared to thrive with
him, as he was surrounded with the most convincing evi-
dences of prosperity and comlbrt.

It must not, however, be supposed that aU who came
mto the settlement brought more or less pecuniary capital
with them. Many-indeed, the majority-commenced
without any capital save that comprised in their health,
their strength, and their wiUingness to work. ' Nothing,'
sir, but my own four bones, a sharp axe, and the help of
the Lord,' was the pithy and pious response of more than
one toiler in the forest, as he was asked of his struggles
and success. This is how the settler with no capitalTave

onces of
efifcctive
t liousea
rection ;
le thrift
ly many
rimitive
jf grain
J in tlie
LS cases
iI)acious
-known
ry rare
)d ; but
, a fair
-rn was

t com-
ippear-
^ equal
Bruns-
jlm to
roug-lit
idustry
e with

ug evi-

> came
cajiital
lencod
lealth,
>thiug,
3lp of
e than
iiggles
il save

HOW THE MAN OF NO CAPITAL GETS ALONG. 67

that indicated in the reply mentioned, managed to 'get
along.' Having earned, by working for others, as much
rs enabled him to procure an axe and provisions for a
month or two, he boldly faced the forest, perhaps with a
wife and one or more children. Fortunate was the settler
if he could obtain the fiiendly assistance of a neighbour
to raise the first rude shelter for his young wife and her
infants ; but in the earlier period of the short history of
the settlement such assistance was not always procurable,
and the pioneer of future civihsation had to construct his
shanty 'any how he could.' Satisfied that he had thus
secured a home for his wife and httle ones, he laid about
him vigorously with his keen axe, smiting many a tree
which Avould have formed the proudest ornament of an
Enghsh park, and prostrating pine, beech, oak, and maple,
with the same unsparing energy. The rapid decrease of
the scanty provisions would but too soon warn the bread-
winner that he must hnger no longer in the camp ; and
. caving his loved ones to the protection of Providence, he
would aggin go out in search of work, which was always to
be found. On the Saturday night the poor fellow might
be seen— by the owls, were those grave birds on the look-
out, or by a casual wayfarer hke himself— trudging along
the rough highway, or rude track, bearing on his shoulders
the grateful burden of the next month's provisions, won
in the sweat of his brow by honest toil. Thus he would
work occasionaHy for others, and then slash around him
with his trusty axe, until he had cleared a few acres, and
planted them with grain and potatoes, built a barn, and
gathered in the first blessed fruits of his industry. And
so on, from the shanty to the log cabin, from the log
cabin to the frame house, and the couple of barns, and
the yoke of oxen, and the milch cows, and the liock of
slieep, and the great breeding sow and her clamorous
offspring, — so on to independence, coLifort, and content.
This is literally the substance of many a simple tale.

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

gratefully volunteeml, or easily elicited by a few leading
questions. °

Tiie settlers of Jolmville are invariably kind to eacli
otlier freely lending to a neighbour the aid which they
may have the next day to solicit for themselves. By
this mutual and ungrudging assistance, the construction
of a dvvelhng, or the rolling of logs and pihng them in
a heap for future burning, has been quickly and easily
accomphshed ; and crops have been cut and gathered
m safely, which without such :r:igiibourly aid might have
been irrecoverably lost. •■•.:, necessary dependence on
each other for mutual help m the hour of difficulty draws
the scattered settlers together by ties of sympathy and
friendship ; and wliile none envy the progress of a neio-h-
hour, whose success is rather a subject for general con-
gratulation, the affliction of one of these humble families
brings a common sorrow to every home. I witnessed a
touching Illustration of this fraternal and Christian sym-
pa hy. Even in the heart of the primitive forest we have
sidaiess and death, and frenzied grief, just as in cities
with histories that go back a thousand years. A few days
previous to my visit a poor feUow had become mad, his
insanity being attributed to the loss of his young wife
whose death left him a despairing widower with foui^infant
children. He had just been conveyed to the lunatic
asylum, and his orphans were already taken by the neigh-
bours, and made part of their families. One of them
peered curiously at my companion and myself from under
tlie peak of a huge fur cap that almost rested on his little
nose, as the Bishop was enquiring after the family of a
fortunate settler, named Murphy, who had brougiit the
eldest of the orphans to his comfortable home. How Ion-
hese tender sympathies and beautiful charities may resist
he influence of selli.hness, or civilisation, I know not ; but
that hey then existed in strength and holiness I was
abu udantly convinced.

ONE CAUSE OF SUCCESS. 69

To one cause may be attributed somf; of the success
winch has crowned tlie labours of theso Irish settlers, and
he wishe.'.of their Bishop and his zealous co-operator, the
Key. Mr. ConnoUy, the -ood priest of Woodstock,-the ab-
sence of nitoxicating drink, or the prevention of its sale
in the settlement. What villag-e in En -land or Ireland
wi h a population of GOO souls-that of Johnville in the
autumn of 18GG-is without its 'publick?' Scarcely one ;
while the probabUity is that many villages of an equal
population m the old country possess two of such estab-
lishments. Against the sale of spirits in the settlement
the Bishop ha^ resohitely set his face, and in this ^olutary
pohcy he has the hearty co-operation of the p. cor of
Woodstock, to whom much of the merit of the organisation
and fortunate progress of the colony belongs. Rarely is
spirituous licpior of any kind brought into the house of a
settler, and, save in some special instance, after a hard
day s work, in which many persons are necessarily joined
It is as rarely tasted by this simple and sinless people I
must, however, admit that, on our return throu-h the
entrance avenue, we did meet with an elderly gentleman,
who must have been enjoying himself while visiting a
fiuend beyond the limits of the settlement ; for not only
were his powers as a charioteer considei-ably impaired, but
his damaged articulation imparted a still more bewilderin-
intricacy to 'the explanation of his discreditable conduct"
with which, m demand, he favoured the Bishop.

The material progress of this Irish settlement may bo
lUustrated by a significant fact-that fat cattle to the
value of 200/. were sold to buyers from the States the day
of mj visit. What were the feelings of Jimmy M'Alhster
as he heard of this tremendous sacrifice of live stock'
and which included the cow of Mrs. Crehan, that ex-
cited his special interest, it would be difficult to denict •
but the fact of this remarkable sale of the .surplus stock
of a young colony was mentioned with pride by one of

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

the mosl intelligent and energetic of the settlers, Mr.
}5oyd.

Boyd was one of the few who brought a little capital

with tliem into the settlement. But by far his best

and most useful cai:»ital consisted of four well-grown,

healt!\y, active sons, and an intelligent and hard-working

daugliter, who adds the functions of post-mistrers to the

more laborious and profitable duties of housekeeper. Each

of the young Boyds has 100 acres of land in his own right,

though they all wisely keep together as one family, and

probably will continue to do so until circumstances, over

which young people generally have *no control,' compel

them to prepare for events by no means unhkely in an

Irish colony. One of the ' boys ' was finishing a splendid

barn, another barn being filled to bursting with grain of

nil kinds. The father admitted that the property then

possessed by the family— himself and his four sons— was

fairly worth 1,000/.

According to the census, taken at the instance of the
Bishop, the estimated value of the land cleared, with the
stock, the produce, and the buildings, up to the fall of
18G5, v.'as 14,500/. — an immense sum, when it is remem-
bered that up to May 18G2 there had been but one family
(Hugh M'Cann and his wife) in the settlement, and it was
not until 1803 that the greater number of the residents
had ventured into the forest. It was supposed that the
estimate for 18GG would have reached 20,000/. And if
such be the result of a few years — three or four at the
very utmost — of patient industry, stimulated by the cer-
tainty of reward and the security of its possession, what
may not be looked for ten j-ears hence, when science and
matured experience are brought to the aid of human toil
and manly energy ?

Early on the Sunday morniiig the roads presented
an unusually animated appearance, iis groups of settlers
moved towards the Httle chapel in which the Bishop was

MASS IN THE FOREST. ;j

to celebrate Mass at eight o'clock. Keen was the wiiul
and sharp the air as the fuithfnl appeared in view, issuing
from the forest m various directions, some with ho' ^o -md
waggon, but the greater number sturdily completing- a
smart walk of five, six, and even ten miles. Bri-ht and
cheerful and happy they ah appeared on this auspicious
occasion, when they were to hear the voice of their past.n-
and jom m the most solemn act of Christian worship'
There was no tawdry finery among the women, no dressing
beyond their condition with the men ; both Mere decently
and suitably clad, good strong homespun being rather
common with the latter. That the I.dies had not ex-
haused the wealth of their wardrobes, or brought out
their best at so unfavourable an hour for legitimate dis-
play, I was impressively assured ; and more than one of
the sex— m each case a matron of mature years— volun-
teered an apology for aUeged inelegance of' costume the
result, as they urged hi extenuation of their sins against
iUishion, of the haste required in order 'to overtake Mass '
As a proof that there is no lack of symprthy between the
occupjont of the palace and the tenant of the wilderness I
may mention, as an interesting fact, that on the ^>.^ of the
bed-room m .vhich I enjoyed my first and last night's rei3ose
m the niidst of an American forest, I observed a spe<dmen
ot that intricate arrangement which is said to have had -i
royal origin, and is known t- the world, admired or exo-
crated, by the name of crhioline. This is given as an
instance, not alone of the omnipotent rule and universal
s-ay of Fashion, but of the pi-ogress of an Irish settle-
ment in the path of modern civilisation.

Beneath the groined roof of ] it, cathedral thore never
knelt a more devout congregation (Lan that which bowed
in lowly reverence before the rude altar of the htile rustic '
cliapel of Johnvme. Here was no magnificence of aVchi-
tecture, no pomp of ceremonial, no pealing organ no
glorious work of tLe great masters of sacred «ung; here

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

were no gorgeous pictures glowing from painted windows
no myriad lights on the altar and in the sanctuary, no
priests in golden vestments, no robed attendants swinging
silver thuribles liUed with perfumed incense,— none of
tliese ; but a little structm-c of the simplest form, covered
with shingle, and as free from ornament or decoration as
the shanty of the settler— with an altar of boards clumsily
put together, and covered with a dean but scanty hnen
cloth. But those who knelt there that morning felt no
want, missed no accessory sighed for no splendour ; their
piety required no aid to inflame or sustain ii Exiles
from a Catholic land, they were once more under a sacred
roof, once more listening in the voice of their Church— onco
more iissisting at the celebration of Mass. And when the
Bishop addressed them in siaiple and impressive language,
such as a father might fittingly .uldress to his chFldren,'
and promised that he was about to gratify the wish of their
hearts by sending a priest to hve amongst them, a deep
murmur of dehght evinced the joy and gratitude of the
devoted people. These, indeed, were tidings of gladness,
the fulfilment of thiir fondest hopes, wanting which, ma-
terial comfort and worldly prosperity would be in vain.'

Through one door the women passed out, through the
other the men. By the latter sex I was at once surrounded,
and I was soon satisfied that every province and most of
the counties in Ireland had a representative in that con-
gregation. For a good hour they talked and chatted out-
side the little church, though the air was keen and the
morning still raw. They eagerly enquired after places as
well as persons, priests or poHticians, and ' how the old coun-
try was getting on,' and ' whether anything was really to be
done for it ? ' One gave a case of oppression, another of
hopeless struggle against rack rent or insecure tenure, as
the reason of his flight from the land of his fathers. But
of their new home not one had a desponding word to say.
They spoke with pride of their hard work, and their steady

1 windows
ctnniy, no
s swinging
— none of
n, covered
oration as
Is clumsily
iintj linen
ig felt no
mr; their
fc-. Exiles
r a sacred
roll — onco

when the
language,

children,
li of their
n, a deep
le of the
gladness,
hich, ma-
vain,
ough the
•rounded,

most of
that con-
Ited out-

and the
places as
aid coun-
dly to be
lotlier of
3nure, as
rs. But
1 to say,
ir steady

NEITHER RENT NOR 'GALE.'

progress, and the future which they confidently anti-
cipated. ,

'Well, thank God, 'tis our own, any how, and nobody can
take it from us,' said one of the settlers ; to which there
was a general chorus of 'amens,' and 'true for you.'

'Take care, Mick, you havn't the lialf-year's rent ready
so don't be crowinir.' '

This pleasant saUy from a wag much tickled the audience,
who, to do them justice, were willing to laugh at the smaU-
est joke.

"Tis true, Dan, boy ; but there's nobody lookin' for it,*
rephed Mick, who added, in a voice of affected commisera-
tion that was 'as good as a play,' and was rewarded with an
approving shout—' but, faith, I'm thinking the agmt has
the mazles, or the rhumatiz, poor man ! or he'd be here
before now for it.'

'Jimmy'— to my friend of the day before— 'is vour
gale to the fore?' asked a pleasant - looking Tipperary

'Little we trouble ourselves with gales, or storms aither
m these parts,' rephed Mr. M'Alhster, whose innocent
wit was rewarded with such vociferous applause that I
dreaded the effect on his naturally abundant vanity

' True for you, Jimmy, the misthress attends to'' the riiit,
and that kind of business. I hope she'll be sure and keep
the resate,--'tis bad to lose the writin'— as I know to
my cost.' '

' There's a boy,' said Mr. M'AlHster, pointing to a vigor-
ous young settler of some six feet in his vamps, 'and I
ask you, sir,_this blessed morning, wasn't it a mortial sin
to turn his father, and three boys as likely as himself, out
of tlie ould country? Sheep they wanted, indeed! Chris-
tians wouldn't do 'em. Well, the Lord had a hand in it
after aU, for here they are, aU the boys, with their hun-
dred acres apiece; and what do you think, sir— eh,
Terrenco, my back ! Faith, sir, hes looking out akeady.'

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

Don't mind the boys laughing, Terry ; you'll never do it
younger. But, sir, there they are, them four fine lads, and
every man of them the lord of his own estate. After all,
there's nothing hke being a man's own master.'

' He doesn't always be that same, Mr. M'AlHster, when
once he's married,' suggested one of the bystanders, with
a sly twinkle in his eye.

Mr. M'AUister did not seem to have heard the obser-
vation ; nevertheless he rapidly changed the conversation,
and, i^lunging deep into the poHtics of Europe, appeared
immensely interested in the intentions of the Emperor
Napoleon towards the Court of Kome. Jimmy was in
high spirits that sharp morning, influenced not a Httle by
the knowledge that his excellent wife was then enjoying
* a comfortable snooze in her best feather bed ' at the safe
distance of half a dozen miles from where her husband
stood, the centre of an admiring circle. It was not the
right occasion for airing a grievance ; and, indeed, his pet
grievance— the want of the resident clergyman— had been
so completely demohshed by the assurance publicly given
by the Bishop, that it was hopelessly past use. The tem-
porary delay in establishing the second school in the
settlement afforded him both a theme and a consolation ;
but even of this text for an occasional harangue he was
soon to be deprived. Jimmy may now be in search of a
grievance ; and, when found, it is to be hoped it may not
be a very serious one— barely sufficient to afford a gentle
provocation to amicable discussion.

To my humble self, I must gratefully admit, Mr. M'Alis-
ter did the honours of the settlement in a manner at once
affable and i^atronising.

When we took our departure, which was not achieved
without vigorous and repeated hand-shakings, and prayers
and blessings unnumbered, we were accompanied a couple
of miles of the road by the Resident Magistrate of the
settlement, who also combined in his own person the addi-

Gver do it

! Lids, and

After all,

iter, when
ders, with

he obser-
versation,
appeared
Emperor
J was in
I little by
enjoying
t the safe
husband
I not the
1, his pet
had been
cly given
rhe tem-
1 in the
solation ;
3 he was
irch of a
may not
a gentle

OTHER IRISH SETTLEMENTS. 75

tional dignities of Captain of Militia and Conncillor of the
1 ansli. Mr. Cummins was himself one of the settlers and
ho recounted with modest pride the story of his 'early
cUorts and his daily increasing prosperity

On our return to St. John we met the Post-Master-
General--a Scotchman-who had recently paid an official
visit to the se tlement ; and he was loud in the expression
of Ins astonishment at the progress which the pe pie had
made m so short a time, and at the unmistakable evidences
of comfort he beheld in every direction.

The settlement of Johnvillo is but one of four which Dr
Sweeny estabhshed within a recent time. He has thus
succeeded m estabHshing, as settlers, between 700 and 800
famihes, or, at an average of five persons to each family
between 3,500 and 4,000 individuals. The description
given of JohnviUe would generally apply to the other set-
tlements; the difference, whatever it might be, arisin;.
more from the quality of the land than any other cause

M'Alis-
r at once

achieved
prayers
a couple
e of the
he adfli.

TlIK ll.'ISII IS AMMUK^A.

(UlAITKIt LV.

Irish tvlio sclllc on lln« I.iiiid 'I'licir Sik-ccsm TlnMr rro^nt'ss in
Si. .Idlin Tiii«'(' Irisliiiu'u A Sniiill Hej^inninjic 'i'l'Htinion v iiT ii
HcUust Indt'pcndt'nt— Tosilion of Irisli ('nllinli, - 'I'ltc (liiircli
in Now nrnnswicU A Sw<'ft. Hit, MisHionui^ /«•!») (';illiolici(y
in SI. Juiin i'u.sl and J'n>scnt.

rpill'ilvK !U(> hw^o (lislritls in N(>\v JJiiiUMviclv iiluiost
J|_ oxoliisivcly iK'cupitHl Iw Irish C/iii holies, ulu) hHV«> been
from tw(Mi<y lo i'oviy yciiVH in llin province. Mniiy luid
unxiouH were lh(^ (Mniuiries which 1 ni!i<h^ in vvory i\[Ui\'U)v,
from persons in various eoiulilions of lite, mid liolilin^'
opposite o]>inions on most, ])ublie ijueslions ; iind it is hut
siniphi justice to Iho r(>[)r(>s(Mitatives of thii Iiisli nic*- in
that })ortion of iho Am(>riean (U)ntinent t.o slide, that the
universal testinnmy was in favour of their thrift,, indusiiy,
enerj^y, and honesty. This was tho testimony, not nuM-ely
of memhera of their own church, who might naturally ho
inclined to exagj^erato tho merits, ov to dcial leniently with
tho demerits, of those of their own faith and eountiy ; it
was tho testimony o( S(H)tch Presbyterians, ]On«>lish Pro-
testants, and the aristocratic, descendants of th(>. ori<.^inal
colonists. I liavo been repeatedly assured that tlu; Irish
were among.st the best settlers in tlu; i)roVinc(> ; and W(!ro
T, from a feelin<:j of false delicacy, to refrain from repeatiu}.,'
tliis creditable judgment in their favour, I should be doin<.j
them a grievous wrong, and denying them a merit freely
accorded to them by those who, however individually just
and fair-minded, entertain no special love either for theii"
country or their creed.

As a rule, then, admitting of rare exceptions, the Irish
who )ie(tle on tlie kvid, and devote themselves to its cul-
tivation, do weU, realise property, accumulate money,

TlllOIlt ILOCUKSH IN ST. JOHN.

Hlin'dUMl MieiUHol

v(!H uiMi H(t!i«l <-()iiiforl

H'lr

nuulwH roHp-<.f',l,|y. ]|„„,lr(.,lH of

w, »iri<j ]}v\n^ \

moui'u>uv.d of liiHliiiM
cojidilioii, wlio, u|„.,, <),
liil)

<'UH<H could bo

"'••^.•iiiull.y of (|,„ v,Ty liUfnIiloHt
y rnmo. out liiHt, work(!<l hh fi

>iir<'rH for otliciH, uiid
<'fy im.l)oHy <m which they i,.ih,d hV Uirir duil

UlU-

Oll <hc OIK) lljiiwl fl

now o(r(!|ll.y, ilH OWIK'J'H, Uio

y hrciud.

ilio ol,ii(.r, iliiift and induHt,

, IlKWO W'llH W)lHi(! Hlld (;\t|

UVii;.()Uir() ; on

•' •■'■''" "•"'I iiMiuHir, , with till

il'Hi, lh(. laiirr tool; ih„ j.ht,.,. vvhicli il„3 f,
la)ld.

iMi Uw iiutiinil roHiilf,,
oriiior could not

iiiKXiciipicd, wliicJi havo
•■'•I and Jh'h a.sHiHi-

H.id of ll.iH I; .duny(pmiilit,y iMuybo had h

«» on easy i(>rni,s. Thus, f.

OIll

If)

or iiiHtaiico, for a

Ninii ot

<'!<' lire jiiillioiiH of acr(!H yot
]|<'V(U- I)('<>ii i.sil(.<l Havo by Uio hniil

.'Ulfs

Sbi<

|iO/..H properly <.oMsislin^. of 500 acrcK iriay bo purchanod
n. Kcw HruMNw.ck-ri.ay bo liold as lorif. aH ^.rann ..rows
nnd waior runs. IJ.if,, all.o^.oihor i..d<.pnndont (,f Iho ]and
iliat n.ay bo had froi., tlio Stale, (,iih.r by purchase or
under tho provisions of fho Labour A.i, ihoro uro cultivafc.l
farms which, like all oIIum- <lescript,ions of proj,orty aro
c-ouslantly in iho niarkofc ; and iho tluifty nmn-iho sober
ami prmleni nian.-who waf,ch(,s tho opportunity of pnr-
chasni- to adv!i,ntii,{.-o, may do so at almost any time

Tho Irish, ri-ot(.stants and Catholics, hold a most im-
portant position in St. John, and may be said to own fully
half the property and wc.iltli of that bustling, active city
Of this prop(n-ty an<I wealth, tho Catholics, who willi
scarce an exception, aro Irish, possess a consich^rable 'share
And Avhat they possess they realised for thems(!]vos. Tho
inajority of those who are now respected for the position "
tiey occupy, and which position is enhanced l)y th.-ir
oh:a-actor for honour and integrity, came out poor-in
many instimcos absolutely penniless ; but thov stnpped to
ho ^-ork before them, and climbed, with steady eneim-
lr()m the lowest rung of the social ladder to wealth and
iiH.epondonce. Tiaro indeed is the instMuce of a youno

-ia

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

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I.I

1.25

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1.6

Photographic

Sciences
Corporation

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580

(716) 873-4503

./:-:

>% #

'C^

THE IRISH IN AMERICA,

man having come out with a tolerably weU-fiUed purse.
'I had not a pound in the world when I landed here/ ig
the boast of nine out of ten who owe their present proud
position to their own unaided exertions. And when de-
scribing how several of the wealthiest of the modern emi-
grants succeeded in life, some one who knew the city well
would say : ' Such a maJi first worked as a labourer ; I
'remember this man in a sawmiU ; that man commenced
*asa lumberman; one was a gardener, another a porter,

* another a pedlar : and now such a man is worth 2,G00Z. ;
'such a man, 5,000Z. ; such a man, 10,000^. ; such a man'
*20,000;.; such a man, 50,000^.: but, sir, aU made by

* honesty, energy and good conduct.' This is literaUy the
history— the noble history— of many a man in St. John,
who is a credit to the country of his adoption, and an
honour to the land of his nativity. Even those who
enjoyed the advantage of a good education had, when they
started, Httle more of worldly goods than those whose
only possessions were their strength, their honesty, their
strength or their skiU; and in the hard struggle upwards,
that incalculable advantage necessarily told in their favour!
But in aU cases, education or no education, whether the
young adventurer brought with him the well-won honours
of Old Trinity, or the learning picked up in a village
school, steadiness, sobriety, and good conduct were essen-
tial to success.

The possession of *a Httb money ' is very useful to an;y
man who emigrates to a new country, especiaUy when he
has a family to provide for. But it has been confidently
asserted, by experienced observers of the early struggles
and successful career of their countr:>Tnen, that the most
fortunate men came out 'without a pound in their pocket,'
or, as they phrased it, without ' anything wor: -i speaking of.''
This may be accounted for by the necessity which compels
a man without money, in a strange place, to set to work
at onc^j, and at anything that offers; whereas the man with

ere essen-

A SMALL BEGINNING. 75

a emaU capital is perhaps incliued to look about him too
oiig, expecting, hke Mr. Micauber, that 'something ,vill
turn up, ana may thus lose the opportunity, or fritter away
the energy essential to success. I wis much struck with
Uie histones of three Irishmen whom I met while in New
Brunswick One was a sturdy Independent, ft-om the
neighbourhood of Belfast ; the others were Catholics- one
from Sweet Glanmire,' near the city of Cork, the other
from the county Fermanagh.

The Cork man's first enquiry was, 'Why, then, how's
Beamish and Crawford ?*_are they ahye at iUl »'

Havmg satislied my cheery acquaintance on that head
by assuring h.m that Beamish and Crawford were as well
as^hecould wish them to be, I suggested a leading ques-

'I suppase Mr. M'Carthy, you had to fight your way ^

hke the rest of our countrymen?"
'Faith, and that I had, sir, and no mistake. All I

owned in the world, when I got as far as Frederickton,

was twenty-five cents, and sm-e enough that same was no
left long in my pocket, as I'll tell you-and it makes me

augh now when I'm teUing it, though it was far fi-om I
laughing matter then. I took the twenty-five cents out
of my pocket, and I put them in my hand, and I looked
at them and looked at them, and I thought to myself they
were ^,,Uy little for a man to begin the world with ; but ■
faith, sir, here was no help for it, and I had my health
and sh-ength, and aU I wanted was work to do, fo"^ I C
equal for it. Well, sir, small as the twenty-five cents looLd
m my hand, they looked smaUer soon. I felt myself very

f houf ''■,""'^A™"'''^ " ^""^ "' '''' '^^'J •' «° I™»t into
a house and said to a woman I met there, "Ma'am, I'll feel

It to me. Certainly, young man," says she, for she waa

• Ono of Ibo most emine.l and respectcl browing Arms in Ireland.

fe: I

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

nifi

civil-spoken enough, and I was quite a young fellow in
them clays ; "certainly," says she, "you must have a cup
of tea, young man ; but you must pay me twelve cents for
it." "Beggars can't be choosers," says I to mysell, "so
here goes for the tea." That cup of tea made a large hole
in my twenty-five cents, and the bed and the breakfast
next morning put the finish to my capital. But, sir, as
the Lord would have it, I got a lucky job from a good
gentleman that same day ; and when he saw that I was
steady, and didn't want to spare myself, he gave me more
to do. From that day to this I've never been idle, and
always steady, and keeping away fi-om the drink, unless a
little in reason, once in a way ; and now, glory be to God
for it ! I have enough for myself and my family, and I'm
doing a good busi:iess, and have something put by. But,
sir, wasn't it a^smaU begmning? Faith, I can't help
laughing when I think of the twenty-five cents, and the
big hole that cup of tea made in it.'

The Fermanagh man was then living upon his income,
which was stiU considerable, though he had educated and
provided for a large family. It was his boast that ' all he
had in the world when he landed from Ireland was a
dollar and a shilling.' Industry, perseverance, and good
conduct did the rest.

I shall allow the Belfast Independent to speak in his
own words, his testimony in favour of his countrymen
being too valuable to be omitted. He is— or was in
October, 1866— a member of the Government, though
without a portfoho, his important private affairs requiring
his i^rincipal attention.

' I had to work my way up, with no one to help me but
myself. I hterally had nothing when I began— nothing
in the shape of money or friends ; but I got on from one
thing to another, and I am now, thank God, all right ai. d
getting along. I think it does a man good to be obliged
to work his own way in life ; I know it did me good, and

TESTIMONY OF A BELFAST INDEPENDENT.

am 1

!iapi?ier than if

Iff

r father or grandfather had done

bZ wT f f ' '"■■ "'"y "'•'^ ■^"W'^'- °ff «"»' if they'd
been left fortuaes-for iu that ease they miM.t be only

' bl-ves r t ^'"''" ''™° °' "^ "•^° ^'S-n «s poor

'Irish/ I repeated.

yes, ana as savmo- • nnrl +T,nTr ^.^4. j , ^^'--uo

the rest-Engh.h 80!,, oT .^BtCr ■' AU tT ^"^" "^
.s,ust to teep a.ay from the li.«o~ " .si^t^fore:

was oW ? ''^ r"'\'"'' ^'"■'"P^ "'»-■ « the euth-e trua ,
upid o^rSoT, ^ but .hen the Enghshman wUlbe

IrlmCim 5 tun ;,:"t ': ''T' '" ^ ^"™'-- ^^^

fortable they are, ahd ^vSlt let tW Lr/'"/ H
you'd come to the Irish settlemM, '^

Stephen's, Charlotte County C! "'T "'' "' «'• '
among them all-vet tW ,/ '' "°' "" P°°'' '"™

of contradiction ■ ™'W.-that I say without fear

• You must know your countrymen weH.' I suggested.

i I

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

*That I ought. I am in this country nearly forty
years, and I saw the first of their coming here. They
have gone on -vvonderfully, surely — all must admit that.
And there isn't anything like the drink there was among
them. I have expo ience of that in my own business. I
am perhaps as largely in tho lumber business as any man
in the Province, and I employ a great many men. Some
of it is very nice work, I assure you ; and for skill and
judgment, when once he gets to know his business, I say
I prefer the Iridiman. And, sir, there isn't that danger
that ever was that will frighten liim ; I've seen him as
steady as a rock in the midst of the rapids. As to the
drink, when a party went into the woods formerly, they
could do nothing without the whiskey, and the keg of
spirits was as necessary to the lumberman as the barrel of
flour or meat, or the store of groceries ; but lately it is
not thought of — and so much the better ; people get along
as well and better without it, and they save their money
into the bargain, ind let the sober Irishman alone for
saving! — faith he scarcely has his equal for that in this
Province.'

I remarked that it was pleasant to licar so good an
account of one's countrymen, especially as there were
too many in the world not inchned to think favourably
of them.

'Well, that is true; theie are too many who bother
themselves about people's religion, and who won't give
Catholics a good word; but, for my part, I Hve in the
midst of them, and I find they are in every way equal to
any others that you can mention. Then as for the Priest,
why I olways see him going among his flock, settling
differences when they happen, and taking the greatest
care of the children. I havn't a better or fasl friend
than Father , thou2fh I am not of his church. But

•o'

for the Irish, I know them well, and what I say of them
is before my eyes every day.'

POSITION OF IKISU CATHOLICS. g,

ftffht not only ,n New Brunswick, or the other British
Provmces but throughout the States, inust bo obvious o
any one who coasidcrs the circumstance., under wh.I le

lehgious, which besot his path iu the country of his

oftvtiiff ' "," '•««"""* vicious laws rather than

llTomtrr^ "" r P"'* *° '"---g-he had little in
le olZ Th «™'7thing agamst him. Many of

the older settlers were the descendants of the Puritans
of New England, and the sectarian prejudices of h dr
fathers still survived in the breasts of their childreT

a"a-ift\h7l','r!fv''' '" '^--l"-'-"- the fee^g
against the Irish Catholics was stronger when they were
few in number, and their strength was altogether fiiTI!
n ificant, or when they grew into an important sect on o^f
e population and their influence became perceptible in
« e pohtics a., ,n the trade and commerce of the Prov nee
The prejudice which they had to encounter was ne ther
latent nor sl„mbori„g_it was open and active ; it me ft
Cathohc Irishman in every rank of life and in e -cry branch

wh h T''' T r°*,'""« ^''°'-' "' *"« i-l-"table .1"^;
which, throughout the American continent, the rac ha™
shown themselves to possess, could have aised so lail
a number of them in New Brunswick above the rudetl
employment or the humblest fortune. And yet wS

insh m St. John, and tliroughout the province generaUv
a considerable proportion are to be found in every dt^:
ment of business, and enjoy, as merchants, traders and
manufacturers, the highest position which diaract": "d

™e 1^ w\ """'"" *° ""^''^ P"^^^^^"'-- And not only is it
t^uc that the mercantile and trading class among the Iri.sh
Catholics are equal in enterprise, and even •go-ahoad
-hness." to the most advanced of those who have t ght

TIIH IlilSII IN AMiailCA.

ihn rif^lii H[)irit from (heir iu»i}^'hl»()m'M of ilio StatoH, but
ilicro in ji liir<;;o jiniouiil, of [irojxuly licld by tho workiiif:?
('liiMH{>s. Aiul (his applies with <'((iial ai'curacy to FnMltU'ic.k-
ioM, Woodslock, ('lull ham, (Mu><liac, — whortivor tho Imh
liavo oslablisluMl llKuiiMdlvos in iiiimbci'H, or hud a f'.iir
oi»(>ninjj[ for iho (^x(>rciHo of industry, inti'lli^on(u\ ami
ilirifl. Tho Trisli ProtoHtaut lia<l f(!\v('r ditllcullicH to
oncouutcu' iliau his Catliohci countrymen, and ho in
{jf(Miorally to bo fouml jji llourishiii"^' circumstancos. Simi-
hirity of n>hj^ion \\\ih tluit of tho woaltliior portion of tlio
mass of tlio popuhition Avas always oi {^roat assistance to
tho Prottvstant cmi^n-ant to Anu>rica,

Tho lusl(ny of the ('aJiohc Church tlmmj^hout Anuirica
is also tho history of tho Irisli raco in iho New AVorld.
l^his is as true of tho British l*rovinc<^s, with tho exceptiou
of Lo^ver Canada, as of tlio United States. From thia
point of view it nuiy prove interesting to describe briefly
tho f^rowth and progress of tho C-hurch in Now Bruns-
wick.

It is htth> more than lil'ty years since a Kilkenuy collo-
«;ian was t>rdaintHl in t^ni4)e(r by the IMsliop of that city,
wlios(i spiritual jui'isdiclion then extt>nded over New Bruns-
wick and otluu' mariliim^ provinces of Nortli America.
Father Dollard — for that was tho young priest's name — •
Avaa sent to Cape Breton as a missionary amcuig tho
Indians, who, having boon originally converted by tho
Jesuits, those faithfnl and fearless soldiers oi tho Cross,
adhered with remarkable tidelity to the religion taught
them by the ' black gowns.' AVhile with this simple tlock
the voung Irish missionary led a life of tho severest hard-
ship. Living with them in their camps, he shared with
them all the privations to which they were peculiarly ex-
posed. Al'any years after, when Bishop of Frederickton.
the venerable }n-iest would take delight in narrating anec-
dotes of his mission among the Vred skins.'

Father Dollard was sunniionod on one occasion to visit

A SWEET BIT-A BRAVE TUIEST.

an Indian v,\n, lay at tlio point of tloaili far away in tho
forest— a (listaucu) of twonty-sovcn niiloM. It was uiid-win-
tor, and ilio j^a-ound wa.s everywhere covoiimI Avitli dccip
Hnow. Ac(!onii)ani(!d by lii.s fjnide, armed with a stout wtafi;
and hiw feet protected by Hnow shoes, the priest was soon
on his way. Before startinf,' he shared his breakfast with
his companion, who, with connnendabk) forethonoht, but
mueli to tho disgust of his rffvercnd friend, eooUy took
from tho table tho remnant of tho meat, rolled it in a rag
of most nninviting appearance, and placed it in his ponch,
which ho liid away in his breast. When tho travellers had
accomplished ten miles of their arduous journey, they sat
down on a fallen tree to rest. Iiero tho Indian drew
forth his treasure from its hiding-place, unrolled the un-
pleasant-looking rag with much solemnity, and, cutting
ofl' a portion of tho meat, politely handed it to tho mis-
sionary, saying, 'Father, you take bit of this?' The
young priest shuddertnl at tho proffered dainty, but quiet-
ly declined the courteous invitation, on tho plea of not
being hungry. ' Then me eat it, Father,' said the Indian,
who devoured tho morsel with every appearance of the most
intense rehsh. At the end of live miles more of weary trudg-
hig through tho snow, the pair again rested, the priest feel-
ing faint as well as tired. Again the Indian drew forth his
treasure, which the priest now viewed with somewhat
dili\)rent feelings to what he had beheld it on previous
occasions, and not with the same involuntary rising of the
fiorire. Cutting off a liberal portion, the Red Skin, with

an insinuating manner, and in the softest

voice, said.

' Father, may be you take some now ? ' « Yes, my child, I
think I wiU,' replied tho priest. ' And, my dear sk/ said
the Bishop of Frederickton, 'I can assure you I never ate
anything sweeter in all my life.'

While still among the Indians of Cape Breton, Father
DoUard had to remain for the night in a strange wigwam,
and there being uo kind of bed in the miserable dweUini?.

" I Iff

•0

TIIK IIIISII IN AMKIIKJA.

11 (MMK'li fonucil of fn«Hli jjfrecii Imui^jIih, lorn from ii noi^^i-
lMMlrill^^ in»(>, wiiM coMHliiM'h'd for liis \im\. On IIiIh \h\ lay
titiwii 1(» rt«Hl, Imi \\o wiiH iiwiilu'iu'il in llio tniddli* of tlio
iiij^hl, l»y <*\('nu'iH,liii}'- |»niiiH in liin Luck and Hliouhlci.s, :inii
ill Iho niorniii;«; luMvaH ilirowi :),.■: np Mood. ( 'onii.cllcd (o
r«>hiin to I\lonln«al, wln-ro \u\ ronld ohlnin medical aHhiHl-
»uico,.lm waH for (,\vo yoaiH an invalid, lialf (ho (inn^ Ix'in^'
NjuMit, in (ho hospi al. KMonul at, h^n^rlh («» hoalth ko
IVrvtmlly prayotl for by (h«< /.(wdoiiH miHsionary- hv waH
Honi (o Miramichi, in Ntnv lirunHwick, (IiiH lunv licM of hJH
lahoui'H «>\((Muhn.^«- over an imm»MiH(> Iviwt of uninhabilcd
ooun(rv, liiH llock coiiHiNtin;;- t»f iiihcs of Indians, and a
IVw Kcattonul Fn^ich. Scotch. an<l iri.sh. AVh(>n on Hick
or miH.sionary (hity, ho (rav»«lh>d alonj^' (ho river and
il.s (rihn(arit»s in a cnnot*. always accompanitul by an lii-
clian ; and immy a (inu>, wIwmi neither wi^wani nor ioj^-
hiit. was within possible reach, the i)riest, and his faithful
Kuide had (o pass the ni«^ht. t»n tin* bare },n'ound, under (ho
>velcome Hh(«ltt>r of their uptnrn»Ml canoe. From TMira-
michi Father Dollard was transferrtul (o FnubMickion, (he
enpital of New Ib-nnswicU. \Vhilt> lu>rt^ tht^ smMlliH)\, that
awful scour;;'e of the uncivilistul races of man, made its
dreaded appenrance anumo- the ueij^hbouriuj^' Indians, in
uhoso camps it commi((t>d dt^plorabh^ ravMf^Hvs. It was
at such a moment (hat the Irish priest displayed (ho
coura<;e and self-ilevotiou >vhich formed so noble a feature
in his charac(er. AVhen tlu) timid savages lied in horror
from the uiysterious enemy that was hourly striking- (h)wn
their s(ou(est braves, and makin^- desolate their wigwams,
rather Pollard knelt by the rude couch of tho sutVerer,
luirsed'him. and jirayed with him. and consoled him ; and
when dt\ith relt\is(Hl the soul of the poor Indian from its
swollen and ghastly tem^uu^nt of clay, the dauutlt>ss priest
took that festering body in his arms or on liis btu-k, and
'With his own hamls placed it in the grave which ho had pre-
viously du^ for its reception. Is it to bo wondered at that

MISSIONAIIV '/A']\L

9ft

liis lui Iiiy
111* of Mm*

ilc'I'H, Mild

pcllcd (i)
:a\ HHKiHi-

IIK) IxMlljJf
(MlllJl -HO
— he \V!lH

'Id «>r liin
iidial)it<>(l
M, mid u
I on Hick
ivcr Hiid
)V an 111-
nor lo/^-
^ i'aitlil'nl
nd(>r Iho
m INIira-
dtui, iho
[U)X, that
nado its
lians, in
It was
;Yod tlio
i foaturo
1 horror
:ig down
i^"waius,
KufVoror,
ni ; and
fi-oni its
^s prioat
U'k, and
lad pre-
i at that

llio Clninili sliould liavo mado tlio proj^roHH it has done,
^vlM!n HiK'li wan iiio H|)irit of early niiHHlonjiriow V

l-'aMuT Dolliird ri-maincd at Frcdcricktc^n until 1812,
Avlirn )i(! wiiH (lonHocratcsd .BislioiMtl" New Urnnswurk. At
llio tini(» lio ('oninK'ncdd his niiHsion thoro woro not nioro
than four or livo ])ri(!HlH in tho (!nlir«» province;.

Fatlior (ia^Mion, a Fninch Canadian, was onn of those
Hpiritnal i)ion(!ors, and his duty took him alouf^ that portion
of tho Northern slioro of winch Shcdiac nniy bo dcj.scrihod
as tlu) contro. And ron|>li times tlu^y \v(!ro with the
missionary, who had to encounter tho wild l)hist and tlio
perilous wave, as ho skirtinl tho dan<^<u-ous shore in an open
boat, which Ik, was himself oft(!n obli-jfod to row. Not
unfr(>(pi<>ntly did ho cxperienco the inconvenience of boin^j
wrecked ; iind more than once had tho tall {,^'iunt priest to
wade to land, some; cherished article of property or provi-
sion h(>ld hif^di abov(; the ra|>in<,' watcu-s, to save it from de-
struction. J)e[)endin<r a ^'ood dealon this uncertain means
of communication, i<\itlier (}aj,Mion jaid irrejrular visits to
the wid{;ly scatiereul scittlenumts of his extensive mission.
In tho same district in which the Canadian priest thus pur-
Kued his sacr(>d callin<j^, there Avere in 180() six lar^-o and
poi)ul()us parishes, with jjood churches and resident clergy-
men.

AVo now turn to St. John, the centre of a great and
growing diocese. There are men still living— I have
spoken with some of them— who rememb(u' the time when
they could name every Catholic then in that city. One of
these, a Catholic magistrate, informed me that when he
arrived from Ireland, in the year 1818, there was but ' a
mere handful ' of the faithful in the town ; and he well
remembered how 'one Andy Sullivan, a tailor from
]>nnd()n,' had to read prayers for them "in the church of
St. Malachy— a little tunber structure, which the ^wor con-
grcgati(ui were years trying to cover in from the rain and
the wind, and had no means of warming for fourleon bitter

Till-; iinsn in amkhica.

wiiiitviH, iiiilil llwir minilMrs mimI tlMir rcsoiinv-.s wtMo in-
rrniM«'(l. Tlicro wiih luiollicr iciidci' lu-.si.lt'H lli«^ worlliy
tuilor IVoiii IJuikIoii ' ono I'hiun^nn, }ivo\U'r^i>Anvi\ inmi ;'
and thn vimtH of u prii'sf, Wiurr tlu-n .,1* only ot'ciiHioiiul
(U'ciirrt'iK'o, Mio (•(.n<'i>(.o;iiii,,n ysnv ^la.l of tho Horvicos of
oiui wlio fouhl rciul wilh l)('lil,liii;^r ii.ii)r('ssivoiU!HH tho Kpin-
l\o 1111(1 (JoNjM'l of the (lay, hiicIi [)niv(!rH hh wow Hiiilichlo lo
Whs occiiNioii, with lurhapH ii chupicr from tho work of Homo
l)ioiiH (liviii(>, or a Hormc/ii from oiio of tlio hf^diLs of tho
Churcli. From a (hi/cii, or iit most twenty Catholics fami-
lioH, tliti numluu- ^q-aduiilly increasctl, thon«,'li io a Htill
sciiuiy (•()n;^r(M.nlion and fcrhlo community; l)ut from tlio
yciir 1S21) tin* ti(h( of tniij^ralion commenced to How in,
8h)wly at. lir.st, (n<>ntniilly witli ^reaii-r Htrcnotli and a fuller
current, until, in a few yearH aft(>r, (^liholicH b(>^vau to feta
iluMnselveH to US an important jxirtion of the i)0])ul!iti(m.
Slowly, laboriously, and amidst nuich dilHculty anci marlvcd
discouran-ement, the Irish (iatholics >^rv\v year by y(>ar into
a poKiti»)n bt)th prominent and influential. Tho early Ca-
tholic setthn-s carricnl with them the impress of their civil
and relij^ions dej^radation ; and even for a considerable
thue after tho paHsin^M)f the Emancipaticm Act tho new-
conu)rs were r(>n^ard(Hl with aversion ami mistrust by tho
old colonists, who likewise, and not unnaturally, looked
upon them as intm-lopers and intruders. But, 'manfully
and sti>aclily, the Irish Catholics won their way, thouf>h not
^vithout many a liard lio-ht and many a keenly-felt morti-
lication, to political inlluenco and social consideration.
Now th(>y kneel beneath tho lofty roof of their mao-nilicent
cathedral, 200 feet in h^noth, of solid stone, and"built at
a cost of .i,':H),000 ; and amono- them, white-haired and
venerable, a few of those who, in the wind-scour<,red shanty
of 'tho church of St. Malachy '—for which a stove could
not be procured for fourteen lono- North American winters
--listened with doNout attention to tlio voice of Andy Sul-
livan, the tailor fi'om Bundon, and to the more skilfii]

CATIIOf.rciTV PAST AND I'UESKNT.

olociition of 'olio Fl

innifiiTi, ilio ('()11(>.^(.-I)r(.,l

Illi'MK

.y(!(irH Huu'v, nil ordimuv room would 1

Forfy

ijivo alVordodHnrticiciit
i(! worsiiipjMrM of ilmt, dny :

pour out on Suiidii}H

Hcroniiuoilation to Wm (!uthol
now ooTif^n-c^rjitionH (,f 2,000 or ;},000 ^

an.l hoIiduyH Mirou-h tlio Hcnlpiunul I)ortHlH of <lio ClnircK
of i\w Imnmculutn (^oiicc-i.tiou. ()„ All SiiintH' Day I he-
held Huch a con^nv^^aiion insuiuf,^ fn.iu an early ManH, flll-
uifT tlm Hhrot in front of tlio Hplcndid build

a])

in^' ; and from

_ , i-anco of the thonsandH of wcll-drcsKcd, rcHix-ct-
al)lo-lookin^' ])(>oplo, Mho i)asHod belong me, I n.uld ai)pro-
omio not only tlio material pro-resH of tlio Irish in St. John,
hut the niarvellouH dov(>lopnient of Iho Catholic Churdi in
that city.

On a plot of land, four acres in extent, and ri.-ht in the
heart of the town, are cluRterod the Catlunh-al, the I'alaco
of tlu> Bishop— of cut stone, and one of the finest Htructuroa
of iho lund in the British Provinces, indeed in America—
the Convent of Charity, the Convent of the Sacred H(>art
an Asylum for Orphans, and a ClaRsi(;al and Conunercial
Academy und(>r the patronajve of the Bishop. There are
other churches, convenls, and schools in the city, includiinv
the admirable schools of tlio Christian Brothers. ""

When the present estimable prelate first came on the
mission in 1844, he had to travel distances of from sixty
to ei-hty miles to attend ' sick calls,' and was frequently
absent for more than six weeks at a time, traAcllino- from
mission to mission, sayin- IMass in lo- huls, and adminis-
terin<v the sacrament to flocks scattered throughout a wide
and thinly-i)opulated district. There are now several resi-
d(mt dei-ymen in that district— outside St. John ; and
mstcad of the rude loo- hut of the past, there are now
sixteen good churches, with large congregations. And all
this change in the comparatively short space of two-and-
twonty years.

There are two dioceses in the same province in which,
fifty years since, there were but four missionaries. That

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

of Chatham is i)resicled over by Dr. Kogers, that of St.
John by Dr. Sweeny In the two dio'?eses there were in
18GG ninety chnrches and forty-five priests ; and as rapidly
as priests can be ordained, or obtained from the colleges
in Ireland, there are missions awaiting their labours.
"When Dr. Sweeny was consecrated, in 18G0, he had but
nineteen priests in his diocese, whereas in 1866 the
nun.ber had increased to thirty, and two young candidates
for the ministry were to be ordained before the sj)ring of
1867.

' Bisnop, when we were boys, and when the old church
of St. Malachy took so long in building, and when it was
so many years before it could be closed in, little did the
Catholics of that day think of building cathedrals and
palaces for their bishops, and schools and convents.' This
was the remark made in 1866 by an EpiscopaHan clergy-
man to Dr. Sweeny, as they stood near the group of
buildings that present the most eloquent evidences of the
numerical strength, material progress, and devoted zeal of
the Irish Catholics of St. John. Little did those who lis-
tened to the Sunday readings of Andy Sullivan, the tailor
from Bandon, or of ' one Flanagan, the college-bred man,'
dream of the possibility of a revolution so miraculous.
And yet ii; has come to pass.

CHAPTER V.

The Irish in Quebec-Theii- Progress and Success-Educatloa
entirely Free-Montroal— Number and position of the Irij.h—
Iheir Difficulties and Progress— Beneficial Influence of good
rriests— St Patrick's Hall. ^

ENTERING Canada at Quebec, tlie presence of a strong
and even influential Irish element is at once observable!
In the staple industry of this fine old city—the lumber trade
—the Irish take a prominent part. About 700,000 tons
of shipping are annually loaded at Quebec; and in this
vast business the Irish perform the principal part. This
trade is divided mto several branches, some reciuiring dif-
ferent degrees of skill and judgment; others calling for
physical strength, endurance, or dexterity; more neces-
sitating the possession of capital. Thus, for instance,
there is a valuable class of men employed in sortino- and
measuring timber, who are called ' cullers,' whose business
requires special skill and aptitude; and these men are
principally Irish. Cullers can make as much as 300Z.
a-year; the very same class who in Ireland would think
themselves fortunate if they could earn one-sixth of that
income. Then there are 'cove-owners,' who purchase,
store, and prepare timber for exportation— who, in fact[
sell to the shippers. The cove-owners are principally Irish.
The cove-owner does a large business, and enjoys a good
credit, and he generally hves well, keeps his country
house, and even drives his own carriage. Nor are there
wanting Irishmen in the ranks of the shippers, men of
large means and good standing in the connuercial world.
Then for that extensive department in which strength
dexterity, and endurance are all essential, the L-ish com-

THE JRISII IN AMERICA.

mand the boat position, {uul, as a necessary consequence,
they receive the hijj^hest rate of payment. On an average,
the working men employed in the various branches of the
himber business of the port earn from Os. and 8.v., even to
10.S'. a day; but it must be remembered tliat there is a
considerable portion of the year during whicili employment
becomes scarce, and even ceases altogether ; therefore the
man whoso sole capital is his labour must determine to
save for the hard weather, which is sure to come, or ho
must be ready to go into the woods as a lumberman, or
seek employment wherever it can be procured.

It is pleasant to know that not only are the Irish in
/^ Quebec, and indeed along the St. Lawrence, among the
most industrious and energetic portion of the population,
but tliat they are thrifty and saving, and have acquired
considerable property. Thus along the harbour, from the
Champlain :Market westward to the limits of the city, an
extent of two miles, the property, including wharves,
warehouses, and dwelling-houses, belong principally to
the Irish, who form the bulk of the population in that
quarter. And by Irish J here mean Catholic Irish. There
are many Irishmen of other persuasions, eminent in trade
and commerce, men of the highest standing and repute;
but not only are there many Catholic Irishmen, who came
out to Canada witli. little more than their skill as me-
chanics, or their capability as labourers, now in positive
affluence, but the larger proportion of those who live hy
their daily toil have acquired and possess property of more
or less value. This property usually consists of the plot
of land on which they have erected a house for their own
occupation, and another to let to tenants. As the fortunes
of the family increased, fo did the house, until at length a
decent dwelling, of at least two storeys, Avas secured ; then
the house for the tenant was constructed. It is ascertained
that the Cathohc Irish — the Irish of the workin<>- classes-

have 80,000/., or $^00,000, lodged in the Si

ivings' Bank of

THE IRISH IN QDEnEC. gj

Q.iobec ; «u.I that in all Idnds of b™k nnd other st.ick
they own somothiug hko 250,000<. or $1,225,000. TUm in

lubh Ana this IS but one of three local banks in that city
BcsKles possessnig „.,tcn,sivo hon«e property, and havin.;
acemnnlate,! money, they are generally cngagcl in bnsines;
of winch they enjoy a fair .share. Whatever the Irish po,.'
ses,s, they have made by their own nnai.le.l in.lnstry -for
as a respectable Irishman, who had himself worked his wa^
to mdepondence, said to me: 'Yon conld scarcely trace
one that brought a sovereign with him.' He ad.lod that
he had brought out four him.self, but that he nu'.dit a.s
well not have done so, for he lent them to a porso^ who
never took the trouble of paying them back. 'And per-
haps, after all, it was so much the better for me that I lost
the money, for I had to work the harder.' Among those
who came <mt 'poor,' as working mechanics, is an Irishman
who IS now m the enjoyment of an income of 10 000/
a-year, made by successful contracts, natural a),ility,' and
good conduct. This case may bo regarded as a .somewhat
remarkable one m Canada, if the magnitude of the result
be regarded ; but there are many instances in which sums
o 20,000/., 30.000/., and 50,000/. -have been realted T;
the mdus ry and perseverance of Irishmen who came to
the Bnt,sh Pronnces 'without a shilling.' The secret of
the success or failure of Irishmen may be summed up in a
se,Uence spoken by a countryman of theirs i„ Quebec ;
wouls .which I havo heard expressed Imndreds of times in
aU parts of America, and which could not be too often
repeated : 'Where the Irish are steady anil .sober, they a^
sure to get on ; where they are drunken, reckles,s, or im-
provident, why of course they fail.'
In Quebec, as in too many places in America, there are
instances of drunken, reckless, and improvident Irishmen ;
but happ..v, these cases are exceptional, for. as a rule, the
lush ot that city are sober, prudent, a:>d thrifty. And

i
*

THE IRISH IN AME!

ono fact, ilio exact parallel to wliicli mry bo tolil of tbo
(/ IriHh in Montreal, i.s in the hi^hcHt {Icf^^rce (creditable to
the moral tone t\'liic;b they maintain,— that there is not in
the IriHh portion of the town a sin«.lo honse of bad n-pnte,
alihono-h as many as 10,000 sailors are frecpiently at ono
time in the port, and aichon-rli the Irish keep "lod-ing-
lionses, and places of entertainment, which are frequented
by a class whoso influenco is not always the mcxst favour-
able to i)ublic or private morals.

The Irish Catholics in Quebec, who number about
12,000, possess Church property of their own creation, to
the amount of 40,000/. ; and the manner in which they
respond to appeals mado to their charitable feelings, was
strongly impressed on my mind from liearing the Pastor of
St. Patrick's announce from the pulpit that the bazaar just
held in aid of an hospital for old and iutirm people liad
reahsed the net sum of 800/. To this handsome amount
the wealthier classes had contributed a fair proportion ;
but th(^ larger amount came from the pockets of tlio
working people. Indeed, to employ the language of a
gentleman long connected with Quebec, 'they form an
exhaustless resource in every charitable or religious under-
taking.'

I was afforded a favourable opportunity of seeing at ono
time a large body of the working class of Irish, that is
Ii'ish-born, or born of Irish jmrents. The occasion was
a funeral of a young man who had fallen victim to a
daring feat, which resulted in his death. The nature of the
death created ajively sympathy amt)ng his class, who might
be described as 'ship-labourers,' engaged in various de-
partments of the great lumber industry of the port. Tiie
procession occupied a considerable time in passing the
place at which I stood, and the papers of the following
morning estimated the number who 'walked' at l,20a
There was not of that large body of working inen a single
one badly or shabbily dressed ; all were well a) d com-

GOOD LAWS AND FREE EDUCATION. 95

fortably clnd, wliile many wro uttirod with a neatness and

home. Ihoy soeinod to mo to bear themselves witJi an air
of liian y mdepondence, as free citizens of a free country
m wluch the htws make no distinction between man and
man. And taking into consideration the dangers and
hardships to which most of those engaged in the principal
work of the nver and harbour are necessarily exposed, and
the temptations to which the very nature of their employ-
ment gives rise, these men are, as a body, temperate and
well-conducted ; the country being the exception.
^ The Irish Cathohc who must depend upon himself for
getting along ' has more diflficulties to contend with than
the Irish Protestant, or the Englishman or Scotchman.
Ihe majority of the population are French ; and not only
docs the Irishman speak a diilerent language to that
ot the majority of the population, but he absorbs a largo
and valuable portion of the employment, and pushes his
way into active rivalry with the more wealthy class in
various branches of business. Then ho has a certain
aiiountof national jealousy or sectarian feeling to en-
counter amongst the Enghsh-speaking section of the com-
munity. So that when he does rise above the mas*s, and
acquire wealth and position, it is at least certain that his
Btrugglo has been hard, and that his success has been
weU-earned. But whenever an Irish Cathohc in Quebec
or Montreal told me of his hard up-hill fight, he was sure
to add- The laws are good and just, and we enjoy every-
thing wo have a right to hope for. We have nothing, to
complam of hero ; and aU wo wish is that you were as ;ell '
oft at home. To which sentiment, I need hitrdly say I
invariably responded with a cordial ' Amen '

Education in Lower Canada is entirely fi-ee. Each
denomination o. joys the most complete hberty, there
bemg no compulsion or restriction of any kind whatever
And the magnificent Laval University, so caUed after a

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

Frencli bishop, enjoys and exorcises every right and privi-
lege possessed by the great uuiversitioa of England. Tliis
University, which is eminently Cathohc, obtained a charter
conferring upon it all the powers that were requisite for its
fullest educational development.

The rights of the Protestant minority are protected in the
amplest manner, as well by law as by the natural tendency
and feeling of the majority ; for there are no people more
liberal and tolerant, or more averse to any kind of agres-
sion on the faith or opinions of others, than the French
Canadians ; and the Irish Cathohcs too well remember the
bitterness caused by religious strife in the old country, to
desire its introduction, in any shape or form, or under any
guise or pretence, into their adopted home. There are
abundant means of education within every man's reach ;
and it is his own fault if his children do not receive its full
advantage. But the Irishman, whatever may be his own
deficiencies as to early training, rarely neglects that of his
children ; and in Canada, as in the States, the fault attri-
buted to him is not that he neglects to educate them at all,
but that he is tempted to educate them rather too highly,
or too ambitiously, than otherwise.

In no part of the British Provinces of North America
does the Catholic Irishman feel himself so thoroughly at
home as in the beautiful and flourishing city of Montreal.
He is in a Catholic city, where his religion is respected,
and his Church is surrounded with dignity and splendour.
In whichever direction he turns, he beholds some mag-
nificent temple — some college, or convent, or hospital
-everywhere the Cross, whether reared aloft on the
spire of a noble church, or on the porch or gable of an
asylum or a school. In fact, the atmosphere he breathes
is Catholic. Therefore he finds himself at. home in the
thriving Commercial Capital of Lower Canada. In no

THEIR NUMBER AND POSITION IN MONTREAL.

: and privi-
and. This
:1 a charter
site for its

cted in the
I tendency
iople more
I of agres-
be French
lember the
country, to
under any
There are
ii's reach ;
dve its full
3 his own
hat of his
ault attri-
lem at all,
30 highly,

1 America
oughly at
Montreal,
respected,
;plendour.
)me mag-
hospital
t on the
ible of an
breathes
le in the
In no

part of the world is he more perfectly free and independent
than in this prosperous scat of industry and enterprise, in
which, it may be remarked, there is more apparent hfe and
energy than in any other portion of the British Provinces.
It is not, then, to be wondered at that the Catholic Irish
are equal in number to the entire of the English-speaking
Protestant population, including English, Scotch, and
Irish. It is estimated that the Irish Catholics are now
not less than 30,000. Of these a large proportion neces-
sarily belong to the working classes, and find employment
in various branches of local industry. Their increase has
been rapid and striking. Fifty years since there were not
fifty Irish Catholic families in Montreal. It is about that
time since Father Richards, an American, took compassion
upon the handful of exiles who were then friendless and
unknown, and gathered them into a small sacristy attached
to one of the minor churches, to speak to them in a
language which they understood. In thirty years after-
wards their number had increased to 8,000, and now they
are not under 30,000.

The Irish of all denominations represent a vast propor-
tion of the wealth and commercial enterprise of Montreal ;
and though the majority of the CathoUc Irish came out at
a later period, and under far less favourable circumstances,
their position on the whole is in every way excellent.
They are not in the least behindhand in industry, energy,
and active enterprise, when compared with any other
portion of the community. As merchants, traders, and
manufacturers, Catholic Irishmen, who commenced without
any capital, other than a moderate share of education,
natural intelligence and good conduct, are steadily yet
rapidly rising to wealth and social position ; and instances
without number might be recorded of men, who could
scarcely write their names when they landed on the wharf
of Montreal, who, thanks to their native energy and reso-
lute good conduct, are this day rich and independent.

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

The Savings Bank is the strong-box of the prudt nt man
of moderate means and liumble position ; there ho places
his Httle surplus capital, generally after having built for
himself a house or ' store,' as a shop is termed in America.
The position and character of the Irish working classes
in Montreal may be fairly estimated from the fact, that of
$1,000,000 deposited in the Savings Bank of that city,
four-fifths, or $800,000, belong exclusively to them. A
large portion of the stock of the Ontario Bank also stands
in their name. Then they possess considerable house
property, two-thirds of which is insured. Griffintown, the
principal Irish quarter, is almost entirely owned by the
working classes; and here, as in Quebec, not a single
house of ill-fame is to be found in the entire district. In
Griffintown, poverty and wretchedness, miserably clad
children and slatternly women are occasionally to be seen ;
but they are comparatively rare ; and in almost every case
the drunkenness of the father, or the tippUng of the mother,
is the sole cause of the wretchedness and degradation
which, happily exceptional, form a dark contrast to the
prevailing sobriety, thrift, and good conduct distinguish-
ing the Cathohc Irish of Montreal.

While it is true that the Irish Cathohc feels himself
more at home in Lower Canada than, in the other Pro-
vinces, Upper Canada especially, it must not be supposed
that he tas not had many and serious difficulties to con-
tend against. Whatever may now be the feelings of the
French Canadians towards the Irish, they were strongly
hostile to them at one period ; for in the rebellion of 1837,
the Irish, influenced in a great measure by two eminent
priests of their own country— Father McMahon, of Quebec,
a man of surpassing power as an orator, and in every
respect one of the most remarkable men of his time ; and
Father Phelan, afterwards Bishop of Kingston — generally
sided with the British Power, and against the insurgents
of that day. This was one and a very natural cause of

THEIR DIFFICULTIES AND PROGRESS.

prejudice against them. Difference of language must at
all times, even under the most favourable ""circumstances,
create a barrier against international fusion, or thorough
sympathy between races ; added to which, the humbler
class of the new-comers soon began to occupy situations
and even monopoHse branches of industry previously
occupied and monopohsed by the French Canadians.
Then, as may be supposed, the Cathohc Irish were not
much befriended by the Enghsh-speaking portion of the
population ; so that here, as in most other places, the Irish
emigrant had to fight his way up under circumstances suf-
ficient to daunt any other people, but which difficultie-d
seem to have had the effect of bracing their energies and
ensuring their success. It is nearly a quarter of a century
since Francis Hincks, now Governor of the Bermudas, and
Louis Drummond, now an eminent and highly respected
Judge of the Supreme Courts of Lower Canada— the one
a Unitarian, the other a Cathohc, and both Irishmen-
infused life and spirit into the Cathohc Irish of Montreal,
and gave them a sense of pride and consciousness of
strength, which they much required. Now they form a
large and important section of the population of the finest
and most prosperous city of British North America, and
they are thoroughly conscious of their strength and legiti-
mate influence.

I had the pleasure, on several occasions in Montreal, of
meeting the very elite of my countrymen of all denomina-
tions ; and I found among those who, when they com-
menced, had to rely altogether on their own exertions,
more of the American spirit than in ahnost any other city
in the colonies. There is greater manufacturing enterprise
in Montreal than elsewhere in British America ; there are
therefore larger sources of employment throughout the
year for the working classes, to many of whom, indeed to
most of whom, the winter is a season of trial and priva-
tion.

100

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

AmonfT tlioso whom I met,, was an entcrprifiing ninnu-
fiicturcr, who Ixiawtod of his being *fi Cork boy,' si i)upil of
the CliriHtian BrotherH, and iiii upprontico of tho Mohhivs.
Hogarty, tho oniinont tannors of his native city. Ho was
doing a thriving business, his orders being ov(!r $1()0,0()0
in advance of his means of supply. He liad hift tlie States
some dozen years before, being anxious to afVord liis young
family the advantages of a sound Catholitr education, which
at that time was not of such easy attainment in tho city
where he then resided as it has since become. Prosper-
ous himself, he was enthusiastic in his dcsctription of every-
thing in Montreal, particularly the posititm occupied I)y
his co-religionists. * Wo Irish Catholics,' he said, ' are in
'a strong position in this city. There is no city in tho
'States in which wo occupy a more favourable position

* than we do liere. Wo ferl ourselves at home here ; we

* are not foreigners, as we are sometimes considered else-

* Avhere. The laws are good, and we have all that we can

* fairly desire, and we can educate our (iliildren in the best

* manner, and just as we please. In fact, we could not be

* better off. This is the place for an honest and industrious

* man, but not for the idler or the drunlcard. There is no
'fear, in this country, of a sober r-^"^! who is willing to
•work ; but he must be sober and industrious.'

My worthy friend was himself -a rigid teetc^taller— to
which fact he attributed most of his prosperity.

It is foreign to the purpose of this book to describe
the pubHc institutions and buildings of any place ; but I
cannot refrain from expressing my admiration of Montreal,
which is in every respect worthy of its high reputation.
It has an air at once elegant and sohd, many of its streets
spacious and alive with traffic and bustle, its places of
doing business substantial and handsome ; its public build-
ings really imposing, :„nd its churches generally splendid,
and not a few of them positively superb. This description
of the churches of Montreal is not Umited to the Jesuits'

BENEFICIAL INFLUENCE OF GOOD PRIESTS. 101

Church, tlio Htntely Parois^n, and tlio ffi-and church of St.
Patrick, of ^vhich tho Irish arc deRCVvcclly proud ; it aj)-
pUoH with equal propriety to tho Episcopahan Cathedral,
and more than one church belon<,nng to the Dissenting
bodies. Montreal is rich in all kinds of charital)le, edu-
cational, and rchgious institutions ; and such is the in-
fluence and power of tho Catholic element, that this beau-
tiful city, which is every day advancing in prosperity and
population, is naturally regarded by the Catholic Irish-
man as a home. The humble man sees his co-rehgion-
ists advancing in every walk of life, filling positions of
distinction— honoured and respected; and, instead of
mere toleration for his faith, he witnesses, in the mag-
nificent procession of Corpus Christi, which annually pours
its solemn splendour through tho streets, a spectacle
consoling ahke to his religious feehng and his personal
l^ride.

The influence of really good priests, who combine wis-
dom with piety— who, in their zeal for the spiritual welfare
of their flock, do not overlook their temporal interests and
material progress— is at all times most serviceable to the
Irish ; and nowhere is that influence more required, or
more potent when exercised, than in America. Happily
for the race, it is exercised very generally throughout that
country, and in no instance without the most beneficial
results, in their improved tone, their greater industry, and
their habits of thrift and saving. The good priests of St.
Patrick's— the Sulpitian Fathers of Montreal— employ this
salutary influence with results most cheering to witness.
It hfts the Irish up ; it raises their social condition ; it
induces them to acquire and accumulate property — in fact,
by the very improvements which they are induced to effect, '
to identify themselves with the progress of the commu-
nity. To acquire this most desirable influence over an
Ii'ish congregation, the priest need not be an Irishman ;
but he should be wise and pious, and his people should

102

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

fool that ho hrts i^yriipalhy with thm. Tiio lack of this
cHHontial Hympuiliy m oftoii fatal to the boat intentions of
tho boHt men ; whoro it oxists, it supplies or conipcnsatt'S
for the want of nniny qualities, if not actually (essential,
a^t least yary valual)le in a priest. The j,^oo(l Fathers of St.
Patrick's in Montreal—and fortunately they have their liki)
in every diroc^tion— in every Province and every State
—combine all these requirements ; they are wise as well
as pious, and they have a profound sympathy with their
Hock.

St. Patrick's Hall— of which I only saw tho brc^ad found-
ations-is creditable alike to tho enterprise and ,. ihlic
spirit of the Irish of Montreal. Tho Hall itself will be as
spacious as a catliedral— 13-4 feet lonjv, by 94 feet wide
vithin the walls, and 4G feet high. The national senti-
ment is gratiHed in the architecture of the buildinfr, which
IS 'purely Irish, copied from Coriuack's Chapel on the
Rock of Cashel' The design is really grand and im-
posing ; and when fuUy realised in cut limestone, St.
Patrick's HaU will form one the most strildng archi-
tectural ornaments of the city. With a front of 144 feet
on Victoria Square, and 100 feet on Craig Street, it is in
the very centre of the business portion of Montreal ; and
the fine shops which are to form the ground flat, and the
show rooms on the second flat, together with sundry rents
derived from the gi-eat concert-room and other portions
of the building, will render St. Patrick's HaU not only pleas-
ing as a monument grateful to nfitional sentiment, but
satisfactory as a speculation.

CHAPTER VI.

Upper Canada-Nnmbcr of tfio Irish -Tfovv thpy camn an<l s.'|,H,.,l.
and how thcyjrof, tth.ii^r ; Ilhistnit.Ml |,y tlio (liMtiict (.f IVJrr'
""■'^",'^^'", I^il iciiltic's an. I Hardships Caliimrdcs n-liitcd -What
Iho N'ttlcrs did in alow iMontiis-i^^uly Trials I'rcor.'ss and
Cotilrast-lMithcr (.'ordon-Church-l.iiiidintr i„ tlio Fcuvst -An
«'arly S.'l,tl.-r-.A Sad Aiu-idcut A Lonjf Joiirnoy to Mass -A
Slory H rat.Ko Imt tr.io -TJio hast (Jrain of Tea-l.'athor Gordon
on the Irish and thoir Love of tho Failh.

rilHE Irisli form fully half the population of what still,
X Coiifoderation not with staiidino^, may bo dosi«,niatca aa
Upper Ciuiada. Of these the CatholicH may bo said to bo
nearly one half. Fortunately for the Irish in Canada,
they have generaUy adopted the kind of industry best
suited to their knowledge and capacity, and do not, as it
is too much the habit of their brethren in the States,
crowd into the large towns, for which, by habit and educa-
tion, ';hey are not suited. They are scattered o\er the
land in great numbers, either in settlements, in groups,
or singly ; but in whatever manner distributed over the
face of the country, they are, as a rule, doing well. The
Cathohc Irish are in many instances to be found in almost
exclusively Catholic settlements ; but they arc also to be
met with in the midst of Scotch and Enghsh, and mixed
up with their Protestant countrymen, who have mostly
come from the north of Ireland. There are Catholic
settlements of every date— from six, ten, and twenty years,
to thirty and forty years, backwards — generally in a
flourishing condition, and in every one of which are to be
seen extraordinary examples of courage, energy, and en-
durance, such as may well make an Irishman proud and
hopeful of his r.'ice.

It would not serve any useful object were I to ask the
reader to accompany me through various counties or town-

■-•

104

TUE IRISH IK AMERICA.

Bhips Of Canada ; mj purpose is rather, by the aid of an
occasional sketch, to show how and in 'wlL n.anner the
Wblor and poorer Irish enngrants have succeeded in
making a home for themselves in their adopted country.
In order to appreciate what they have done, it is necessaiy
to aftord some idea of the difficulties that lay in their path
That .hey have succeeded in rendering themselves in-
dependent, and in laying the foundation of a prosperous
future for heir descendant ;, is undoubtedly true ; but we
may profitably glance at tlie past, to see how all this has
been accomphslied. I prefer rather to deal with those who
came out poor, without capital, depending for their daily
bread on the labour of their hands, than with those who
emigrating under more favourable circumstances, were
never caUed on for the display of the quahties essential
to the rude pioneer, whose chief capital consisted in a
strong arm, a keen axe, and a bold heart. I cannot
better commence than with a brief sketch of the settle-
ment of one of the most prosperous districts in Canada-
Jreterborough.

In the year 1825, now forty-two years since, a con- '
1 7ta -''T f f ^^i&^'^^^its, consisting of 415 famihes,
01 2,000 individuals, sailed from Cork Harbour on t.heii'
way to Canada, where, under the auspices of the Govern-
ment, they were to estabHsh a home for themselves in
what was then a forest wilderness, the abiding place of the
wolf and the bear. These 2,000 people were all from the
south of Ireland, genuine Irish in birth and blood. Let
ns follow the footsteps of those huml^le people, and learn
how they battled with the difficulties of a new and tryin-
position, and what they accomplished for themselves and
the country of their adoption.

The voyage across the Atlantic was wonderfully prosper-
ous. Heaven seemed to smile upon the poor exiles and
give them courage for what they had soon to meet. In a
few w^eks after theii' arrival at Quebec, they were found

THE SETTLERS OF PETERBOROUGH.

100

aid of an
inner the
•ecded in
conn try.
necessary
lieir 2)atli,
elves in-
■osperous
; but we
this has
liose who
ieir daily
lose who,
OS, were
essential
ted in a
[ cannot
e settle-
ianada —

a con-
families,
)n tfheir
Govern-
3lves in
e of the
•oni the
d. Let
d learn
I trying
res and

rosper-

e% and

. In a

found

encampca on the sl.oreB of Lake Ontario, near Cobonrri "7
waiting for means of transport to tlicir intoncle.l settle-
ment, in wliat is now the rich and fertile county of Peter-
borough, then mostly a verdant wiUlernoss. These people
wore the pioneers of eivihsation, for their future home was
fully forty miles distant from the frontier settlement of
that day. There was not then even the semblance of a
track through the wooded country which they had to
h-averse, and a kind of road had to be cut tLn Lake
Ontario to Rice Lake, a distance of twelve miles throucdi
the tang ed forest. Rico Lako had then to be crossed, and
the rapid and turgid Otanabee, fo- the distance of twenty-
five miles was to be ascended by this little army of
settlers. In order to cross the lake and a.scond the river
three boats wore constructed, and propelled on wheels over
the rough track from the one lake to the other; but when
this part of the diiHculty was got over, and the bagga.."
aiul provisions w-ere brought so far in safety, it was found
that, owing to the dryness of the season, and the con-
sequent shaUowness of the waters „f the Otanabee, it was
mipossible to proceed without additional means of trans-
port; so a great boat of light draught, sixty feet in lenoth
by eight feet in width, had to be at once constructed
ad with the aid of stout rowers, frequently relieving each
other, this vessel was steered through the rapids, and -o
somehow over the shallows. After diiiiculties and hard

wh ch difeculties and hardships were aggravated bv fever

ttfdTV tf T "-l-™g'y "tt-l-S the robuit and
he deh ate, the strong on whom the weak reli.xl, and the
weak who wore thus rendered still more helpkss-they
auived at what is now known as one of the mo,st beautiful
and prosperous towns in Canada, and was then but a
.racklcss wilderness. Those who arrived first commenced
nnmediately to put up ru.lo huts, or wigwams, ma<le o
gi-eat strips of bark, branches of trees, and sods; and a

106

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

batch after batch of emigrants arrived, after successfully
passing the rapids and shallows of the river, the landing-
place presented an animated appearance, which gave some
idea of a new home to the exiles, and cheered their droop-
ing spirits. Here they remained encamped until they
proceeded to settle on the lands in the neighbourhood.
The proportion of land granted to each family of five
persons was 100 acres ; but each grown-up son was also
allowed- the same quantity for himself. Soon the tem-
porary huts made their appearance here and there in
groups, as the attractions of friendship or acquaintance
induced families to seek each other's neighbourhood, or as
greater facihties for shelter or comfort suggested; and it
was not long before this Irish camp assumed the air of
a place of business. The novelty of the present, and the
uncertainty of the future, must have deeply impressed the
most thoughtful and observant of the settlers; but that
which gave them the greatest uneasiness was the absence
of a spiritual dii-ector and comforter— of the Priest, to
whose guidance and ministrations they had all their hves
been accustomed. They embraced the first opportunity of
appealing to the Governor-General of the Province to
supply this great want ; and in their memorial, which is
touching in its simple earnestness, they display their
traditional love of education and devotion to their faith.
They say: 'Please your Excellency, we labour under a
'heavy grievance, which we confidently hope your Excel-
'lency will redress, and then we will be completely hapjjy,
'viz., the want of clergymen to administer to us the
' comforts of our Holy Religion, and good schoolmasters to
'instruct our children.' What a comment is this on a comi-
cal absurdity which I heard uttered in no less important a
.place than the House of Commons— that the Irish were
rushing to America in order to get rid of their p}iests !

Calumny and slander had followed these poor exiles
across the ocean, and tracked them to their new home in

CALUMNY REFUTED.

107

ccessfuUy
landing-
ave some
}ir droop-
ntil they
)ourhood.
Y of five
was also
the tem-
there in
laintance
>odj or as
I; and it
le air of
and the
3ssed the
but that
absence
*riest, to
eir lives
tiinity of
vince to
which is
ay their
)ir faith,
under a
r Excel-

us the
isters to
L a comi-
ortant a
sh were
5ts !

r exiles
loine iB

the wilderness. When first the people in* the frontier
settlement— for the most part immigrants themselves, or
the sons of immigrants from the United States, who' re-
fused to abandon their allegiance to the British Crown
at the time of the American Eevolution— heard of the
arrival of these 2,000 'Irish Papists' in the neighbour-
hood, they became alarmed for their property, and even
for their personal safety. This alarm and prejudice were
caused by stories cii-culated by those who, unhappily, had
brought the old unnatural hatred with them to a new
country. However, such was the order maintained in the
c<.lony, and such the excellent conduct of the settler, that
it became quickly apparent that these stories were false and
unfounded. A person then residing near the colony bears
testimony to their industry, energy, and good conduct, in
a letter dated January 1826, a few months after theii-
arrival. The letter is written to a fiiend :—

'I am here in the very midst of them; from twenty to thirty pass
my door almost daily. I visit the camp frequently, and converse
with them on their affairs, and find them happy and contented. In gen-
eral, they are making great exertions in clearing land , and their efforts
have astonished ma?iy of the old settlers. Not one complaint has"'>een
made against thom by any of the old settlers, and it is the general
opmion that when so large a body of people are brought together
r,one could conduct themselves better. When we heard of their
toming amongst us, we did not like the idea, and immediately began
to think It necessary to put bolts and bars on our doors and windows
All these fears are vanished. These fears, I must acknowledo-e were
m consequence of stories that were put in circulation before their arrival
in that pari, which have all turned out to be equally false.'

Let US now see Avhat were the results of the energy and
industry of this colony of Irish settlers in the short space
of a single year. Remember, these people were not what
it is the strange fashion in some parts of America to
describe as, and the shameful fashion to admit us being-
' Scotch-Irish ;' they were genuine Irish, in feeling as" in
blood. These 2.000 'Irish Papists.' whose path of exi^o

108

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

was tracked by wicked lioH, sailed from Cork in May 1825 •
and iu November 1«2({ tlioy weio proved to have done
this work ;— they had cleared and fenced 1,825 acres of
land, and raised off the land so cjloarcd G7,000 bushels of
potatoes, 25,000 bushels of turnips, 10,000 bushels of
Indnm ourn, 3()3 acres of wheat, J),000 pounds of maple
HU^^ar ; and they had purchased, by their labour, 40 oxen
80 cows, and W] hocrs ; the total value of the sinjrle
year's work, literally hewn out of the wilderness, by the
sturdy energy of these Celts, being estimated at 12,524/. I

These lio-m-os represent amazing energy and marvellous
success, but they do not do full justice to the people by
whom this work was done : for while they were engaged in
the novel labour of cutting down the lofty and ponderous
trees of the virgin forest, they were assailed by those
enemies to the first sottlers^Fover and Ague—that seem
to resent man's invasion of the soHtudes of nature, and
endeavour to drive ba(!k his daring footsteps. Dr. Poole,
a resident physician, writing of the sufferings of these
early colonists, says that the fever and ague assailed them
almost from the first moment they arrived in the country ;
and many strong hearts were unmanned, and many vigor-
ous forms prostrated, during the earlier seasons of their
forest life. Scarcely a family escaped, and sometimes
entire families were afllicted with the ague for months
together ; and such was the violence of the disease, and
their utter helplessness, that, at times, they were hardly
able to hand each other a drink of water! It is a wonder-
ful instance of energy and perseverance ; and it may be
well doubted if a greater amount of work has ever been
accomplished during the first year by an equal number of
persons, under eq.uaUy unfavourable circumstances, in any
part of America. It nnist bo also borne in mind, that not
one of these settlers had ever felled a tree until he set
his foot in Canada.

The imnugrants or settlers of forty years since suffered

EARL/ DIFFICULTIES.

109

from inconveniences that are comparatively rare in tlia
present day, and amonfr the chief and most serious of
tliese was the want of miUs to grind the produce of their
fields. The difficulty was not to raise the grain, but to
convert it into flour, and thus i -nder it fit for the food of
man. It is recorded that, at an interview of a Scotch
settler with the Governor, he told his Excellency— ' We
'have no mill, sir, and save your presence, sir, I have to
'got up at night to chew corn for the children.' Possibly
the settlers from Cork wore not subjected to a toil so
fearful as that endured by the devoted Scotchman ; but the
only grist-miU within reach being at a distance of between
fifteen and twenty miles, it was necessary for the person
who desired to get his corn ground to convey it to that
distance on his back, and to return with it the same dis-
tance when it was converted into flour ; and frequently
would some sturdy Irishman shoulder his bag of grain,
and bear it on his back those long and weary miles, hia
only food some potatoes which his wife had prepared for his
toilsome journey. In the winter a hand-sleigh, that could
be pushed over the snow, would aftbrd facihties for takin"
corn to the miU, or for the transport of provisions ; but
there were states of the weather when the snow, which at
other times afforded an easy track, was a source of im-
pediment and danger. For many years the skin of the
hog was made into covering for the feet, the hairy side
being turned inwards ; and as a substitute for tea, which
was then a costly luxury, attainable only by the rich or
those withm reach of towns, wild peppermint and other
herbs were made to take its place.

What but the manly vigour for which the Irish race
are now proverbial in the countries to which they have
migrated, could have so speedily overcome the difficulties
of a first settlement in the wilderness ? Not a few of
those who sailed from Coik in 1825 have passed awav
alter a iilo of hard and ceaseless toil, and others now

THE misir in America.

Rtancl, as it wore, on the brink of tlio «rav(i ; but tlioir
Honn and tlicur p^randsonH. thoir (lau-hlors and tlicrr grand-
dau-lit(,rH, llonrisli in tlio niidsi of ])rosi)ority and comfort
of wliidi thoHo wlio wont before tlieni were the creatorn.'
The Hhaiity and the wi-wani and the log hut have lonc^
Kinco given i)la(30 to tlio mansion of brick and stone ; and
tlio liand-Hleigh and tlio rude cart to tho strong waggon
and tho well-ai)])()intod carriage. Where there was^'but
one miserable grist-inill, there arc now mills and factories
of various kinds. And not only are there spacious schools
under tho control of those who erected and made use of
them for their children, but the 'heavy grievance ' which
existed in 1825 has long since been a thing of the past.
Q'ho little chapel of logs and shingle— 18 feet by 20— in
which tho settlers of that day kn(>lt in gratitude to God,
lias for many years been replaced by a noble stone church^
through whose painted windows <he Canadian sunlight
streams gloriously, and in whit.h two tliousand worshii)pers
hsten With the old Irish reverence to the words of their
pastor. The tones of the pealing organs swell in solemn
harmony, where the simple chaunt of the first settlers was
raised m the midst of tlie wilderness ; and for miles round
may the voice of the great bell, swinging in its lofty tower
be heard in the calm of the Lord's Day, summoning the
children of St. Patrick to worsliip in the faith of their
fathers. AVc^l may the white-haired patriarch, as he
remembers the saiHiig from Cork, (lie passage across the
mighty ocean, the journey up the St. Lawrence, the cuttino-
of the road between tho two lakes, the difficulties of the
shallows, and the dangers of tho rapids of tho Otanaboe the
camp 111 the wilderness, tho fever and the ague that racked
his bones in tho early years, the hard toil and stern pri-
vations ; well may he bo surprised at what he now bcliolds
-at the wondrous change wrought by the skill and
courage of man, animated by the most potent of aU
mcentivcs-tho spirit of jiope and the certainty of reward

PROGRESS.

Ill

but tlioir
m- grand-
1 comfort,
creatorH.
liavo \ouff
Olio ; and
^ waofTon
wa.s but
factories
IS sclioola
1(! use of
:!0 ' which
the past.
J 20— in
■ to God,

church,
snnhght

•shippers
of their

1 solemn
tiers was
3S round
y tower,
iiing- tliG
of their
I, as he
ross the

1 cutting
3 of the
bee, the
b racked
ern jori-
boliolds
dll and
of aU
reward.

Twcnty-fivG miles west of Peterborough, another town
has sprung up within a few years—sprung out of the
forest, as if by enchantment; and of tliis town a majority
of its inhabitants are the descendants of those who left
Cork in 1825, and of their friends or relatives who followed
them in a few years after. There is not in Canada a
prettier town than Lindsay, in which may be seen a
curious structure, rather out of place in the midst of brick
and stone. Carefully fenced round, and kept in a state of
preservation, is an old log shanty, which is regarded by
a considerable portion of the inhabitants with atlectionate
veneration. This was the temple in which they wor-
sldpped God when the soil on which the prosperous town
oi Lindsjty now stands was covered with juniper and pine.
Near this ' old church ' is seen its successor— a splendid
brick editico of Gothic architecture, erected at a cost of
$20,000. And not a gun-shot's distance from the old
churcli is a fine block of shops, equal in style to any
buildings in Montreal, which cost their owner some
hundred thousand dollars. Twenty-five years ago he was
a poor lad, not worth sixpence in the world ; but he pos-
sessed what rarely fails in the long run— industry, honesty,
iutelhgence, and steadiness.

To finish the history of these Irish immigrants, it may
be mentioned that the discovery of gold in their neigh-
bourhood has amazingly enhanced Ihe value of real estate ;
so that tJiose who desii-e, in the true American spirit, to
push on, and seek a more extended field for their opera-
tions, may part with their property at prices which would
enable them to purchase whole tracts of land in other
places.

Proceeding farther West, we may behold the first hard
struggle of people and pastor, to xeclaim the soil from
ihe sterility of natu -e, and maintain the faith in the midst
of the wilderness.

112

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

There is s ill living in Hamilton, Western Cannula, as
Vicar-General of the diocese, an Irish priest-Father
Gordon, from Wexford-who has witnessed astonishin..
chanf.es m his time. He has seen the city founded, and
the town spring up ; the forest cleared and the settlement
created; the rude log chapel, in which a handful of the
faithful knelt m the midst of the wood, replaced by the
spacious brick church in which many hundi-eds now wor-
sliip And not only has he witnessed astonishing changes
but he has himself done much to effect the changes which
he has lived to see accomphshed. It is now about thirty-
seven years smce he came to Toronto, then a smaU place,
and known by the name of LiUle York. Bishop McDon'
nell, a Scotchman, was the first Cathohc bishop of the
diocese, at that time of immense extent. Father O'Grady
a Cork man, was stationed at Little York, and though even
at that time the position of the Irish Cathohc was miser-
able in the extreme, Father O'Grady was a favourite with
.the authorities; and indeed such were his social quahties
and charm o manner, that no dinner party was considered
complete without his genial presence. Father Gordon had
charge of the back townships, twenty-four in number. AVe
must appreciate the extent of his spiritual jurisdiction
when we learn that a township comprised an area of twelve
miles square ; and Father Gordon had to attend twe^
four of these !

Irish Cathohcs there were, scattered through this vast
terntory-very nearly all of which was in its natural state
as It came from the hand of God; but they were few and
far between, hidden in the recesses of the forest, most of
hem not having seen a priest for years, perhaps since they
left their native home. Many of these had worked on the
Erie canal, and had come to Canada and taken land to
set le The fewer m number brought some little money
with them but generally their wealth consisted of provi-
sions, which they had to carry on their backs through the

FATHER GORDON.

113

Cnnactfi, as
st — Father
istonisliin<r
uulod, and

settlement
Iful of the
ed by the

now wor-
g chano^es,
tges which
)ut thirty-
nail place,
1 McDon-
)p of the

O'Grady,
3ngh even
as miser-
irite with

quahties
onsidered
rdon had
ber. AVe
risdiction
of twelve
i twe .

this vast
ral state,
few and
most of
ace they
I on the
land to
3 money

)f JH-OVJ-

ugh the

woods, a distance of thirty, forty, even fifty mifes So lon^^
as the provisions lasted, they cut away and cleared ; bii't
as soon as the stock was near being exhausted they re-
turned to the States, and went again on the pubhc works.
And thus they worked and laboured until they raised
sufficient food to bo independent of the merchant and
storekeeper. At this day these men are amongst the most
prosperous in Canada.

The townships of Adjala and Tecumseth, in the county
Simcoe, are amongst the most Irish and CathoHc of any in
Upper Canada. When Father Gordon became acquainted
with them, there were in both but thirty or forty families,
and these were scattered in every direction. Few were the
visits which he could make in each district of his far-
extended mission ; he was in one place this Sunday and a
hundred miles in an opposite direction the foUowing Sun-
day. But the visit of the clergyman was an occasion of
jubilee, in which aU participated. About the time his
arrival was expected, scouts would be on the watch to give
the first notice of his approach, and if there were a hiU^top
in the neighbourhood, a signal fire would spread the glad
inteUigence to the anxious colony. With joyous cries, and
clappmg of hands, and eloquent sobs, the pious people
would hail the priest, as "his wearied horse bore him into
their midst ; and catching the contagion from them, the
tiavel-worn missionary would forget his long journey and
his many privations at the spectacle of their devotion and
the cheering accents of their Irish welcome. Sheep and
poultry, and even oxen, would be sacrificed by the pros-
perous settler, who was proud to have his home selected for .
the ' station ; ' and after confessions had been heard and
Mass celebrated, and Communion received, then would
follow the abundant breakfast, of which all partook, and
then the grand dinner, for which such slaughter had taken
place ; and those whom long distance had kept for months
apart would now rejoice in the opportunity of talking of

'?^ '•

114

TIIFO miSII IN AMKIIICA.

Hio oM ccmlry ,umI f<,r,„or imwH, wliil,, tho prioHt wan aiv
ixmlo.l i„ on (,vor.y Hul(^ an iUo l,(,Hf, and Huro.st auihoriiy
an 1,„ wl.at wan ^nimr on in iho world at tlic (,ihor wido of
tli« AtlaiilK,, (>.s,.(.uully in Iroland-ihat Hpot to which
ovory h(^art turnod with nn(M>aHin^r ]ovo.

In I8aa Fatlior (^>rd.,n d.^ti-nniiuMl to cnmmonco tlio
wovkof dnirdi huildiu-in tlm forost, and l.i.s flrnt olVort
WIN HU.-coHHfully n.ado on tlu) conlinoH of Adjala and T.vuni-
Hoth, whoro 1,0 roHolv<Ml on onu^tinf,^ a h,- churd,. Ahhcmii-
l>iiMf.' Iho ],(>opl(,, ho aHkcMl th(nn to aHHist liini in tho L^ood
""d'Tlakino-. 'rlu,y woro doh^d.tod with his proponal, and
wilhnnrly pliuvd thoinH(>lvoH at hlH ooniniand.

; Tl.oro is ono thin- boyn, you must also proniiso mo/
said tho pi-K^st.

' AVhy. th(>n, wliatovor it is, your revorouco, wo'll promise
it, Kuro ononj^di.'

'AVoll boys,' continm>d Fating- Oordon, ' whislcoy is like
tho dov, -it is tho fathor of ndsc-hiof, and you know it is
ono of tho yjoaiost (nnnnicvs of our mv.o and country. It
makos iho l,(^st frionds fall out, and it is tho cause of vie
lonco and nnirdor.'

A chorus of voices-' True for your rovcronce-'tis the
blosH(Ml truth.'

; Well, thou,' continued tho -ood pastor, 'I want you to
join mo 1)1 porforminj,^ one of tho most acceptable 'works
which man can perform for his Creator ; that is, to raise a
temple to His Iionour and ^lory, in which you and your
children can worship tlie Great I3(^infv ^vho has watdied
over you, and protcH^tod you and yours in the midst of
this forest. I ask you to consecrate this great work by an
act of soil-denial which will be pleasin- in His si^dit. I
wan you to promise mo that you will not drink a drop of
anythmo. this day but water from that beautiful sprin.v
fresu and sparklino. f,om tho liand of God, while you are
ono-a^ed in ereclinn: the temple to His honour, tromise
mo thi^ and you will have a blessing on your work, and
you wiU bring gladness to the heart of your priest.'

iHt WftH U,p-

auilioriiy

mr Hitlo of

to wliicli

non(!o iho
ii'Hf, o.iYovt
1(1 T(!<;uiu-

Ahhciii-

)(>HU1, Jliul

inibo mOj*

proiuiso

oy is like
(low it is
ntiy. It
3e of vio-

~'tis the

it you to
e works
o raise a
nd your
Wiitchod
lidst of
•k by an
i^-ht. I
drop of
spriufv,
Vou are
Promise
•rk, and

CriUUCII-nUFLDING IN THK FOIIEST.

The promise so Holoninly solicited

116

was j^'ivcn witli one
impulHo, and it was rolij^nouHly kc^pt. Animated by the
ri«^'ht Hi)irit, the bravo fellows addrosscMl 'i(;mH«!lveH to their
labour of lovo ; and so earnestly did they work that thoy
cleared an ample space, as if by macric, and before the night
sot in they liad erected a h)g church, 50 feet by IK), on
the same spot on whi(!h now stands one of the finest eccle-
siastical buil(b-nos in Canada. While the work was pro-
ceeding the poor priest was atta(;kcd with ague, and he was
(u)mpelK'd to lie at the foot of a great tree on a couch C(m-
strncted of (he (ioats of tbc^ hardy church-buil(h)i-s. Wht^n
t'le (irisis passed ho was again in their midst, assisting them
. }cy advice or chec^riiig them by a kindly word ; but during
that day he was frecpumtly driven boiu^ath the pile of
clothing by a new paroxysm of his disorder. In a similar
manner the same indcfatigabhi priest erected six other
churches in the ciourse of three years : and so careful was
he in selecting the best sites, as to position, convenience,
and conspicuousness, that in ever/ case these primitive
structures have been replaced by good churches, solidly
built, with comfortable dwellings for the priests attached.
These churches, erected in the midst of the forest, are now
every Sunday surrounded by forty or fifty 'waggons,' many
of them with a pair of good horses, the property of the
Rubstantial yeomanry, nay the gentry of the country, who,
JiHle more than a quarter of a century since, were penniless
emigrants, with no friend save Providence, and no capital
other than their strength, their industry and their inteUi-
gence. Let us take one of these pioneers of civilisation as
an instance of what in those days they had to endure.

It is now about thirty years since an honest hardworking
Irishman determined to go into the woods, and there m.ike
a home for himself and his wife and infant child. He
had not, as he afterwards used to declare, *as much
as a half-crown in the world.' He however managed to
take, and pay for by instahnents, 100 acres of laud, then

■i

it
4
i*
•4

■*4
•4

ll«

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

coverod with forest. Hirinpr hiiriHolf to a farmer at Rome
distanco, ho wm enabled to purchase a stock of provisions
and an axo ; and thus provided, he resohitelj faced the
AvilderneHH, and tliere erected a Hhanty for Iriniself and hin
httlo family. Like otlierH similurly eircuniHtaneed, ho then
commenced to hoNv down tho trees that overshadowed his
primitivo dwelhn-. Havin- eflfected a certain amount of
cleannnr, ho would anfain seek for such employment as
enjibled him to renew his stock of provisions ; and thus
alternately workin^r abroad for otliers aud at homo for
himself, this sturdy settler gradually succeeded in making
a homo for his now increasing family. His first crop of
wheat, raised from tho small patch which ho had then
cleared, ho was compelled to carry on his back to the
nearest mill, to bo ground into flour. Tho distance was
thirty miles-not of road or river, but through tho dense
forest, at that time but rarely intersected by open paths
Returning on one occasion with the customary bag of flour
on his back, the night overtook him while he wa:) still far
away from home. Blindly stumbling about in every direc-
tion, ho fell, and, perhaps owing as much to the burden he
carried as to the manner in which he came to the ground
broke his leg. Hero was indeed a sad position !— in tho
midst of a lonely forest infested with wolves, away from aU
human assistance, and writhing in exquisite ptiin. There he
lay for the whole night, moaning helplessly in agony of mind
and body, as ho thought of his young wife and his little
children, far away from friendly assistance, and of the wild
terror which his unaccountable absence would be sure to
occasion. Ho was fortunately discovered next morning by
a settler, who was attracted by his cries of distress, and who
assisted in conveying him to his almost distracted family.
For some months he lay helpless in his cabin, full of
anxiety as well as pain ; but no sooner was he once more
able to be on his legs than he was again at work. Tliat
man never cea:.ed his hard toil tiU he had cleared

A LONG JOURNKY TO MASS.

117

at Rome
roviKions
aced th«
and liiH
ho then
nved his
loiint of
ment as
md thuH
onie for
making
crop of
ud tlien
: to the
nee was
e dense
a paths,
of flour
still far
y direo-
I'den he
g^round,
-in the
rom all
here he
:>i mind
is little
ho wild
sure to
ling by
nd who
familj.
full of
a more
That
cleared

his first lot, of 100 acres, and added time by time to hia
property; and he is this day the possessor of 1)00 acres
of as good land as any in Canada, as well as the own«r of
eaw-niills and grist-mills, in which the inhabitants of the
neighbourhood nniy grind their corn. Toronto was over
twenty miles distant from his h)g cabin, and when he lirst
settled in the bush it was only at rare intervals that ho
had a visit from the priest. It was his custom to go to the
city as often as he could, to perform his religious duties ;
and as, for tlie first years of his settler's life, he could not
aiVord to purchase a horse, he was compelled to walk the
whole of the way. When he brought one of his children
with him to Mass, which it was his habit to do, in order,
as he said, to make a strong religious impression on their
youthful minds, he would divide the journey into two
stages, and making the house of a friend his resting-place
for the Saturday night, would set out at break of day on
^lunday morning, holding his boy by the hand, or bearing
him on his back. He would thus arrive some time before
5Iass commenced, so as to prepare for Communion, whi(!h
he received with edifying piety; and after a brief rest and
refreshment he would face towards his friend's house, his
resting-place for the night. Nor was the good Irish fatlior
disappointed in his hopes of his children, all of whom grew
up strong in the faith. Three of his sons received a col-
legiate education, and are now amongst the most respected
moml)ers of the society in which they creditably move.

Father Gordon spent half his time in the saddle ; and
though he spared neither himself nor his horse— but
himself much less than his horse-it was with the utmost
difficulty that he could visit the more distant portions of
his mission oftener than twice or thrice a year. Many a
time did the active missionary lose his way in the midst of
the woods, and after hours of weary riding find himself, in
he dusk of the evening, in the very same spot from .vliich
he set out m the morning! His safest plan was to leave

■it'i

:4\

118

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

ra lely fojea l„m ; tlias when puzzled as to the pata, or

zather rack, he would throw the bridle on his 1 o.se's n;ck

and at the end of some time he was sure to be brought up

before a cottage door, which was generally opened to him

m welcome for even those not of his faith respected the

.ealous Insh mmister.' There was, however, one occasion

when his reception was of a very different nature ; and as

the cu-cumstauces of the case are remarkable, it deserves

to be told. I may say that I heard it the first time in

Xmonto from a warm admirer of the fine old priest and

afterwards in Hamilton from his own lijis

Eeturning to Toronto after a hard day's work. Father
Gordon was about entering his modest residence, to obtain
some necessary refreshment, when a countrj^ian rode up

hi of t''' ^^^1'™.™'^ *° ^^ '^ W«'""™ from the town-
ship of Tecumseth, m the county of Simcoe, about forty
miles from Toronto. ■ Father, I in glad to meet you • I
want you to come with me to near my place, where ther'e's
a man dying, and there's not a moment to be lost ' This
was agreeable news for the poor priest, who certainly had
had his fair share of the saddle for that day. 'Wio is

he -ck man?' he asked. 'Oh, he's one Marshall, from
tte North-a Protestant, and all his people the slme-

and I heard it from one of his sons, and I thouo-ht i
eouldnt do better than come for your reverence; and so

puest. I wiU take a cup of tea, borrow a f,-e,sh horse and

eady to start at once.' In half an hour after the two
horsemen rode from the door on their journey throu i tie
forest and it was not until late at night that, thor;.,. ly
tired, they pulled up before the house of tlie sick man wl o '
was s.aid to be at the point of death. Fatlw.i Go "; ! I"
mounted, and knocked at the door, wliich was immodlatdy

A STORY STRANGE BUT TRUE.

119

111 ion, that

2)ntn, or
>i se's neck,
n'ouglit up
eel to liim
lected the
le occasion
B ; and as
t deserves
st time in
driest, and

k, Father
to obtain
rode up
the town-
•out forty
it you; I
re there's
si' This
ainly had
'Who is
all, from
i same —
r of his,
lought I
; and so
said the
)rse, and

1 will be
the two
ng'h the
)roughly
an, who
ih>n diH-
ediately

opened by an elderly .woman, at whose back stood two
young men. ' What do you want here, at this hour of the
night ?' demanded the woman. 'Is there not a sick man
ni the house ? ' inquired the priest. ' There is— my husband
-he IS dying.' ' WeU, I was sent for to see him— I am
the priest.' 'Priest!' shrieked the woman, as if the Evil
One stood revealed before her. ' Yes ; I am the priest
come all the wa^from Toronto to see him, as he wished
me to do,' was the quiet rejoinder. ' Then you may go as
you came, for no priest wiU cross this threshold, if I can
help it, no matter who wants to see him ;' and saying this,
the mistress of the house shut the door on Father Gordon
and his guide, who was overwhelmed with confusion at the
untoward result. 'To think that I should bring your
reverence all this distance, and only to have the door shut
m your face ! I can't forgive myseK ; but I did it for the
best.' ' To be sure you did, man— you did your duty, no
more ; and I respect you for it. But,' added the priest, ' I
must be turning my horse's head homewards.' ' No, your
reverence, not a step you'll go back this blessed night, if
my name is SpiUane* ; you'U stop at my house— 'tis only a
mile off— and we'll try and make you as comfortable as
we can. It wiU be time enough to think of returning
to-morrow.' 'Be it so, in Gods name,' said Father Gor-
don. They soon reached the house, where a good supper
and a clean bed made some amends for the long ride and
the keen disappointment. The tired missionary was soon
in a deep slumber, in which perhaps he may have beheld
again the group in the doorway, ht up by the flickering
candle, and heard the words, 'No priest will cross this
threshold if I can help it,' when he was suddenly awakened
by a great noise or clatter in the house. At that moment
his host entered the room. ' What is the matter, Spillane ? '
'Why, then, your reverence, it is a strange matter— the
strangest matter I ever hoard of;— young Marshall has
brought his father to you, as you wouldn't be aUowed to
*Spillane or Sullivan ; I am uot certain which.

120

THE IRISH IN AMEEICA.

come to him,' replied the host. * You jest, man ; 'tis impos-
siblcV said the priest, in his first impulse of astonish-
mont 'Faith, then, 'tis no jest at all, your reverence,
but the truth, as I'm a sinner, and that's no lie, any way '
said Hpillane. It was the literal truth/ When the dyiuo
luan heard how the priest had been denied admission, and
driven from his door, he was intensely afflicted ; but he in
vam sought to move the stern obduracy «f his wife. 'Not
one belonging to me ever disgraced himself by turning
1 apist, and you shan't be the one to commence ' The
poor woman beheved she was only doing her duty, and in
this tran(iuillising conviction she soon forgot her troubles
m sleep. But the dying man was inconsolable, and he
Dioaned and wept in u manner to touch the heart of one
oi his sons, to whom he addressed the most earnest en-
treaties that ho might be allowed to die as he wished to
Oie Moved alike by the tears and importunities of his
f-.ither, the son at length yielded. But what was to be
dnne '? The priest could not enter the house~his mother
v;ould not allow that ; how then could his father's wish be
accomplished? There was only one way of doing it, and
t/iat was quickly resolved upon and adopted. Carefully
wrapping the dying man in the clothes in which he lay
the son raised him gently on his back, and, steading softly
with his precious burden, he crossed the threshold with
noiseless step, and bore it a mile through the dark forest
to the house m which the priest found shelter for the
night, and there hiid it down in safety. Whether it wore
that Nature rallied her faihng resources, or that the spirit
rose superior to the frailty of the body, it may be difficult
to say ; but the father preserved strength enough to be
received into the church, and prepared for death, and to bo
brought })ack to his own home, in which he shortly after
breathed Ins last. For several years, or as long as his
mother lived, the son did not separate from her communion •
but he afterwards became a Cathohc, and is now the wealthy

THE LAST GRAIN OF TEA.

121

; 'tis impos-
3f astonish-
• rcveronce,
e, any way/
1 the dying
nission, and
; but Lo in
wife. 'Not
by turning
oncG.' Tlie
uty, and in
er troubles
)le, and he
eart of one
earnest en-
wished to
ties of his
was to be
bis mother
L''s wish bo
ing it, and
Carefully
ch he lay,
ding softly
jhold with
ark forest
3r for the
ler it were
the spirit
e difficult
igh to be
and. to bo
3rtly after
ng as his
iniunion ;
e wealthy

head of a large Catholic family, all good and religious, and
full of worldly prosi)crity.

Father Gordon tells many anecdotes of his missionary
hfe among his Irish ilock ; and however apparently trivial
some of them may appear, they afford glimpses of the
early condition of the settlers in the wilderness. Drenched
to the skin one day in spring, he was compeUed to seek
shelter in a shanty ; but such was the state of that dwelling
that it afforded a friendly welcome to the rain, which
entered wherever it pleased through the roof ; and as the
priest lay on the bed, composed of two logs placed in a
corner, while his clothes were being dried at the fire, he
was amused at witnessing the enjoyment of a brood' of
young ducks that were disporting themselves in a stream
that ran through the cabin.

It was in a short time after that he rode up to the
door of Mrs. Macnamara, ' aU the way from the county
of Cork.' 'Well, Mrs. Mac, have you anything for a poor
traveller?'. "Deed, then, your reverence, there's a hearty
welcome, and you know that ; and I have a grain of tea
and the makings of a cake— and sure tlie're yours with a
heart and a half, and so they would if they were ten times
as much,' said Mrs. Mac. The good woman at once set
about makmg the cake, which was soon in a forward state
of preparation, and th.i., with much solemnity, she pro-
ceeded to 'make the tea,' which, in order to 'draw' it in
the most scientific manner, she placed in its little black
pot on a corner of the fire, away from the blaze. Mrs
Mac's stock of candles had long been exhausted, and she
was obhged to be content with the hght from the hearth •
but Father Gordon had to ' pay his debt to the Pope,' and'
m order to read his closely-printed breviary, he was con-
stantly pokmg fhe fire with the end of a stick. 'Take care
of the teapot blither Gordon, dear— take care of it, for your
life!' remonstrated the good woman, as she observed the
reckless vigour with which the priest used the improvised

122

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

poker. *No fear, ma'am— no fear, ma'am,' he invariably re-
plied. But there was every reason to fear, as the result,
proved ; for, in one desperate ellbrt to shed hght on the
small print, the priest brouo-ht down the entire superstruc-
ture, and with it the cherished teapot, which roUed, empty
and si)outless, on the lloor. Here was a disaster! The
poor woman clapped her hands, as she cried, 'Oh, Father
Gordon, jewel! what did you do? You broke my teapot,
that I brouglit from Ireland, every step of the way, and
I so lond of it! But, Father dear, 'tis worse for you, for
there isn't anotlier grain of tea in the house— and what
will you do? Oh dear! oh- dear!' Father Gordon had,
as penance for his involuntary offence, to wash doTvn the
cake with the water of a neighbouring spring.

No one was more surprised at the changes wrought in
comparatively a few years after, than was Father Gordon,
who witnessed the infancy of the Irish settlements of the
county of Simcoe.

' My dear sir,' said he, ' I could scarcely credit my eye-
sight, it was all so wonderful— Hke a dream. Fine roads,
and splendid farms, and grand mansions, and horses and
carriages, and noble churches with organs and peals of
bells, and schools— yes, my dear sir, and ladies and gentle-
men, the aristocracy of the country! What a difference
between what I Ijeheld on my last visit, and what I
remember when I saw the young ducks in the stream
running through the cabin floor, and when poor Mrs. Mac's
last grain of tea was lost in the ashes. Dear, dear ! what
a wonderful change ! God has been very merciful to our
poor people. I never,' continued the good priest, who
could speak with authority as to his countrymen, whom
during his long life he loved and served with aU the zeal
and earnestness of his nature— 'I never knew one of them
that did not succeed, provided he was sober and weU-
conducted. Drink, sir, drink is the great faihng of our
race ; and if they had a hundred enemies, that's the worst

PATIIER GORDON ON THE IHiSII.

123

ariiibly re-
tlie result
;lit on tlio
uperstrnc-
Ictl, empty
;ter! The
)li, Fatlicr
ay teapot,
Aviiy, and
r you, for
and what
.'don had,
doTvn the

rought in
' Gordon,
ats of the

my eye-
ne roads,
>rses and

peals of
d gentle-
iifi'erence

what I
e stream
'rs. Mac's
ar! what
il to our
est, who
n, whom

the zeal

of them
md weU-
^ of our
he worst

of aU.

But, thank God, on the whole, our people are good
and reh^douH, and every day advancing. It is a great
change from what they were in the old country, and a
greater change from what I remember they were thirty
years ago in this.*

_ To my suggestion that he had had his own share of toil
m tJio.se distant days, he rephed : ' Well, my dear sir, no
doubt I had many a hard ride through the forest, and I
otten had to depend on my poor horse, as my heavy eyeUds
closed while I sat in the saddle, overpowered with fatigue
and want of sleep. But no matter what labour I had to
undergo, I always received my reward in the faith and love
of the people-their delight at seeing their priest, and
hearing his voice-why, sir, it would raise any man's
spirits. And how they kept the faith !-it was surprising
For years some would not see a priest ; but stiU the faith
was there in the mother's heart, and she would teach it to
her children. We have lost some, for there were sheep
without shepherds ; but that we did not lose more, and
that we saved so many in times long gone by, is only to be
attributed to the mercy of God, and the tenacity with
which the Irish cling to their faith. Oh, sir, their devotion
and their affection, and their gratitude, cheered me many
a time, and made me forget fatigue and trouble of every
kind. God bless them ! they arc a good people.'

These were almost the last words I heard from the lips
of that true-hearted Irish priest, for it was of his people ho
oved to speak. Father Gordon has hved to see his church
thoroughly organised, divided into several dioceses, each
diocese having an eflficient staff of clergymen, with numer-
ous institutions, educational and charitable, under the care
ot the religious orders. Of the bishops, four are Irish
and about one hundred of the clergy are either of Irish
birth or descent. The religious orders also owe much of
their st^-ength to the same great national weU-spring of

121

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

CHAPTER VII.

W(.(>lf(. T.slan(l--.r'-r,w.
Till us ill) Aj^rici •
I'olicy of till) Caiiiv
Tolicy.

(^ufn- - A Siicor'ssfiil Trislunan— Siinplo

•TIki liiiiKl (jiicsti.)!! in ('aiiuda -\Vis(f

x'ttrliamunt -lla[»|)y lieHiiIts of a Wise

rpHEKJ<] is Jill isliiiul in the St. Liiwrencc, forming the

1 t

wo (^hiiimoLs, the Eiighsli jiiul the Americiiii, through

wh'u'.h I ho iiiiijestic! river iloww iVoni Liik(>, Oiiturio to the sea.
/ Woohe iHlaiid— for that i.s the name by which it is known —
is several miles in length, ami about lialf as many broad.
It is principally occupiiHl by Irish CathoHcjs, who settled
upon it at diflerent periods, not very remote. For a time
tlic land was held partly by lease, and for a term of twenty-
ono years — a description of tenure altogether (exceptional
in a country in wliidi fr(>ehold or fee-simple, in other words,
abst)lute ownership, is almost universal.

In other countries a lease for twenty-one years might be
regarded with favour, and under certain circumstances
would be considered a se( uity for mere outlay in cultiva-
tion. It is so in Scotland ; but in America, where absolute
and undisputed owncership is tlie rule, a tenure of this
limited nature is rather a discouragement than a stimulus
to ex(u-tion. And it may be remarked, that by proprietors
of large tracts of land, who desire to see them occupied and
cultivated, letting by lease is not much approved of ; tliey
prefer to sell it in lots, on such terms as may suit both
parties, and possibly enable the person who sells to turn
the purchase-money to other ]uirposes. And when land
falls into the possession of creditor or mortgagee, tlie new
owner generaiiy liuds it more convenient and profitable to

WOOLFE ISLAND.

126

— Siinplo
lii -Wise
f a W'iso

)riiiing the
11, tlirou^^h
to tho soa.
H known —
any broad,
ho scttlod
l\)r a time
of twcnty-
ixwiptional
lior wordn,

! might bo
uiu.siancos
ui cultiva-
G ttbsohito
re of 11) is
I stimuhis
ropriotors
upied and
I of ; tliey
suit both
Is to turn
^'hen land
', the now
oiitablu to

pet rid of it by sale than to let it hj lease of whatever
iorm, and thus assume the responsibility and incur the risk
incidental to the position of a landlord. The genius of
llio p('oi)lc, tho very instinct of the community, is in favour
of entire and unrestricted ownership, through which alone
tho forests have boon turned into fields of grain and pas-
tun;, and America has been civiHsed and peopled.

The proprietor of a vast property on WooKe Island de-
termined to announce it for sale ; and no sooner did he
do so, than the Irish tenants put forth the most extraordi-
nary (energy, in order to become the owners of their farms.
It seemed as if new life had been infused into them by
the hope of possessing as proprietors the land they rented
as tenants ; and such was the success of their exertions,
that they, or the great majority of them, were enabled to
l^urchase their lots.

As the island, with the exc^eption of such portions of it as
had been cleared, was covered with forest, Hke most of the
land of Canada, the settlors of Woolfe Island had to un-
dergo the ordinary hardships incidental to all simila,r
efforts ; but as they were not many miles from a fine town
and a good market, they possessed advantages not usual
with the genuine pioneer of civilisation, who buries him-
self in tho depths of the woods, and is himself the author of
everything that follows. Still the advantages of the thriv-
ing town and the unfaihng market were not unattended
with countervaihng risk; for the nearness of the town
offered to the settlers of the island temptations which
many lacked tlie necessary fortitude to resist. It frequently
oc(3urred that the profits of a good season were sacrificed "
to file fascinations of boon-companionship, and the indul-
gence of a passion especially fatal to the Irishman. The
evil was assuming alarming proportions, when, some dozen
years since, an Irish priest— the Eev. Mr. Foley— resolved
to grapple wdtli it ; and so powerfully and persuasively did
he plead the cause of prudence and sobriety, so strenuously

.'€

1^6

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

(/-

did he wrestle with the veteran drinkers— the 'hard cases'
MS they were ealled-and sueh was his influence with tlie
yoimg, that ho succeeded in a sliort time in cnrollin.r 800
male residents, of all a^^es, from the vi^rorous striplin- to
«je grey-haired grandsire, in the ranks of temperance.
The result was magical. Soon there was not in all Canada
a more prosperous or progressive settlement than that of
VVoolfe Island. The good priest died in the midst of his
abours and, as was customary, would have been buried in
the Cathedral of Kingston ; but so beloved was he by the
people to whom he had been father and pastor, that they
would not permit his honoured remains to be removed
trom the island ; and the grave in which they rest is re-
garded with veneration by those who remember his holy
. hfe, and the zeal with which he watched over the temporal
interests as well as the spiritual welfare of his Hock The
islanders remain faithful to the advice of their pastor and
as a consequence certain to follow from the avoidance of
a fruitful cause of danger, they are happy and contented
and every year they are advancing in prosperity. The
case of one of these settlers will illustrate that of many

It IS now about seventeen years since a little Irishman
from Roscommon, named James Cuffce, settled in the island
Low-sized, but broad-shouldered, well-knit and vio-orous
as a 'four year old,' Jimmy Cuffee, hke thousands "of his
race m America, possessed only that species of capital
which may be easily carried across ocean and over moun-
tain—which rust cannot consume nor moth devour but
which, although the wonder-worker of civilisation, is often
blindly despised by those who wiU alone believe in bullion
or bank notes ; it consisted of his strong pair of arms and
Ins brave heart. Literally, he had not a penny in his
pocket; nor indeed— at that time at least-could he 'take
a shine ' out of his reading and writing. But so resolutely
did the httle Connaught man-in whose composition, it may
be remarked, there was not the faintest suspicion of the

JIMMY CUFFE, THE ROSCOMMON BOY.

127

anl cases,'
3 with tlie
•ollin^r 800
tri^)!!]!*^ to
smporance.
all Canada
111 that of
(Ist of his
bnriod in
ho by tlie
that tliey
i removed
•est is re-
• liis l)oly
temporal
)ck. Tho
istor, and
idance of
ontentod,
ity. The
lany.
Irishman
ie island,
vigorous
:1s of his
f capital
!r moun-
onr, but
is often
1 bullion
rms and
Y in his
he 'take
3solutely
1, it may
1 of the

Anglo-Saxon—labour at his calling, 'morning and night,
early and Lite,' that he rapidly became a thriving man ;
and Jimmy Cuffe is now the proprietor in feo-.simplo of
800 acres of rich land, which it would be difficult to match
in KoHCommon ; with a fine house, a stable full of good
horses, spacious barns, cattle and stock of every kind— in
a word, everything that the heart of any rational Irishman
could desire. He drives his family to church in a spring
waggon, drawn by a pair of good horses, 'as grand as the
Lord Mayor of London, or as any real gentleman in the
ould country.' I happened to bo in Kingston the day
Jimmy Cuffe came in to take up the bill on which he had
raised the purchase-money for his latest acquisition of 200
acres. It was rather a large su'u, but the produce of his
harvest enabled him to do so without embarrassment. And
Jimmy's sharp grey eye glistened, as he told how he had
got along, and succeeded not only in 'making a man of
himself, thank God,' but— what pleased him quite as much
—in buying out the old settlers— a class rather inchned to
think little of what the Jimmy Cuffes can do. It is much
to be doubted if Jimmy Cuffe would change places with a
lord in the old country. The lord, as is usually the case,
owes his position to his ancestors— Jimmy Cuffe, under
Providence, owes everything to his industry, energy, and
self-denial. Possibly, in the estimation oi some people,
tho balance of merit may be in favour of the sturdy settler
from Roscommon. ThanlduUy be it said, there are many
Jimmy Cuffes in America.

Cases of a somewhat similar nature might be multiplied
,to any extent, all iUustrative of the manly vigour of tho
Irish race, and of what great things they are capable
when they have a fair field for their energies.

Living near a thriving city in Western Canada, is p, hale
and vigorous Irishman, well advanced in years, who, as a
dny labourer, broke stones on the public road not far from
tho very spot on which stands his"sple:idid residence, one

J 28

THE IRISH IN AMEUICA.

Of he most elegant in the conntry. Like a wise man, he
took the first work that o«bred, and it prospered with him
He rejoices in an unmistakable Irish name, smacking of
the ould ancient kings ; ' and there is not in all Canada a
Btauncher adherent to the ancient faith. When he came
out o America-more than thirty years ago-a priest was
rarely to be seen near where he settled, and it was only by
great effort, at no small sacrifice of time and labour that
he could avan himseH of the consolations of religion- but
he was determined that, above all things, he would trans-
mit to his chHdren the precious deposit which he had
himself received from his simple but pious parents. Be-
tween the Saturday evening, when his week's work was
over, and the Monday morning, when another week of
labour commenced, this devoted Cathohc would constantly
walk a distance of between forty and fifty miles, to attend
Mass and perform the duties enjoined by his church. And
when his children grew in strength, he would make them
the companions of his journey. Not a few of this good
man's descendants have abandoned a home of luxury to
devote themselves to a rehgious life, and are now diffusing
among the youth of their own race and faith the lessons of
piety which they learned from the lips of an honoured
parent. Men of his stamp are the glory of their country.

A recent striking instance of progress made by the Irish
may be mentioned. The Bishop of Kingston~Dr. Horan-.
in visiting a settlement, of which the first tree had been
cut only five years before, was received by one hundred of
the settlers, each driving his own waggon and pair of horses
Preceded by a green banner, and a band of music obtained
from a neighbouring town, these sturdy Celts conducted
their good bishop in triumph into the heart of their pros-
perous settlement. That was a day of well-earned jubilee.

In fully twenty of the counties of Uppei- or Western
Canada there are thriving settlements either exclusively or
prmcipally occupied by JrM^ CathoKcs ; while the CathuHo

SiMPr.E PAT AS AN AGRICULTURIST.

129

ise man, ho
I with him.
tiac'kiiig of
1 Canada a
m he came

priest was
t^as only by
iiboiir, that
igion; but
)ul(l trans-
!h he had
ents. Be-

work was
r week of
constantly

to attend
rch. And
lake them

this good

luxury to
V dilTusing
lessons of
honoured
ountry.
' the Irish
. Horan —
had been
mdred of
of horses.

obtained
conducted
Leir i^ros-
jubilee.

Western
isively or

Cathuiio

Irish are to be found in every direction, often in the midst
of Protestant settlements, whether Irish, Scotch, or
English.

Something may hero be said of the Irish agriculturist,
as compared with liis brethren from the sister kingd<jms.
As may be supposed, by those who know anything of the
state of things in different parts of the United Kingdom,
the Scotch and Enghsh farmers who settle in America
bring with them— have brought with them — besides more or
less capital in money, a knowledge and skill not possessed
by those who emigrated from Ireland. It must be admit-
ted that in Great Britain the science of agriculture has
advanced to a degree of perfection to which, even under the
most favourable circumstances, Ireland cannot aspire for
many years yet to come. Thus it necessarily follows that
while the Irishman is in no way inferior to the Enghshman
or Scotchman in industry or energy, capacity for labour or
power of endurance, he is so in theoretical knowledge, and
the management of land on the principles of ' high farming.'
Considering the relative condition of the three countries,
this is what may be looked for. But the Irishman, even
though he may not be able to write his name, is wonder-
fully shrewd and observant ; and before his self-complaceni,
neighbour imagines that simple Pat has even perceived
what he was about, simple Pat has borrowed his improve-
ment, and actually made his own of it. It is amusing to
hear a poor fellow, who had Httle inducement for enter-
prise in his own country, dealing in the most daring
manner with scientific terms, picked up fi-om his Lothian
or Yorkshire neighbour, and calling things by names that
would puzzle a Liebig. But still there is no mistake in
his appHcation of the principle; for though he makes a
fearful hash of the name, simple Pat has caught fast hold
of the thing, as witness the appearance of his land and ihe
abundance of his crops. It occasionally happens that
townships belonging to the three nationalities adjoin ; and

■I"

i
j

180

TlIK lUISU IN AMi;iillA.

wlionn-cr iliiH is IIk^ nm\ tlu, n>Hiill, Ih ii l..Hlll.fiil livaliy,
l.n..liirliNo of K«"Mrnil }ulv,iii(„|^r,.. |„ n,,. ,„,^y ,.uimly of
^ Vi<^l..iiii, in ('..i.tnil (',u>,„Im, llinn is mi iii.sl,iiH-«^ (.i'iIiIh
lU'opiiKinilv. 'I'liicr lowiiHliips, uliiioHt cxcluHivcly hvluui^^
iii^r <" MiikHhIi, Srol.'h, Hi„l IrJHl, hc(II,.|m, lin *uIoi.;.Hi(l.)
rHrli..llu"r; Hiul Ixawoon jlu^ llinu^ Www <«xiHtH a Hpiiil ..f
•'"iiilMlioii, litrii l.ul, jiiuiruhlo, UH to wliicli pr.„|ii,.,.s ll.o
Im-VNl ,.|(»i.H, Hiul (MiltiviilrH ilm limd in il,„ nioHt Hkillul
lu.mnrr. Tl.o ivsnll, in fol.l l,y mi (-niiiuni InHlinimi, ii nimi
iniu-h ivspocicl in Iuh .list rid,, mul nvIioh*^ iiumi cliciislKd
rmil.ilion in i.» hw ]\\h ('ountiynivn rjuHo ilu-niHc-lvcH liinl„.v
in tli,^ oHfimalion of {\w wcild hy il,,, vxrwlno of Uioir
MivutniiJurul ^'iftHi-'l ,nii Imppy an.l ]^y^nu\ to nay iliut
*oui- coiiiilrvnuui Imvo \n'o\vd Uu'uihvUvh to hv (H|'ual in
'cvorv iVHiM'cl, to tlioHo from i\w nistcM* kiiiodoniH. To my
'iiiind, tlu^ IriHli township, mroidiiio- i,, its mimhrrs, pm-
•tlucos tJi(^ liir.,'c^Hl, crops.' An«l lu^ adds, ' \lv\y on it, if your
'(MMintrymcn at. Iionu^ had lUo mmw fiV(doni' of action, ili«
•HanicKcnsoof security and (vrtainty of ivwaid, that thoy
'have in our five (Canada, ih(»y won'ld enjoy in their own
'country thc^ sanu^ i)rosp(>rity which they (Mijoy h(!r(>.'

To me, the proposition hwuxh consistent with reas(.n and
common sens(>. thounh fanatical sticklers for iinao-inary
Vri-hts of propirty ' may n^^^ard it as little better than rank
l»las[)hemy.

It will he intvrestino- to seo how tho Canadian Tarlia-
hient dealt, not lono- since, with the Land Question of tiie
Lower Province. l'\)rtunately for tho public wcai-uv
the (tiniest attention «,f tlu^ Canadian Leoislature was
directed to the t(>nure by which the cultivators occupi(«d
tho soil, and (^specially to tho oblioations and restrictions
imposed by its conditions upon that most important cImss
of the community ; and in ISCl an Act was passed, wliich
has had, and must continue to have, a marked intluenco
on the i)rosperity of tht> i)rovinc(\

The land hud been orioinallv hmvcII.^.I -".<• ..,>><^„... «

fill liviiliy,
<U>Hll(v (if
i<'(^ «il' (liiH
1,V 1m'I(iiij^'-
Hl()ii;^Hi(|<i
a Hpiril (»!'
(Iiu'cs i\\o
l»Ht, Hlvillul
Hii, u mail
cliciiHlicd

' of tlu'ir
Ha,y iliiit
(Mjiial ill
. To luy
nn'H, pro-
ii, if your
I'lioii, ilu)
lliai ilu^y
lu'ir owu
('.

asoii and
nnp«-iiuny
liaii rank

I Parlia-
»ii of ilio
W(!lfar(%
uro \vaa
>ct'upi(>(l
trictioiis
Lilt class
.1, \vlucli
ulluoiico

nioiig a

WISK rOLICV OF THE CANADIAN PAKMAMKNT. 131

iiuitiImt of «<nal. propii«>i()jH, who derived tJjcir vast ciKtates
directly fic.m lln) Kiiin;H of I'raneo. 'VVitliout enteriii;.^ into
the liiwtory of tlu^Ke ^a-ants, or the inaiiiier in \vhi<'li tlio
land waH ^'nuliially occupied j)y the cultivators, who came
HH Hettlers, it is Kiillicient to state that tlu! evils with which
th(( Legislature had to deal «lid not arisi! so much from the
Imrden of tli(^ rent, or the duration of the tenure, as from
the'ri^^hts' which the ])ropri(!torH niserved to themselveH,
The r(!nt was ho small us to he nu^n^ly nominal, in fact a
f(!W halfpence p(!r a(n-e ; hut the; ' rij^hts '—which r(!s{ri(;ted
the liherty of the tenant, int(U'f<!red with the tree transfer
•jf ])roperty, and prevented tlu! puo^n-ess of the country —
(V(n'e the cause of the discontent that (ixisfed, and which it
•rvas th(i ohject of tlie Le^^islature to allay. One of tho
«o-call(Ml 'casual ri;^ddH' was th(! exchisive mill and water-
power r(>served to himself by tlu^ feudal l(U"d. Not only was
Mie (riisi/(iin\ or tc^nant, com])clled to {jfrind Ids corn at
tlu! landlord's mill, hut the latter monopolised the water-
pow(n' within liis territory, thus ham])(!rinf«- the industry
and ent(a-prise of the district. Tlu^ otluu- 'rii>ht' was that
by which, on <! very sale and transfer of prop(;rty, the one-
twelfth of the amount of the purchase-money wa.s paid to
tho lamllord. Say that A bou«^ht property from 13, to the
value of 120/., A, in addition to paying; 13 the sum of 120/.
as the purchase-money f(n- his interest, had also to pay
another one-twiafth, or 10/. more, to tlic landk rd ; and
what rendered the exercise of this 'ri^ht' nuu-e oi)prcssive
and detrimental, was the uivl that on n^cri/ ro-sale of the
same property the same process of payinj,' one-twelfth to
tho seionit)r had to be j^one throujj^h. If the property were
improved in vahie, the seller would no doubt receive a
Liro-er price for his interest ; but the sei<,niior's one-twelfth
wcmld bo the greater in consinpienco of the increased vahio
of the whole. This one-twelfth so reserved to the seignioi
was termed a 'mutation iine.'

To get rid of this intolerable grievance, which was

1
i

132

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

properly regarded as a grave public evil as weU as indi^
vidual oppression, the Canadian Legislature passed a law
alike vigorous and comprehensive. The 'casual rights'
speciaUy including those mentioned, were bought by the
State at a cost httle short of One Milhon SterHng ; and
an arrangement was made for the capitahsation and pur-
chase of the rent by the tenant, and its compulsory sale by
the landlord. Here was an instance of serious danger
wisely averted by a measure which in the British Parha-
ment would possibly be considered revolutionary, if not
altogether confiscatory in its character. But statesmen in
new countries are either more vigorous or more far-seeing
than statesmen in old countries, who are trammeHed by
traditions and enfeebled by prejudices ; besides, the very
mstmct of a young nation is to remove from its path every
visible impediment to its progress.

The spirit in which this beneficent law was conceived
wiU be best understood fi-om a passage taken fi-om its
preamble, and another from its concluding clause.

The Preamble says : ' Whereas it is expedient to abolish
' aU Feudal Rights and Duties in Lower Canada ; and
' whereas, in consideration of the great advantages which
* must result to the Province from their abohtion, and the
'substitution of a/ree tenure for that under which the
'property subject thereto hath heretofore been sold,' &c.

The concluding clause is still more emphatic, 'it pro-
claims that—' The Legislature reserves the right of making
' any provisions, declaratory or otherwise, which may be
'found necessary for the purpose of fuUy carrying out the
' intention of this Act ; which in intent is declared to be,
'to aboHsh as soon as possible all feudal or seio-norial
' rights, duties, dues, &c. ... And to aid the censitaire out
' of the provincial funds in the redemption of those sei^m-
'orial charges icUch interfere most injurioushj with his inde-
pendence, industry, mid enterjorise ; and every enactment
'and provision in this Act shaU receive th« most liberal

HAPPY RESULTS OF A WISE POLICY.

133

sll as indi-
ssed a law
lal rights,'
?lit by tlia
rling- ; and
I and pur-
ely sale by
us danger
sh Parlia-
iry, if not
itesmen in
far-seeing
melled by
;, the very
)ath every

'construction possible, with a view to ensure the accom-
'phshraent of the intention of the Legislature as hereby

* stated.' "^

•The Mke action of "the Canadian Parliament at once
arrested and removed the deep-seated feehng of discontent
which was hourly increasing in intensity. From the example
of the Canadian Legislature even the ParUament of the
mother country may derive a valuable suggestion as to the
abohtion of those ' seignorial rights, duties, dues,' &c., and
the redemption, or at least adjustment, of those charges

* which interfere most injuriously with the independence,
' industry, and enterprise ' of the censitaire of L-eland. The
parent need not be ashamed to learn a lesson from the
chHd, especiaUy when the wisdom of that child's policy is
proved beyond the possibihty of doubt.

•i*

I T

conceived
from its

to abolish
ada ; and
ges which
1, and the
^^liich the
td,' &c.

It pro-
)f making
1 may be
g out the
ed to be,
seignorial
ntaire out
•se seign-
his indc-
nactment
^st liberal

134

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

CHAPTER Vin.

The Imh Exodus— The Quarantino at Gro.«se Isle-Tl.o Fpvpr

uipuans— 1 he Good Canadians— Resistless Elonuence— Ono nf

ow S'"; •^ii'iH.r'-??" M ''^"^'^-^^'^ Pla,u2r Monh^Jal-!!
rw,.n. 7 • ''V^'J-1'"' JMoninnent at Point St. Charles-The
&i,u(nionnd m Kings(on-An illustrious Victim in Toronto

P:£^;F^!:;ranl2;i^e^rr:JiLlc:^^''^ «^^^-v-^«

T HAVE more than once referred to the unfavourable
J. circumstances under which the vast majority of the
Irish arrived in America, and the difficulties with which
ma special degree, they had to contend; but the picture
would be most imperfect were not some reference made to
the disastrous emigration of the years 1847 and 1848-to
that blmd and desperate rush across the Atlantic known
and described, and to be recognised for time to come, as the
Irish Exodus. We shall confine our present reference to
the emigration to Canada, and track its course up the waters
of he St. Lawrence. A glance even at a single quarantine
- hat of Grosse Isle, in the St. Lawrence, about thirty
miles below Quebec-while affording a faint idea of the
horrors crowded into a few months, may enable the reader
to understand with what alarm the advent of the Irish was
regarded by the well-to-do colonists of British America •
and how the natural terror they inspired, through the
terrible disease brought with them across the ocean
deepened the prejudice against them, notwithstanding that
their sufferings and misery appealed to the best sympathies
of the human heart.

On tlio 8th of May, 1847, the 'Urania,' from Cork, ,vith
several hm„lred iun.igrants on board, a large proportion
of them siek and dying of the ship-fever, was put into
quarantme at Grosse Isle. This was the first of the pla-nc-

THE IRISH EXODUS— THE SHIP FEVER.

135

he Fever
'lie Irish
-One of
tntreal —
les— The
ji'onto —
r Upper
3H'— The

favourable
tty of the
itli which,
tie picture
e made to
I 1848— to
^ic known
me, as the
Terence to
:he waters
uarantine
)ut thirty
3a of the
he reader
Irish was
America ;
3iigh the
e ocean,
ding that
mjoatliics

3rk, witli
'oportion
put into
3 plague -

smitten ships from Ireland which that year sailed up the
St. Lawrence. But before the first week of June as many
as eighty-four ships of various tonnage were driven in by an
er.sterly wind ; and of that enormous number of vessels
there was not one free from the taint of malignant typhus,
the offspring of famine and of the foul ship-hold. This
fleet of vessels hterally reeked with pestilence. All saiKng
v^essels,— the merciful speed of the well-appointed steamer
being unknown to the emigrant of those days,— a tolerably
quick passage occupied from six to eight weeks ; while pas-
sages of ten or twelve weeks, and even a longer time, were
not considered at all extraordinary at a period when craft
of every kind, the most unsuited as well as the least sea-
worthy, were pressed into the service of human deportation.

Who can imagine the horrors of even the shortest pas-
sage in an emigrant ship crowded beyond its utmost capa-
bility of stowage wdth unhappy beings of all ages, with
fever raging in their midst ? Under the most favourable
circumstances it is impossible to maintain perfect purity of
atmosphere between decks, even when ports are open, and
every device is adopted to secure the greatest amount of
ventilation. But a crowded emigrant sailmg ship of twenty
years since, with fever on board ! — the crew sullen or brutal
from very desperation, or paralysed with terror of the
plague — the miserable passengers unable to help them-
selves, or afford the least rehef to each other ; one-fourth,
or one-third, or one-haK of the entire number in different
stages of the disease ; many dying, some dead ; the fatal
poison intensified by the indescribable foulness of the air
breathed and rebreathed by the gasping sufferers — the
wails of children, the ravings of the delirious, the cries and
groans of those in mortal agony ! Of the eighty-four emi-
grant ships that anchored at Grosse Isle in the summer of
1847, there was not a single one to which this description
migiit not rightly aj^ply.

The authorities were taken by surprise, owing to the

136

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

sudden arrival of this pl-ofue-smitten fleet, and, save the
sheds that remained since 1832, there was no accommoda--
tion of any kind on the island. These sheds were rapidly
filled with the miserable people, the sick and the dying,
and round their walls lay groups of half-naked men,'
women, and children, in the same condition— sick or dying.
Hundreds were hterally flung on the beach, left amid the
mud and stones, to crawl on the dry land how they could.

* I have seen,' says the priest who was then chaplain of the
quarantine, and who had been but one year on the mission,

* I have one day seen thirty-seven people lying on the beach,

* crawHng on the mud, and dying hke fish out of water.'
Many of these, and many more besides, gasped out their
last breath on that fatal shore, not able to drag them-
selves from the shme in which they lay. Death was doing
its work everywhere— in the sheds, around the sheds^
where the victims lay in hundreds under the canopy of
heaven, and in the poisonous holds of the plague ships,
aU of which were declared to be, and treated as, hos-
pitals.

From ship to ship the young Ii-ish priest carried the
consolations of rehgion to the dying. Amidst shrieks, and
groans, and wild ravings, and heart-rending lamentations,
—over prostrate sufferers in every stage of the sickness—
fi-om loathsome berth to loathsome berth, he pursued his
holy task. So noxious was the pent-up atmosphere of these
floating pest-houses, that he had frequently to rush on
deck, to breathe the pure air, or to reheve his over-taxed
stomach ; then he would again plunge into the foul den,
and resume his interrupted labours.

There being, at first, no organisation, no staff, no avail-
able resources, it mayl^e imagined why the mortahty rose
to a prodigious rate, and how at one time as many as 150
bodies, most of them in a half-naked state, would be piled
up in the dead-house, awaiting such sepulture as a huge
pit could afford. Poor creatures would crawl out of the

HORRORS OF GROSSE ISLE.

137

I, save the
jcoiiiinocla-
>re rapidly
tlie dying,
iked men,
: or dying,
i amid the
hey could,
ain of the
e mission,
the beach,
of water.'

out their
:'ag them-
was doing
J.e sheds,
anopy of
^ue-ships,

as, hos-

rried the
•ieks, and
natations,
ickness —
'sued his
3 of these
rush on
^er-taxed
-oul den,

ao avail-
i-lity rose
y as 150
be piled
1 a huge
it of the

sheds, and being too exhausted to return, would be found
lying in the open air, not a few of them rigid in death.
When th3 authorities were enabled to erect sheds sufficient
for the reception of the sick, and provide a staff of phy-
sicians and nurses, and the Archbishop of Quebec had
appointed a number of priests, who took the hospital duty
in turn, there was of course more order and regularity ;
but the mortaHty was for a time scarcely diminished. The
deaths were as many as 100, and 150, and even 200 a day,
and this for a considerable period during the summer.
The masters of the quarantine-bound ships were naturally
. desirous of getting rid as speedily as possible of their
dangerous and unprofitable freight ; and the manner in
which the helpless people were landed, or thrown, on the
island, aggravated their sufferings, and in a vast number
of instances precipitated their fate. Then the hunger and
thirst from which they suffered in the badly-found ships,
between whose crowded and stifling decks they had
been so long pent up, had so far destroyed their vital
energy, that they had but Uttle chance of life when once
struck down.

About the middle of June the young chai^lain was
attacked by the pestilence. For ten days he had not
taken off his clothes, and his boots, which he constantly
wore for all that time, had to be cut from his feet. A
couple of months elapsed before he resumed his duties ;
but when he returned to his post of danger the mortahty
was still of fearful magnitude. Several priests, a few
Irish, the majority French Canadians, caught the infec-
tion ; and of the twenty-five who were attacked, seven
}\aid with their lives the penalty of their devotion. Not a
I'ew of these men were professors in colleges ; but at the
appeal of the Archbishop they left their classes and their
studies for the horrors and perils of the fever sheds.

It was not until the 1st of November that the quaran-
tine of Grosse Isle was closed. Upon that barren isle as

138

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

many as 10,000 of tlio Iii.sli raoo wore consigned to tlie
trrave-pit. By .sonio the OHtiniato is made much higher, and
12,000 is considered nearer the actual number. A register
was kept, and is still in existence, but it does not ''com-
mence earlier than June KJ, when the mortahty was nearly
at its height. According to this death-roll, there were
buried, between the IGth and 30th of June, 487 Irish immi-
grants 'whose names could not be ascertained.' In July,
1)11 were thrown into nameless graves; and in August,'
918 were entered in the register under the comprehensive
description— 'unknown.' There were interred, from the
Ifith of June to the closing of the quarantine for fhaf, year,
2,005 of a Christian p(>ople, whose names coidd not be
discovered amidst the confusion and carnage of that fatal
summer. In the following y(>iir, 2,000 additional victims
were entered in the same register, witliout name or trace
of any kind, to tell who they were, or Avhence they had
come. Thus 5,000 out of the total number of victims were
simply described as 'unknown.'

This deplorable havoc of human life left hundreds of or-
phans dependent on the compassion of the public ; and
nobly was the unconscious appeal of this multitude of des-
titute little ones responded to by the French Canadians.
Half Uiiked, squalid, covered with vermin generated by
hunger, fever, and the fouhiess of the ship's hold, perhaps
with the germs of the plague lurking in their vitiated
blood, these helpless innocents of every age— from the
infant taken from the bosom of its dead mother to the
child that could barely tell the name of its parents— were
gathered under the fostering protection of the Church.
They wei-e washed, and clad, and fed ; and every eftbrt was
made by tlio clergy and nuns who took them into their
charge to discover who they were, what their names, and
which of them wore related the one to the other, so that, if
possible, children of the same family might not bo sepa-
rated for ever. A diflicult tiling it was to learn fi-om more

THE GOOD CANADIANS.

139

0(1 to the
i^her, and
1 register
not com-
mas nearly
lore were
isli immi-

In July,
i August,
rehensive
from the
ihat year,
1 not be
that fatal
il victims

or trace
tlu:/ had
ims were

Is of or-
Hc ; and
e of des-

madians.

L'ated by

perhaps

vitiated

rom the

I' to the

ts — were

Cliurch.

Tort was

to their

nes, and

I that, if

JO sepa-

)m mora

infants whether, among more tlian (]00 orphans, they had
brotliers or sisters. But by patiently observing the little
creatures when they found strength and courage to play,
their watchful protectors were enabled to find out relation-
ships which, without such care, would have been otherwise
unknown. If one infant ran to meet another, or caught
its hand, or smiled at it, or kissed it, or showed pleasure
in its society, here was a clue to be followed ; and in many
instances children of the same parents were thus preserved
to each other. Many more, of course, were separated for
ever, as these children were too young to tell their own
names, or do anything save cry in piteous accents for
'mammy, mammy!' until soothed to slumber in the arms
of a compassionate Sister.

The greater portion of the orphans of the Grosse Isle
tragedy were adopted by the French Canadians, who were
appealed to by their curh at the earnest request of Father
Cazeau, then Secretary to the Archbishop, and now one of
the Vicars General of the Archdiocese of Quebec. M.
Cazeau is one of the ablest of the ecclesiastics of the Cana-
dian Church, and is no less remarkable for worth and abihty
dian for the generous interest he has ever exhibited for the
Irish people. Father Cazeau had employed his powerful
inlluonce with the country clergy to provide for the greater
number of the children ; but some 200 still remained in a
building specially set apart for them, and this is how these
200 Irish orphans were hkewise provided for :

Monseigneur Baiilargeon, Bishop of Quebec, was then cure
of the city. He had received three or four of the orphans
into his own house, and among them a beautiful boy of
two years, or perhaps somewhat younger. The others had
been taken from him and adopted by the kindly hahifnns,
and become part of their families; but the little feUow,'
who was the cur(;'s special pet, remained with him for
nearly two years. From creeping up and down stairs, and
toddling about in every direction, he soon began to grow

I
I

.-I

THE IIIISH IN AMERICA.

,2*

.V,

strong, Jiiid bold, and iioisy, uh a lino li(.altlij cliild would
bo; buUlu)iin:li Iuh I'ond protector rojoicod in iho licalth
and boauty-()f t,li(3 ])oy, ho found liini raUior unsuiti'd to
iho (iniot gravity of a priest's houso, and a do(nded ob-
Htaclo to study and nicditation. In tlio midst of his
porph^xity, of which tho child was tho unconscious cause
to tiic^ Cur.5 of (,)u('b(>c, a dcr-ynian from tho country
JUTiNvd m town. Tliis priest visited M. Daillargoon, who
told Inm that ho had 2(){) poor orphan cliildron— tho crhild-
r(vn of Mlio faithful Catholic Irish '-still unprovided with a
liom(>, and ho was most anxious that his visitor should call
on his i)arishionors to take thorn. 'Come/ said he 'I
will show you a sample of them, and you can toll your
l)(H>plo what they arc hko.' Saying this, M. Baillargeon
led Ins visitor, up stairs, and into the room where, in a
little cot, tho orphan cliild was lying in rosy sleep. As
the light feU upon i\w features of the Ix^autiful boy, who
was reposing in all the unrivalled grace of infancy, the
country cur(5 was greatly touched : he had never, he said,
Boon a 'lovelier little ang(^r in his life. 'WoU,' said M.'
Baillargeon, 'I have 200 more as handsome. Take him
with you, show him to your peoi)le, and tell them to coino
for the others.' Tliat v(>ry night the boat in which he
was to reach his parish was to start ; and the curd wrapped
the infant carc^fully in the blank(«t in which he lay, and,
without disturbing his slumber, bore him off to tho boat,'
Ji valued prize.

Tho next Sunday a strange sight was witnessed in the
parish cliurch of which tho curd was tho pastor. The
priest was seen issui]>g from the sacristy, holding in his
arms a boy of singular beauty, whose iittle hands were
tightly clasped, half in terror, half in excitement, round
tho neck of his bearer. Every eye was turned towards this
Btrange spectacle, and the most intense curiosity was felt
by tho congregation, in a greater degi-ee by the women.

Rl^SISTLKSS ELOQUENCE.

141

liild Avoiild

ill(! llCilltll

iisiiitcd to
r!(n(Ie(l ob-
Xnt of his
ions ciiiiHe

country
•fj;o.on, who
-tlio child-
lod witli a
houhl ciiU
iiid he *I

toll your
iiillarfi^oon
liQYo, in a
l(>op. As

boy, Avho
Pjuiey, the
', he said,
' said M.
fake him

1 to coino
whic;!! he
! wrapped
lily, and,
the boat,

3d in the
or. The
ig in his
ads* were
it, round
ards this
Avas felt
i "women,

especially those who wore mothers, to learn what it meant.
It was soon exi)lained by their pastor, who said :—

'Look at this Httle boy! Poor infant! (Hore the curr^

embraced him). Look at his noble forehead, his bri«.^lit

eyes, his cnrliiiH' hair, his mouth like a cheru))'s ! Oh,

wliat a b(!autiful boy ! (Another embrace, the half-terrified

(!hild cliii<,nnnr closer to the priest's breast, his tears droj)-

phi^' fast npon the surplice.) 'Look, my dear fricuids, at

this beautiful child, who has been sent l)y God to (mr care.

There are 200 as beautiful children as this poor forlorn

infant. They were starved out of their own country ])y

bad laws, and their fathers and theiv poor mothers now lie

in the great grave at Grosse Isle. Poor mothers! they

could not remain with their little ones. You will bo

mothers to them. The father vlied, and the mother died ;

but before she died, the pious mother— the Irish CathoHc

Qiother— left them to the good God, and the good God

"low gives tliem to you. Mothers, you will not refuse the

gift of the good God! (The kindly people responded to

this appeal with tears and gestures of passionate assent.)

Go quickly to Quebec ; there you will find these orphan

children— these gifts offered to you by the good God go

quickly— go to-morrow— lose not a moment— take them
and carry them to your homes, and they will bring a
blessing on you and your famihes. I say, go to-morrow
without fail, or others may be before you. Yes, dear
friends, they will be a blessing to you as they grow up, a
strong healthy race— fine women, and fine men, like this
Ijeautiful boy. Poor child, you wHl be sure to find a
second mother in this congregation.' (Another em-
brace, the little fdlow's tears flowing more abundantly ;
every eye in the church ghstening with responsive
sympathy).

This was the cure's sermon, and it may be doubted if
Bossuet or Fenelon ever produced a like ellect. Next day
there was to be seen a long profession of waggons moving

1
I

I r
I I

I
I

142

THE lUISII IN AMEUICA.

towiirds Qiu^bcc ; uiul on tlie ovonin^r of tliat day tlioi-o was

not one of the 2(K) Irish orphan.s that had not hevn hrou^rht

to a Canadian home, there to bo nurtured with tenckuiu^sM

and love, as tlie j,nft of tlie /ion Diau. Toswibly, in some

instances tlnit tenderness and love were not requited in

after life, but in most instances the Irish orphan brought a

blessin*,' to the hearth of its adopted parents. Tin? boy

whoso beauty and whoso tears so jjowcrfully assisted the

sinii)le oratory of the j,^ood cure, is now one of the ablest

hiwyers in (^uelx-c^- but a French Canadian in every respect

save in birth and blood.

As soon as nrood food and tender care had restored
vigour to their youthful limbs, the nnijority of the ori)hans
played in happy unconsciousness of their bereavennnit ;
but there were others, a few years older, on whom the
horrors of Grosso Isle had made a lasting- impression.

A decent couple had sailed in one of the ships, bringing
with them two girls and a boy, the elder of the former
being about thirteen, the boy not more than seven or eight.
The father dicil lirst, the mother next. As the affrighted
children knelt by their dying mother, the poor woman,
strong in her faith, with her last accents confided her help-
less offspring to 'the protection of God and His Blessed
Mother,' and told them to have confidence in the Father
of the widow and the orphan. Lovingly did the cold hand
linger on the head of her boy, as, with expiring energy,
she invoked a blessing upon him and his weeping sistcn's!
Thus the pious mother died in the fever-shed of Grosse Isle.
The children were taken care of, and sent to the same
district, so as not to be separated from each other. The
boy was received into the home of a French Canadian ; his
sisters were ad(5pted by another family in the neighbour-
hood. For two weeks the boy never uttered a word, never
smiled, never appeared conscious of the presence of those
around him, or of the attention lavished on him by his
generous protectors, who liad iilmost come to believe

^ tll<!rO WllH

till brou^dit,
icruIornoHM
ly, ill Koiiio
'e(niit,ecl in
brought H
Tlio bov
"isistcd tho
tlio JlbloHt
ivy respect

I restored
10 orplians
JiivoiiK'iit ;
whom tliG
iioii.

i, briiiginj^'
le I'oriuor
1 or eight.
jiffri{^}it(Kl
r woman,

her help-
s Blessed
le Father
3old hand
fjf enern^y,
ig sisters,
'osse Isle,
the same
lor. The
lian ; his
sighbour-
rd, never

of tliose
n by his
J believe

ONE OF THE OUl'llANS OF THE I'LAGIJP:.

143

tliut they had adopted a little mute, or that he had monion-

tarily lost the power of Hi)(!e<!h through fright or starvaticm

iJiit at tlie end of the fortnight he reli(!ved t]u?m of their

fears by uttering some words of, to them, an uidviiowu

language ; and from that monu^nt the spell, wrought, as it

were, by the cold hand of his dying mother, i)assed from

ilie spirit of the boy, and he thenceforth clung with ihe

fondness of youth to his second parents. The Irish

orphan soon spoke the language of his new home, though

he never lost the memory of the fever-sheds and the awful

death-bed, or of his weeping sisters, and the last words

spoken by the faithful Christian woman who connnended

him to the protection of God and His Blessed Mother.

He grew up a youth of extraordinary promise, and was

received into the college of Nicolet, then in the diocese of

Quebec, where he graduated A\ith the greatest honours.

His vocation being for the Church, he became a priest ; and

it was in 1805 that, as a deacon, he entered the College of

St. Michael, near Toronto, to learn the language of his

parents, of which he had lost all remembrance. Ho is now

one of the moat distinguished professors of the college in

which he was educated ; and, in order to pay back the

debt incurred by his support and education, he does not

accept more than a small stipend for his services. Of his

Irish name, which he was able to retain, he is very proud ;

and though his tongue is more that of a French Canadian,

his feelings and sympathies are with the people and the

country of his birth. The prayers of the dying mother

were indeed heard ; for the elder of the girls was married

by the gentleman who received them both int(. his house,

and the younger is ir a convent.

Absorbed thus into the families of the French-speaking
population, even the older Irish orphans soon lost almost
every jncmory of their former home and of their parents,
and grew up French Canadians in every respect save the
more vigorous constitution for which they were indebted

TIIK IRISH IN AMERICA.

to imturo. It iH not, tlicrnforo, ji raro thiii/r to behold a
tall, Htni|>i)iM;(, fiiir-HkiniuHl yoniinr fi-Ilow, with an iiinniH-
liikabh) Irinh iianio, and an unnii.stakahh) Irish faco, who
Hix-akH and thinkH an a Frcmrli Canadian. Tims f^'cnuitio
Irish nanu>H— as Cassidy, or !Lonor<,^an, or Sullivan, or
Qiiinn, or Murphy— aro to bo heard of at this day in many
of tho homes of the kindl^y hahi/an>i of Lower Canada.

Though it was the humane policy of those who took earo
of the <)ri)hans of (lr()ss(i Isle to keep the same family in
the same nei^dibourhood, so as not to separate l)rothor
from sister, it has happened that a brother has been roared
by a Freneh family, and a sister by an Irish, or En<,dish-
Hpeakinjjf, family ; and wluwi tlu» ori)hans hav(i boon brought
tojrether by their adopted parents, they could only oxpi^ss
their emotionf^ by ombracea and tears— tho language of the
heart.

In some, but raro instances, visions of the past havo
haunted the memory of Irish orphans in their new homes.
One of these, a young girl who bore the name of hor pro-
tectt)rs, was poss(>sscd with a passionate longing to learn
her real name, and to know something of hor parents. A
once familiar sound, which she somehow associated with
her former name, Jloated tlirongh her brain, vaguo and in-
distinct, but over present. The longing to ascertain who
sho was, and whether either of hor parents was still living,
grew into an absorbing passion, which preyed upon her
h(\'ilth. She would frequently write w^nit expressed her
recollectit)n of tho name she had onco borne, and which she
thought sho had been called in her infancy by those who
loved her. Tho desire to clear up tho doubt becoming at
length uncontrollable, she implored the curd of her parish
to institute inquiries in her behalf. Written in French
characters, nearly all resemblance to the supposed name
was lost ; but through the aid of inquiries set on foot by
Fatlnn- Dowd, the Parish Priest of St. Patrick's, in Mon-
treal, and guided by the faint indication allbrded by what

TIIR Pf.ACUE IN MONTIIKAL.

146

:o behold a
I nn iiniuiH-
i fiico, who
Ills «r('iiiiitio
■iiillivjin, or
hiy ill iiiiiny
tuuhi.

lo took caro
o fuinily in
ito Ijrother
)cc!n roarod
3r EM^li.sh-
on brought
lily cxi)rcsH
-lagc of tho

past havo
low homes,
jf her pro-
g to learn
areiits. A
liatcd with
juo and in-
Lsrtain who
still living-,

upon her
ressed her

wliieh she
those who
scorning at
her parisli
in French
)scd nanio
)n foot by
s, in Mon-
d by what

resembled a sound more than a sirnamo, it was discovered
that her imAhi'v had taken her out to America in 18-17,
and that her fatlier had never ciuitted Ireland. A com-
munication was at once establish,,,! l,(.twecn fatlier and
child; and from that moment th,) girl began to recover
her health, which had been nearly sacrilieed to her pas-
uionate yearning.

The horrors of Grosse Isle had their counterpart in
Montreal.

As in Quebec, the mortality was greater in 1817 than in
the year fol],)wiiig ; but it was not till the close of 1848 tliat
the plague might l)e said to bo extinguished, not without
fearful sacritu;e of lif(>. During the months of June, July,
August, and September, the season when nature wears her
most glori,.uK garb of loveliness, as many as eleven hun-
dred of ' the faithful Irish,' as the Canadian priest truly de-
scnl)ed them, were lying at one tune in the fever-sheds at
Point St. Charles, in which rough wooden beds were placed
in rows, and so close as scarcely to admit of room to pass.
In these miserable cribs the patients lay, sometimes two
together, looking, as a Sister of Charity since wrote, 'as if
they were in tlieir coffins,' from tlie box-like appearance of
their wretched beds. Tiiroughout those glorious months,
while the sun shone brightly, and the majestic river rolled
along in golden waves, hundreds of the p,)or Irish were
dying daily. The world outside was gay and glad, but death
was noting in the fever-sheds. It was a moment to try
the devotion which rehgion inspires, to test tho courage
with which it animates the gentlest breast. First came
the Gr(>y Nuns, strong in love and faitli ; but so malignant
was the disease, that thirty of their number were stricken
down, and thirteen died the death of. martyrs. There was
no faltering, no holding back; no* sooner were the ranks
thinned by death than the gaps were quickly fiUed ; and
when the Grey Nuns were driven to the last extremity,
the Sisters of Providence came to their assistance, and

i.
I

4
4-

liG

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

took their pljicc by the side of the dying Btrangcrs, But
when even their aid did not suffice to meet the emero-ency,
the Sisters of St. Josepli, thono-h cloistered nuns, received
tlie permission of the Bishop to share with their sist(>r
reho-iov,s the hardships and dangers of hibour by day and

night

'I am the only one left,' were the thrilling words in
which the surviving priest announced from the pulpit the
ravages that the ' ocean plague ' had made in the ranks of
the clergy. With a single exception, the local priests were
either sick or dead. Eight of the number fell at their
post, true to their duty. The good Bishop, Monsoigneur
Bourget, then weiit liimself, to take his turn in the lazar-
house ; but the enemy was too mighty for his zeal, and
having remain(Hl in the discharge of his self-imposed task
for a day and a night, he contracted the fever, and was
carried home to a sick-bed, where he lay for weeks, hover-
ing between life and death, amid the tears and prayers of
his people, to whom Providence restored him after a period
of intense anxiety to them, and long and weary suffering
to him.

When the city priests were found inadequate to the dis-
charge of their pressing duties, the country priests cheer-
fully responded to the call of their Bishop, and came to
the assistance of their brethren ; and of the country priests
not a few found the grave and the crown of the martyr.

xVniong the priests who fell a sacrifice to their duty in
the fever-sheds of Montreal was FaQier Richards, a vener-
able man, long past^ the time of active service! A convert
from i\Ietliodism. in early hfe, he had specially devoted his
services to the Irish, then but a very small proportion of
the population ; and now, when the cry of distress from the
same race was heard, the good old man could not be re-
strained from ministering to their wants. Not only did ho
mainly provide for the safety of the hundreds of orpluiu
children, whom the death of their parents had left to the

nnfcra. But

! oniorooiK'.y,

ms, received

tlieir sister

by diiy aiul

ig words iu

inilx)it the
;lie rtinks of
priests were
fell at tlieir
lonseigiieur

1 the lazar-
'.B zeal, and
iiposed task
n-, and was
eeks, liover-
1 prayers of
ter a period
t'y suffering

to the dis-
iests clieer-
id came to
ntrj^ priests
martyr,
eir duty iu
ds,^a vener-

A convert
ievoted his
oportion of
ss from the

not be re-
only did he

of or])] IP. 11 m

left to the

HOW THE IRISH DIED. ^47

mercy of the charitable, but, in spite of his great age, he
laboured m the sheds with a zeal which could not bo
excelled.

' Father Richards wants fresh straw for the beds,' said
the messenger to the mayor.

' Certainly, he shall have it : I wish it was gold, for his
Bake, replied the mayor.

A few days after both Protestant mayor and Catholio
priest ' had gone where straw and gold are of equal value '
wrote the Sister already mentioned. Both had died mar-
tyrs of charity.

Only a few days before Father Richards was seized with
his fatal lUness he preached on Sunday in St. Patrick's
and none who heard him on that occasion could forget the
venerable appearance and impressive words of that noble
servant of God. Addressing a hushed and sorrow-stricken
audience, as the tears rolled down his aged clieeks, he
thus spoke of the sufferings and the faith of the Irish :—

' Oh, my beloved brethren, grieve not, I beseech you
tor the sufferings and death of so many of your race'
perchance your kindred, who have fallen, and dre stiU to
fall, victims to this fearful pestilence. Their patience
their faith, have edified all whose privilege it was to wit-
ness it. Their faith, their resignation to the wiU of God
under- such unprecedented misery, is something so extra-
ordinary that, to realise it, it requires to be seen. Oh my
brethren, grieve not for them ; they did but pass from
earth to the glory of heaven. True, they were cast in
iK^aps mto the earth, their place of sepulture marked by
no name or epitaph ; but I tell you, my dearly beloved
brethren, that from their ashes the faith will spring up
along the St. Lawrence, for they died martyrs, as they lived
confessors, to the faith.'

The whole city, Protestant and Catholic, mourned tlie
death of this fiP.e old man, one of the most illustrious "
victims of the scourge in Montreal.

J
4

yCIUAC'i<^'

148

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

The orplian children Averc ^'athered to the homes and
hearts of the generous Canadians and the loving Irish ;
and most of them had grown np to manhood and woman-
hood before either monument or epitaph marked the s])()t
in which the bones of their dead parents were mingling
with the dust. But there is a monument and a record,
the pious work of English workmen, inspired by the
humane suggestion of English gentlemen. In the centre
of a railed-in spot of land at Point St. Charles, Avitliin a
hundred yards or so of the Victoria Bridge, that wondrous
structure which spans the broad St. Lawrence, there is a
huge boulder, taken from the bed of the river, and placed
on a platform of roughly hewn stone ; and on that boulder
there is this inscription : —

: TO

Prescrvo IVom dosocration

THE liKMAlXS OK SIX TIlOl .SAND IMMIGIIAN'TS,

Wlio dio«l of Sliip-fever,

A.I). 1847-8,

This stone is oiccUmI by the

WOKKMKN OK MKSSUS. I'lOTO, ItltASSY, AND HKTTS,

Employed in the
Construction of the Vietoria Bridge,

A.D. 18")!).

In the church of the Bon Secour one may see a memorial
picture, repesrenting with all the painter's art the horrors
and the glories of the fever-shed — the dying Irish, strong
in their faith — the ministering Sisters shedding peace on
the pillow of suffering — the holy Bishop allbrding the last
consolations of religion to those to w^hom the world was
then as nothing : but, in its terrible significance, the rude
monument by that mighty river's side is far more im-
pressive.

Let us follow the Irish emigrant — ' the faithful Irish ' —
farther up the St. Lawrence.

In the grounds of the General Hospital of Kingston
there is an artificial mound, of gentle swell and moderate

I liomcs and
oving Irish ;
and wonian-
Ivcd the .S])()t
ii'c miiif^'lin<^
id a record,
red by the
ti the centre
h\s, Avitliin a
at wondrous
e, there is a
, and placed
that boulder

rs,

? a memorial
the horrors
[riwh, strong
iig peace on
ing the last
e world was
ice, the rude
r more im-

iful Irish'—

)f Kingston
id moderate

THE GRAVE-MOUND IN KINGSTON.

elevation, the grass on which is ever green, as if owing to
some pecuhar richness of the soil. When verdure has
been elsewhere burned up or parched, on this soft-swelling
mound greenness is perpetual. Beneath that verdant
shroud lie mouldering the bones of 1,900 Irish immigrants,
victims of the same awful scourge of their race — the ship
fever. With the intention of pushing on to the West, the
goal of their hopes, multitudes of the Irish reached Kir.gs-
ton, 350 miles up the St. Lawrence from Quebec ; but the
plague broke out amongst this mass of Human misery, and
they rotted away hko sheep. So fast did they die, that
there were not means to provide coffins in which to inter
them. There was timber more than sufficient for the
purpose, but the hands to fashion the plank into the
coffin v'-re too few, and Death was too rapid in his stroke ;
and so a huge pit of circular form was dug, and in it were
laid, in tiers, piled one upon the other, the bodies of 1,900
men, women, and children : and even to the hour when I
beheld the light of the setting sun imparting additional
beauty to its vivid greenness, there was neither rail, nor
fence, nor stone, nor cross, nor inscription, to tell that 1,900
of a Christian people slept beneath the turf of that gigan-
tic grave.

Twenty years ago Kingston was a small place, with Httle
more than half its present population ; and the Irish, who
now form an important portion of its community, were
then comparatively few in number. But in no part of
British America did the Irish display a more heroic devo-
tion to humanity and country than in that city, from which
the greater number of the inhabitants had fled in terror,
•d the presence of the migratory hordes who brought
pestilence with them in their march. The Irish of the
town stood their ground bravely ; and not only were theii*
houses thrown open to their afflicted countrypeople, and
their moans placed unreservedly at their disposal, but they
tended the sick and dying, and ministered to them in the

4
i

■4

150

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

holioBt spirit of chanty. Anioiif^ the best and bravest of
those who succoured the plnguo-siiiitteii of that droatlful
time, were three Irish Prv)tcstarils — Mr. Kirkpatrick, then
Mayor of Kiiig'stoii, Akleriiiau Ilobert Augliii, and IMr.
WilUani Ford, afterwards IMayor — who were m the sheds
both day and night, and by their ceaseless efforts to rehevo
the sufferers, inspired others with increased courage and
still greater self-devotion.

Father Dollard, an Irish clergyman," had to bear the
chief share of the priestly duty ; and from the first mo-
ment that the fever brt)ke out, until the earth was beat-
en down on tlie top of the grave-mound, he was in the
midst of the danger. So shocking was the condition in
which the unhappy people reached Kingston, the last
resting-place of many of them, that the clergymen, three
at the most, had to change their own clothes repeatedly
in the day. One of the three priests, wdio had beiju only
just ordained, died of the contagion.

AVhen the plague abated, and the danger no longer
cidsted, the inhal)itants returned ; and now there began
an unseemly scramble for the orphan children of the
Catholic parents who slept beneath the mound in the
grounds of the Hospital. The Irish Catholics of the sur-
rounding locality strained every resource in order to affi^rd
a home to the orphans of their native country and religion,
and through their charity the greater number of them
were well provided for ; but others of a different faith se-
cured a certain proportion of the children, who are now
perhaps bitter opponents of the creed of their fathers.

The same scenes of suffering and death were to bo
witnesse<l in the city of Toronto, as in the other cities
of Canada during those memorable years, 1847 and 1818.
Sheds were constructed, and hearses and dead-carts were
in hourly refpiisition. The panic was universal ; but tlio
humane and high-spirited, of all denominations, did their
duty manfully. Two and three coffins were constantly to

bravest of
at d road I'll 1
itrick, tlion
L, and IMr.
. the sliodn
nS to relievo
jurage and

) bear the
first nio-
was beat-
was in the
jndition in
1, the last
men, three
repeatedly
been only

no longer
icre began
en of the
nd in the
)f the sur-
ir to afford
d religion,
r of them
it faith se-

o are now
thers.
'^ere to be
tlier cities

and 1818.
carts wore

; but tlio
, did their
istantly to

AN ILLUSTIUOUS VICTIM IN TORONTO.

151

be seen on the hearse or waggon usedii^r bearing the dead
to the grave-pit outside the toAvn. One day \ho horse
dniwing this hearse got restive, and, breaking from his
conductor, upset the three coffins, which, falling into pieces,
literally gave up their dead. This occurred near the
IVIarket Scpiare, about the most public thoroughfare in
Toronto, and at once a crowd assembled, horror-stricken
but fascinated by the awful spectacle. Every effort was
made to repair as speedily as possible the momentary dis-
aster ; but it was some time before the three wasted Ijodies
of the poor Irisli could be liidden from sight. The priests,
as m all similar cases, were ceaselessly at work, with the
usual result— the sacrifice of several of their number.

Among the losses which the Catholic Church had to
dei)lore during this crisis, was that of a venerable Irish-
man, Dr. Power, Bishop of Toronto. He was implored by
his people not to expose a hfe so valuable to his fiock ; but
he replied, that where the souls of Christians, and these the
natives of his own country, were in peril, it was his duty to
be there. ' My good priests are down in sickness, and the
duty devolves on me. The poor souls are going to heaven,
and I will do aU I can to assist them,' said the Bishop!
And in spite of the most earnest and affectionate re-
monstrance, he persevered in performing the same labours
as the youngest of his priests. The Bishop prepared for
his post of danger by making his will, and appointing an
administrator. The letters of administration were lengthy,
and of much impoi tance, embracing necessarily the finan-
cial and other concerns of the diocese. This document,
most precious from its association with the voluntary
martyrdom of the venerable Prelate, is preserved among
the episcopal archives of Toronto. It was commenced
with a bold firm hand ; but as it proceeded amid frequent
interruptions— his visits to console the dying being their
chief cause — the writing became more and more feeble,
until one might mjirk, in the faint and trembHng characters

4
1

152

THE IRISH IN AM'-TJCA.

of the coiicludiiipf linos, flio near approach of death, wliich
soou conKigiied him to tho tomb, another martyr to duty.
Barcily, if ever, has a hir^^er funeral procession been seen
in Toronto, and never has there been a more universal
manifestation of public sorrow than was witnessed on
that mournful occasion. Every place of business in the
streets through which the pro(!ession passed was closed,
and Protestant vied with Cathohc in doing honour to the
memory of a holy and brave-hearted prelate.

Partridge Island, ojiposite the city of St. John, New
Brunswick, was the scene of more horrors, more destruc-
tion of human life. In fact, wherever an emigrant ship
touched the shores of the British Provinces, or sailed into
their rivers, there is the same awful carnage to be re-
ctsrded.

A portion of the survivors pushed on to the West, their
march still tracked by fever, and marked by new-made
graves. The majority stopped at various places on the
way, or spread ovei* Central and AVostern Canada, many
settling on Crown lands placed at their disposal by the
Government, but others hiring themselves as farm la"
bourers, not having, im yet, the energy to face the forest,
and engage in a struggle ."or which disease and sorrow had
rendered them for a time unequsil. But in half a dozen
years after might be seen, along the shores of the lakes,
and on the banks of the great rivers and their tributaries,
prosperous settlements of those fever-hunted exiles, who,
flying in terror from their own country, carried plague
and desolation with them to the country of their adoption.
It was remarked of them that, though they bravely rallied,
and set about their work as settlers with an energy almost
desperate, many seemed to be prematurely old, and broke
down after some years of ceasolcss toil; but not before
they liad achieved the great object of their ambition-
made a nome and realised a ^^roperty for those who, with

now THE IRISH PUSHED ON.

168

oatli, which
:yr to duty.
I been seen
e iTTiivcrsal
tiiessod on
loss in the
vvfis closed,
nour to the

John, New
)re dcstruc-
gi'iint ship
sailed into

to bo re-
West, their

new-made
cos on the
lada, many
sal by the
-s farm la-
the forest,
sorrow had
ilf a dozen

the lakes,
tributaries,
(xiles, who,
ied plague
r adoption,
rely rallied,
!rgy almost
and broke
not before
ambition — •

who, with

thfem, survived the hoiTors of the pasftago, and the havoc of
the quarantin(! and the fever-shed.

Ev(!n to tliis day the terror inspired in the minds of the
inhabitants through whose districts the Irish emigrants
passed in the terrible years of 1847 and 1818, has not died
out. I Avas told of one instance where, little more than a
year since, whole villages were scared at tl nnouncement,
happily untrue, that 'the poor Irish were coming, and were
bringing the fever with them.' It was scarcely a subject for •
the pleasantry of the wag.

As explorers and pioneers, the Irish have been as ad
venturous and sTU'C(!ssful as any others in Canada. As
lumlKirmen, they have pushed far in advance of the foot-
steps of civiHsation. Twenty-five years since they were to
be found in the forests along the; banks of the Moira,
Ayhich empties itself into the Bay of (^Juhite, cutting down
the great trees, 'making timber,' then guiding it down
the rapids, and bringing it to (Quebec. And among the
most fearless and daring, as well as skilful, of the navi-
gators of the tremendous rapids of the St. Lawrence are
the Irish. The Canadian, though dexterous with the axe,
is occasionally rather apt to depend on his prayers in a mo-
ment of emergency; whereas the Irishman, who, to say
the least, is fully as pious as the Canadian, acts on the
wise belief that Providence helps those who help them-
' selves. At the head of the Ottawa, which is the great
lumbering centre of Canada, the Irish have principally '
settled the town of Pembroke, in which reside many who,
once enterprising lumbermen and bold raftsmen, arc now
living at their ease, in the enjoyment of their hard-earned
wesdtli. There is one in particular, who went miles up
the river beyond Pembroke, and brought his family into
the almost impenetrable forest. Twenty years ago he w^as
a raftsman, earning IG dollars a month, and he is now
one of the richest men on the river. Witliin tw^elve miles
of Pembroke, at Fort WilHam, a station belonging to tho r/

4
i

164

Till-: Ilil.SlI IN AMERICA.

Hudson Bay Company, the keenest compotiiors with the
Company in the purcliaso of fur,s arc Irishmen. Following
up the Ottawa, to French lliver, Avhich (Mni)tics itst^f into
Lake Huron, along- that river, and the small tributaries
of the Ottawa, are to be found thriving Irish settlements
of not more than six years date. In fact, the Irish have
penetrated everywhere, and have proved themselves bold
and self-reliant, and, even perhaps in a greater degree
than the other nationalities, have displayed the most won-
derful faculty of adapting themsc^lves to every possible
circumstance. This faculty, whether of adapting them-
selves to natural circumstances or to pohtical institutions,
si^ecially distinguishes the Irish race.

Throughout the cities and towns of Upper Canada the
Irish hold an eminent position in every profession, and in
every department and branch of industry; and in the
professions, as in mercantile life, the Catholics already en-
joy a fair share, especially when their former poverty and
religious faith are taken into account. Indeed, considering
the circumstances under which so many of the Catholic
Irish of the towns emigrated to Canada, not only with
little means, and feAV friends to help them, but with all
manner of prejudice arrayed against them, they have done
more and succeeded better than those of any other creed
or nationality. Tnoy have done more in a shorter time,
and in the face of an opposition which neither the English
nor Scotch, nor their Protestant brethren knew anythino- of.
There is not a town in Canada in wliich there are not to
be witnessed instances, equally striking and honot^^-able, of
the progress of young Irishmen, who, bringing out with
them a few pounds at most, but more probably a lYnv
shillings, are now extensive traders, enterprising manufac-
turers, and large employers. It is not necessary to par-

IN THE CITIES OF UPPER CANADA.

1 with the

itsolf into
tributiiries
lottlomoiitH
Irish have
lolvoa bold
ter decree
most won-
y possible
iig them-
Lstitutions,

anada the
511, and in
id in the
Iready en-
)verty and
iiisidering
! Catholic
only with
t with all
have done
her crcod
rter time,
le Eng'lish
ly thing of.
ire not to
uvablc, of

out with
bly a fovv'

maiiiifac-
y to par-

ticularise by individual cases ; but were it right to mention
places and persons, I could give a long list of the most
gratifying instiinces of the results of unaided industry
and unb(,'fri(indcd energy. I was much struck, when wall>
ing with a friend through a city in Western Canada, at
observing the iine ranges of buildings for commerciju
purposes recently erected, or being then put up, by
Catholic Irishmen, with whose history I was made ac-
quaint(Hl. To hidustry, integrity, and sheer mother wit,
they — not a few of them poor but intelligent lads, who came
out to seek their fortunes — owed everything ; to human
favour or patronage they were not indebted to the value
of a shilling. One of these Irishmen had studded the
country with young traders, whom he estaljlished in va-
rious directio]is, and nearly all of whom were prospering.
Another was then on his way to Europe to purchase his
goods direct from the manufacturers, instead of buying
them through Canadian houses ; and his calculation was,
that he would save from 1,5001. to 2,000/. a year by adopt-
ing this plan. When he landed in Canada he was not
master of twenty dollars in the world. This is what I saw
in a single city, and that by no means the most extensive
in either business or population.

There are new generations of Irishmen rising up every
day in Canada, the sons of men of humble origin or modest
beginning, who, having pushed their way successfully
in their new home, sent theii- boys to college, and ' made
gentlemen of them.' As lawyers, doctors, engineers,
architects, these young men are bringing to the va-
rious professions the sturdy energy of the class from
which they sprang, and are vindicating by their ability
and their genius the intellectual prestige of their race.
The. well-authenticated stories told of the fathers of younp
men whom I saw dressed with all the elegance indicative
of wealth and good position, and whose manners corres-
ponded Avitii their external appearance, sounded hke a

.>HmRY

)

166

THE Ilirsir IN AMERICA.

llow those

romance, tlioy wnro so iiiavvcllon!
era crosHinl Urn Mhmiw in n tinil)or nliip, tuul li'iulcd por<
haps at Qm)\n\G or St. Joliii, witli s(\'irt!oly ciioufijli to sup-
poi-t fhoni for a w(!('k ; liow thoy rci.sohitoly turned to
the tirst work tliJit oirorcd, caring-- little for hardship or
dnidotuy ; how they noviu- looked hack, hut ever onwards ;
how at lengtli money sc'enud to grow under their toudi,
until they accunudatod property, built mansions, pos-
Bcssed horses and carriages, hvcd in splendour, and care-
fully fitted theii- children, by education and training, for
the positi(ni th(>y were to occupy, as the gentry of the
country ! But in their histories we le.'irn, that these self-
made Irishmen, these sucfiessful founders of prosperous
famili(^s, tlie. <!r(>ators of all this prosperity and spl(>ndour,
never clouded their bright Celtic intelle<'t, or brutalised
their genial and kindly natiu-c, with drink. Not that they
totally abstained from the use of stinndants, i)erhaps few of
them did ; but they were * sober, well-conducted men.'

*As a ride,' said a well-informed friend, * till within tlio
last ten or twelve years, few Irish Catholics of respectable
position, or with even moderate means, immigrated to
Cana(hi. Under these circumstances it tells favourably for
the country, for the government and the laws of Canada,
and for the enterprise, industry, and perseverance of our
people, that so many are independent, and that the vast
majority enjoy all the coml\)rts and many of the luxuries
of hfe.

The educational system of Upper Canada is in every way
calculated to develop the intelligence and stimulate the
energies of the rising youth of the country. The teaching
is practical and comprehensive, and the administration
appears to bo, so far as I could ascertain, just and impar-
tial. The superior colleges of Canada turn out as highly
cultivated young men as are to lic found in any part of
America, or in the oldest universities of Europe. And in
every educational institution— from the university of Toronto,

TIIR KDUCATION S VST KM.

107

in wliicli, iintler the pr^'sidency of a clistinj^nilsliod Irisliman,
I witiiosHed Irirtli Ht,ii(l(>utH Ix'aiiiirr oil' several of the lii..|i('st
prizes of the year, to thq ]iuiiil)l(!st villa^'e school ilirou^h-
out British America and the United States— the bi-i^ditiicsa
of the Irish iiiteUect is remarkable ; indeed, it ^ a subject
of uuiversal observation in all parts of America.

The facihties whidi the public school laws of Upper
Canada otl'er to the Catholics for obtaining,' elementary edu-
cation strictly denominational, may be thus briefly stated :_
Two or more Catholic heads of families, by givin^r notice
(with a view to exemption from the pubHc rtite) to certain
local oflfi('(n-s, may claini the right to estal)lish a school of
their own, and elect their own trustees for its management.
The supporters of this school are not only exempt from the
payment of a, rates for th<' support of the pul^lio schools,
but the law guarantees to them the right to share, half-
yearly, in the legislative grant, in proportion to the number
of children they may educate. They also receive an equal
amount to whatever sum they send to the Government
department of Education, for the purchase of maps,
globes, school-prizes, and library books. These library
books are selected by a Council, of wliich the Catholic
Bishop of Toronto is a member. Many of the books are
exclusively Catliolic in their character, and the trustees
have the right to select only such books as they may
prefer. The schools are, of course, subject to oiiicial in-
spection, and are required to report to the department;
which is only right and fair, considering they receive
assistance from the State, througli ofiicials responsible for
the proper administration of the public money. Ev(>i-y
Catholic school may claim an area of country for its sup-
porters of six miles in diameter, or eightc on miles in
eircumference— that is, three miles in all directions from
its school-house, as a central point. All supporters of the
school within that area are exempt from public school
taxation. Here is the practical admission of a just prin-

■■■■*

168

TllK IIIISII IN AMERICA.

ciple—refipect for con.scirntiouH convictions in ii mattei
nii.st vitally airecti)i«^ the intiu-CHts of nianldnd.

There is a Hhudow, a dark shadow, in this bri^dit picture
of prosperity and pi-oo-ross— the spirit of bi-otry— the
spirit of unnatural hate. It is expressed in one pregnant
word— Ori.n;(eiHni. Pity indeed that it should exist in tliat
land of free institutions and good laws. Pity that it should
mar its peace, or rcitard its progress. Pity that, from any
reason, motive, or object, it should be encouraged, by any
class. Pity that it is not trampled inexoraWy under foot,
not by harsh enactment, but by the good sense and right
feeling of the wise and the patriotic, acting on the pubhc
mind of the Protestant portion of the community. Its
iuHuenco is felt in every department of public and jjrivato
life, if not In' all, at least in too many districts of Upper
Canada. Its baneful i)resenco is perceptible; in the heart of
the country as in the city and the town. I laujw that many
good and cnhghtencd Protestant Iri^;hmen — men who are
staunch to their faith, for which they woukl face any <Tan-
ger or endure any sacrifice — deplore the existence of this
one of the deadly curses of our Irish people, and do all they
possibly can to neutralise its vemom, and counteract its
evil inlluence. I beheve it to be a barrier to the progress
— the more rapid progress — of Canada ; it not only checks

emigration, but it also induces

migration

it 2^revents

many from coming, and — often unconsciously — it inqjels
many to leave. What Canada recpiircs, in order to realise
the hopes of her statesmen and her patriots, is more men
and women, more miUions — not of the kid-glove schocl,
but of the strong, the vigorous, and the resolute — of tlu-
same class as those who have reclaimed her wastes, built
up her cities, and constructed her highways — those sons
and daughters of toil, without whose fructifying labour
there can be no progress, no civilisation. Undoubtedly
gieat and prosperous as is this sturdiest of the offspring of

IX maitei

^'•lit pic'tiiro
^^otry — tlio
3 pro^iiiint
xist ill that
it it Hlioiild
b, fi'oni any
^ed by any
nidcr foot,

and rio'lit
ilic public
inity. IIm
Liid j)iivato

of Upi^er
lio heart of
that many
311 who aiG
J any dan-
ace of this
do all they
keract its
e progress
nly checks
t prevents
-it impels
L' to realise
more men
VG scliocl,
te — of tlu-
istes, built
;hose sons
ng labour
doubt cdly
ftspring of

THE rOISON OF OKANGKISM.

169

the mother country, she requires some additional millions
of human beings ero she expands in reahty to the full
measure of her new-coined designation— the Dominion of
Canada. And it is neither wise nor patriotic, in any class
or section of the population, from any motive or object
whatever, to foster or encourage, in the very heart of the
body pohtic, a source of evil which bears sulliciently bitter
fruit at the other side of the Atlantic and at both sides of
the Boyne— but which, l)y the waters of the St. Lawrence
and the Ottawa, should bo doomed to wither beneath pub-
lic contempt. Though the hearts of Irishmen hi the New
World instinctively turn to each otlier, this pestilent
Orange virus keeps them apart. There is tlieir old country,
which they love in coinnK)n, witli which their fondest and
dearest memories are associated ; but this evil thing is so
vicious, so full of rancour, that it poisons the very foun-
tains of patriotic emotions, and stimulates to hatred rather
than to love. Under ordinary circumstances, when there is
nothing to give life to this Orange feeling, the Irish Uve in
harmony together. They are friends and neighbom-s, and
would willingly assist each other in jidversity or distress.
The families visit and blend together; the young people
grow up in companionship, most likely in friendship ; the
old people gad and gossip together ; births and marriages
and deaths are matters of common interest— nay, not a
sorrow or pain is felt in one home but excites compassion
and sympathy in the other. But, lo ! as the period of the
Orange festival approaches— as one of those anniversaries
of past strife, of battles fought nearly two hundred years
ago in Ireland, comes round— then a cloud seems to groAv
and gather on the brow, and a strange transformation takes
place : the open-hearted, kindly neighbour of yesterday is
not to be recognised in that downcast, sullen fellow, who
meets the Catholic with a scoavI, if not a curse ; and iu his
wife, or daughter, or sister, who hurries past the house of
tlie Catholic as if there %vere contagion in its door-posts,

n
.')

k
■■li

IGO

THE IlilSII IN AMERICA.

one finds it Ijjird to trace a lik(viic8H to the /gonial matron
wlio so aj^reoably discussed the iiaiucloss trillcs that coiisti-
tiile the theme of iVicndly j^ossip, or ilie pheasant damsel
whos(5 laug-Iiter made music in the family circki. AVhen
the day of ceh^bration does come, the Catholic had better
avoid his Orano-e neif-hbonr— for quarrels, blows, bloodshcid,
may possibly come t)f their meeting ; and if so, alas ! deeper
hate and greater scandal— sadder sh'».me to those who bear
an Irish, name. Possibly the crisis passes without collision
or disturbance. Happy for idl if it be so ; and in a few
days after, not however without some i)reliminary sliame-
faciedness, the fornu>r relations are re-established, and aU
goes on as before — until the accursed anniversary again
darkens the brow and (ills the heart with hate. Terrible, if
not before man, certainly in the eyes of God, is the re-
sponsibility of those who keep alive the memories of strife
and contention which should be left to slumber in the grave
of the past.

Canada has a splendid future before her, whatever may
be her form of government, or whatever the relations
which, in the course of lime, she may bear to the nK)thcr
country, or to her neighbour the United States. Slie
abounds hi natural resources. jNEillions and millions of
acres of good land are yet unoccupied, more are still unex-
plored ; and such is her mineral wc^alth, that a vast pojmla-
tion should be employed in its development. Thus, with land
almost unlimited in extent, mines of unquestionable pro-
ductiveness, and capabilities within hersc^K for almost every
description of manufacturing industry, what does Canada
require in order to be really gi-eat, but population~?/i()/v;
vii//iimi< of men and icomcn? But she must rid herself
of this Orange pestikmce ; for though she pays her workers
liberally, and in hard silver, which knows no depreciatiim ;
and though ihoy live well, taxation being small and prices
of all necessaries being nunlerate, still their tendency in
towards the other side of the La]l:cs and the St. Lawrence.

THE ONLY DKAWBACK.

161

lial matron
Ihat coiisti-
>ant (ljii)i,s(!l
(^\v. AVliou

had better
, bloodshed,
las! deeper
50 who bear
)ut collision
d in a few
ary shame-
ed, and all
'sary again
Terrible, if

is the re-
es of strife
n the {j^ravo

atever may
relations
the mother
atos. She
millions of
' still nnex-
ast po})nla-
s, with land
)nable pro-
Imost every
)es Canada
-tion — more
rid herself
or workers
preciation ;
and prices
endencv ia
Lawrence.

I have met and spoken with too many of my Catholic
conntrymen in Canada not to know that this Orange feel-
ing is a cause of more than dissatisfaction— even of Inrkin^v
discontent : it is the one thing which, reviving the recol-
lections of old persecution, makes the Catholic Irishman
think less fondly of the homo of his adoption ; it is hke-
wise, I believe, one of the causes which for many years past
has diverted emigration i^ito another and a broader chan-
nel. For Catholics, I can say their dearest wish is to live
in amity with their Protestant neighbours. They admit and
feel that the laws aro just and good, that the Government
is wise and paternal, that the institutions aro favourable to
the fullest hberty ; therefore the more do they deplore tho
existence of an organisation which keeps aHve an evil feel-
ing that is neither suited to a Christian people nor favour-
able to the fuller development of a youthful State. I write
this in the warmest interest in a country to which so many
of my own people have directed their wandering footsteps,
and where so many of them have won an honourable inde-
pendence by the exercise of the noblest quaUties.

1C2

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

CHAPTER IX.

NewfoundlaiKl — Monstrous Policy— Bad Times for tlie Irish
Piipists— How the Bishop saved the Colony— The Cathedral of
M. John's— Evil of havin<r but one Pursuit— Useful Elforts— The
Plao-iieofDojrs— Proposal to exterminate the ' Noble Newfound-
land —Wise Legislation— Reckless Improvidence— Kindly Rela-
tions—Irish Girls.

THERE is not within tlie circle of the British Empire a
more interesting colony than Newfoundland, or whose
inhabitants have had to strug-gie against a more stupid
and perverse poKcy than that dehberately adopted towards
it by the Home Government, and faithfully enforced by its
willing representatives. The policy of this day is to stud
the earth with vigorous offshoots from the parent stock,
and foster them into sturdy gp-owth by the gift of free in-
stitutions ; and the natural result of a policy so wise and
enlightened is this— that there being no wrongs to avenge,
no bitter memories to cherish, no galHng restrictions to
chafe or irritate the public mind, the colony cheerfully
bears the hght yoke of loyalty to the mother country,
whose manufactures it consumes, whose commerce it ex-
tends, whose resources it developes, and whose people it
enriches and employs. But the policy pursued towards
Newfoundland was the very opposite to everything wise and
enlightened. To say that it was discouraging would not
express its character in adequate terms : it was rather re-
pressive, if not actually crushing. The absurd idea of the
wiseacres of that day was to malce of Newfoundland a
mere fishing-station, and of St. John's a landing place. By
the treaty of Utrecht the British obtained the island from

NEWFOUNDLAND-MONSTROUS POLICY.

163

tho Freucli in 1713. \Ylieii tlie island tlius camo into
possession of its new masters, it contained a not inconsi-
derable Frencli iioi^nlation, to wliom freedom of worship
had been guaranteed by treaty 'as far as the laws of England
permitted;' and so successfully did the Governor of the
day take advantage of this dangerous proviso, that the dis-
gusted French Catholics and their clergy sold their property
and ' abandoned ' the questionable protection of the con-
querors. The French Catholics having been effectually
god rid of, their Irish brethren bec;ime the objects of spe-
cial proscription. The following order was issued by
several Governors down to so late as 17G5. It shows the
spirit against which ^ Irish CathoHc had to contend :

For the better preserving tlie peace, preventing robberies, tnniiiltiious
assemblies, and otlier disorders of wicked and idle people remaining in
the coiuUry during the winter, Ordered—

Tliat no Papist servant, man or v/oman, sliall reniain at any place
where they did not fi:<h or serve dnring tlie snmmer.

That not more tlian two Papist men shall dwell in one hoivse during
the winter, except such as have Protestant masters.

That no Papist shall keep a public-house, or sell liquor by retail.

That the masters of Irish servants do pay for their passage home.

Another order, addressed to the magistrates about this
time, exhibits the fierce spirit of persecution in a manner
stiU more striking.

Whereas you have represented to mc that an Irish Papist, a servant, a
man without wife or family, has put i-p mark posts in a fishing-room
within your district, with an intent to build a stake and flakes thereon,
and i)ossess the same as his right and property, which practice being
entirely repugnant to the Act 10 and 11 Wm. III.

I do therefore authorise you to immediately cause the post mark-^
abovementioned to be taken down, and warn the person so offending
not to presume to mark out any vacant fishing-room again as his pr.^-
pt.ty, as he will answer tho contrary at his peril. You are also to warn
other Papists from offending in the like case, as they will answer to
the contrary.

Signed) T. Byuox Governor.

■^

164

Tni<] iiirsii IN AMi':iiiCA.

J5iit Put was irropr(>ssibl(i. Ho would comci hikI roniiiin,
uiul ])r()spor io(\ iioiwilhsimuliii^^ that, lie wik I'uliuijiiit.cd
af^aiiist in onhvr and pi'oclaiiiatioii, and tlioii^li the focuii-
(Uty of lii.s viU'.o was oflicially dcplonul as a jj^roat and oiri-
])an-as.sin«jf (>vil. 'V\h) i'jict was, th(> Irish wcu'c hard-worlviuir
and useful, and those who ai)pre('iat(>d th(>ir value encou-
va^-ed their coniino- and remaining, des])it,e of Governor,
and Fishino- Adiuiral, and ffonic (lov(!rnnient. AVisdom
slowly dawned on the beni«^ht(Hl aut]ioriti(\s, who AV(>re com-
pelled lo tolerate what lliey could not prevent. ]>ut such
was the stat(^ of t hiiif;s in tho ci)h)ny for a kvng series of
years, and actually wilhiji the memory of Hvin<^Mnen, that
a house could not he ]>ut up, or {^veu tlioi-ou^-hly repaired,
without the sanction pf the (lovernor ! The wonder shonld
not be why Newfoundland has not made niort^ rapid stridea
than it has, but that it has pro<>rt\ssed so rapidly as it has
done. Mjet no on(> blanu> Newfoundland, tluMi,' says Dr.
Mulloclc,* ' for not having hith(>rto advanced as rapidly as
other colonies. I boldly ass(n't that ther<^ was never moro
energy shown by any people than by the inhabitants of
this island. Tlu^ Govei'nni(>nt that should h^ster them eon-
siden d them intruders, and banislu^l tlu>m when it could.'
The gifted J^relatc; thus completes the picture :

They had not llic lilx'rty of llic birds oC (lu> air to hiiild or repair
llu'ir nosts— tlu'v had bidiiad tlicin tho t'oiw^i or th<' rocI<y soil, which
thoy wore not allowed, without lieeiise dillieultly ohtaijied. to reclaim
and till. Thoir only rosource was the slonny ocean, and they saw
tlu' wt>allh they won IVoni tiie deep spent in other lamls. leavinj? them
only a scanty suhsistence. Despite of all tirs they have increased
twenty-fold in ninety years, have built towns and villa.ycs. erected
nia.uniliccnt bnildin.ns. as the cathedral in St. Jtdui's, introduced tele-
•ivaphs. slcrtin. postal, and road conminniciilitnis, newspapers, everv-
Ihiuix. ill tact, t'oiiud in tiie most civilised countries, anil all this on' a
ru.L:<;-ed soil, in a harsh thou.nh wliolesonie climate, and luul.'r every
ppeoies ol' di.scoura<;ement.

* Two Lectures on NowCoi.ndland. delivered at .^t Bonaveidure's Cnl-
lege, Jimiiary 2^ av.:] February 1, 1S60, by the Righ* Kev. Dr. Mullock.

Tul ronmin,
riiliuijiiiied
ilu! foe n li-
lt and (nri-
•(l-\V()rl<iii<j;'
\no, ciicou-
(l()V(n']ioT,
AVisdom
were coin-
But .siicli
'^ acrioH of
men, ihiit
Y ropairod,
ilor .slionld
[)id .stridofl
iy as it has
,' says Dr.
rapidly as
over nioro
bitants of
ilioni (!on-
1 it could.'

1<1 or repair
y soil, wliii'li
, to reclaim
1(1 they siiw
I'aviiiu; llioin
iiuTcascd
u;o.s. orcclcil
xliiood (clo-
icrs. cvory-
1! this oil a
iiiil"r ovory

M.tinv's Col-
. Mullock.

BAD TIMES FOR THE IRISH TAPISTS.

1G5

Wo havo soon that tho * Irish Papist ' coTild not 1)g dis-
coura^^cid out of tho country, in which ho was not wiihout
tho ministration of iho priest, who thoun-h ho had no lived
abode in tlio Island, usually canio out in a iishin<,'-l)oat, and
S() diguised as to osca])o tho vi«>ilanc(! of tho hostile author-
ities. Protestants suilerod from no such disadvanta-'o.
Tlieir's was the roco«>-nis"d religion of the State, and its
ministers wore stationed ai tho principal settlements. This
indeed was the state of thino-s throuohout the continent of
Anu!i-ica, wherever, in fact, the Jiritisli po\v(.'r was vocog-
nised. CatholicH wcn'o unchu- a ban, hunted, persecnited, or
}>Tievousiy discouraj^-ed, while Prot(!stants enjoyed in its
fidness the advanta^-es of a protected church and a dcmii-
uant relio-ion. This shoidd be always t:ii:en into considera-
tion when (istimatino- the progress of those who were guilty,
Ml tho eyes of tluur jealous rulers, of the double ollc'iico of
))eing Catholic and Irish.

In tlu! year of grac^o 1784 liberty of conscience was pro-
claimed in Novvfoundland, and the Catholics at once took
advantage of tho boon. In that year the Eev. James
0'Donn(!]l, ' the founder and father of the church of New-
foundland,' land d ^ X the island. A native of Tipp(>rary, ho
had spent a large portion of his life in the Irish Pranciscan
Convcmt of Prague, in Bohemia, and afterwards presided
over tho convent of his order in AVaterford, and subse-
qutaitly as the provincial of the order in Ireland. He was
the first regularly authorised missioner in Newfoundland
since it had been ceded to the British hi 1718 ; and to his
wisdom, lirmness and sagacity are due the practical settle-
ment of the Irish in that colony. The following document
ly I'.iler a strange commentary on tho proclamation of
hbef ty of conscience and freedom of . worship of six years
before. It was written by Governor Milbank, in answer t(3
an ap]>hcati(m by Dr. O'DonneU for leave to build a chapel
in one of the out-ports : — ,

■3

166

THE IRISH IN AMERICxV.

The Governor acquaints Mr. O'DonnoU that, so far from being dis-
posed to allow of an increase of places of religious worsliip for tl.o
Roman Catholics of the island, he very seriously inlends, next year, tohnj
those estahUshed already, under particular restrictions, lAIr. O'Donuell-
must be aware that il is not the interest of Great Britain to encourage
people to winter m A'ewfoundland, and he cannot be ignorant that many
of the lower order who would now stay, xoould, if it loere not for the con-
vemence loith which they ohtaiti absolution here, go home for it at least once
intu-.y or three years; and the Governor has been misinformed if Mr.
O'Donnell. instead of advising their return to Ireland, does not rather
encourage them to winter in this country.
On board the Salisbury, St. John's. Nov. 2, 1790.

AVliat a proclamation of intolerance and stupidity ! We
doubt if, considering the period at Avliicii tlie world liad
arrived, there was ever penned a more discreditable epistle.
We shall now see how this cruel mistrust was repaid by the
distinguished minister of religion who was its object.

It was in the year 1799, shortly after the memorable
Irish Rebellion, that the circumstance occurred which
exhibited in tlie most conspicuous manner the value of the
influence and authority of a zealous and courageous pastor,
and the wisdom of encouraging, rather than discoimtenanc'
ing, the presence of a Catholic clergyman in the midst of
an Irish population. Many who had been compelled to
fly from their native land in consequence of the rising of
1798, found refuge in Newfoundland, bringing with tlem
the exasperated feehngs engendered by that disastrous
corflict ; nor was the state of things in the colony such as
to soothe tlie bitter hatred which they cherished in their
hearts. Amongst them a conspiracy was formed, its object
being the destruction of the Protestant colonists ; and such
w\as the success with which the conspirators pushed their
machinations, and they secured the sympathv and pro-
mised co-operation of a large portion of tlie regiment
then stationed in St. John's. Their plans were laid with
great secrecy and .skill, and the day was appointed for
carrying their fatal designs into execution. The time

\Ali

HOW THE BISHOP SAVED THE COLONY.

167

)m being dis-
(I'sliip lor tlio
ea'/ year, to lay
Ir. O'Doniiell-
< to encourage
lit that nuiny
otfor the con-
' at least once
Di'ined if Mr.
es not ralbcr

dity! We
world had
ble ejiistle.
>aid by the
ect.

nemorable
■ed whicb
.lue of tlio
niH pastor,
'untenanc-
i midst of
ipelled to
rising of
vitli tliem
disastrous
•■J svcli as
I in their
its object
and such
hed their
and pro-
reg-iment
laid with
inted for
The time

chosen was when the people had assembled at church, and
it not being then the custom for the military to carry
. arms into the sacred building, it was considered by the
conspirators that those who would thus go unarmed could
not oiler much difficulty in the execution of the fearful
plot. Had the intended rising taken place,, the conse-
quences would have been awful; but happily, through
the vigilance and prudence of Bishop O'Donnell— he had
been appointed Vicar Apostolic in 1794— the conspiracy
was defeated Having been apprised of what was con-
templated, he at once informed the General in command
of the danger impending, urging him to deal with the
soldiers, and undertaking himself to deal with the mis-
guided civihans who had been involved in the guilty pro-
ject. The necessary steps wore taken, the contemplated
rising was effectually prevented, and Newfoundland was
saved from a scene of horror and bloodshed that would have
formed a dark blot on the page of its history. The Protes-
tants regarding Bishop O'Donnell as their preserver, under
Providence, naturaUy felt towards that prelate an intense
feehng of gratitude ; and the British Government, whose
representative but nine years before wrote him the miser-
able letter jusl quoted, recognised his great services by a
pension— a very smtill one it is true— which was continued
to his successors for some time. ' How often,' remarks the
friend to whom I am indebted for the recollection of this
important incident in the life of the good Bishop, 'have
the clergy of the Cathohc Church, as in this instance,
heaped coals of fire on the heads of their opponents, and
rebuked the blind intolerance of the persecutors of their
faith ! '

The days of systematic discouragement had passed for
ever. 'The English Government,' says Dr. Mullock,
'tacitly recognised the population of Newfoundland as
having a right to hve in the land they had chosen.' But
there was hard work iu store for the zealous missionary ;

IfiS

TllK lUiSII IN AMKIUCA.

and, iiulccd, it rcMpiircMl all tlio cJlbrlM of ilio luiiiLstora of
religion, Proti^Hfunfc and Caiholic, io dxiirpaio ilio poison
of iiilid(>lily which llio \Vi)rk.s of Paini;, ilicu ('xtcnsivcly
circulalcd and rcMid, had spread throu^^h the colony. T\w
niission wan a laborious and a rud(! one at host ; and in
1h(> s(>vcnticth year of his a^^e ])r. O'Doiinell r(\si<^-ned his
eharj^-e to ])r. Lambert, and s»)n};ht repose in his native
land, wliero he died four years afterwards, and was buried
in the i)arish chapel of Olonniol. Drs. Scallan and Fleni-
niinnf succeeded Dr. Tjanib(>rt, and preceded i\w, pn^sent
Jiishop, ]>r. iMulloclc, a man o( <^Teat enerf»'y of character,
iii^lily cultival(>d mind, intense zeal for the promotion of
reli<^ion and education, and ardently devoted to the mate-
rial projL>ress of his ]>eople. There is now a second bishop
in the island. Dr. Dallon, whose cathedral is at ITarb

our

^irace.

The population bein-jf chielly en}j;a<jfed in the lisherieR,
are necessarily scattvrcul n\ou<y the sea coast. The labours

of th

itly

they

nnssionaries are cons»Hpieniiy very arduous,
beinft- oftini compelled to travel by water in small boats at
the most inclenuMit seasons ; while in many parts of the
islan<1, owinj^- (o the imperfect nature of the roads, land
travel imposes on piviestly zeal i)enalties no less severe.
Still, so or(>;tt iuid increasing are the elTorts made by the
clergy, that thert^ are few of their tlock beyond the reach
of lluMr ministrations. The dcvotcdness of the pastors
is thoroughly responded to by the iidelity of their flocks.
It is no exaggeration to say that in no part of the world
is th(M-e a more complete luuon of clergy and people than
exists b(>tweon the Catholic people and clergy of New:-
foundland. If we consider the vast undertakings which
liave been bi'ought to a successful termination by a Catho-
lic population not much exceeding 00,000 souls in all, wo
cannot but be surprised at the wonderful libcrahty and zeal
of the people, and at the influence exercised over them bv
the Bishop and his clergy. The value of the church pro-

t'l

THE CATIIKDIIAL OF ST. JOHN'S.

niiiLsiors of

th(5 poison

oxtciisivcly

i)lony. Tlio

[)Ht ; HI 1(1 ill

•()si<^iu!(l liin

I liis iiiitivo

Wiis buried

!lll(l FlciU-

iho 2)roHoiit
f cliiir.'ictor,
omotion of
) the luiito-
'ond bishop
lit Iljirbour

10 iislioric^R,
Cho liibonra
hious, they
ill l)oiits at
larts of the
roiids, land
loss sovoro.
ado by the
I the roach
the pastors
heir Hocks.
: the world
icople than
;y of Nos-
ings which
)y a Catho-
s in all, wo
ity and zeal
?r them by
:?hurch j)ro-

169

perty, including cllur(;h(^s, j)arocliial rosidonccs, convents
Ac, is httlG short of 20(),()0()/. In St. John's alono the
value of tlioir property is ostiniatod at over 150.000/. In
this is inchidcd the cost of the cathedral, one of the
noblest structures to be found at tlio other side of the
Atlantic. To raise this maguillcront temple, the generous
colonists Hul)scribod the enormous sum of 120,000/. AVere
Governor Milbank -cw in the ilesh, and were he to stand
on tho lloor of tliat groat cathedral, glance up to its lofty
roof, cast his eyes round at tho beautiful works of art
brought from tho most famous studios of Rcino, and then
romember his famous hotter to Dr. 0'.DonneU~so coolly
msolent and so hauglitily contemptuous—he might weU
fool ashamed of himself, and the Government whoso
miserable policy he represented ; and also loarn how im-
possible it is to destroy a living faith, or crush a genuine
race. It was only fifty years after that letter was written
that the idea of erecting this stupendous cathedral was
conceived by the Bishop of that day, the Right Rev Dr
riemmmg. Few save the Bishop himself darod to hopo
that any one then living w.mld ever worship within its
Avails ; but, strange to say, from tho commencement of the
work Its progress was never interrupted from want of
funds, and in the comparatively short space of ten years it
AA-as so far advanced as to admit of the Holy Sacrifice being
offered up under its roof. Dr. Fleinming lived long enough
to see aU doubts removed-not from his mind, for he never
entertained one on the subject-as to the ultimate accom-
phshment of his object ; and in leaving the completion of
the great work to his successor, he knew that in the piety
and indomitable zeal of Dr. MuUock there was the best
gliarantee for its speedy and splendid completion. Dr
MuUock received it a mere sheU-a magnificent exterior
It IS true, but nothing more ; everything within remained
to be done. Taking hold of the work, as it were, with a
'^^n^r nana ana a determined will, Bishop Mullock wont

^i.

*■■».>"**'

170

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

forward with such vigour, that in the yoar 1855 its com-
ph^tion was inaugurated by a solemn cuUHecration, at which
several of the most eminent prelates of the Amei. m
church were presout. The Bishop not only completed thin
gi-and edifice, but, in the true ('athohc spirit, he enriched
it with the choicest works of art, rightly thinking that
the efforts of human g( nius < -nnot bo more fittingly em-
ployed than in doing honour to the Creator of man— tlie
Author of his power, and strength, and genius ; and that
by the aid of the productions of the painter and the sculp-
tor the mind may be Hfted, or assisted to rise, above the
worldly cares and vulgar thoughts which ai •) too often
brought to the very porch of the temple.

Within the area of the ample space on which the cathe-
dral stands, are erected the Presentation Coiivent and the
schools attached, the Orphanage, the Convent of Mercy,
the College of St. Bonavonture, and the Episcopal Palace
— aU worthy of being associated with the noble structure
which is the centre of the whole. These institutions, now
entirely free from debt, have been erected during the
spiritual rule of Dr. Mullock, who thus completed the
great design of which the cathedral was only the practical
commencement.

At River Head another imposing church, only second in
grandeur to the cathedral of St. John's, is now in progress
of erection ; and at Harbour Grace, Dr. Dalton is engaged
in the serious undertaking of enlargmg his cathedral, which
has long since been too small for his increasing congrega-
tion. In his diocese, and with smaller resources, and a
more limited field of action, this zealous prelate is rivaUing
the successful energy of his disti.>guished brother of 8t.
John's. Besides the two convents in the capital, there are
twelve branch houses in other parts of ^he island, and these
are in a great degree devoted to the training of the female
children of the Catholic population. The Catholics of St.
John's have no educational grievance to complain of. Tho

1855 its COD
tion, at wliif'h
lio Ai^ei: !n
3iiipletod tl'i.s
b, he onriclietl
thinkiiif,' tli.it
i fittingly eni-
of man — tlie
IS ; and that
tid the sculp-
se, above the
ro. too often

ch the catue-
vent and the
lit of Mercy,
copal Palace
ble structure
itutions, now
during the
mpleted the
the practical

ily second in
V in progress
1 is engaged
ledral, which
ig congrega-
irces, and a
is rivalling
■other of St.
ial, there are
id, and thcfie
f the female
liolics of St.
ain of. Tho

EVIL OF HAVING BUT ONE PURSUIT. lyj

principle on which the .ystem is based is that of allowing,
to each rehgious denomination the education of its ow2
youth-an arrangement which marvellously simplifies rna^-
t IS and removes every possible excuse fur mischievous
mcddhng. or coU.s.on of any Idnd. More than one hundred

no College o St. Bonaventuro, such as to prepare them to

-.nntam an honourable position in the various walkn of

<>i;/vhich they may l,e destined; and in the same

institution the candidates for holy orders are prepared Ibr

the priesthood, the design of the bishop being t^. recruit

he ranks of the clergy from amongst the nativtof the
:^2^L ^^-^^^^^^therto supplied all the priests for

The zeal and fidelity of the Irish Cathohcs of Newfound-
rth^ be estimated by the great things they have dcme
foi ther church, notwithstanding limited resources and
oii^nal discouragement. Whenever a great work is to be
done, every one assists according to his means ; and where
money, cannot be subscribed, the full equivalent is freely

Zl^r'i "^^ ^'^'"'' ^" «->^-onghly identified are
the people ^v;lth the cause to be promoted, that in a whole
parish a single defaulter is rarely to be met with ! But if

us2r 'l "ff '" ^"^'^^ *" "^^^^^ ^''^ ^^ --- of those
use ul uncertakmgs m .vhich he is so constantly engaged

he WH IS thefi..t to afford a signal example ^ I^Z
i^ility having contributed the munificent sum of 10 000/
motion '''''" ^'^«^^^-cc« towards the works of his'pro-

Perhaps the great evil of the colony is the almost
exclusive devotion of its inhabitants fn fl.f
nnv^nif c 1 ;, innaoitants to the one engrossing

"ot t 71 V^' ""'''''''' ""'' prosperous the evU

sno so manifest; but should this grand resource of the

tl^ II mediate conseq there being httle else to faU

back upon. What agricultm-e is to Ii-eland, the fisheries

■f
■i

i
J

'iu

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

&'/

''^:/-

■^^

1.0

I.I

1.25

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112

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2.2

1.8

U ill 1.6

Photograpliic

Sciences

Corporation

■<(

t.1

\^ M

■^

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, NY. 14580

(716) 872-4302

%<f

IV^

^v-

4;^ ^^e:

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172

THE IRISH IN AMERICA

are to Newfoundland ; and wliilo Ireland requires the
extension of manufacturing industry on a large scale, not
only as a means of constant employment, but as a resource
in case of failure of crojos, Newfoundland lias equal need
of the cultivation of its soil as a certain source of pros-
perity, as well as a means of compensating for the casual
falling off in the staple industry of the colony. The
number exclusively engaged in agriculture is small, and is
principally confined to residents in the neighbourhood of
St. John's ; not that the land in that vicinity is better than
elsewhere, but that a valuable market is at hand for the
consumption of every kind of animal and vegetable pro-
duce. It is found that a judicious combination of fishing
with the cultivation of the soil best rewards the labourer ;
and efforts are now being made to induce the people to give
more attention to the latter pursuit. A whole family can
seldom find full employment in connection with the fishery,
and one of the advantages of the other mode of occupation
is that it provides employment for labour that would other-
wise be waste. The importance of cultivating the soil was
never fuUy estimated until in 1847 the mysterious potato
disease appeared in Newfoundland, as it did in so many
regions of the earth. The distress caused by this event
showed how valuable had been that fruitful crop, for which
the nature of the soil seems peculiarly adapted. So viru-
lent was the disease in the year mentioned, that it appears
to have left its sting ever since ; for blight, or partial failure,
has been of frequent occurrence since then, and even as late
as the season of 186G it assumed a marked character. Good
oats and barley are raised in the island, but they are not
cultivated to the extent they might be. In fact, farming
in Newfoundland is still in a primitive state, few per-
sons being regularly devoted to it as a profession, it being
regarded rather as a useful auxiliary to the great staple
industry of the inhabitanis, than as a valuable source of
general wealth. The Government fully appreciate the

USEFUL EFFORTS— THE PLAGUE OF DOGS.

173

eqiiires the
;e scale, not
s a resource

eq^^al need
rce of pros-
: the casual
lony. The
imall, and is
30urhood of

better than
and for the
>etable pro-
n of fishing
le labourer ;
jople to give
3 family can

the fishery,
' occupation
t'onld other-
the soil was
dous potato
in so many
'■ this event
p, for which
I. So viru-
t it appears
irtial failure,
even as late
icter. Good
jhey are not
ict, farming
e, few per-
ion, it being
>Teat staple
e source of
ireciate the

importance of encouraging the people to adopt the culti-
vation of the land as a fixed and settled pursuit. In
former times it was difficult to obiain a Hcence from the
Governor of the day to till any portion of the soil : but in
1866 an Act was passed offering to the poor cultivator a
bonus of eight dollars for every acre up to six acres cleared
and fitted for crops, besides a free grant of the land itself.
As thousands of acres, suited for cultivation, may be had
in various parts of the island, it is to be hoped that the
liberal policy of the Colonial Government may be crowned
with success. Fisheries, however bountiful, or even in-
exhaustible, are, fi'om natural causes altogether beyond
the control of man, necessarily more or less precarious;
and it is wise statesmanship as well as true patriotism to
try and lay the foundation of a great branch of industry
which, while adding to the wealth of the community, may
form the best resource against unexpected calamity.

Efforts are also made to encourage the breeding of
sheep, for which the climate and soil seem eminently
suited. The attention of the Agricultural Society is being
devoted to the subject, and with some success. But Bishop
Mullock insists thaji unless relentless war be waged against
the dogs of the colony, sheep-farming will be a matter of
impossibility. To destroy, at one fell swoop, the noble
breed of dogs which have done much to make Newfound-
land known to the world— to annihilate the splendid brute
so remarkable for courage, sagacity, and fidehty— may
appear to be a proposal worthy of a Draco, and might well
stimulate the indignant genius of the poets of the universe ;
but the Bishop makes out a strong case, which he may be
allowed to put in his own words : —

We have, says Dr. Mullock, the means of raising on our wild pastures
millions of that most useful animal to man— the sheep. On the
Bouthern and western sho'-e, indeed everywhere in the island, i have
seen the finest sheep walks ; and what is better,, the droppings of the
sheep ia this country induce a most luxuriant crop of white clover,

]>
J

■■,•!» ■

■■i
i

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

and prevent the spread of bog plants. If sheep were encouraged, we
sboiild have fresh meat in abundance, and their fleece would furnish
warm clothing in the winter for our people, of a better quality than
the stuff they now buy, 'half waddy and devil's dust,' and which
Impoverishes them to procure it. Domestic manufactures would be
encouraged, the people would become industrious and comfortable,
and every housewife in our out-harbours would realise, in some sort,
that sublime description of a valiant woman by Solomon, Prov. xxx'u,
' she hath put out her hands to strong things, and her fingers have
taken hold of the spindle ; she has sought wool and flax and hath
wrought by the counsel of her hands ; she shall not fear for her house
in the cold of snow, for all her domestics • are clothed with double
garments ; she hath looked well to the paths of her house and hath
not eaten her bread idle ; her children rose up and called her blessed ;
her husband had praised her.' But, unfortunately, this great blessing
of sheep pasture is marred by one curse, and idleness and poverty are
too often the accompaniments of the poor man's fireside in the long
winter— as long as a vicious herd of dogs are allowed to be kept in the
country, so long wUl poverty be the winter portion of the poor. In no
other part of the world would such an iniquity be permitted. There is a
law oft'ering bl. for the destruction of a wolf, and I never have heard
of 51. worth of mutton being destroyed by wolves since the days of
Cabot; but why do not our legislators, if they have the interest of
the people at heart, (and according to their election speeches, every
member is actuated by the most philanthropic and patriotic motives),
pass and enforce a law against dogs, which devour every sheep they
can find, and have almost exterminated the breed altogether ; for na
one will keep sheep while his neighbour is allowed to keep icolves.

Nor are the Bishop's reasons for thus preaching a war of
extermination exhausted in the passage quoted; he con-
demns the use of dogs in drawing firewood, the dogs being
assisted in their labour by stalwart men yoked to the same
car. The Bishop wisely remarks that one horse would do
the work of one hundred dogs, and be always useful ; and
the man who could not keep a horse, might hire his
neighbour's for a few days, at an expense far less than what
he wastes in boots and clothes. The Bishop apprehends
that his rer>-.arks may prove unpalatable ; but he has the
interests of the people too much at heart to conceal
his sentiments on a subject of such vital importance to

WISE LEGISLATION.

175

them, and he asserts that 'religion, education, civilization,
are all suffering from this curse of dogs, worse than all the
plagues of Egypt to this unfortunate country.' The lec-
tures from which these strong passages are quoted were
delivered in 1860 ; but I am not aware how far he was
successful in turning the pubhc sentiment in favour of
sheep and against their implacable enemy, 'the noble
Newfoundland.' The reader will perceive that this Irish
Bishop is as vigorous as a reformer of abuse and promoter
of material improvement, as he is energetic as a founder of
rehgious and educational institutions, and builder of cathe-
drals. There is a genuine ring in this comprehensive coun-
sel : 'My earnest advice would be, kiU the dogs, introduce
settlers, encourage domestic manufactures, home-made
linen and home-spun cloth, and Newfoundland will be-
come the Paradise of the working man.'

The mineral capabihties of the country are now -Hract-
ing attentioL., and promise to prove an important element
in its resources. A mineralogical survey, instituted by the
Government, is in progress, and the results already estab-
hshed justify considerable expectations. A copper mine is
in successful operation ; and besides copper, lead f ad coals
are known to exist in several parts of the island. The
Government afford every encouragement to mining enter-
prise. For a fine of 5Z. any one may obtain a hcence of
search over three square miles, and at any time within two
years he can select from the tract over which his Hcence
extends one square mile, for which he becomes entitled to
a grant in fee, the only further charge being a royalty of
2i per cent, for the first five years' working. With such
hberal terms on the part of the Government, aided by the
valuable information which their survey is hkely to diffuse,
it may fairly be expected that the latent mineral wealth of
Newfoundland may ere long afford employment to many
thousands of its population.
The Irish portion of the colonists are not in any respect

J
i

176

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

inferior to tlieir neighbours of other nationahties. Whether
in the professions, as merchants and traders, or as daring
and successful fishermen, they enjoy an enviable position,
and maintain the highest character. For their numbers the
Irish men of business represent as large an amount of
wealth as any other class in the colony, and in influence
and general repute they are not second to those with whom
they are associated. In the Government the Catholic
element is adequately felt, and the right of Catholics to
the enjoyment of tlieir legitimate influence is not ques-
tioned even by the most extreme of their opponents.
' They have,' says a distinguished Catholic la^^nan, * their
full measure of equal privileges, and neither their country
nor their creed is a bar to advancement in any of the walks
of life.'

In daring and energy in the prosecution of their adven-
turous pursuit, the Irish are in every respect equal to the
other fishermen who hunt the seal, or capture the cod and
ling of the great bonk. Indeed it would be difficult to see
anywhere a body of men more full of hfe, vigour, and
intelligence, than may be found issuing from the Catholic
catliedral any Sunday in those portions of the year when
the fishermen are at home. There is, however, one thing
to be regretted — that the money so gallantly earned is not
always wisely spent. It is a matter of regret that the
nature of the fisheries is such as to leave long intervals of
unemployed time at the disposal of those engaged in them,
and this is especially felt when the fisheries are unpro-
ductive. In prosperous seasons the earnings of the men
are sufficient for theu' suppc rt for the year ; but this
facihty of earning money has its disadyantages, particu-
larly in inducing a spirit of recklessness and habits of
extravagance, which not unfrequently tend to much misery.
It is no uncommon thing in the seal fishery for a man to
earn 20/., 30Z., or even more, in a month or five weeks ;
but, alas ! it often goes as rapidly as it is acquired. This,

RECKLESS IMPROnDENCE- KINDLY RELATIONS. 177

unfortunately for the world at large, is a common result
with money so rapidly earned ; but in Newfoundland there
is the superadded evil of long intervals of idleness, during
which the once jovial sinner mourns, in sackcloth and ashes
and unavailing repentance, the follies of his prosperous
hours. The Irish, perhaps, are not worse than others in
their spirit of recklessness, and their habits of baneful
indulgence ; but certainly they are not better than theii-
neighbours in this respect. Social, impulsive, and gener-
ous, there are no people in the world, Newfoundland in-
cluded, whom self-restraint would benefit more than those
of Irish birth or origin.

Even so far back as the commencement of the century,
the Irish merchants had taken a prominent position in the
colony; and \n 1806 the Benevolent Irish Society was
formed— an institution which had for its object the relief
of the distressed without any distinction, and the fostering
of national feeling and spirit. The promoters were some
of the foremost men in the colony, Protestants and Catho-
lics, between whom the most friendly relations existed ; and
the meetings and proceedings of this body did no little to
influence the tone and temper of the community at large.
Its annual celebrations of St. Patrick's Day, in which men
of all creeds and countries participated, were held in great
esteem, as much for the kindly sentiments they encouraged,
as for the social enjoyment they were always certain to
afford. This 'society, after a life of sixty yeai-s, is still in
existence ; and not only does it fulfil its mission of benevo-
lence in the same spirit in which it was founded, but its
annual reunions continue to be an agreeable feature in the
festivities of St.. John's.

Newfoundland may look in vain for a grievance; but
should i^- discover one, it has the means within itself of
quickly setting it at rest. Its inhabitants of all denomina-
tions enjoy in unimpaired fulness the blessings of civil
and rehgious freedom : there are no h irassing and vexa-

178

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

tious meddlings with education ; and if a considerable
portion of the population do not occupy the soil by the
best of all tenures, the fault does not lie with those who
legislate for and govern them. That a good understanding
between all classes of the community is the result of just
laws wisely administered, we may take the conclusive
/idonce of Dr. Mullock, who thus bears witness to its
existence : —

Allow mo to say a few words of my experience of the people : I have
found them, in all parts of the island, hospitable, generous, and obliging ;
Catholics and Protestants live together in the greatest harmony, and it is
only in print we find anything, except on extraordinary occasions, like
disunion among them. I have always, in the most Protest nt districts,
experienced kindness and consideration — I speak not only of the agents
of the mercantile houses, who are remarkable for their hospitality and
attention to all visitors, or of magistrates, but the Protestant fishermen
were always ready to join Catholics in manning a boat when I required
it, and I am happy to say that the Catholics have acted likewise to their
clergymen. It is a pleasing reflection that though we are not immacu-
late, and rum sometimes excites to evil, still, out of a population of over
130.000, we have rarely more than eight or ten prisoners in gaol, and
grievous crimes are, happily, most rare, capital offences scarcely heard of.

From a communication which I have received from an
eminent citizen of St. John's, to whose kindness I am much
indebted, I take the following passage : —

'The Irish girls "to the manner born," are almost extinct in this
island, emigration for many years past having almost entirely ceased.
But the Irish of native grpwth are, as a class, intelligent, well-developed,
and industrious. Immorality is rare among them, as may be shown by a
record of last year's births in St. John's, from which it appears that of 725
births, 12 only were illegitimate, or less than two per cent, of the whole.
This, too, is not an exceptional year, but may be taken as a fair criterion
of the morality of the Irish girls. The educational labours of the Nuns
are doing much to preserve the virtue of the female youth and no-
vvhere are these holy women more valued than here.'

CHAPTER X.

The Irish Exodus— Eirigration, its Danpora hy Sea and Land —
Captain and Crew well matched— How Things were done Twenty
Years since— The Emigration Commission and its Work— Land-
sharks and their Prey— Finding Canal Street -A Scotch Victim
— The Sharks and Cormorants — Bogus Tickets — How the 'Out-
laws ' resinted Reform— The New System— The days of Bogus
Tickets gone -A Word of Advice— Working of the Sys^om— In-
telligence and Labour Department — Miss Nightingale's Opinion —
Necessity for Constant Vigilance— The last Case one of the Worst.

INHERE are few sadder episodes in the history of the
world than the story of the Irish Exodus. Impelled,
to a certain dogr3e, by a spirit of adventure, but mainly
driven from their native land by the operation of laws
which, if not opposed to the genius of the people, were un-
suited to the special circumstances of their country, mil-
hons of the Irish race have braved the dangers of an un-
known element, and faced the perils of a new existence,
in search of a home across the Al;lantic. At times, this
European life-stream flowed towards the New AVorld in
a broad and steady current ; at others, it assumed the
character of a resistless rush, breaking on the shores of
America with so formidable a tide as to baffle every
anticipation, and render the ordinary means of humane or
sanitary precaution altogether inadequate and unavaihng.

Different indeed, in most of its features, is the emigration
of to-day from that of thirty, or twenty, or even a dozen
years since. A quarter of a century since, and much later
still, the emigrant seemed marked out, as it were, as the
legitimate object of plunder and oppression ; and were not
the frauds of which these helpless people were made the
constant victims, matters of public record, and against
which legislatures at both sides of the ocean struggled, and

\>^::

180

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

for a time ineffectually, one could scarcely credit the lengths
to which those who li\ed upon plunder carried their au-
dacity. Little did the intending,' emigrants know of the
difficulties and dangers that lay in their path in every
stage of their momentous journey by land and water, by
city and by sea. Little knew the poor mother, as she
imparted her last benediction to her ' boy and girl ' — the
adventurous pioneers of the family — the perils that lay in
her children's way ; how fraud and robbery, and in friendly
guise too, would track them across the ocean, perhaps
sail with them in the same ship, even lie with them in
the same berth; and how nothing short of the inter-
position of a merciful Providence could save them from
utter and irremediable ruin.

The ships, of which such glowing accounts were read
on Sunday by the Irish peasant, on the flaming placards
posted near the chapel gate, were but too often old and
unseaworthy, insufficient in accommodation, without the
means of maintaining the most ordinary decency, with bad
or scanty provisions, not having even an adequate supply
of water for a long voya^^e ; and to render matters worse,
they, as a rule rather than as the exception, were shame-
fully underhanded. True, the provisions and the crew
passed muster in Liverpool — for, twenty years since, and
long after, it was from that port the greater number of
the emigrants to America sailed ; but there were tenders
and hghters to follow the vessel out to sea ; and over the
sides of that vessel several of the mustered men would
pass, and casks, and boxes, and sacks would be expe-
ditiously hoisted, to the amazement of the simple people,
who looked on at the strange, and to them unaccountable
operation. And thus the great ship, with its living freight
would turn her prow towards the West, depending on her
male passengers, as upon so many impressed seamen, to
handle her ropes, or to work her pumps in case of accident,
which was only too common under such circumstances.

THE EXODUS-EMIGRATION AS IT WAS.

181

the lengths
I their tiii-
low of the
1 in every
. water, by
ter, as she
girl ' — the
that lay in
in friendly
1, perhaps
h them in
the inter-
:hem fj'oni

svere read
? placards
n old and
ithout the
, with bad
ite supply
ers worse,
ire shame-

the crew
3ince, and
umber of
'6 tenders
I over the
len would

be expe-
le people,
!COuntable
ng freight
ig on her
leamen, to
' accident,
mstances.

f >',

What with bad or scanty provisiors, scarcity of wator,
severe hardship, and long confinement in a foul don, shi/)
fever reaped a glorious harvest between decks, as frequent
ominous splashes of shot-weighted corpses into the deep
but too terribly testified. Whatever the cause, the deaths
on board the British ships enormously exceeded the mor-
tality on board the ships of any other country. For in-
stance, according to the records of the Commissioners of
Enngration for the State of New York, the quota of sick
per thousand stood thus in 1847 and 1848— British ves-
sels, 30 ; American, 9| ; Germans, 8f It was no unusual
occurrence for. the survivor of a family of ten or twelve
to land alone, bewildered and broken-hearted, on the
wharf at New York ; the rest-the family-parents and
children, had been swaUowed in the sea, their bodies mark-
mg the course of the ship to the New World.

But there were worse dangers than sickness, greater
calamities than death and a grave in the ocean, with the
chance of becoming food for the hungry shark. There was
no protection against lawless violence and brutal lust on
the one hand, or physical helplessness and moral prostra-
tion on the other. To the clergyman, the physician, and
the magistrate, are known many a sad tale of human wreck
and dishonour, having their origin in the emigrant sailing
ship of not many years since. Even so late as 1860, an
Act was passed by Congress 'to regulate the carriage' of
passengers in steamships and other vessels, for the better
protection of female passengers'; and a single clause of
this Act, which it is necessary to quote, is a conclusive
proof of the constant and daUy existence of the most fear-
ful danger to the safety of the poor emigrant girl. Every
line of the clause is an evidence of the evU it endeavours
to arrest : —

That eveiy maeter or other officer, seaman, or other person em-
ployed on board of any ship or vessel of the United States, who
Bhall, during the voy?ge of suoh ship or vessel, under promise of

ik:'

•■■a ■
■ t

)

182

TIIK IKISII IN AMKUICA.

marriage, or by threalfl, or by the oxtM-cIso of his ftuthority, or by
Holicitfition, or tlio iimkirig of gifts or prcsoiitH, sodiico . . . nny
ffiiiiilo piiHHongcr, Hhall bo guilty of a nusdi'mciinour, and upon con-
viction Biittll bo punislic'd by iiiipriHoumtMit for a term not excecditig
ono year, or by a lino not exceeding one thousand dollars ; provided
that tlio HubHcqucnt interniarriago of tho parties seducing and seduced
may be phiaded in bar of conviction.

It is fiirtlicr provided, by the second clauKC, tluit neither
officerH, nor seamen, nor others employed on board, shall
visit or frequent any part of such ship or vessel assigned
to emigrant passengers, except by direction or permission
of tho master or commander, 'first made or given for
such purpose.' Forfeiture of his wages for the voyage is
the penalty attaching to any officer or seaman violating
this wholesome rule ; and the master or commander who
shtdl direct or permit any of his ofjficers or seamen to visit
or frequent ^ny part of the ship assigned to Emigrant
passengers, except for tho purpose of performing some
necessary act or duty, shall, upon conviction, be punished
by a line of 50 dollars for each separate offence. And tho
master or commander who does not 'post a written or
printed notice, in the Enghsh, French, and German lan-
guages,' containing the provision of the foregoing or second
section, in a conspicuous place on the forecastle, and in the
several parts of the ships assigned to emigrant passengers,
and keep it posted during the voyage, shall be liable to a
penalty not exceeding 500 dollars.

This is a wise and humane Act, passed at any time ; but
what lives of shame and deaths of misery would it not have
prevented had it been in active operation for the last quar-
ter of a century, as a restraint upon lawless brutality !

Before leaving the ship for the land, it may not be out
of place to afford the reader, through the testimony of a
reliable witness, Mr. Vere. Foster, a notion of the manner
in which emigrants were treated in some vessels, the dis-
honesty of whose owners or charterers was only equalled by
the ruffianism of their officers and crews. The letter from

CAPTAIN AND CIIKW WELF. MAT(lir:i).

I S3

which th« extract was taken was imbHsliod in 1S",1 by
order of tlie House of Commons ; hid facts siiuilur to thoso
doscribcMl hy Mr. Foster have been fre.iuently complai.KHl
of since then. The ship in question had UOO passen-er.s
on board, and this is a sample of the manner in which\lio
hickless people wore supphod with a gi-eat nocessai-y of
hfe : —

ThoHcrvingout of tho water was twice Cftpriciously Htoppo.l by the
m.xt..8 of the ship, who .luring tho whole time, witlioiit any provocation,
cnnml and abuscl, and cufTod and liicked, tho passengers and thcur tin
cmn, and, having served out water to about :J0 i.ersons, in two m-parato
tune«. said thoy would give no more water out till the next morning, and
kept their word.

A very simple mode was adopted of economising tho
ship's stores— namely, that of not issuing provisions of any
kind for four days ; and had it not been for the following
renionscrance, it is probable that as many more days woidd
have passed without tlioir being issued :

Rkspucti:i) Siu,-We, the undersigned passengers on board tho ship

P'"'l f"'* '^"'1 secured our passages in lier in the confident

expectation that the allowance of provisions promised in our contract
tickets would be faithfully delivered to us. Four entire days having
expired since the day on which (some of us having been on board
from that day, and most of us from before that day) the ship was ap-
pomted to sail, and three entire days since she actually sailed from
the port of Liverpool, without our having received one particle of
the stipulated provisions excepting water, and many of us having
made no provision to meet such an emergency, we request that you will
inform us when we may expect to commence receiving the allowance
whioh is our due.

It may be interesting to know in what manner this ap-
pUcation was received by the mHd-mannered gentleman
in command. It appears that captain and mate were
sing-ularly well-matched ; indeed, it would be difficult to
decide to wliich of the two amiable beings the merit of
gentleness and good temper should be awarded. Mr.

'.ji

{;1

ft .A

ISt

THE luisii IN AMfiirircA.

J'ofltor thus describes the agrcoablo nature of his recep-
tion : —

On tlio inoniiii- of lot' T.Ist October, I presented the letter to Cap-

tiiiii . ifo ,^i,]n^.^\ „n, j|,^5 j„„.p,„.t (,f i(,^ .^^^i\ biule luo read it. Ilav-

iiifT read out one-tliird of it, lie said that was enough, and that he knew
what 1 was; I was a damned pirate, a damned rascal, and that he would
put vw in irons and on bread and water throughout the rest of the voynfje.
Tlie first mate then came U]), and abused me foully aiid blasphe-
mously, and pushed me down, bidding mo get out of that, as I vaa

a damned b . He was found by one of the passengers soou

afterwards, heating a thick bar of iron at the kitchen fire ; the cook
said, ' What is he doing that for ? ' and the mate said, ' There is

a damr.ed b on board, to whom I intend giving a singeing before

he leaves the bhip.'

As a single oxaiuplo of the treatment to which the help-
less .Mid the feeble are exposed from brutes who luxuriate
in violence and blaspjiomy, thia incident, the more impres-
sive bee .use of the homely language in which it is told,
may bo given : —

A delicate ol-' man. named John M-Corcoran, of berth No. Ill,
informed me that on Sunday last ho luvd just come on deck, and, after
washing, was wringing a pair of stockings, when the first mate gave him
such a severe kick vyith his knee on his backside as he was stooping
down, that he ihrew Lim dov n upon the deck, since which he has been
obliged to go to the watercloset three or four times a day, passing blood
every time.

These extracts, quoted with the purpose of illustrating
the harsh, brutal, and d^'shonest conduct too often practised
against emigrants in some ships-— mostly sailinc) ships— are
rehed on as accm-ate, boing vouched for by the signature
of a gentleman whose name has long been associated with
deeds of active humanity and practical benevolence.

Within sight of the wished-for land, the trials of the
emigrant might be said to have begun rather than to have
ended ; or rather the trials on land succeeded to the trials
on sea.

Previously to the year 1847, the ahen emigrant was
lef I-. either, to the general quarantine and poor-laws, or to

''■i

now THINGS WERE DONE TWENTY YEARS SINCE. 185

local laws and o. dinanccs, varyiiifr in tlieir cliaracfcer, or in
then- aainiiiistration. A -onorul tax on all pusson^ers
arriving at tlio port of Now York was applied to the .sup-
port of the Marine Hospital at Quarantine, ^wherc the alien
sick were received and treated ; but this was aU that the
hurnanity of that day provided for the rehef of those whom
necessity had driven to the shores cf America.. By the
local laws, the owners of vessels bringing foreign emigrants
were required to enter into bonds indemnifying the city
and county in case of their becoming chargeable under
the poor-laws. These provisions were found to be incon-
venient to the shipowner, owing to the great increase of
emigration from the year 1840 to the year 1847, and were
altogether insufficient as a means of protection to the
emigrant against the consequences of disease or destitu-
tion. The bonds were onerous to the respectable ship-
Qwner, and a rope of sand to the fi-audulent. The ship-
owner, too, adopted a means of evading his responsibihty
by transferring it to the shipbroker, a person generally of
an inferior class ; and the shipbroker thus consenting to
stand m the place and assume the responsibihty of the
OTvner, the ship and her Hving fi-eiglit were unreservedly
suirendered to him. The shipowner had the alternative
either to give b-nds of indemnity to the city against
possible chargeability, or compound for a certain sum per
head, and thus rid himself of all future responsibility ; but
he found it more convenient to deal with the broker 'than
with the city authorities. The broker freely gave his
bond; but when tested, it was in most instances found to
be valueless, he generaUy being a man of straw. To
the tender mercies of the broker the emigrant was thus
abandoned.

Private hospitals, or poor-houses, were established by
the brokers on the outskirts of New York and Brooklyn ;
and from the results of an inquiry instituted by the Board
of Aldermen of New York in the year 184G, an idea may

■4

■.di

18G

THE IIIISII IN AMERICA.

bo formed of the troutniont received by the wretched
oiui'JiTauts whose hard fate drove them into those iiislitu-
tioiis. The Committee discovered in one apartment, 50
io.o,t si^uare, 100 sick and djinfjf omif^-rants lying on straAv ;
and among them, in their midst, the bodies of two who
had died four or five days before, but been left for that
time without burial! They found, in the course of their
in(|uiry, that decayed vegetables, bad flour, and putrid
meat, were specially purchased and provided for the use of
the strang(n-s! Such as had strength to escape from tlioso
slauglit(u--h()uses fled from them, as from a plagu(>, and
roamed through the city, exciting the compassion, perhaps
the horror, of the pass(}rs-by ; * those who were tt)o ill to
escape had to take their chance — such chancre as poisonous
food, infected air, and bad treatnu;nt {ifl'orded them of
ultimate recovery. Thanks to the magnitude and notoriety
of the fearful abuses of the system then shown to exist, a
remedy, at ouco comprehensive and efficacious, was adopted
— not, it is true, to come into immediate operation, but to
l^rove in course of time one of the noblest monnments of
enlightened wisdom and practical philanthropy. In the
Prefacie to the published lleports of tlie Conunissioners of
Immigration, from the organisation of the Commission in
18J:7 to 18G0, the origui of the good work is thus told : —

* A prominent nnd much respected citizen of Now York, born of Irish parents,
eminent for ability and humanity, assured me ho never could forgot tno apiiearance
of ii miserable old Irish woman who, as the snow lay on the ground, and a bitter
Mind swept through the streets, was begging one Sunday morning in Hroadway.
Her hair was almost white, her look that of starvation, and the clothuig, if such
it could be called, as scanty as the oarest decency might permit. Shivering and
hungry, she held out her lean hands in mute petition to well-clad passers-by—
her air and attitude as much a prayer for compassion In God's name, as if her
longuo had expressed it in words. This half naked, starving, shivering creatur*!
was otui of a ship-load of human beings who had been • packed off to Ajn(H'ica '
by an absentee nobleman enjoying a wide reputation for benevolence I t-'ho was
b\it a type of the thousands whom a similar lofty humanity had consigned to the
ft^vcr-ship and the fever-shed, or flung, naked and destitute, on the streets of
New York, objects of pity or of terror to its citizens, and of scandal to the civilised
hoiid.

! wretched
).se inslitu-
■rtineiit, 50
<; on strjiAv ;
f two who
ft for that
se of theu'
iiid putrid

the uso of
from thoso
iliij^nie, and
)n, perhaps
D too ill to

poisonous
d them of
d notoriety
L to exist, a
as adopted
ion, but to
mments of
■f. In the
ssioners of
mission in
told :—

Irish parents,
tuc aiiiieiiranco
1(1, and a bitter
J in Hroadway.
3thin^% if sucli

Shivoriiig and
d passers-by —
ame, as if hor
.'ering croatiirc.
ff to Ain(H'i(M •
nee I Hlio was
nsigned to tlio
the streets of
to the civilised

THE EMIGRATION COMMISSION AND ITS WORK. 187

Tliis state of things was bocoining more distreH.sino; as emicrration
grew larger, and it even threatened danger to the public hpaUh. A
number of eitiztnis. to whose notice these facts were specially and
frequently brought— to some from their connection with commerce
and navigation, to others from personal sympathy with the children
of the land of their own nativity,— met about the close of the year
184(!, or the winter of 1817, and consulted on the means of remedy-
ing these evils. They proposed and at>;reed upon a plan of relief, which
was presented to. the Legislature of the State of New York, and
was passed into a law in the session of 1817. The system then le-
commended and adopted was that of a permanent commission for the
relief and protection of alien emigrants arriving at the port of New
York, to whose aid such emigrants should be entitled for five years
after their arrival, the expenses of their establishment and other
relief being defrayed by a small commutative payment from each
emigrant.*

Figures, however gigantic, afford but an imperfect
notion of the work, the self-imposed and disinterested
work, of this Commission— of the good they have ac-
conipHshed, and, more important still, the evil they have
prevented. When it is stated that from May 1847 to the
close of 180G, the number of passengers who arrived at
the port of New York was 3,G59,000— about one-third of
whom received temporary relief from the Commissioners—
we may understand how wide and vast was the field of
their benevolent labours. But in order to appreciate the
protection they afforded to those who had hitherto been
unprotected, and the villanies they successfully baffled, it
is necessary to describe some of the dangers Avhich dogged
the footsteps of the emigrant after landing in New York.^

As voracious fish devour the smaller and helpless of tlie
finny tribe, so did a host of human sharks and cormorants
prey upon the unhappy emigrant, whose innocence and
inexperience left him or her completely at their mercy;
and scant was the mercy they vouchsafed their victinis..
These bandits— for such they literally were, notwithstand-
nig that they did not exactly strike down tlieir victims with
pistol or with po'gnard— assumed many forms, such as

* Now two dollars and a-half.

188

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

brokers, iiinnor.s, bo.'inling-htmso keepers, comrniHsion
Mgeiils, sellers of 'bo^^us' tjekcts, and others; and IVoni
their imiuber and audaeity they appeared to set all law and
authority at defiance. To such an extent had their daring
depredations been carried, that the Legislature, in 181(5,
appointed a Select C\)mmitteo to investigate their practices.
But, in their first annual report, the Connnissi<;ners are
conipelhul to acknowledge how little was the practical good
resulting from the in(piiry and its consequent disclosures ;
for they say — ' It is a matter of almost daily observation
by persons in the employ of the Commissioners, that the
frauds exi)osed in the lleport of the Select Committee,
appointed last year to (examine frauds upon emigrants,
continued to be practised ^^ith as much boldness and
frequency as ever. A regular and systematic course of
deception and fraud is continually in operation, whereby
the emigrant is dejirived of a large portion of the means
intended to aid him in procuring a homo in the country of
his adoption.'

To do the Legislature justice, it freely passed laws to
guard the poor alien from ' those enemies of the emigrant '
— agents, runners, forwarders, iuid brokers, and also in-
vested the Commissioners with considerable powers; but
the best intentions of the Legislature, and 'the most
earnest exertions of the Commissioners, were baflled by
unexpected obstacles; and it was not until after having
encountered ditKculties and borne with disappointments
which would have daunted benevolence less courageous
than theirs, that, in the year 1855, the Commissioners
succeeded in securing the grand object of their persistent
efibrts ; ziamely, the possession of on official landing-place for
all the emigrants arriving at the port of New York. They
were from the first fully alive to the importance of obtain-
ing this landing place ; and in their second Report they
express their regjet that, being unable to obtain the use
of a pier for this purpose, and consequently being unable

tlic means

)ointments

niissioners

LAND SHARKS AND THEIR PREY.

189

io reach the ciiiin^raiit l)oforc he falls anioiigst tlK).se who
stand ready to deeeivo him, frauds, Avhich formerly excited
so much iiulifrnation and sympathy, are continued with as
much boldness and frc(iuency as ever.

The hiw also attempted to rej^ulate the charj^^es in board-
hig-hous<;s, and protect the luggage of the emigrant from
the clutches of the proprietors of those establishments ;
but it appeared only to render the lot of the emigrant one
of still greater hardship ; for what could no longer be le-
gally retained was illegally made away with. In their He-
port for 1818, tiie Connnissioners refer to the new system
adopted in these houses :— ' Of late, robberies of luggage
from emigrant boarding-houses have become of frequent
occurrence, so as to have excited the suspicion that in some
instances the keoi)ers of the houses are not altogether free
from participation in the robbery. If the tavern keeper
has reason to apprehend that the lodger will not be able
to pay his bill, and knowing that the law i)rohibits his re-
taining the luggage, he nuiy think it proper to secure his
claim without law.'

I must confess to being immensely amused at hearing
from one who had passed through the ordeal, how he had
been dealt with in the fine old time of unrestricted plunder,
when the emigrant was left to his fate— that fate assuming
the substantial fwrm of the runner and the boarding-house
keeper. My informant was a great, broad-shouldered,
red-haired Irishman, over six feet ' in his stocking-vamps,'
and who, I may add, on the best authority, bore himself
gallantly in the late war, under the, banner of the Union.
He was but a very young lad when, in 1848, he came to
New York, with a companion of his own age, 'to better
his fortune,' as many a good Irishman had endeavoured to
do before him. He possessed, besid' v splendid health
and a capacity for hard work, a box of tools, a l)undle of
dothf-i, and a few pounds in gold not a bad outlli for a
good-tempered young Irishman, with a red head, broad

■i|.

ir;.

1 It]

! -4

I }

■'.^

I 4

III

190

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

shoulders, grant! appetite, and fast rising to the six feet.
The moment he landed, his luggage was pouneed upon by
two runners, one seizing the box of tools, the other con-
fis(;ating the clothes. The future American citizen assured
his obliging friends that he was quite capable of cfirrying
his own luggage ; but no, they should rehcve him— the
stranger, and guest of the Ilepublic— of that trouble. Each
was in the interest of a different boarding-house, and each
insisted that the young Irishman with the red head should
go with him— a proposition that, to any but a New York
runner, would seem, if not altogether impossible, at least
most difficult of accomphshment. Not being able to
oblige both the gentlemen, he could only oblige one ; and
as the tools were more valuable than the clothes, he fol-
lowed in the path of the gentleman who had secured that
portion of the 'plunder.' He remembers that the two
gentlemen wore very pronounced green neck-ties, and
spoke with a richness of accent that denoted special if
not conscientious cultivation ; and on his arriviil at the
boarding-house, he was cheered with the announcement
that its proprietor was from ' the ould counthry, and loved
every sod of it, God bless it ! ' In a manner truly paternal,
the host warned the two lads against the dangers of the
streets ; and so darkly did he paint the horrors, and
villanies, and murders of all kinds, that were sure to rain
down upon their innocent heads, that the poor boys were
frightened into a rigid seclusion from the world outside,
and occupied their time as best they could, not forgetting
'the eating and the drinking' which the house afforded.
The young Irishman with the red head imparted to the
host the fact of his hoving a friend in Canal Street—
'wherever Canal Street was ' ; and that the friend had been
some six years in New York, and knew the place well, and
was to procure employment for him as soon as they met ;
and he concludful by asking how lie could get to Cnnal
Street. 'Canal Street!— is it Canal Street?— why then

FINDING CANAL STRt^ET.

191

what a mortal pity, and the stjirro to go just an hour boforo
you entered this very door ! My, my ! thatVs unfortunate ;
isn't it ? Well, no matter, there'll bo another in two days'
time, or three at farthest, and I'll be sure to see you sent
there all right— depend your life on me when I say it,'
said the jovial kindly host. For full forty-eight hours the
two lads, who were as innocent as a brace of young goslings,
endured the irksome monotony of the boarding-house, even
though that abode of liospitahty was cheered by the
presence of its jovial host, who loved every sod of the
' ould counthry ; ' but human nature cannot endure beyond
a certain limit— and the two lads resolved, in sheer
desperation, to break bounds at any hazard. They roamed
through the streets for some time, without any special ill
befaUing them. Meeting a policeman, the young fellow
with the red hend suggested to his companion the possi-
bility of the official knowing something about Canal
Street ; and as his companion had nothing to urge against
it, they approached that functionary, and boldly pro-
pounded the question to him— where Canal Street was,
and how it could be reached? 'Why, then, my man,'
replied the pohceman, who also happened to bo a con>
patriot, 'if you only foUow your nose for the space of
twenty minutes in that direction, you'll come to Canal
Street, and no mistake about it; you'U see the name
on the corner, in big letters, if you can read— as I suppose
you can, for you look to be two decent boys.' Canal Street
in twenty minutes! Here indeed was a pleasant surprise
for the young feUows, who had been told to wait for
the stage, which, according to the veracious host, 'was
due in about another day.' Of course they did oUow
their respective noses until they actually reached Canal
Street, found the number of the house in which their
friend resided, and discovered the friend himself, to whom
they recounted their brief adventures in New York.
Thanks to the smartness of their acclimated friend, they

■A
tA

192

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

recovered tli(ur effects, but not before they (lisbur.scil to
the joviiil liowt, who ' loved every sod of the onld couiithry,
God blesH it ! ' more thau would have ciifibled them to faro
sumptuously at the Astor. And as the great strapping
fellow — who had siuco seen many a brave man die with
his face to tho foe — told the tale of his first introduction
to the Emjiiro City, he actually looked sheepish at its
recollection, and then laughed heartily at a simplicity
which had long since become, with him, a weakness of
the past.

As a companion picture to tho foregoing, the story of a
Scotch victim, who was driven crazy by the vigorous appli-
cation of the fleecing process, will exliibit tho manner in
which tilings were done before the Castle Garden era.
This was part of the evidence taken in 1847 : —

Testimony of the St. Andrew's Society. We, the undersigned,
officers of St. Andrew's Society, in the city of Albany, do hereby certify
that on or abont the 2nd day of August last it was represented to us
by a manager of our society that a Scotch emigrant, by tho name of
James IIooslop, had been grossly defrauded and swindled out of his
money by tho runners, or the robbing concerns for whom these run-
uerh do business. We immediately went on the dock, and made
inquiries after Ileeslop, when wo were informed that he had been
despatched on a boat to his destination ; we had him followed to
Troy, and brought back. The story he told the police justice, Cole, in
our presence, in asking for a warrant against the notorious Smethurst,
was in substance as follows: — That he arrived in New York from
Scotland a few days previous ; that his destination was Port Wash-
ington, in the State of Ohio : that he was accosted by a person in
New York near the Albany steamboat, who represented himself as a
forwarding agent, and with whom he (Heeslop) agreed for the pas-
sage of himself and family (three persons), from there to his destina-
tion, and paid the said agent, therefore, four British sovereigns, the
agent consigning Heeslop to the care of Smethurst and Co. He gave
Ileeslop tickets which the agent told him would carry him through.
That a short time after the boat started, Ileeslop was accosted by a
second person, who likewise represented himself as forwarding agent,
and having learned the destination and particulars of Heeslop's afi'airs,
asked to look at his tickets ; that IIccslup shuucd him the tickets,
and the agent told Ileeslop that the other agent bad mistaken, ,

SHARKS AND CORMORANTS.

193

sburscil to

I couiithry,
icm to faro

strapping

II die with
itroduction
lish at its

simplicity
cakness of

story of a
roiis appli-
manuer in
arden era.

undersigned,
lereby certify
•esented to ii9
tlio name of
1 out of his
ra these nin-
c, and made
le had been

followed to

tice, Cole, in

iS Smethurst,

r York from

s Port Wash-

a person in

himself as a

for the pas-

1 his destina-

vereigns, the

^0. He gave

him through.

accosted by a

arding agent,

islop's afi'airs,

the tickets,
ad mistaketi,

that those ticket.^ wen^ only pood as far as Buffalo and that in order to
miilte sure his ])assiig(', it would l.c nccessiiry for him (Iho said IFeeslop)
to pay him (the said .secuiid agent) a further piiyuu-nt of three sim-eUjns,
which Ileeslop hud to pay wiien hu arrived at Alljany. They told
Ileeslop at the otlice of Smetliurst and Co., that ho should pay in ad-
dition tiie gum of elfrht sovirehjns, togellier witli fifteen sovereigns vwre
for his hujfjiuje; that the said Ileeslop being rendered almost crazy
by these repeated pliiiidcriiigs. and, wisliing at all hazards to proceed
to his destinatu)n and true friends, he paid down the further demand
of tmnty-lhrce soverehjus, ;'.nd was then i)ut on board a canal boat,
where the undersigned fouud him and brought him back as aforesaid.
That tlie police justice, on hearing the poor i)luiidered man's tale,
immediately issued a warrant for the arr«!st of .Smethnrst, but he waa
nowliere to be found; and wIumi Sniethurst made his appearance
again, the Scotch emhjrant icas vussin(j—i\w instruments and associates
of Sniethurst having in the meantime cajoled or sent him from tho
city.

•Thus it will be perceived, that thirty sovereujns, or one hundred and
fn-lyfwe dollars, were extorted from this poor num for fare, and to a
l)laco. the ordinary price to which from jYew York is two dollars and
eii/Iily-sccen cents a passenr/er, or eiyJd dollars and sixty-one cents for
Ileeslop and his family, tlius leaving tliose rapacious forwarders the
swindling profit of one hundred and thirty-six dollars in this single
case. All of which is respectfully submitted.'

So long as the Commissioners were unable to obtain the
compulsory landing-place for aU emigrants arriving at
New York, the runners, and brokers, and ticket-sellers,
and money-chtmgers, had everything their own way; and
terrible were the consequences of their practical immu-
nity. Swarming about tho wharves, which they hterally
infested, all, — the emigi-ant passenger, his luggage, his
money, his very future,— was at their mercy. The stranger
knew nothing of the value of exchange, nor how many
dollars he sliould receive for his gold ; but his new-found
friend did, and gave him just as much as he could not
venture to withhold from him. Then there were the tickets
for the inland journey to be purchased, and the new-found
friend with the green necktie and the genuine brogue
could procure these for him on terms the most advan-
tageous : indeed, it was fortunate for the emig-nt that he

-4

1
-1

104

TIIM lin>n IN AMKUn'A.

foil jiild (ho IiiukIh (>r 'nil liom'st iiiiim ni. luiy nilo' -'^

tor.

linnl l»!(>HH iih! !li(M.«iir«' mo iimiiv im-iu'm Io lt(* iii(<(, \vi||,

now Hi III VH.'

All iiiHliiii('<* (.f icndy rccKoiiiii/r. imohI, fiivoiiruldn Id llm
iiijr.MMouH arilljMU'liciiiii, \h icconlcd in Mio rvidriKMUiilxi'ii
in IS 17. Pill linil bnj a luiop cluuicd ii);')iiiisl, hik-Ii ii, imiHlcr
(•f liiiMiicc. 'V\u\ wrilrr hiivh. ' \ wiih in ii IxMinlini; Ik.iihi-

iniin ciimo np Io pay liin IhII, wJiich

ill CJKMry Sln>«»l,

IJK' l.'iii.lJDrd iM!iil(> oiil, IS (Inilni-H. " Wliy," KayH Mm iiiiiii,
"(IhIiioI voii M..r('(> Io l)(»jvnl mn for Hixpciicn ;i, meal, iiikI
llim«|MMi(M> f..i' a Im'.I?" "Yos."HavM IIk^ laiidlonl, "and
lliiil niakoM juHt 75 «m>iiIh per day; you liavc Ixm-ii lion^
«>i;;lil tljiVM. an<l Mini. iiial<rM jiisl, IS (lolJarH." Ai llinM^-
jpi.'irlcrM of a .|,.llai- per .lay. l.lu« hill HJioiild liav(( Ihmmi s/.r
d.^llaiH ; so lli(< r(>ady n>ck.)iu>r niach^ fnrlrc dollarn hy Jiin
}V(MiiiiH for nmllipliftilioii.

Anioii.vlli(> nio.si fruilfiil iikmiiim of fraud was llio Halo of

liclo'ls. 'rin'S(> lickcls w

(M-o of various Iviiids tickc^lH Hold

oui'iwy

tickt'ls

irii<>v

Ml rxorbilaiii prices, bui j^ood for lli(» j
which cjirricd llic passi>ii.«;,.r only a portion of hi.i joi
<1»ou}^d\ sold (ov jli(> (Miliri^ n>ul(> ; and iick(>ls udcrlv
W(M-I.hlcss. issiUMl hy i'oiiipMiiics Ihai had lon<r before be;;;
baukrui^i, ov by coiupatues Ihal (>xisfod only in ini

ai'-ina-

lion.

u^se lalb^r are called ' bo^UH ' iickets ; and ihes(>
ere sold in Kurope as \v,»ll as in America in vilWe and

ciMinlry (own, as in cilv and i

se!ii)ori ; and nol. rart>lv

wer(> th(\v jiahiKnl olV on iho coulldinj;- passen}4-(>r, as
pvat biir.;ain.' by a synipiithisiiio-, mxui-nalnred fell

ow-
leni

pa-sensAvr, wlio. by (ho nioresl, hick, had boui^ht, (1
cheap from a family he knew at, homo, that liad « chan^vd
iheir minds, and wouldn't cross over, b(>ing afoard of
the sav.'

In IStS the Commissiouors of Emi<^rat
civi'nlar. in whi.'h (hest^ ]>assa<;t>s occur :

(in issued a

As n-.av be sunn.>soil, (lii>r(» uiv intuiy poopU* sMiq:>t^od in (he b

ness of (orwuraiiig tIiosi» omii;ran(s. and tlio iiulividiial

s or

oinp

1181-

txiiicH

y n«,in'- 'for,
I»n iiM<|, willi

\vn\iU) 1(1 (lid
itli'iii'o Itilxcii
iiirli 11, imiHlcr
nt'diii;; lioiiHtt
is liill, wliicli
*iiyH Mi<^ iiiMii,
n :t. ]ii(tal, iiikI
Kllord, "niitl
■<' luM'ii ]\vr{\
Ai Unci!
mvd Im'cmi N/.r
lolliirM hv liiM

,H \]U) Hlllo of
ii<'lv(><H Hold

iK'v ; tickt'lH
lii.i joni-iH\v,
KcIm u(i««rlv

Ixvforo l)(';:;

in iniii«»-iuii-
; luul ihosv
n villjif^o iiiul
id noi r.'in'ly

Ml^-(M-, !IH 'a

iirod fcllow-
ouo-ht, tlioiii
tut ' clijin^cd
^ ufojird of

■»ii issued 11

3d in <he biisi-
1 or oompuiiii'H

lUXilfH TICKETS. jof

UiMN priK.u(.,i oinpioy a lumf, (,f d.-ikM or Hrrvnuin, vnU,;] " ninn*TM," »ho

''•y ''' ' '• •'"' ""''' "•"""'• ••" '"'uid ll.M Hhip Ih.il, l.riiiKH liif,,. or 'i„„„P

•liuU'ly iiri,,.r In- piilH IiIh I'.m.I on 8li(.ni. Cor {.Iw piirpoh.. ..rniiiyiriK liii.i lu
lit- (orw.udiiiK <'ni(;«.H (or wlil.-li i\wy rcMp..(!l,ivHv net. TIm; IridiH r.-
""•'''•' '••■'" ••"'<•'• <•' r..n'HUll ,1 ,-oriipH,ilor mui nvvAm^ IIm, ,.|„iKniiit
»""l'l '••' i.m.iHh.K. il llH.y wrr.. not, ,i(, ||,<. ronl, or 1,1... i„..vp..ri..n(MM| und
'i.irvpr.iin^ HlnuiKMr; ami il, h h(,l, l,oo hiio llrnl .uirnoriMoiiH himm of
"•••ix-y IM unrnii.lly IohIIo lh.M.,iiiKr,i„l,H l,y ||,„ wih-H ,u,.l fuln,. Hlul..M,nit*

'•' " '"'«'■''"' ••"""•••><. many oC tJ.mii ..ri>rinally from lln-ir own ••oiintry,

iind upciikinK lln-ir nnliv." IiinKna«('.

•or lal.) Iho llrl.l of oprrulioriH of |,|„.h.. " .-niiKranl, ninnorH " Ih no
lniMX<T conlln.Ml lo «!iiH(!i(y; U.-xIrndH lo Kiin.p... . . . They

K<'Mnallycall lln.mHHv..H nK<-nl« of homh, IranHporlaUon, or forwanlinK

'""' •""•' ••"•'••"vo.ir I.. inlpn^^H Un. omiKranI who inl,..M.lH K'.inR far-

<lH'>" <lnu. N..W Vork will. II... Ml.nhai il, Ih for l.in h.-n-dl,. an.l in tl.o

'"^''"''' «'•" <'"«'''il»l.-. (,.) H.'.M.n^ l.iH paHHairo L.-nco l,o the plan, of hin

«l<>Mlinal.io.i,lM'foi-(.|in I.MivcH Kiiiop.! Jl.; in told thai,

mil.-NM l„, ,|o,.H fio. h„ n.MH Kicat rink <.f b.-i-.K d.dainnl/or l.avii.K lo pav
cvorliilant prices " i .

' Insla.„u.H hav<, ,,o.m.. lo tl.o kn..wi..d'fr„ of th.^;o,„mi.MMi..mM"H. wl.'.Me

"' I'nvnc.. m..o..nt..d lo Ih.' lollars a pr.H(M.. iSi.t Ihi.s is nol all

'''' ''""^ "'■" ''.V "" """'i"" '•'"•'•. in which 1,1... tick.ilM prov.. vnlirvh/ worth-

Irss. TlK.y |„.ar (1... nan... .d' (.III.-.'h wl.i.d. uwov ...\iMt...|, and then of
iMM.iH... an. i..nvl.,.n, .•...sp,.,.!,.,! ; or. tl.o .dli.TH wl.ow., names thcv h.-ar
will 1... f„„nd Mh.it ..p. an.l a..^ not lik(.|y over to ro-oprn : i.r th<! cmi-
KH-anlH .i,-o din.,.|,..l to parti..s n.f„si..K to acknowh-.l^r,, u,,, h^,.,„, ,,,,„
i.-.su(..l (In, li,.k..|s, ,vn.l in all ll„.,so cases tho emiKfant Iosoh tli« mon.-y
paid (or thfim.' ^

A prolil.'ihli^ fraud is not, to bo Huppmsscd without much
*lil1i<"iil(.v ; ai:d (ucii in 1857— uino yoarH iift(,r_wo find tho
"iiquity of tlui l)orr„s ii^.Uet in lu^tivo oporatiou. In a ksttor
adch-oss(Ml to tlio S(U'rotary of Stato, tlio ConnnisHioiKn-H
!i.ss(>rt (hat tho ('ln(,f o]„.iatoi>; in tliis HVHtom of fraud
have not only opened oiKces hi tlie 8(!veral* seaports wliere
('iniorants usuaUy embark, but have also established a^ren-
I'lea in towns in the interior of those countries, and in the
vorv villao(>a ^yhcnwx^ families are likely to emij^rate-.
^>^caudnio: Hambur- and Brenien from their observations,
the Commissioners add that ' verv many of those from
other ports arc first defrauded of their means by being

M,.

•3

It
j

•■4

196

TUE IRISH IN AMERICA.

1?
II

induced to purcliaHo tickctn for railroad and water travel iu
this conntry, at hij,di prices, wliicli, when presented here,
are found to bo either quite worthlcsH, or to carry tlio
holders to some poiut in the interior far ahort of thciir
destination, where they are loft destitute.' Mr. Marcy, in
reply, states that he has addressed a circular letter to the
diplomatic and consular agents of the United States in
those countries of Europe from which emigrants chiefly
proceed, and instructed them to l)ring the subject to the
notice of the Governments to wliich they were accredited,
or of the authorities of the place where they reside, and
to ask for the adoption of such measures ' as may be re-
quired by the claims of humanity and the comity of
nations.'

What a gauntlet the helpless emigrant had to run before
he was fairly on the road to his hmd of promise ! Many
were strong enough to break through, or fortunate enough
to slip through, this net-work of fraud ; but it may well be
doubted if, for some years at least, those so strong or so
fortunate were the greater number, It is lamentably true,
that many, many thousands had their wings so effectually
clipped — nay, so utterly plucked were they by the patriotic
gentlemen with the green neckties, or the ladies with the
green ribands, that they could not get beyond New York,
into which, though perhaps altogether unsuited to the life
of a city, the miserable victims of heartless fraud and piti-
less robbery sank down to a lot of hardship, it might be of
degradation and of ruin. It is heart-rending to think of
the tremendous consequences of these systematic villanies,
and to reflect how thousands of people were thus fatall}
arrested on their way to places specially suited to their
industry, and where, most probably, after the usual proba-
tionary hard work, they would have established themselves
in comfort and indep .nJeiice. Better for many of them,
old and young, the hvfi— si-irited boy and the innocent girl,

tiiCy uad become the prey of the sharks of the deep,

r\ i

iter travel iu
aented horo,
to carry tho
.ort of thoir
[r. Marcy, iu
lottcr to tlio
)d States ill
raiitw chiefly
hjef't to tho
t) accredited,
reside, and
I may be re-
) comity of

o run before
lise ! Many
nate enouj^h
mav well be
strong or so
jntably true,

effectually
the patriotic
ies with the

1 New York,
d to the life
ad and piti-
miglit be of

to think of
,tic villanies,
thus fatall}
;cd to their
Lsual proba-
l themselves
ny of them,
mocent girl,
A the deep,

now TUK 'OUTLAWS' RESiSTED REFORM.

than that they had fallen into the clutches ol the sharks of
the land.*

At length, in 1855, tho Commi.ssionGrs succeeded iu
CBtabhshing Castlo Garden as the lan(iiug-placo for all
emigrants arriving at New York ; and among other benefits
wliich, in thoir report of that year, they enumerate as
resulting from the jwssession of this grand convenience,
they include 'the dinpcrdon of a hand of outlaws, at-
Iraclcd to^ this por^ by plunder, from all parts of the
earth.' Tho outlaws' were perhaps not so effectually
dispersed as the Cummissioners fondly imagined them to
be; for po persistent were the attacks upon tho system
estabhshed at vHastle Garden — attacks made generally
through tho public press— that the Grand Juiy of tho
County of New York was formally appealed to. Nominally
investigating certain charges made against the employees
of the railway companies doing business in Castle Garden,
the Grand Inquest really enquired into the entire system ;
and the result of that timely investigation was of the ut-
most consequence, in strengthening the hands of the Com-
missioners, and confounding their interested maligners.

' On inquiry,' they said, ' into the causes of certain piiblislied attaclcs
on the Emlguant Landing Dep6t, the Grand Inquest have become
Batisfled tliat tliey emanate, in the first instance, from tho very in-
.orested parties against whoso depredations Castlo Garden affords pro-
tection to the emigrant, and who are chiefly runners in the employ
of booking-agents, boarding-house keepers, and others, who have lost
custom by the establishment of a central dep6t, where the railway

Tho following, from the statement of Mr. Veie Foster, to which reference has
aircady been made, represents the state of things existing in 1850. and while
exhibiting the terrible injury inflicted on the inexperienced and defenceless
emigrant, affords a conclusive testimony in favour of an official landing-place,
where passengers arriving at New York could be protected from those who regarded
them as their lawful prey:—

' 3rd December.— A few of the passengers were taken ashore to the hospital at
' Statcn Island, and M'e arrived alongside the quay at New York this afterncon.
'T/ie 900 passengers dispersed as . usual among tht various fleecing Iwkscs, to be
•partiallij or entirely disabled for pursuing their ^••a1).-,V, into thf interior in search qf
' employment.'

'>9

198

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

coinpiinicfj Imvo fiiclr own business done by ibeir owu clerks, withoul
the iiitcrvoiitioi) of i)aHf;i\g('-bn)kor.s, i"tc.

'This cliiss Iiiis lliiowii ^Mcut (liniciiltics in tlio way of the proper
<leveloj)inent of ufliiiis in Castle Garden, by constiluling a noisy c.ovvd
outside llu! gates, whose bejiaviour is utt<'rly lawless, and endangers
the personal safety, not only of the passengers who have to leave the
Castle Garden to transact business in th;; city, but also the employees
of the Landing I)ep/^t, and of individual Commissioners of Emigra-
tion, who are continually insulted in the public grounds surrounding
the depftt, and have bt^en obliged to carry loaded fire-arm in self-
defence against the violence wliich has frequently been oftoretl to
them.'

Tlio Grand Inquest, after administering some hard hits
to the local authorities, for the culpable remissness of the
police in preventing the disorders which they describe, thus
conclude :

'Having become satisfied that the Emigrant Landing Dep6t, in all
its operations, is a blessing, not only to emigrants, but to the commu-
nity at large, they would feel remiss in the i)erformance of a sacred
duly if they failod to recommend this important philanthropic estab-
lisliment (o the fostering care of the municipal authorities ; and they
had dismissed the complaints preferred against certain employers of
the Castle Garden, satisfied that they are not sustained by law, and
have tiieir origin in a design to disturb, ratber than to further, the
good work for which the establishment has been called into life by an
Act of Legislature of April 1855.'

This triumphant vindication of an institution which is
to none more important than to the Irish "who seek a home
in America, bears the signature— /Howell Hoppock, Fore-
man of Grand Jury.'

Yv^ith a full knowledge of the evils with which the
Commissioners of Emigration had to contend, we shall bo
bc>ttcr able to appreciate the leading features of the system
pursued at Castle Garden, and how far it reahses the in-
((^ntions of its benevolent founders.

The emigrant nhip^^ drops her anchor in the North Eiver,

* It will be seen from the following passatre from the report of ISGfi— piililiahed
in 1807— that steamers are fast driving emigrant sailing ships from the sea. Con-
sidering the shortness of the voyage, and the generally excellent nature of the

clerks, withoul

of the proper
a noisy c.ovvd
and endangers
3 to leave the
the employees
rs of Eniigni-
Is siirroiindint>-
'-arm in self-
Jen offoreu to

e hard hits
siiCRs of the
iscribo, thus

D('p6t, in all
the conimii-
of a sacred
thropic estab-
ies ; and they
employers of
by law, and
) further, the
iito lil'e by an

n which is
leck a home
30ck, Fore-

which the
we shall bo
the system
ises the in-

ortli Eiver,

tSGfi— piibliahf-d

the sea. Con-

; nature of the

THE NEW SYSTEM.

109

or upper part of the Bay, wliere she is com^^ellea to await
the arrival of the steamer and barge beloiigiiig to the
Commissioners, by which passengers and their baggage are
landed at the wharf of Castle Garden ; wliich to tie'' alien
is the Gate of the New World— the portal through wliich
he reaches the free soil of America. Passengers and their
baggage are under the protection of the Commissioners
from the moment they are thus transferred to their charge ;
and though the brood of cheats and harpies may grind their
teetli^ with rage as they remember the time when they were
the first to board the emigrant ship, and, as a matter of
undisputed right, take possession of her freight, hving and
inanimate, they know that their anger is unavailing, for
tliat tlieir day of hcence has passed. No sooner is the
sliip's arrival notified at Castle Garden, than the officer on
duty obtains at the proper office a hst of the passengers
for whom letters, or remittances, or instructions, have been
received by the Commissioners from friends who expected
their arrival by that vessel. The officer boards the ship in
his steamer ; and the first thing he does on reaching her
deck is to read aloud to the expectant hundreds, by whom
he is quickly surrounded, the names of the passengers on
his list, and announce that letters, or news, or money,
await them at Castle Garden. Cheering to the heart of
the anxious or desponding emigrant— probably a wife who
has come out to her husband, or a child in search of a
parent—is this joyful proclamation, it sounds so full of
welcome to the new home.* Too many, perhaps, feel their

acrcmraodation in weUappointed eteamers, such as arc at present employed iu
tlu! passenger trade, this is a revohitiou not to be regretted : —

' Hy comparison with former years ft is shown that the number of Kl^-amrr;

landing ijassengers at Castlo Garden has increased from 22. brin-nng 5 1 1 m

«.n,y.s. i„ I85.i, to 109 bringing 34/>47 passengers, iu 18«0 T to 95. bri .S

•b'i) . ■^.•7''''' '" ^^"^ = -^° ^""' ^""«'"- 2.^.843 p..„sengers in 1802 to 70

' "^ ^n'; 'inrn;.V%^r"' l«<i=^ ; to ooy bringing 81.794 passengers, in 18r,i

'm'iii^::{:^.'lr:i£,r'''''^'''' ^" ''''■ ^"^^ '^ ^^ ^'^^^^'-^rs, bringing

* A coiiEiderablc .sum, amounting to 107,000 dollars, was received in 1866
fcrougli various channels, iu anticipation of the arrival ot intending emigrants^

, <ti

-A
1

200

TllK IlilSH IN A.MIJUICA.

inoro jx)i<;ri!iu% from

isolation or iliolr (liHii])]M)iui.iii(>iit tlio

ilu'i-u l.cii.o iu, uonl of lov(s ju) si-u of wt'lcomo to liiiil

tluur arrival.

T\w passniHoi-s aro traiisforrod to the Htcaiucr, and their
baoo-aot, to the l)aro-(,, and landed at CasUo. (Jarden, where
their nanu>H and divstinations are entered in a book Icept
for that i)urpose. In tlie hir-e l.niUhn- at the disposal of
the (V)niiiiissionerH the endonintH mny obtain tlie lu.vnry
of a thorouf^li abhition, ami th(> (!onifort of the first meal ou
solid land ; and (hose who Iiave bronoht ont mouoy with
Iheni, or for whom their friends have sent r(>mittane(>s in
antieipation of their arrival, and who d(>sire to i)UHh on-
North, Sonlh, or \\\>st -maj >\t once start on theii- journe}'.
Tlu^y can chniioe tjunr money for the cnrrency of the
conntry, and purchase railway tickets to any part of the
Unili'd Stat(>^or Canada, and do so wi(l»ont J<oin<r outside
the bnildino-, or rislvin..- the h)ss of its sahitary protecticm.
They and their baoo!i--e aro conveyed to iho railway depot,
from which they start on their inland journey, fortunate
indciul in not havino- a single feather plucked fnmi their
%vinj^- by watchful har}>y.

Of many important and valuable d(>partments of this
Landino: Depot, those for the exchange of money and the
sale of railway or steand)oat tickets are not the least impor-
tant or valuable. In the exchange dc^partment various na-
tionalities are represented; and for a small perccMitage,
sutlii'ient to renumerate the broker without oppressing tlio
emigrant, l^nglish and Irish, Germans, Trench, Swedes,
Danes, and otlu>rs, may f)rocure rehable money—not Hash
notes— for their gold and silver and paper currency. The
exchange brokers admitted to do business in Castle 'Oarden
are men of respectability ; but were they inclined to take

md ari>li,-d to tluir forwarding. The amount reotuvod at the I andin- lent
was 57,3;.') dollars ; at tho oiVu-o of the Irish Kniigrant Society. 21116 dollarn •

»t the OtWco of tho CiMinmi Siv<),.*v '■"5 fil'V • linci V.^: -itK » ■ '

, ,,,„,, """ •' "'■"'^^' ' ws^iuob otlicr sums, nmountJUj' to

about 4,000 dollars. ^

« » 5rW

TIIK DAYS OF BOGUS TICKETS GONK.

201

luiiitly from
iinio to liiiil

V, niul their

book Icopt
(lispo.sal of
tho luxury
rst liioiil on
iiioii(>y with
littiuuH^H in

l)ush on —
LMr j()urni>y.
iH'.y of tho
i);irt of tho
in^' outsido
pvotcH'tion.
way (lc>p6t,
, fortunate
from th(>ir

ta of this
ey and tlio
^ast inipor-
karious na-
lerconta^e,
•esisinf>- tho
li, Swe(hvs,
-not llasli
nwy, Tho
tie Garden
3d to take

1 aiuliii",' I'ep.'t

n.-2'26 dollurs ;

amountiug ta

ndvantaf^o of tl

expnl.sion would be tho cert

10 .simplicity of the oiiiigrant, their prompt

ill

n r(!«idt. Hei-o then, in

most OHHontial matter, is complete pr(,tc(;ti'(Hra7rorded"to
tho inexperKiiiced and the heli)le,ss.

The sale of railway tic^kets, thci fruitful sour(te of rob-
bery and actual ruin in former days, is entrusted to re-
Kponsible railway a-ents, over whom tho Ccmimissioners
as in duty bound, maintain a watchful control, necessary
ratlier to prevent delay and inconvenienc^e to the emigrant
than to protiict him a<.-ainst positive fraud. It is tlu) in-
terest of the railway companies represented in this bureau
to fulhl their en-an;(mients with honesty and hberality • as
if tlH^y fail to do so, tho Commissioners have sufficient
power to brill- them to their senses.* Of bo-us tickets
there need be no apprehension now, as in former times
when th(>y W(u-e sold at home in the seaport town, and even
m tho country villaf>e ; on board-ship durin- the voyage
or on tho wharves and in the streets of Now York. The
movQ loss of the purchase-momiy did not by any means
represent tho infamy of the fraud or the magnitude of the
evil. Not only was iho individual or tho family eftectuaUy
plundered, but, being deprived of the means of transport
they could not get beyond the precincts of the city in which
they first set foot, and thus all hopes of a future of profit-
nble industry were lost to them for ever. Tho sale of rail-
road tickets in Castle Oarden is therefore a protection of
the very first importance to the emigrant.

*Tl,o Conunissiouers. in a nicmorial addressed to the ^^euato of the United

State , ,n refc, onee to a l.ill b.foro Congress, dated J.u.e 0, 1806, refer to cause of

.»"l"...t l.nu.Kh. before the.n through ono of their oflieers. Thev say a al-

r:::l:ir:: "T""' '"*"""' ^^^"^ in-egmarities i„ connection with ^rl
f.iUNot vh.eh theyh.Hve reason to eon.pl.in, they are assnred an-i believe that ill
-uses o co,„pU,.t had been rron.ptly renK.ve.l. The Connnissioners ar .M
conn>e, those who avail themselves of tho privilege of «a,o nnder thei ro o t' o
■t >n the njost loyal ,uiM,,ss to th.nr ehent.s ; but, be the 'irregularities' wh t
they njay, hey are but tri.Ung indeed when contrasted with the abonli^ ^^ ,.: '
-the hagdK,us robberies at both sides of tho AUantic-pructised only a few yeara
since, and practised with almost entire impunity. *

202

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

The baggage of tlie emigrant, wliicli had been so long
■ the i^rey of the lodging-house keeper, the runner, and the
'smasher,' is now not only retained in safe custody in
compartments well adapted to that purpose, but is fre-
quently held as a pledge for the repayment of advances
made by the Commissioners to assist their ov/ners to pro-
ceed on their intended journey. There is, however, no
charge made for its custody, neither is interest required to
be paid for the loan or advance. I have seen quantities of
boxes, trunks, and packages of various kinds, duly marked
and lettered, and safely stowed away, to be kept until the
owners found it convenient or necessary to send for their
effects, or, in case advances had been made on their
security, until they were in a position to redeem them.

This plan of making advances on the security of the bag-
gage, or portions of the baggage of the emigrant, which
protects it from being plundered, and enables the individual
or the family destined for the interior to proceed on their
route, has now been in practice fully ten years, and has
been attended with great good. The advance does not in
any case exceed a few dollars ; but the possession or the
want of these few dollars may, at such a moment, deter-
mine the future fate of an entire family. In their report
for 18G5, the Commissioners bear testimony to the good
which these advances have done. Assistance has been ren-
dered to many who might otherwise have become the prey
of fraud, or have fallen into destitution, ' whilst,' as they
state, ' the character of the assistance was such as not to
lessen the feehng of independent self-reliance.' The small
amount of $112 was advanced in 185G to nineteen fam-
ilies, or about $G^ per family. This had been punctually
r(;paid. The total amount advanced fi-om August 185(>,
when the system was first adopted, to the end of 18G5, was
$23,215 ; the number of advances, whether to individuals
or families, being 2,394. Of this amount, there remained
unpaid but 1,370.

A WORD OF ADVICE.

203

sen so long
;er, and the
custody in
but is fre-
•f advances
3rs to pro-
Lowever, no
required to
Liantities of
uly marked
)t until the
d for their
e on their
them.

of the bag-
rant, which
3 individual
sd on their
.'s, and hag
ioes not in
sion or the
lent, deter-
heir report
) the good
s been ren-
Qe the prey
st,' as they
L as not to

The small
.eteen fani-

punctually
igust 185(>,
: 18G5, was
individuals
e remained

Another important department may be described as the
letter or correspondence department, the value of which
IS becoming every year more fully appreciated, as well by
emigrants as by their friends in America and at home.
Suppose an emigrant, on arrival at New York, to be witli-
out the means of proceeding inland, or disappointed in not
receiving a communication from a friend or member of his
or her family, a letter, announcing the person's arrival, and
asking for assistance, is at once written by a clerk specially
appointed for that purpose ; and in very many cases the
appeal so made is promptly responded to, and the emigrant
IS thus enabled to proceed onwards. In the year 18G6
there were nearly 3,000 such letters written, stamped, nnd
posted, free of aU charge to the parties interested. Of these
letters 2,516 were written in English, the balance in Ger-
man and other languages. The value of this admirable
system may be shown by the fact, that the amount of
money received in 186G, in reply to letters from the Land-
ing Depot for recently arrived emigrants, and applied to
their forwarding, was $24,385.

It is of the utmost consequence that attention should
here be directed to what has been, and must ever be, a
source of bitter disappointment, if not of the greatest
affliction to individuals and famihes ; namely, the misdirec-
tion of letters, owing to the habit of not giving the fuU
address, or the custom common with Irish women of the
humbler class, of calling themselves by their maiden instead
of their married names. It would be an act of great
humanity on the part of those who o.e in a position to
advise the emigrant, or the friends of the emigrant, whether
at home or in America, to see that names are written
accurately, and that addresses, especially American, are
given fully-that is, that the city, county, or State, should
be mentioned ; and lastly, that the envelope, which bears
the post mark on it, should be retained as well as the
letter. An instance or two in point, and which I select

■4

i
1

204

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

out of many, will exbibit the necessity of this advice being
attended to at both sides of the Atlantic.

Mary Siilhvan has come to America in search of her
husband. Having somo vague notion of his whereabouts,
lotters are despatched to various persons in the direction
supposed to be indicated. No such person as Daniel Sul-
livan, 'who came to America four years ago,' is to be
found. Poor Mary Sullivan is in despair. But at length,
owing to some chance observation which drops from the
afflicted wife, it turns out that Sullivan was her maiden
name, and that her husband was Daniel M'Carthy, and not
Daniel Sullivan. Letters are again despatched, and Daniel
and Mary are once more united.

A woman arrives with her family. She has a letter
from her son in Washington, or Jacksonville, or Newtown,
and she desires to inform him that she is in New York,
awaiting him. There is his letter, and she can tell no
more about it ; all she knows is, that her son is in the place
mentioned ; and ' why shouldn't he be there, she'd like to
know?' But what Washington ? what Jacksonville? what
Newtown? There are hundreds of places with similar
names in tlie United States ; and which is it ? Where, she
is asked, is the envelope of the letter ; for that would have
the post mark, which, if not obliterated or indistinct, would
be the best of all possible guides. * Oh, sure,' the simple
woman replies, ' I lost that : but there was nothing on that
but where I lived when I was in Ireland ; sure 'tis all in my
son's letter.' The enveloj)e lost, and there being no address
in the letter, the Commissioners have to communicate with
all the Washingtons, or J acksonvilles, or Newtowns in the
country ; and probably it is owing to the enquiries of the
priest of the locality in which the son resides or is at work
that the family are ultimately brought together.

A young woman, Ellen T , arrived early in the

present year, to join her brother, who was in a certain
town in Pennsylvania, whence he wrote to her. She was
sent to Ward's Island, and her brother was written to. No

idvice being

i,rch of her
hereabouts,
le direction
Diuiiel Siil-
,' is to be
t at length,
>fi from the
her maiden
ly, and not
and Daniel

as a letter
' Newtown,
New York,
3an tell no
n the place
le'd like to
ville? what
ith similar
Where, she
would have
inct, would
the simple
ng on that
is aU in my
no address
nicate with
wns in the
Ties of the
is at work

.'ly in the

a certain

She was

en to. No

WOItKING OF THE SYSTEM. 205

aiiswer Another letter was sent, but with the same result.

The sister IS safe in the Refuge at Ward's Island, but

anxious and impatient. Time. passes-stiU no tidings. At
length she abandons aU hope of finding her brother, and
determines to do something for herself; and actually as
she IS eavmg the office with, this intention, the brother
makes his appearance. What was the cause of the delay 9
His explanation is simple enough-he had left the place
from which he had written to his sister and gone to ano-
ther place, and 'he hadn't the gumption ' to leave his new
address with the postmaster.

Shortly before I left New York an instance occurred
which impressed me with the value of the present system
under which such care is taken of the interests of the
emigrants. A young girl arrived out by a certain steamer,
and being taken sick of fever was sent to the hospital at
Ward s Island. She said her father was in Boston, but
she did not know his address. Her father, expecting her
arrival telegraphed to the agents in New York, enquiring
If his daughter had come. The agents, whether ignorant
or careless, rephed by telegraph-' No.' The father not
satisfied with the answer, wrote to the Commissioners of
Emigration, and they at once notified to him that his
daughter had arrived, and was then in hospital at Ward's
Island. He started from Boston without delay; and I
had the assurance of the admirable physician by whom
she was attended,* that the interview with her father saved
the daughter's hfe, which was at the time in danger

Innumerable cases might be given in proof of the
mconvenience and suflfering-oftentimes the gravest in-
jury-entailed on emigrants, especiaUy young girls, through
this neglect of sending the address accurately and fnUy
and retaming it when received ; also of women givin.^
their maiden instead of their married name ; of not havinr.

*Dr. John Dwycr, a true-hearted and kin.llv Tri«),»,«n who was c-p -f fi
miluary Burgeons attached to Corcoran'skishLogion: '^'

i
J

206

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

the uame written distinctly, and of

saying the name ia

Olloily when it is Eiley, or Donnelly when it is O'DouncL.
]\Iistakes, jjerhaps apparently triHing, are quite sufficient to
keep the nearest and dearest relatives apart, and dein-ive
the young and inexperienced girl of the much-needed
protection of a brother or a father.

The titles by which the General Superintendent is
addressed are very varied. At one time he is styled ' The
Mayor of Castle Garden,' at another ' The Commander,' at
another * The Keeper,' and not unfrequently ' Head Gene-
. ral!' The mistake of ' Blackbird's Island for 'BlaclnveU's
Island, in which there is a penitentiary, is not altogether
inappropriate ; but that of mistaking ji General officer for
a Police officer was much more serious, as witness the
following : —

Two countij-y girls, recently arrived from ' Sweet Tippe-
rary,' with the painting of nature on their healthy cheeks,
received from one of the clerks a written card bearing the
address of their friends in the upper part of the city, and
were directed to apply for information on their way to the
first policeman they met; and one of these blue-coated
brass-buttoned dignitaries, on duty at the Depot, was
pointed out to them for their guidance. 'Thank your
lix)nour kindly, we'll be sure not to mistake the peUiccman
when we want him,' said £he rosiest, who did all the talking.
It was at the early part of the war, when the streets were
full of blue Federal uniforms. The two country girls set
off rejoicing, but had not been gone many minutes when
they were back again, out of breath and greatly flurried.
'Well,' said the clerk, Mvhat brings you back?' 'Oh,
sure your honour, we did just as your honour tould us.'
We went up the wide sthreet ye call Broadway, and when
we kern to the big church beyant, with the cross on it,
.sure there we saw a gintleman with a blue coat and gould
buttons, and a cocked hat on his head, and a fine feather
in it, and a swoord by his side; and Mary and meself

the name ia
8 O'DouiioU.
suffi(ricnt to
and doin-ivo
aucli-needed

intendent i«
styled 'The
Lmander,' at
Bead Gene-
' BlackweU's
t altogether
al officer for
witness the

weet Tippe-
thy cheeks,
bearing the
he city, and

way to the
blue-coated
Depot, was
'hank your

pelliccman
the talking-,
fcreets were
ry girls set
lutes when
ly flurried,
k?' 'Oh,
• tould UR.

and when
!ross on it,

and gould
ine feather
md meself

INTELLIGENCE AND LABOUR DEPARTMENT. 207

thought ho must be the head of all the Pellice. So we
made bould to tell that your honour tould us to ax him
which was the way to the third Avany cars, and sure ho
tould us to " go to the Divil "—so wo kem straight back
to your honour.' The clerk, who was a good judge of a
joke, looked steadily at the speaker ; but she seemed
utterly unconscious of having perpetrated a hon mot.

There is another department at Castle Garden, which
has proved of immense advantage to emigrants of both
sexes— an Intelligence Office and Labour Exchange. For-
tunately for the interests of those who desire to employ and
to be employed, this is becoming every day better known,
and consequently more generally availed of ; and through
its operation employment is obtained for all kinds of
labour, agricultural, manufacturing, and domestic. There
arc two such offices in the building, one for men and the
other for women. A register, which I had the opportunity
of examining, is carefully kept, in which the names of
persons requiring employment, or wanting to employ
hands, are entered ; and in which, .in case of hiring, all
necessary particulars are likewise set down. This register
is tluis not only a m^ans of affording useful information
respecting individiials to fi-iends who seek intelhgence of
them, but alsc ' 'protection to the parties employed ; inas-
nmch as if tue >er violates his contract — which is

embodied in his p' ■" -he may be sued on the part of

the Commissioners, ..• >vhom the emigrant is an object of
official care for five years after his or her landing at New
York. It frequently happens that, through the operation
of this bureau, persons are enabled to procure employment
on landing, and go off at once to those who hired them by
anticipation. But it must be understood that the chances
of employment are generally more in favour of females than
of nitdes ; and that they are terribly against the latter,
if they come out at a wrong season — which is towards
iiii) Autumn, and all through the Winter. The girl or

'igtf

:=1

.1
J

208

THE miSII IN AMKRICV.

woman, assuminpr that slio desires to work and is capable
of it, iiiiiy conio out at any season of the year, Winter or
Siininier; but the man who looks for out-door employ-
ment should come out when the Spring work u openinrj—cer-
tainhj not sooner than March, or later than October. The
total nmjil)er of males provided with employment last
yeaT-—18(5G— through the Intelligence Office and Labour
Exchange, Castle Garden, was 2,191 ; of females 6,303 ;
of both sexes, through the Commissioners' agents, at
Buffalo, Albany, and Rochester, 1,289 ; and at the office
of the German Society in New York, 988— making in aU
10,771. .

I saw a number of women and girls, generally young,
in a large apartment of the building, employed in knit-
tmg or sewing, waiting to be hired for various purposes,
whether in factories, in stores, or in domestic occupations!

One of the latest improvements in the Emigration Depot
at Castle Garden is its direct connection by teleo-raph
with every part of the United States and the British°Pro-
vmces ; so that an emigrant, on landing, may at once
communicate with expecting fidends in any part of North
America.

Having referred to some of the most salient features of
the estabhshment at Castle Garden, I may briefly glance
at Ward's Island, which rs the crowning feature of the
whole, combining everything necessary for the care and
comfort and protection of the stranger which enhghtened
benevolence and practical experience could suggest? or the
most liberal expenditure could provide. When one remem-
bers the bed of broken straw, the rotten flour, the decayed
vegetables, the putrid meat, speciaUy procured for the sick
cnngrants of 1847 and 18-18, by the shipbrokers of that
day, one may weU invoke a blessing on the noble-hearted
men to whoso humanity, courage, and perseverance the ex-
isting system is mainly due.

Removed, by its insular position, from all contact with

MISS NKJIITINGAr.EVS OPIXION.

209

cl is capable
I', Winter or
oor employ-
qxniing — cer-
•luhcr. TliG
oymeiit last
xiul Labour
lales G,303 ;
ap^onts, at
it the ofiifio
akiiig in all,

•ally young,
ed in knit-
is purposes,
)ccuiiations.
ition Depot
y telegraph
>ritisli Pro-
ay at once
L't of North

features of
iefly glance
ire of the
care and
snlightened
•est, or the
ne remem-
le decayed
•r the sick
rs of that
)le-hoartcd
ce the ex-

iitact with

the city, its shores washed by the cver-nioving tide of tho
Sound, lies Ward's Island, 110 acres of which arc now in
possession of tho Commissioners, and devoted to the varied
purposes of the institution. The stranger is astonished at
beholding the splendid groups of buildings that, as it were
crown the island— asylums, refugees, schools, hospitals ; the
latter for surgical, medical, and contagious cases. These
buildings wore capable last year of accommodatuig more
than 1,500 persons, and they are added to according to
the means at the disposal of the Com.ussioTK On the 10th
of August, 18(54 was laid the foundation stone of an hos-
pital with accommodation for 500 patients ; which hospital
designed and furnished with all the latest improvements,'
IS admitted by competent judges— including Miss Night-
ingale^"- to bo one of tho most complete in the workL I
visited this hospital in March, 1807, and though not
quahfied to pronomice an opinion which would be of any

* Mi88 Nife'htingalo addressed the following Icttcr-to tho General Agent :-

• 32, South street, Park Lane, Loudon, w. :
bin.— I have extreme pleasure in acknowledging you. kind note of Fehrnarv o<>

on'," " ' ''°'"" '"'"« '° ''°' "• """'1 ""■'" »b,iiWI„B_i,ol tor joui- poor, but

• Your most faithful and grateful servant,

Bernari Casscrly, Esq.. General Agent Commissioner
of Emigration, N, Y. '

210

Tin: IRISH in amhuica.

pi'Mcticiil valuo, I cannot rofriiin from oxpressinj? tlio
udminitiou with which I buhoU mo noblo an inntitntion,
(Mpial in exory respect to tho boHt I had soon in London,
lionie, PariH, or Vionna ; and, from its peculiar position, es-
pecially its entire isolation from other buildinjjrs, and boiu'>-
erected on an island, more favourable to the treatment
and recovery of the patient than any hospital in a j,a*oat
city. The Commissioners have been careful to provide an
uidimited supply of th(i pure Croton for the inmates of the
difforent establishments under their charjife ; and to another
essential recpiisito of health— a thorough systcuu of drainage
and sowera<,ni— they have devoted considerable attention.
The result is a low rate; of mortality in hosi)ital and asylum,
among infants and adults; which contrasts most favourably
with institutions of a similar nature, but not enjoying tho
special advantages that distinguish those of Ward's Island,
Tlie stati; surgical and medical, is eipial t(j the necessity,
and consists of men eminent in their different branches of
the healing art.

It may be interesting t9 contrast tho number of persona,
patients or inmates, at Ward's Island on tho 30th o June,
18G7, with the number at tho corresponding periods ;:>f tho
three previous years. It proves two things— the inc "sased
demand on the resources of the institution ; also tho diffi-
culty of procuring employment, arising not only from the
continued overcrowding of New York, but from the ina-
bility of these emigrants to push on to the West. The
total number of inmates in 18G4, while tho war was
raging, was 1,000. In 1805 it fell to 851. But since then
the number has been seriously added to. In 18GG it was
1,251, and on the 30th of June, 18G7, it rose to 1,428.
The number of able-bodied working men on the island,
at a time when the best chances of employment are offered
to those inclined to work, is still more significant. In 18i)4
the number was 42 ; in 18G5 it fell to 34 ; in 185G it rose
to 100; and in 18G7 it was as high as ±28. The sick

NRCESSITV FOR UNCKASINO VIGIf.ANCE.

211

isainpf

the
iiislitiition,
n Loiuloii,
oHition, os-

aml being

trcatmeut
in !i groat
provide an
itcs of the
to aiiotlior
if drainage

attention,
id aHyliun,
favourably
joying the
d's iHlaiid,

necessity,
•anches of

f persona,
11 o June,
ods :)f the

inc lased
I the diffi-

from the
1 the ina-
est. The

war was
since then
8GG it was

to 1,428.
he island,
ire oflfered
In 18ii4
56 it rose
The sick

average ut least GOO, the balance conf^isting of women and
children.

There Liay bo other features of this unpaid Oi/mniission
to which I should have referred, inasmuch as it has alVorded
to the whole country an example of what practical benevo-
lence and public spirit are capable of accomi)lishing ; but
other subjects of interest demand my attention. It is,
however, satisfactory to know that the active att(uition of
Congress and the Government of the United States has
been directed to the protection of foreign emigrants, and
that an offici(>nt organisation may be expected in the most
important of the seaports. From the rei)ort of tho Govern-
ment Commissioner of Emigration, i)res(aited to Congress
on the 28th of re])ruary, 18GG, one may learn how forinida-
ble is the evil against which it is necessary to combat with
unabated energy, as well for the protectioi'i of the helpless
stranger, as for the interests and tho honour of tho great
country to which, from many motive's and causes, he is
attracted. Tho Government Connnissionor states that
upon entering upon the duties of his ollice lie found him-
self in conflict with a host of persons who had been long
accustomed, in the various ports, to prey upon the immit
grant. Companies, boards, and agencies, with sounding
titles and Jiigh professions, were ready to deceive and
plunder him at every turn, and it required prompt and
decisive action to meet this great and growing evil. Many
organisations, proper in themselves, but representing special
mterests, were simply subserving their own plans and the
views of some single locality, regardless of the welfare of
the immigrant. He states that through the appointment
of a superintendent at New York, his bureau has boon
enabled to break up many swindling agencies with their
runners, and protect thousands of emigrants; and he
adds : ' This work, however, never ceases. New schemes
of fraud spring up whenever occasion offers, .and they re-
quire continued vigilance to suppress them.' The 'passenger

213

THE IRISH IN AMERICA,

laws ' would appear, from tins report, to be systemuti(3ally
violated, indeed boldly set at defiance ; and more stringent
powers are dejnanded for tluir enforcement.*

It is satisfactory to perceive that, at least up to the time
of the publication of the report in question, the policy of
the Government Bureau of Emigration was to act in har-
mony with the unpaid Commission in New York ; and for
the interests of humanity I may venture to express an
earnest hope that no change, however apparently beneficial,
may have the effect— the fatal effect— of interfering with
the operation or impairing the efficiency of an organisa-
tion which has rendered inestimable services to the poor,
the feeble, the unprotected, and in a special degree to those
of the Irish race. The words of Florence Nightingale,
when acknowledging, in 18GG, the annual Reports which
had been sent to her, may fittingly conclude this branch of
my subject : ' These Reports are most business-hke. They

• testify to. an amount of benevolent and successful efforts
'on behaK of the over-crowded old States of Europe of

* wliich America may well be j)roud.' f

* The Commissioner thus reports on this important point :—

'In order to ascertain such violations, it was found necessary to appoint two
officers, with the consent of tlie Secretary of State, «hose dutj- it should be to
board every immigrant .hip, and report to the superintendent whether the nro^
Visions of the -passenger acts" had in each ease been complied with ^^he
importance of tins course will bo felt when it is stated that the s peril, endent
reports to tins bureau tbat of the ships which arrived at New Yo^k s nee ho

AUof I860, for the hetUir j,ro',-cu,m of fnuile p.'ss.vgos. One hundred and

eighteen complaints were brought beforb liiin, which he was dhectec to reiser to

the Ij lilted Kates' district attorney, under whose advice he dismissed such as he

was satisfied were caused by ignorance of the law, and where no iSry had been

Biistamed by the immigrant. Even where the inju.y liad been grosi^ e siiper

Mtendent tound a successful pros.cution almost inipossible under the condition of

the law and his own limited powers. Under the existing laws it is m-cesf^irv that

he complainant institute a suit against the master, owner, or coi^ignce of ho

he ciiS Belief. <f'n ^''"° ""^ knowledge, ability, time, or means: and fewS

ttic coinage. Besides, the imm-igrant cannot remain for the purposes of nrosecu-

tion. Ihe remedy for this seems to be in a change of the laws.' prosteu-

t One of the most recent cases on record is the worst that has been for many
years brought to the notice of the puWic. It was of the ship ' Giuseppe Baccariel '
which arrived in New York on July 20, 18G7, from Antwerp, where she was
chartered by A. Straus & Co. The emigrants-180 in number-wero Germans
and German Swiss. Eighteen persons died on the passage, and two more imme-
diately after arrival. Tlie emigrants complained to the ( ommissioners that they
were short of provisions; that the water was not drinkable, being kept in petr^

THE LAST CASE ONE OF THE WORST.

213

temati(3ally
Q stringent

o the time
) policy of
let in liar-
: ; and for
xpress an
beneficial,
ering with
organisa-
the poor,
3e to those
Lghtingale,
n'ts which
branch of
ke. They
fill efforts
'Europe of

I appoint two
should be to
tlier the pro-
l with. The
iipcrinteiidcnt
ork since tlio
orisions of the
hundred aud
d to refer to
d sncli as he
iry had been
«s, the super-
; condition of
lecessary that
sijfnce of the
IS, and fewer
3 of proseeu-

Uum casks; that there was neither tea nor sugar on board; and that the potatoes
were rotten. The Commissioners instituted an inquiry, which resulted in provi.K.
the truth of all the charges; to which might be added another-that there wa"
ne.the, a doctor nor a drug store on board! Had the ship been longer at s.a tlie
mortahty would have been more terrible, as the surviv<,rs were pale and feeble
worn and emaciated, and some suffering from diarrhaa and disorders of the
bowels. One little child was left as the sole representative of a famih of five
who sailed from Antwerp in perfect health; the boy's father, brother, and sifter
having died on board, and his mother in the hospital-ship soon after reacnin.-
quarantine. One would suppose this paragraph, from the report of the gentleman
by whom the atrocious case was investigated on the part of the Commissioners had
been written twenty years before :— '

• Second-The water. I found it in large sperm oil casks, the oil '■•wimmin-r nn
the surface. 1 tried to taste a glass, but the smell was so off n s v^ t lat I c?ou?d
not overcome my disgust. Captain True (referred to above) 1 o vever savs he
drank a hall un.bler of the water, with the object of testing it and he was shortW
afterwards taken with a severe diarrhcea. John Bertrani, a passen.'.Vf.om u/
buch, Ith.mish Prussia, says, under oath, that his dying child as!«^l f" some
water, and that the cook gave him some, but that it was so bad t h id to be
boded, m order to make it drinkable, aud that deponent had to pay five frns to
the cook lor attending to him and his family Third-Tho bread (' int Vin 'iv,,^
says that the bread was the worst he ever saw-mo... ly i^^rul dis fustint'^ Z ^^
from one piece an entire bean was taken. I examined the wS ^;f w i,.. T

Among other proceedings of the Commissioners was the adoption of a reso-
lution, proposed by the Hon. Richard O'Gorman-one of those Irishmen who is
a credit and an honour to his country.-referring the case to the urgent attention of
the (iovernmcnt.

Mr. O'Gormau is one of the ex-officio members of the Commission The
others are the Mayors of Xew York and Brooklyn, and the President of. the
German l^ociety.

Mr. O'Gorman is the President of the Irish Kmigrant Society of New York-an
admirable in.stitution ; but one which might be rendered still more useful not
only in diffusing information valuable to the emigrant, but in im-arting a heathfuj
impetus to the occupition of the land by the agricultural clast of Irish '^ligranU

3en for many
pc Baccariel,'
icre she M-as
ero Germans
more imme-
'rs that they
tept in x>ttro^

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

CHAPTER XI.

Evil of remaining in the great Cities— Why tlie City attracts the
new Comer— Consequence of Overcrowding— The Tenement
Houses of New York— Important Official Reports— Glimpses of
the Reality— An inviting IMcture— Misery and Slavery combined
-—Inducements to Intemperance— Massacre of the Innocents— la
the wrong Place— Town and Country.

IRELAND, whence a great tide of linman life lias beeu
pouring across the Atlantic for more than half a century,
is rightly described as ' an agricultural country ; ' by which
is meant that the far larger portion of its population are
devoted to the cultivation of the soil. In no country have
the peasantry exhibited a stronger or more passionate
attachment to the land than in that country from which
such myriads have gone and are still going forth. And
yet the strange fact, indeed the serious evil, is, that, not-
withstanding the vast majority of those who emigrate from
Ireland to America have been exclusively engaged in the
cultivation of the soil— as farmers, farm-servants, or out-
door labourers— so many of this class remain in cities and
towns, for which they are not best suited ; rather than go
to the country, for which they are specially suited, and
where they would be certain to secure for themselves and
their famihes, not merely a home, but comfort and inde-
pendence. I deliberately assert that it is not within the
power of language to describe adequately, much less ex-
aggerate, the evil consequences of this unhappy tendency
of the Irish to congregate in the large towns of America.
But why they have hitherto done so may be accounted for
without much difficulty.

WHY THE CITY ATTRACTS THE NEW COMER. 215

Irish emigrants of tho peasant and labouring class wore
generaUy poor, and after defraying their first expe,.ses on
andmg had little left to enable them to push their way into
he country in search of such employment as ^yas best Suited
to then- kno;yledge and capacity : though had they known
what was m store for too many of them and their children
they would haye endured the seyerest priyation and brayed
any hardship, in order to free themselves from the fatal
spe 1 in which the fascination of a city life has meshed the
souls of so many of their race.. Either they brought little
money with them, and were therefore unable to go on • or
that httle was plundered from them by those whose t4de
It was to prey upon the ir experience or creduhty of the
new-comer. Therefore, to them, the poor or the phmdered
Irish emigrants, the first and pressing necessity was em-
p oyment ; and so splendid seemed the result of that em-
ployment eyen the rudest and most laborious kind, as com-
pared with what they were able to earn in the old country
«iat It at once predisposed them in fayour of a city litC
The glittering silyer dollar, how bright it looked, and how
heayy it weighed, when contrasted with the miserable six-
pence, the scanty ' tenpenny-bit,' or the occasional shilhng
at home ! Then there were old friends and former com^
panions or acquaintances to be met with at eyery street-
corner ; and there was news to giye, and news to receiye-
too often, perhaps, in the liquor-store or dram-shop kept
by a countryman-probably 'a neighbour's child,' or 'a
decent boy from the next ploughland.' Then 'the chapel
was handy,' and 'a Christian wouldn't be overtaken for
want of a priest;' then there was 'the schooling conyq.
nient for the children, poor things,'-so the glorious chance
was lost; and the simple, innocent com^fryman; to whom
the trees of the yirgin forest wore nod^^ng their branches
in friendly inyitation, and the blooming prairie expanded
Its truitful bosom in yain, became the denizen of a city
for which he was unquahfied by training, by habit, and by

^1.

'■3

4ii

-0

I
4

216

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

association. Possibly it was the mother's co^irage that
failed her as slie glanced at the flock of httle ones who
clustered around her, or timidly clung to her skirts, and she
thought of the new dangers and further perils that awaited
them ; and it was her maternal influence that was flung
into the trembling balance against the country and in
favour of the city. Or employment was readily found for
one of- the girls, or one or two of the boys, and things
looked so hopeful in the fine place that all thoughts of the
fresh, breezy, healthful plain or hill-side were shut out at
that supreme moment of the emigrant's destiny ; though
many a time after did ho and they long for one breath'of
pure air, as they languished in the stifling heat of a summer
in a tenement house. Or the pioneer of the family— most
likely a young girl— had found good employment, and,
with the fruits of her honest toil, had gradually brought
out brothers and sisters, father and mother, for whose
companionship her heart ever yearned ; and possibly her
afl^ection was stronger than her prudence, or she knew
nothing of the West aiid its limitless resources. Or sick-
ness, that had followed the emigrant's family across the
ocean, fastened upon some member of the group as they
touched the soil for which they had so ardently prayed;
and though the fever or the cholera did not destroy a
precious Hfe, it did the almost as precious opportunity of
a better future! the spring of that energy which was suffi-
cient to break asunder the ties and habits of previous years
—sufficient for flight from homo and country— was broken ;
and those who faced America in high hope were thence-
forth added to the teeming population of a city— to which
class, it might be painful to speculate.

It is en.sy enough to explain why and how those who
should not have remained in the great cities did so ; but it
is not so easy to depict the evils which have flowed, which
daily ilow, which, unhappily for the race, must continue to
and fi-om the jicrnicious tendency of the Irish peasant to

CONSEQUENCE OF OVEllCROWDING.

217

pcndence. Those ov^U , f ^'^ ^^ ^^^« "^^e-

Tins lieadloiiL'- rusliintr ii.f,. +i,

tnoreb, oveHaxin, thei. ZJt^,^J^\jy^'^-'
extraordinary tl,oso resources may be ami if 11 'T
tnrbin, the balance of supply and i.ld Tl Jw? tb"
men, women, and child vp7i fi.,, i lianas— the

work to bo done asthrr v^ ""^ too many for the
1-nd. willing and able to Ctt ITT- '"'' """^ ^°^ ^''^
too many mouths fo- H. b tad o 'V™"?' ''"" ^^^
thus the bread of charity ^^^0 '"f ^P'^^'^'"^''" i and
which is purchased 1^1 H '° ™pi''«''^™t the bread

» limcuasea mtii the sweat of the bmw ti
would it be for the noor'in tt,„ *„ it ^''PP^

Aim wnen- the moral principle is bluntpd h.r
abject misery, or weakened by disappointj.iP.f. i ^

there is n o-inf „* , '/^ ''""• *'^<'""e "re seasons wlien
meio IS a glut of work, when the demand exceeds th„
supply-when some gigantic industry or some^dden !!
cessity clamours for additional hands but T! ,

and more frequently, seasons w h^n ^rk is s \"' ''
of little employment^, seasons of urer;:'^ istnd s"^

suit- r"" '""' '" """''''>"-' depressions of S;
esultmgfrom over production, or the sLcessftd rllrv of

theie are smashnigs of banks, and commerci.ii „an--"
ana penods of general n.istrust. Or, owing lolt iXs^

,?9

.-,4

218

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

severity of certain seasons, there is a total cessation of
employments of particular kinds, by which vast numbers of
people are flung idle on the streets. If at once employed
and provident, the condition of the working population
in the towns is happy enough ; but if there be no provi-
dence while there is employment, one may imagine how
it fares with the family who are destitute aUke of em ■
ployment and the will or capacity for husbam;.; " ; fruits.
It is hard enough for the honest thrifty work ; j man to
hold his own in the great towns of America, for rents are
high, and living is dear, and the cost of clothes and other
necessaries is enormous ; but when tlie work fails, or stops,
terrible indeed is his position. Then docs the Irish peasant
reahse the fatal blunder he has made, in havmg chosen
the town, with all its risks, and dangers, and sad uncer-
tainties, instead of having gone into the country, no matter
where, and adopted the industry for which he was best
suited. Possibly, the fault was not his, of having selected
the wrong place for his great venture in hfe ; but whether
his adoption of the town in preference to the country were
voluntary, or the result of circumstance, the evil is done,
and he and his family must reap the consequences, what-
ever these may be.

The evil of overci'owding is magnified to a prodi'^ious
extent in New York, which, being the port of arri al—
the Gate of the New World — receives a certain addition
to its population fi-om almost every ship-load of emigrants
that passes through Castle Garden. There is scarcely any
city in the world possessing greater resources than New
York, but these resources have long since been strained
to the very uttermost to meet the yearly increasing
demands created by this continuous accession to its in-
habitants; and if there be not some check put to this
undue increase of the population, for which even the
available space is altogether inadequate, -it is difficult to
think what the consecpiences must be. Every succeeding

THE TENEMENT HOUSES OF NEW YORK. 21.

year tends to aggrayate the existing evils wlnV.l. 1 n
rGiiderino- the iiGcp^^i-fv f,.^ . ' ^^'"f^^^' while

^is in aU cities growinir in wPnUl, nr..i •
the dweUino- accommnrlnf,- , 'y^^''^*^^ ^^d in popuhition,

to the incre;~:et!:: t^itr^r'tr'

spacious street? an,l „^o„ i ''^ "'' "''^- ^^''"e

the portio„;onhf„ri„ :rr:r ''",°" *■" "'"--o-

found an economt: L^^a^ f '^ T "^ f^T^ "'-
cro,iel,ea npon-iu.f o= ;;''"^"°e. ^e bonig steadily en-

tion of the City otLV T "'"' '"''°"'™» pinh-

courts and ^^r^iS':™™;:'^^^^^^^

tion of the vL mI? •! v ""^' "°™ *" ^°"o Por-
tH^-. that see. deS^tltTe^: tl^^^^J^l

to dwen in unwholesl trn™ o'^'e eS "'"' "^^ '=°"'-'
the small and costly rooms into to, > « . ' °'' '"•°"''' '"
are divided. '''""'' "^^ tenement houses

As stated on official authority, there are Ifinnn ,
ment houses in New Yorl- „„ i • -.7 ''"*'' *<'"6-

than half a miSon S '1::^ ," *^^''^ *^%*™U more

of itself so suggestive of mS^^' ajd e\il «> f 'l'^ '^^' ^^

"ot by the eCtin i^^r s^rh^f T T^

c.t.es, and been accustomed to city-ife a' ,5 'T "^ ""
l"it by a class the majority of wi? ? ''^ 1""'™"^ '

a city in tlie old cou'n /„°'tir r ' ""'' '"''""^

tl^e port of emUvZtl !^^ "^^^ "" "»«"• ™yto

America is the t^ ,;:^^ ''"^^ ^^- '%ht placJin

cultivation of thetnd T 77" ""*""' ''"^"« '» *«
the land. Let the reader glance at the

220

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

tonement liouscs — -those houses and 'cellars' in which the
working masses of New York swarm — those delightful
abodes for which so many of the hardy peasantry of Ire-
land madly sm-render the roomy log-cabin of the clearing,
and the frame house of a few years after, together with
almost certain independence and prosjierity. I have
entered several of those tenement houses, in company
with one to whom their inmates were well known ; I have
spoken to the tenants of the different flats, and have
minutely examined everything that could enlighten me as
to their real condition ; but I deem it well to rely rather
on official statements, which are based on the most ac-
curate knowledge, and are above the suspicion of exag-
geration.

The Commissioners of the Metropolitan Board of Health,
m their report for 18GG, say: —

' The fu'st, and at all times the most prolific cause of disease, w.is
fouiK^ to be the insalubrious condition of most of the tenement houses
in the cities of New York and Brooklyn. Tiiese houses are generully
built without any reference to the liealth or comfort of the occupant,
but simply with a view to economy and profit to the owner. The
provision for ventilation and light is very insufficient, and the
arrangement of water-closets or privies could tiardly l)e worse if
actually intended to produce disease. These houses were almost in-
variably crowded, and ill-ventilated to such a degree as to render
the air within them continually impure and offensive. . . . Tlie
basements were often entirely below ground, the ceiling being a foot or
two below the level of the street, and was necessarily far moi'e damp,
dark, and ill-ventilated than the remainder of the house. The cel-
lars, when unoccupied, were frequently Jlooat^j, to the depth of several
inches xoith sgagnant icater, and were made the receptacles of garbage,
and refuse matter of every description. ... In many cases, the
cellars were constantly occupied, and sometimes used as lodging-houses,
where there was no ventilation save by the entrance, and in which the
occupants were entirely dependent upon artificial light by day as
well as by night. Such was the character of a vast number of the
tenement houses in the lower parts of the city of New York, and
along its eastern and western borders. Disease, especially in the form
of fevers of a typhoid character, wa:? constantly present in these dwcl-

LMPOIITANT OFFICIAL REPORTS. 22X

lings, and every now and th.m became in more that, one of ti.em ept-
>lemr,. I was n.und that in one of these Uocnty cases of Mus had
occurred dnrimj the previous year. "^^

The poor Irishman in New York is not without ex-
periencing the tender mercies of 'middlemen,' to whom
ni many instances the tenement houses are leased. These
middlemen are generally irresponsible parties, with no
interest m the property except its immediate profits, and
who destroyed the original ventilation, such as it was by the
simple process of dividing the rooms into smaUer ones and
by crowding three or four famiHes into a space ori-inaUv
intended for a single family.

In 18G4, the Citizens' Association of New York was or-
ganised. Its main object being the promotion of Sanitary
Eeform. It has already effected much service through the
information it has afforded in its valuable publications'
which exhibit in a striking manner the enormous evH of
overcrowding, and its consequences to the morals and
health of the community. Associated with this organisa-
tion are many eminent physicians, who constitute the
Council of Hygiene, whose report forms one of the most
important features of the volume. Having divided the
city into districts for the purpose of inspection, the
Council appointed competent medical officers for that
task ; and from the detailed reports of these inspectors an
accurate notion may be obtained of the sanitary condition
ol each district.

That the overcrowding of New York is far in excess of
all other cities, may be shown by a comparison of that
city with London. In the Enghsh metropolis, the hir^hest
rate of population to the square mile is in East London
whore, according to the reporr of a recent Eoyal Commis-
sion It reached as high as 175,816. Whereas in certain
portions of the Fourth Ward of New York, the tenant-house
population were in 18G4 "packedatthe rate of about 200 000
mhabitants to the square mile.' Nor is it at all probable

■J

"St

222

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

that tliino-H liavo come to the worst in this respect. The
Council of Hygiene, in their report, take ratlier a despond-
inj,' view of the future. Not only has New York already be-
come one of the most populous and densely crowded cities
in the world, ' but it is plainly its destiny to become at once
the most populous and the mod overcrowdvd of the ^reat
maritime cities.' The evils, therefore, which now imperil
health and morals in consequence of overcrowding, will
increase with the increase of the population.

That there are several tenement houses constructed with
ft due regard for their intended object— the comfort and
ficcommodation of their inmates— is true ; but such houses
are rather the exception than the rule, and the rent de-
manded for cleanly and commodious apartments in a tene-
ment provided with the requisite apphanccs, places them
beyond the means of the mass of the working population.
It is not with houses of this class, but of the kind which
are occupied by the poorer portion of the community, in-
cluding of necessity those who have made the fatal mistake
of stopping in New York, instead of pushing on to the
country and occupying the land, that I propose to deal. A
few extracts, taken at random from some of the reports,
will place the reader sufficiently in possession of the evils
of overcrowding, and the perils, aUko to soul and body, of
the tenement system, which is now, though late, arousing
the alarmed attention of statesmen and philanthropists.

Dr. Monnell, to whom the inspection of the 'First
Sanitary Distriqt' was entrusted, states that the inhabi-
tants of this district, which comprises part of the First and
the whole of the Third Ward, are largely of foreign birth
— about one-half Irish, one-quarter Germans, and the re-
mainder Americans, Swedes, Danes, &c. Two-thirds of
the resident population consist of labourers and mechanics
with their families. The general characteristics are, 'a
medium grade of intelligence and a commendable amount
of industry, intermixed largely with ignorance, depravity,

spect. The
a clospoiul-
; already be-
)wtlc'd cities
3mo at once
>f the f>reat
low imperil
Avdiiig, will

ructed with
omfort and
3uch houses
be rent de-
s in a tene-
)laces them
population,
kind which
niunity, in-
tal mistake
: on to the
:o deal. A
he reports,
of the evils
id body, of
;e, arousing
ropists.
the 'First
he inliabi-
e First and
;eign birth
.nd the rc-
i-thirds of

mechanics
cs are, ' a
>le amount

depravity,

GLIMPSES OF THE IlKAUTY. 228

pauperism, and dissipation of tlie most abandoned charac
er. As an illustration of the evil of over-crowding, and
the perilous characteristics of a large class of the floating
population-consisting in this district of 'travellers ^111"-
f^rants sailors, and vagabonds without a habitation and
almost without a name '-that mingle with the more por-
manen residents of this lower district of the city, Dr
Monnell thus makes the reader acquainted with a certain
H<iualid old tenant-house in Washington Street :—

'.fr'"" /'■"'", '^"''"""^ *" apartmoat. until we voachod the upper
.arret, we oun, every place crow.le.l witl. occupants, one roo.n, on ^
.^ by feet, and a ow ceiling, containing two adults and a dau^ht r
twelve years, and the lather working as a shoemaker in the ,;om
wh.le .n the upper garret were found a couple of dark rooms kep w
haggard crones, who nightly supplied lodgings to twenty or th rtv
vagabonds and homeless persons. This wretched hhling-plaee of u ef
.-omen, and girls, who in such places become daily m re do s " "
more wretched had long been a hot-bed of typ'hus, seJ a 1^

lodgers having been sent to the fever hospital, ^vhile permanent rs'

ZaZ/ ''"^ '"' '^^""' '"^^"^^^^ '^''^ '^^ --« ^^^

In ihe construction of many modern tenant-houses it
would appear, the Inspector states, 'that hygienic laws and
sanitary requirements have been estimated as of only se-
condary importance, the great problem being how to
domicile the greatest number of families on a given area
And m the practical solution of that problem, in this
district, hes the great overshadowing cause of insalubrity
before which aU others combined sink into insignificance
The most marked feature of the tenant-houses is the smaU
size of their apartments, whereby ensues overcrowdinrr
m each family.' Having described a gi'oup of tenements-
houses which are represented by the aid of photographv
^lud designated as 'a perpetual fever nest,' the report thus
proceeds : —

■»,i

224

THE IRISH IN AMRIIICA.

'And in addition, the Htroct throughout thiH wholo uciglihourhood,
piTscnts huhitimlly tlio vilt'st condition ol' lilth, and rcdis witii most
olU'nnivn odours. TypliuH fever and nioiiHlert were very prevalent
bore in the early part of tho Hiunnier. In my weekly reportM of
'•pestilential diseaseH and insalubrious (iuarter8," I have had frequent
occasion to describe tho condition of families and disease in tlie
j)remisc8 that nro hero photographed, Tho beautiful work of the artist
renders unnecessary any further description of theso squalid and pesti-
ferous tenements, and their noi^omo fronting of dilapidated and
overtlowing privies, and a dismal, narrow. Hooded court. That erup-
tive fevers, typhus, aiul physical decay may always be seen here Is cer-
tainly not surprising.'

Tho worst oifects upon tho iiiniatos of tho poorost clans
of tcntint-houscs aro exhibited not so much in the more
acute form of disease, as * in the pale and sickly counten-
ance of their occupants, with lax fibre and general absence
of robust health ; we see it also in the pining and wasting
of infants, and in the general prevalence of strumous, oph-
thalmic, and eruptive disorders. All those appearances
indicate unmistakably the want of those great indisjiensiblo
necessities of health — pure air and light.'

Let us follow Dr. Pulling, the 'Inspector of the Fourth
Sanitary District,' in hi^ visits of inspection, and, witliout
straining probability, assume that tho miserable picture so
graphically drawn is that of an Irish family, the victims
of the one great and fatal mistake of the husband and the
father — that of having remained in New York, instead of
carrying his strength and his industry to the place where
they were most required, and were sure to be appreciated :

' Through a narrow alley we enter a small courtyard which the lofty
buildings in front keep in almost perpetual shade. Entering it from
tlie street on a sunny day, the atmosphere seems like that of a well.
The yard is fdled with recently-washed clothing suspended to dry.
In the centre of this space aro the closets used by the population of both
front and rear houses. Their presence is quite as perceptible to the
smell as to the Sight.

• Making our way through this enclosui*e, and descending four or
five steps, we find ourselves in the basement of the rear-building.
We enter a room whose ceiling is blackened with smoke, and its wallti

ij?libourlioo(l,
kH with most
ry in'cviilt'tit
y rcportM of
had fn-qiicnt
seaHc? in tin?

of the artist

id and pcwti-

pidutc'd and

That ornp-

horo irt cor-

oroHt claHH
tho moro
y coiinton-
L*al abseuoo
lid wasting
mous, oph-
ppcarauces
ilispensiblo

ho Fourth
id, witliout
picture so
lie victims
tid and tlie
instead of
laoe where
preciated :

ich the lofty
ring it from
at of a well,
ided to dry.
ation of both
ptible to the

ling four or
ear-building,
and its wall;^

AN INVITING PICTUUK. jjJ

^..ohnnvd with dau.p. In fn.nt. op,.,.!,., on a nam., area covorod
with gMM.n n.onld. two ...n.ll window... th-lr tops Hcurcly lev.d wit . h«
courtyard aHbrd at n ,ay a twilight illun.i'nati.u. .M « p" . ,

«i" r 1 To r.M ^rr'""' ^'"-^ "''''•••'"^""•^ "•■^' ^''" "—f

«-- "" " ■■■'^-y c r "J»n^ n,::;:,:; :;:;:.':;: •::„!':„':;:':

,, ', "•■■-'1'" P"i»"ri.,„,s air, tl,„ ,I„ikm.s.,, an,l ll,„ ,H,„n • l.nt
the battle « nearl, ove, it i, ea»y to Uecido whe.; nJ^ki^'Z L''

for^l;r'"'^' '.'^""""'"'^ °f «^i^ 'li»t"<-i are fearful abclos
for hu,„un beings. They were ocn.piea, in 1804. i,i 1 400
persons and their floors ranged frota ten to th ty feet

teen" ::?r ™'"' 'Z"" ' ' '" *'" ^'*-''^^'" basetnents'i -
een famthes, or 110 persons, hve beneath the level of the

Zed on tir'^ '"™^' ""'f "" ™""-^ "* !'""«« "'■« situ-
ated on the same or a higher level, .and tLcir contents

frequently ooze through walls into the oceupied "par

.neiUs besnle the:n. FuUy one-fourth of these subt T a-

fromt r" ^'V""-^'^ ^y - -ost offensive odour

lom th s souree. and rendered exceedingly unwholesome as

mm.an habitations. These are the p,ace°sl wl I we mo

equently meet with typhoid fever and dysentery du r^

the summer months." ^ "iiun„

Matters are not much better in 'the Sixth Inspection
Distncv where the tenement popuhvtion is about 23,00a

'la

,. ..|

I J

226

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

In some of tlie cellars and basements water trickled down
the walls, the soivice of which was traced to the foulest
soakage. One cannot be surprised to learn that the nox-
ious effluvia always present in these basements are of a
sickening character. Many of these cellars are occupied
by two or three famiHes; a number are also occupied as
lodging-houses, accommodating from twenty to thirty lodg-
ers ! What an abode for those who, leaving home and
country, crossed the ocean in the hope of bettering their

condition !

The Inspector of the Eleventh District— Dr. Brown-
states that nearly one-fifth of all the tenements are rear
buildings, some of them of the lowest grade. They are
generally contracted in size, shut out from the sunHght,
and commonly are obstructions to hght and ventilation in
the front buildings. The interval between the front and
rear house is frequently so small, and sometimes so com-
pletely enclosed on all sides by the adjacent houses ' as to
constitute a mere weU-hole.' Kef erring to certain houses
in Hammond and Washington Streets, the Inspector des-
cribes their inhabited cellars, the ceilings of which are be-
low the level of the street, 'inaccessible to the rays of the
sun, and always damp and dismal. Three of them are
flooded at every rain, and require to be bailed out. They
are let at a somewhat smaller rent than is asked for apart-
ments on the upper floor, and are rented by those to whom
poverty leaves no choice. They are rarely vacant'

Under the heading * Eents,' we find the Inspector of the
Fourth Sanitary District stating that 'in regular tenant
houses the rent of each domicile (generally consisting of
two rooms — a ' living room ' and a bedroom) at present
averages $9 per month, or $108 the year.' The cellar, is,
we are informed, ' let at a somewhat lower rate ' than the
average mentioned.

From tlie repoi-t of Dr. Furman, the Inspector of the
Seventeenth Sanitary District, the" following passage is ex-
tracted : —

;lc(l down
lie foulest
t the nox-
} are of a
occupied
;cupied as
lirty lodg-
loine and
ring tlieir

Brown —
i are rear

They are

sunHght,
tilation in
front and
s so com-
ises ' as to
a,in houses
ector des-
ch are be-
ays of the

them are
)ut. They

for apart-
e to whom

3tor of the
dar tenant
isisting of
at present
5 cellar, is,
' than the

tor of the

sage IS ex-

MISERY AND SLAVERY COMBINED. 227

'Most of the larger tenant-houses are in a state of mnckiness, and
aa a rule, overcrowded, without ventilation or li<rht. These are'
offensive enough (and incapable to preserve a normal standard of
bealtli) ; but the crowded rear tenant-houses, completely cut off from
ventilation and perhaps light, are stUl worse. They abound in di.rk
damp, and noisome basements and cellars, converted into slecpina
apartments. In these the invigorating and health-preserving sun-lio-ht
and fresh air are never accessible.^ - °

An iUustration is given of one of these habitations, the
'Hvmg rooms' of which are nearly dark, and the dormi-
tories ' dark and damp.' The report thus continues :—
.'Here we have low, damp, dark, and unventilated bed-rooms who«e
inmates respire a murky air, and consort with snails, spiders, and muck,
worms Ihese underground habitations are most pernicious in lavin-
the foundation for and developing strumous ophthalmia, hip-j^int'
and certain diseases of the spine, diseases of the respiratory oirans
(the chief of which is consumption), rheumatism, which in turn pro-
duces organic disease of the heart.'

The picture would not be perfect without the follow-
ing :—

'They-the houses-as in many instances owned by large capitalists
by whom they are farmed out to a class of factors, who make this
their especial business. These men pay to the owner of the property
a sura which is considered a fair return on the capital invested, and
rely for their profits (which are often enormous) on the additional
amount which they can extort from the wretched tenants whose house
frequently becomes untenantable for want of repairs, which the "ao-ent"
deems it his interest to withhold. These men contrive to absorb"most
of the scanty surplus which remains to the tenants aft-r payiu"- for
their miserable food, shelter, and raiment. They are, in many in-
stances, proprietors of low groceries, liquor stores, and "policy shops "
connected ivith such premises,~the same individual often beino- the
actual owner of a large number. 3Iam, of the wretched populatiol are
held by these men in a state of abject dependence and vassalage little short
of actual slavery.

And this is in the greatest city of the Great Eepublic of
the New World ! The poor Irishman who leaves his own
country to escape from the tyranny of the most grinding
landlord, and becomes the slavish vassal of one of these
blood-suckers, makes but a poor exchange. The 'improve-

228

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

mcnt ' ill his condition might be fittingly indicated by the
homely adage,— ' from the frying-pan into the fire.' The
rudest hut in the midst of a forest, the loneliest cabin on
the prairie, Avould be a palace to one of these abodes.
Health, energy, independence, self-respect — the hopeful
iaimly growing up as strong as young hons, and fleet as
• antelopes— plenty for all, and a hearty welcome for the
stranger and the wayfarer,— this is the country. What a
contrast is it to the squalor, the debasement, and the sla-
very of the town— as described by a competent authority.

How intemperance, the author of so many ills to maij-
Idnd, and in a special degree to those who Hve by their
labour, has its origin in these abodes of misery, to which
the working population are condemned through poverty
and the want of cheap and healthful homes, is thus ac-
counted for by the Commissioners of Health :—

'This wo know from observation, and from the testimony of dig-
ponsary physicians and other visitors among the poor, that the crowded,
dark, and unventihited homes of the classes from which pauperism
springs are driven to habits of tippling by the combined influences of
the vital depression and demoralising surroundings of their unhealthy
habitations. Pertinent was the reply of a drunken mother, in a dismal
rear-court, to a sanitary ofBcer. avIio asked her why she drank: "7/' tjou
lived hi this place, you would ask for whisky instead of milkJ' '

Dr. Burrall, Inspector for the Twelfth District, touches
in his report on the same jDoint : —

'It may be that the depressing causes existing in such a neighbour-
hood prompt to the use of some " oblivious antidote," by which for ai
time the rough edges of life may be smoothed over. It may be, too.
that these stimulants excite a certain degree of prophylactic induence]
but the quality of liquor obtained in such places is injurious to the
digestive organs, the bra'm becomes unduly excited, and quarrelling
or even murder results.'

Dr. Field, Inspector for the Eighteenth District, enters
fully into the demorahsing influences and results produced
^y txie low class of tenements on those who inhabit them :—

INDUCEMENTS TO INTEMPERANCE.

229

lied by the
fire.' The
)st cabin on
^se abodes,
he hopeful
nd fleet as
tne for the
r. What a
;id the sla-
uthority.
Is to niaij-
ve by their
y, to which
^h i)overty
s thus ac-

nony of dis-
the crowded,
h pauporism
influences of
ir unhealthy
', in a dismal
mk: '^If you

it, touches

a neiglibour-
7 which for a
may be, too,
ic influence,
rious to the
quarrelling

ict, enters

produced

t them : —

'Moi

)reover. it is an accepted fact tluit to live for a long time deprived
of pure air and sunlight, will not only depress a man physically an,l
mentally, but will actually i/einora/lse him. The atmosphere is precisely
adapted, through its properties and constituents to the wants of tiie
beings designed to breathe It.

'A man gradually loses ambition and hope ; concern for the welfare of
lus family, by slow degrees, loses its hold upon him. Loss of pl.ysicil
vigour attends this corresponding condition of the mind, until at len-th
...ssitude and depression of spirits and constant ennui get such control
over him that no power or effort of the will cun shake them off With
thus decline of energy and vigour, both of mind and body, is set up an
instinctive yearning for something which will give a temporary respite to
he dragging weariness of life. Hence we find the children even, who are
brought up without the stimulating influence of pure air and sunlight
will learn to cry for tea and coflee before they learn to talk ; and they
wi 1 reuse the draught unless it he strong. One would hardly credit
nnless he has visited considerably among the tenant-house population
how general this habit is among the youngest children. As they grow
older, they acquire the appetite of their parents for alcoholic stimnlants /and
we need not go further to account for any extreme of immorality and
want.' ^

Nor are abundant opportunities wanting for the indul-
gence of this fatal passion. Of the twenty-nine Inspectors
who report on the sanitary condition of New York, there
IS not one who does not deplore the existence of the lowest
class of ' groggeries ' in the midst of the very poorest dis-
trict. One statement as to this fact will suffice Dr
Oscar a Smith, reporting on the Ninth District, says-^
' The number of dram-shops to be met in those locahties
where a tenant-house class reside, is surprising.' Dr Ed-
ward W. Derby, in his report on the Fourteenth District
gives ji painful picture of the prevalence of this unhappy

' The low groggeries and groceries, in all of which liquors are sold

sexes, youth and old age vieing with each other as to their capabilitieg
drniking, enriching the proprietors of these places, spe n!

^SZ ;;;/^^^'^^'"^ *^'- morbid,y,,ebased appelit ' rathJ? ^1
purchasing the necessaries of life for their families, and then issuing

■■;1
I

230

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

forth or being thrust out upon tho streets in various stages of inf -xica-
lion. half crazed with tho vilo and poisonous liquor tliey have svvaliuu-ed
fit subjects for tlie commilting of the many crimes which are daily chroni-
cled in our papers. Such are the places which stare you in the lace at
every step, a disgrace to the city, and a proliQc source of corruption to
the morals of the surrounding inhabitants.'

♦Poison,' 'vile poison/ 'noxious and deleterious com-
pounds/ are the terms generaUy applied to the description
of hquor for which so many sacritice their means, their
health, and the happiness of their famihes.

With such a state of things— alfccting at least a very
large portion of the tenement population of New York-
it cannot be a matter of surprise that the destruction of
infant life in that city is something prodigious. The
total number of deaths 'in the first year of life,' for the
nine months ending the 30th of September, 18GG, was
6,258 ! This is a Massacre of the Innocents with a ven-
geance. The Commissioners of the Board of Health
remark : —

'The rate of mortality in children under five years of age in New
York IS greater than in any city with which this Board has corres-
pondence, and the cause of this excess will best be sought in the
miserable housing and habits of the labouring classes, and in the
multiplied sources of loul air in our two cities. . . . From various
data now in hand, the conclusion is warranted, that death has in .ach
0/ the past two years taken nearly one-third of the total number before
the first birthday J "^

Dr. Derby takes rather a philosophical view of this
tremendous death rate, and is indined to regard it as a pro-
vidential counterpoise to tlie fecundity of the poor, which,
he states, has long been a matter of remark. He adds :—

' The number of diseases which menace and destroy infantile existence
seems almost a providential interference to prevent an excess of popula-
tion over and above that which the moans of the parents could possibly
support. Nor, when we reflect upon the condition in which these unfor-
tunate children are found to exist, and the many circumstances, moral
and hygienic, by which they are surrounded, do we wonder less at the
amount of sickness and mortality among them, than that it is not great-
er ; less that they die than they survive.'^

OS of in I xica-
IX vo swalluwed,
ro <liulychroni-
i in the iUce at
'corruption to

Grious com-

doscription

leans, their

east a very-
few York —
struction of
ious. TliR
fe,' for the

186G, was
vith a ven-

of Health

■ age in New
(1 has corres-
anght in tlie

and in tlie
From various

has in each
iumher before

w of this
t as a pro-
)or, which,
adds : —

ile existence
>s of popula-
iild possibly
tliose unfor-
inces, moral
' less at the
s not great-

MASSACRE OF THE INNOCENTS. 281

Dr. Monnell thus conchides his remarks on the destruc-
tion of hfe caused by the miserable dwelHngs of his di^-
trict : —

' la the deadly atmosphere of some low basement, or close un-
ventilated bedroom, or in the wretched squalor of some dilapidate,!
garret those little ones so numerously born amongst this class first
draw their breath, and in an atmosphere surcharged with poison they '
battle for life ; but m the unequal strife venf few survive, and thus are
yearly sacrificed whole hecatombs of living souls. They fall victims not
of necessity, nor of the decrees of inevitable Fate, but of i.niorance
and avarice, and are lost to parents and friends, to societ;, and to
usefulness in the world.' j> ^

These poor immature blossoms, that perish so miserably
m the foul air of an overcrowded city, how they would
have thriven in the pure atmosphere of the countrv '
where the young cheek, 'pasty and palhd' in damp and
dismal ceUar, or the fusty sleeping-hole of the tenement
house, would bloom with health, and the eye, so dull and
languid in the haunts of misery or vice, would sparkle
into life and hope. In the country, throughout America,
children are, next to his own industry and health, the best
capital of the parent. What they are under the circum- *
stances described in the passages just quoted, the reader
may easily imagine.

My own previously formed convictions, which for years
had been strong in favour of the Irish selecting the right
place for their special industry, were, if possible, confirmed
by a visit to tenement houses of different classes. I re-
member one in particular, occupied principaUy by Irish.
It presented none of the revolting features common to
the dens already described. There was no squalor, no
dilapidation ; the place appeared to be in fair order. But
the tenants were not the class of people who should have
remained in New York. In Ireland they belonged to the
rural population ; and when I lifted the latch and entered
an apartment, it was just as if I had w.alkcd some miles
into the country at home, and entered the cabin of the

' 3

< ft

.4
i

■ : i

232

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

labourer, or the cottage of the farmer ; for in the accent a nd
manner of the inmates there was no difference wliat^ver
Ihey were aU racy of the soil. You could not visit any
house mhabited by a number of Ii-ish in which instances
of the beau iful charity by which the race are distinguished
^vould no be displayed. Here, for instance, was a great
strong fellow, not long from the old country, and not able
to get work, hstlessly leaning against tfie door-post of a
lower apartment, the tenants of which had\nven 'the poor
boy a hearty welcome, and a 'shake-down,' and 'a bit
and sup ; though they themselves had a hard struggle to
keep want from their humble hearth. There was in
another room a mother, with her own young brood, yet
who found a corner in her woman's haart for the orphan
child o± a neighbour that died some months before.

In one of the upper 'domiciles' there were then six
persons, a mother, four young children, and a female
relative, ./ho was engaged in washing. The husband, the
seventh mmate, a labouring man, was out at work. The
principal apartment measured about 9 feet by 12 • the
dimensions of the other, the bedroom, allowing httle more
than the space occupied by a fair-sized four-post bedstead.
A stove necessary for the season, occupied no smaU
portion of the chief apartment. There was no actual want
of essential articles of furniture, such as a table and
chairs ; and the waUs were not without one or two pious
and patriotic pictures, Cathohc and Irish. The children
httir !:;!^^"^^^7^^-',but pale and sickly; and a poor
httle fellow, of wonderfully bright countenance, hopped
about on one leg, f^-om an injury which, owing to neglect,
washkelyto cripple him for life. For this house accom-
modation, for this confined space, in which seven human

paid $7 a month, or $84 a year. Work or no work-and
It was not unfrequently the latter-^this rent should of
necessity be met. In English money even at the present

IN THE WRONG PLACE.

233

rate of 3s. M. the dollar in 'greenbacks,' a year's rent
would come to 13/. 13.s.; as much as ^yould enable the
tenant of these apartments to purchase the fee-simple of
more than 50 acres of good land in a Western State
The mother of the children was quiet, well-mannered, and
respectable m appearance; and though the freshness htnl
long smce faded from her face, she retained the traces of
a knid of grave and pensive beauty. She was the dauo-hter
of a decent farmer in West Carbery, county Cork, and her
husband, now a day labourer in New York, had also held
•some land in the same locahty. They had come to
America 'to better themselves,'— 'to be more independent
than they were at home ;' and here they were, stuffed into
a Httle room in a tenement-house, with four young helnless
children depending on them for support, their only moans
consisting of the earnings of the father of the family—
about $9 a week ; out of which everything had to be pro-
vided, and at prices so excessive as to leave but a smaU
balance on the Saturday night. A month's idleness, or a
fortnight's sickness, and what misery ! Necessaries to be
had on credit, at a rate equal to the vendor's supposed
risk ; and to be paid for on a future day, in addition to
the never ceasing outlay for the daily wants of a young
and growing family. Here then were intelligence, prac"^.
tical knowledge, special aptitude for a country life, madly'
flmig away; and the all but certainty of a grand future,
that is, a future of comfort and independence, sacrificed
for the precarious employment of a day-labourer in New
York! A few years of hopeful toil, not more trying, but
less trying to the constitution, than that which he*"went
through every day, would have enabled the tenant of that
stuffy apartment in a desperately overcrowded city to
provide his wife and cliHdren with a happy, healthful,
prosperous home, which would have been theirs for ever'
and from which neitlier factor, nor agent, nor gron-o-ery
owner could have driven them. But, alas for themlind

M i'!$

■4

• i

i'a'

■ -'.i

■ i

■i

■m

234

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

for him! the ready employment and its apparently large
reward, and the attractions of a city, were more than a
match for his good sense ; and now, like so 'many of his
countrymen, he is as thoroughly out of his legitimate
sphere as man can possibly be. I regretted I could not see
the husband ; but I did, as a matter of conscientious duty,
endeavour to make the wife and mother comprehend the
magnitude of the mistake which had been made, and urged
her to counsel him to free himself at the first oppor-
tunity from a position for which he was not suited, and
which was not suited for liim.

I saw much in other tenement houses— whether houses
specially built for the purpose, or houses adapted to that
purpose — to justify the accuracy of the descriptions given
in the reports from which I have quoted ; but though I
witnessed much misery and squalor, and in a few instances
glanced into places scarcely fit for the shelter of animals,
I must confess to have been more impressed by the sad
blunder of these young people— who would have made
such, splendid settlers in some fert^'le region, whether of
Canada or the States— than with all i saw or heard during
the day.

Even where there is sobriety, industry, good conduct,
constant employment, the city is not the place for the
man bred in the country, and acquainted fi-om his boyhood
only wdth country pursuits, whether as farmer or farm
labourer. The country wants him, clamours for him,
welcomes him, bids him prosper, and offers him the means
of doirig so. But suppose there is not industry, sobriety,
good conduct, or constant employment, is it necessary to
depict the consequences ? The once simple peasant is soon
smirched by the foulness of such city corruption as too
frequently surrounds him or hes in his daily path ; and the
dram shop, so ruinously convenient to the dwellings of
tlie toihng poor, finds him one of its best customers. If
his children escape the perils of infancy, and grow up

TOWN AND COUNTRY.

236

about liiin, what is their training, what thoir career, what
their fate ? Possibly they are saved through some merciful
interposition ; perhaps by the tears and prayers of a good
mother, perhaps by the example of a sister wiio hfis caught
the mother's spirit. Possibly they grow up in industry
and virtue, but the odds are fearfully against them ; and
it is not at all improbable that the quick-witted offspring
of the father who becomes intemperate and demoralised,
fall into the class known as the Arabs of the Street, those
victims of parental neglect or unprovided orphanage, that,
as they arrive at manhood, mature into a still more danger-
ous class— the roughs and rowdies of the city, who are
ready for every kind of mischief, and to whom excitement,
no matter at whatever expense it may be purchased, be-
comes the first necessity of their existence.

Let it not be supposed that, in my earnest desire to
direct the practical attention of my countrymen, at both
sides of the Atlantic, to an evil of universally admitted
magnitude, I desire to exaggerate in the least. From the
very nature of things, the great cities of America— and in
a special degree New York— must be' the refuge of the
unfortunate, the home of the helpless— the hiding-j^lace of
the broken-down, even of the criminal ; and these, while
crowding the dwelling-places of the poor, and straining
the resources and preying on the charity of their com°
muuities, multiply their existing ovils, and add to their
vices. Still, in spite of the dangers and temptations by
which they are perpetually surrounded— dangers and temp-
tations springing even from the very freedom of republican
institutions no less than from the generous social habits
of the American people— there are thousands, hundreds
of thousc'inds, of Irish-born citizens of the United States,
residing in New York and in the other great cities of the
Union, who are in every respect the equals of the best of
American population — honourable and upright iu their
dealings ; industrious, energetic, and enterprising in busi-

''^

■i

23C

THE IRISH IN AMP]IIICA.

ncsH ; intolli<>ont and quick" of capacity ; proore^sivG and
go-ub(iad ; and aH loyally devoted to the institutions of
their adoptc-d country as if tlu^ had bee:' born under its
ilanf. Nevertheless, I repeat the assertion, justifusd by
innumerable authorities— autlioritios beyond the faint(\st
shadow of suspicion— that the city is not the ri<^ht place
for the Irish peasant, and that it is the worst place which
he could select as his home.

The Irish peasant, who quits his native country for En-
gland or Scotland, may be excused for hiding himself in
any of its great towns, manufacturing or commercial, in-
land or seaport ; for not only may he find employment for
hmiself, and have some chance for his young people in
them, but there is no opportunity of his much bettering
his condition by goinjjf into the country. But there is no
excuse whatever for his rcmnining in the cities of America,
crowding and blocldng them up, when there are at this
hour as many opportunities for his getting on in the
country— that is, making a home and independence for
himself and his cliildren— as there were for the millions
of all nationahties *who went before him, and who now
constitute the strength and -lory of the Republic. The
Irish peasant who goes to England or Scotland has little
chance of being accepted even as the tenant of a farm in
either of those countries— a remote one, indeed, of ever be-
coming a proprietor of EngHsh or Scottish soil ; but the
most miserable cottier of Connemara or the worst-paid
day-labourer of Cork or Tipperary, who has the good
sense to push on from the American seaboard towards
those vast regions of virgin land that woo the hardy vigour
of the pioneer, may in the course of a few years possess
hundreds of acres of real estate l)y a more glorious title
than has been too often actpiircd in the old eountrics of
Europe, his own included— by the ri-ht of patient industry,
blessed toil, and sanctifying privation.

fressivG and
titiitioiis of
11 uiulor its
justifusd by
tlio fiiint(\st
rij^ht pltioo
l)lji(',e Avhicli

itry for Eu-
• liinisolf in
niorcial, in-
loyniont for
f people in
I bottorinj^
there ia no
)f America,
are at this
on in the
ndencc for
le millions
\vlio now
iblic. The

I has little
a farm in

of ever be-

1 ; but the

worst-i^aid

the good

II towards
rdy vigour
irs possess
>rious title
luntries of
t industrv.

CHAPTER XTT.

Tho Land tlio giviii, R-.souiro for tlic EiiiiKiiint- -Cases in Point ^
An Inshnian sofially nMloomcd -Moiv liistanrcs of Success on

!''^' V'^'"' •^'> ''••^1' l'>'l)lic Opinion \vanle(r-InsliSe(tIcnients

111 Minncs()ta an.I Illinois TI.e Puhlic Lands of Anieiiea- Tim
Coa and fron of Anierica - Down Sonlli A Kildaie Man in tlio
.Son li-lippc-ary Men in the Sontli-Tlie Climate or tlie Soiilli—
Calilornui an UlusLnilion of the Uiio I'olicy.

JTIVERY mile I travelled, every man I met, every answer I
'j received, tendcnl the more to convince me that the land
was the g.-and resource for the Irish emigrant, as well as
tho safest and surest means of his advancement. It mat-
tered not whether it were Car.ada or the States, it was
equally the samej and, y.nxc industry, energy, and strength,
little was necessary to enable the humble man to make a
home for himself and his children.

Walking one day with a friend in a eity of Upper
Can.ada, I was attracted by the gentlemanly air and man-
ner of a young man whom my companion saluted; and on
my asking who he was, and remarking that he had the
appearance of a gentleman, my friend replied, 'Yes, he is
a nice fellow, thoroughly educated and accomj^hshed, and
a smart man in his profession, too. He, sir, is the' son
of an Irishman— an Irisli labourer— who came out here
without a penny in the world, and yet who died a rich
man, after bringing up his children as well as the first
gentleman in the land. He was a labourer on the canal ;
and instead of doing what too many of our people are so
fond of doing— stopping in the town— he contrived to buy
a bit of land, which he cleared from time to time, taking
an occasional job to procure provision for the winter; and

'-3

■ i

2:i8

TIIK FUISH IN AMKUICA.

BO bo frot on, iuh]\n>r to hi.s properly y(!jir uftcr year, until
you HOC) tlio r<!Hult in liin Hon, wlio Ih now ii ri.sin«( prolas-
Hional nmn, iind who iiikcH liis pluco iinion^' tlio ariHtui-nitio
chiHseH. J)(>, in (,'otrs mimr,! adviHe your tvunfri/nwn to dick
to Ihr. land— what liwij know mod ahout.'

•All! Hir,' Hiiid an IriHliniuii, wlio luul Innm many voarw
in tli(« StaioH, and wlioni 1 mot iu a j^a-oat contralcity, 'I
niudo u Had niistako whon I oanio out luao lirnt. I am
from tlio woHt of tlio county Cork, and I mw im^n<rud
in f.irmino- l,(>foro I left Ireland; it was my businiiSH. But
I don't know how it Avas, I allowinl mywolf to Htay in tho
town, and tho timo passod, and thon it was too lato, and I
hadn't tho hoart to mako a now (ilVort. I am Horry for
it now. Tliaidc Ood, I am ablo to livo, after ediiclitinj,'
my family, and doin^^ for them; but if I wont, as othcu-s
did, to tho country, and took a farm, and stuck to tho
business I know best, I'd bo an indop(.ndont nmn now in
my old ao(>. It was a frr-sat mistake, sir, and tho more I
think of it, tho more I vv^^vct it. My heart siuks in mo at
tnnos when I think of what I mi-ht bo this day, if I had
only tho sense to do the rio-ht thinjr at tho ri-ht time.'

Spondin.,- a Sunday not far from tho Falls of Nia^^ara, I
was spoakinn; with a number of respectable Irishmen wlio
had boon many years from Ireland, and to whom tho cir-
cumstances of their countrymen in the surroundin-- districts
were thoroughly known. I turned tho conversation in tho
direction most interestiiifr to me— the position of tho Irish,
and the manner in which thoy had got on. The subject
was one which excited the sympathies and aroused the
recollections of my new acquaintances, who detailed as
many instances of successful thrift and patient industry
as would fill several pages.

Two Irishmen wore working as helpers in a blacksmith's
Bhop at Niagara Docks, in 184i, and having saved some
money, they each purchased 100 acres of land, at a dollar
an acre. One iu particular, after bringing his family with

CAHKH IN POINT.

280

him to their now licnio, and pnrchfisin^ an axo, had but
tliiT(.-.|nart(>rH of a dollur in liis i)os.so.sHi()n. Thoso men
(livi.i(,(l thoir timo betwoon mn-kin^ f„r tlioni8olv(,.s and
oIIkth; at one timo dioi.pin- away witli tho (ner-buHv
axp, at another liirin^^ thoir hibonr to tho nci-hbonrin.r
suttlcrH, who wore anxious to obtain th(,"ir Kcrvices. In tho
Hunini(>r luontlm they carinjd as nmdi an onablod thoni to
livo durin- tho wintor, wlien thoy >voro hard at work at
homo, clcann^r ,ind f(,.nci„<r ; and wlicn thoy had (.r(,])|,od
thoir own hmd thoy wont out to work a-ain. At tho timo
of which tlioir story was tluis told, thoy woro oaoh in tlio
possossion of 200 acros of oh^irod land, with horsos, cattle-
good houses, and evory comfort that reasonable men could
desire. It may bo curious to speculate what would have
boon their destiny, had thoy continued at the drudgery
from which they emancipated themselves by their own
energy.

These were individual instances, casually mentioned
and only remarkable from the fact of the two men havin-'-
mutually agreed to do the same thing ; but there were
numbers of other cases of equally successful industry.
There was, for instance, a labourer who left work on u
canal for a contractor, for work on the land for himself ;
and he also was the proprietor of 200 acres of fee simple
estate, having given to his children— both of whom were
members of learned profes-sions-a first-class education.
In fact, there were as many as a hundred Irish families in
the surrounding district, who, in the opinion of the ex-
perienced gentleman to whom they were well known, had
not brought with them altogether 500/., and yet who too
occupied good farms of their own creation, then their own
property, and were looked upon as otherwise independent
in their means.

One of the most experienced men in Canada, who has
been long cor nected with emigration, thus gives his opinion
us to the best mode by which an emigrant who is resolved

240

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

on turning his attention to agriculture, and who possesses
no other caintal than what he has received from Provi-
dence, can get on in the new world : —

'One or two years' service with a farmer, particularly-
one v»ho has himself earned his competency and comforts
through trials and from a hard beginning, should be
deemed an indispensable preparation for the settler before
undertaking the clearing up of land on his own account.
With that knowledge, he could obtain through the year, in
the favt)urable months, enough of cash to buy provisions
and necessaries for his family ; and in the winter and early
sx)ring months, before hired help would be required, he
could work to iDiich real advantage for himself.' What
ai)plies to Canada applies equally well to the same work
and the same circumr^jtances in the States.

An , Irishman, observing the marked difference in the
circumstance and position of the same class of his country-
men in America in town and country, might be excused
for supposing there was sometliing spccinll}'- sacred in the
cultivation of the soil — in man toiling in the sweat of his
brow to raise from the fruitful bosom of the Great Mother
food for the sustenance of the human family. Whether
this be a fanciful notion or not, it is certain that, in a
moral point of view, agricultural occupations not only
jpreserve the simplicity and even purity of Hfe so usually
to be found in the rural districts of almost every country,
but even restore to primitive tastes and regularity of life
those who return to them as a change. iiie easy-going
haunter of the tavern and the grog-shop in the town
be<.'omes a steady and abstemious mai. when on his farm;
and even the loose purposeless idler of the city hardens
into unwonted energy when he exclinngos its enervating
atmosphere for the bracing air and wholesome pursuits
of the country. I have had many proof ; that this is so in
America ; but one case, though, presenting no remarkable
features, particularly impressed mc at the time.

-eir^=,

AN IRISH.\fAN SOCIALLY REDEEMED. 241

I was stopping witli a gonial countryman in a thriving
town .n tho State of Illinois, which w/« snrround d T^
nch farming country, tlie land mostly prairie My host
was one of the most prosperous men in fte town or M
and enjoyed tho highest character for energy, probfty and
benevolence. Like most Iri.shmen in the "me tolUy
he was the solo architect of his own fortunes. In Ms
uitemgent company I visited several farms owned by our

tie to,vn Now, sa.d my companion, as his stout hor.se8
struggled through the heavy soil of the road, 'I will slow

.. better or a steadier man in tho whole country than i.s
owner. He is doing well, too, and has brought up h s
children nicely, though he had little enough when he com
meneod, as I could tell. Here we are a! the g" te and
Z'^'^-t^'n'T'^ - t^e -ia«t of his'bo;sand
offiecs-all fully jastified the description given of them ■
and the owner, whom we found hard at woft, aiib°y„g an
sample o industry to his young people, wks in keeping
utZt ' 'Tf 'r'~^<-OeoUMe and substantial

01 to tell of his mortification when he found tl,„f i.-
Uospitablo offers of bed and board could ntt bo ccepted

luatter of course, and no one is more rojoieed than the
Insh-Ameriean to welcome one who is 'fresh from the
dear old country.' During our drive home myfriend
assured me there was not in the neighbourhood and for
long way round, a man more respected or more generaUv
ooked up to than the Irishman we had just^u tte"
His opmion,' he added, 'is asked, and taken moreo er

andhe^rsttem- ' "" '"^"^""^ '■^^^-'^ ^ ^^'

1
J

-m

242

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

The next morning I had a long and interesting con
versation with an American gentleman largely connect-
ed with property in the locality. The conversation
hai^pcning to turn wpon the point respecting which I was
ever on the look-out, if not for information, at least ior
('onfirmation of my own conviction, — that the right place
for the Irish peasant was the land, — the American said :
'It has often surprised me how it is that an essentially
agricultural people like the Irish will not invariably turn
to the same pursuit in this country, where they can have
all they desire — land cheap and abundant, Avith an un-
disputed title, and no one to trouble or dixSturb them.
However, we have a good many of your countrymen em-
ployed in what I regard as their legitimate and natural
avocation, and I am glad to tell you they are all doing well.
I know Irishmen who have been doing nothing, or worse
than nothing, in the town, and who became altogether dif-
ferent men when they went into the country. I remember
one of them ' — and he mentioned the name of the well-
known farmer I liad visited the day before — 'and so long
as he remained in the town he was doing very little good ;
in fact, he was falling into vicious habits, and was losing
himself day by da}-. Fortunately for himself, he had the
good sense to see that that kind of thing wouldn't do much
longer, and so he resolved to change his mode of life. He
left the town — cut it altogether — shook its dust from his
Bandals ; he got a small bit of land, worked at it like a man.
— I know^ how hard he worked, — and soon increased his
farm, until, ere very long, it became a large one. .And
not long since he purchased a considerable property in
addition ; and, what is more, he has paid nearly every
dollar of the purchase-money. I was asked by a gentleman
of this place whether this property was sold, and I said it
was — that Mr. So and So had bought it. • " What ! " saitl
he. "did von trust him? Whv, when I remember him. ho
was an idle do-nothing loafer, whom nobody would trust
with the price of a bushel of api)les. T am amazed at your

jresting con
ely connect"
conversation

which I waa

at least ior
i right place
lerican said :
11 essentially
variably turn
ley can have
with an un-
isturb them,
itrymen em-

and natural
11 doing well,
ng, or worse
together dif-

I remember
of the well-
and so long

little good;
i was losing

he had the
[n't do mnch

of life. He
List from his
t like a man.
Qcreased his
) one. .And
property in
1 early every
a gentleman
and I said it
Hiat!" said
iber him, ho
would trust
fized at vour

MORE INSTANCES OF SUCCESS ON THE LAND. 213

cUaKiUci of the man: lie may have been wliat vou sav
1. was when you i„ew him-that was many yearag
but I to you ther« is not a more worthy or respectable
man m the countrythan he is. And not only ha™! soU
the property to him, but I got half the purehase-mo„ J

that h tie I can have at any moment-to-monw if I
please.' "Well," said the gentleman, " I am glad t^' ha
It, I spoke from my remembrance when I used to «»
hna m the town, and I inow him to be rather a ooseflsl
uud generally in some kind of row or other Thot i
leant have the property, I rejoice it is in good hands'"
Now sir, you see how quitting the town and goin. on the

«kZ;ite"""-^^'"™^°'"'-^'-^^'-^^^

growing family one of the surest sources of his prosperi"y

o miiT! l7'f °^;™* ^*'"'' ™P"'«'i l>«al«' ahke
-it mutt ''°*\,f»- 'li'l 1- "eglect their education
-rt must be a wortldoss Irish father who will do so ; and

y nohi:f:f7' '""^"'S-™^' ''■^'^ -S°-- I'-lt'h, to
say nothing of his own respectabihty and the oniet L-^

puiess of his .ife. who had her troubLs in he out tif

W.S the best reward of his moral courage and persevin

He might have remamed all his life a mere drudge in the

ndistW %" *'j«''bsolute owner of 600 acres rf "and
and is the founder of a prosperous family.

From the following passage of a letter received from ■^
Ignitary of the CathoHc Church, himself an MshrTan

e^otc themselves to a congenial pursuit, it will be seen
how lack of mere money-capital is no iu;uperable Lr to

^»!

* -"■'mt
■' i

•*;,. , J

■m

'•4

211

THE Iinsil IN AMERICA.

julvanoeinonh so long as tlioro is Luul to occupy, and there
aro men and woiuou with str(Mi<^lh and ijitiilligoncc to
culiivato it. Tho writer ^oii» oii to say : —

'On(!0, ill visitiu/4' tlio diocu^so of PittKburj^h, I heard that
th(n-o were some Irish Cathohes hvinj^ in the extrenu! end

of county, Poniisylvania, which was also tho extremes

point of the dioc(!se. I resolved to try and see them. I
arrived there Lite in tlie afternoon, and the arrangements
already made did not pcu-mit me to stay longcu* than the
afternoon of tho n(!xt day. The poor people were delighted
to have ]\lass, and an op2)ortunity of approaching the
Sa,(M-am(nits. I found about twcnity familicss loJio had
S('///('(f. /lu'i'c. diiriiKj the praoiou^ Uirv.e. or four yaars.
Th(\y had all farms of tlieir own; nearly all had paid for
them, and had their land enough ch^ared to be able to
Bui)i)ort tlienlselvc^s well on it thereafter. Tliey Imd taken
up the land at a low |>rice, and ^\^)v^) able to give time
enough to work for hire amongst the older settUu's, while
they had time enough remaining to clear and cultivate
each year an additional portion of their own land. It was
the realisation of a system whi(;h I had often recommended,
and which might be carried out almost to any extent, that
woidd enal>le our aountri/niaa to be ^>ropy7"('/'(>r.s of the soil,
instead of remain ing drudges in our towns and cities.'

In support of my assertion, that the country is the right
place for the Irish peasant, and tliat in the cultivation of
the soil he has the best and surest means of advancement
for himself and his family, I cannot do more, in a work of
this kind, than prove, by a few cases hi point, that the advice
I earnestly give to my countrymen at both sides of the
Atlantic is for their benefit, and for the honour of tlunr
race and country. There is not in America a better man
or truer Irishman than tho writer of tho words I have just
quoted ; and I may add, that there are not twenty men
in the whole of the States who, from long and varied ex-
perience, and intimate knowledge of their countrymch, can
Bpeuk with greater weight of authortity than ho can.

AN IRISH PUBLIC OPINION WANTED. 246

Turninfr from roniiHylvauia to Miiuiesotu, ^vo have a
picture of progress as like UH possible to maiiy which have
Hh-eudy appeared in th(^s(i pa-os. I take it from the valued
c.>niT.mm(.itioii of a zealous and a]>le Irishman* in the
littter State, who-associated with other Irishmen, including?
a «-ood pnest-is successfully labourin^j in what I believe
to be the niost prac=tically patriotic cause that could oivra^o
tiio attention and enlist the active sympathies of my
cHnmtrymen in America-such Irishmen as, by worth
education, or position, can exercise a salutary influence
over those who stand in need of guidance or, if necessary
ussistan(,e to secure for themselves a home and an honest
independence. Advice, guidance, information, influence-
these are even more valuable than pecuniary aid ; and
these recpure little sacrifice, even of time. What is
r<3(pured for the uplifting of thousands and thousands-1
n.-^y huiKlreds of thousands-of Irish in America, is an
acivG, energetic, out-spoken Irish Public Opinion, that
will make its voice and ' influence heard and felt in every
direction, warning those who will take warning, and saving
hose who can be saved from misery and degradation. To
be potent for good, every organisation should be, like that
m Minnesota, free from the taint of speculation or the
suspicion of jobbery; and there is not a State in the Union
or a great, city, in which there should not be found a few
honourable and influential Irish gentlemen, who would
join together for a purpose which concerns heir own
reputation inasmuch as it con^^erns the reputation of the
i-ace o which they belong, and cannot repudiate. It is
considered by Irishmen in America a noble and patriotic
object to regenerate, by arms and revolution, Jie milHons
|i home ; but surely to lift up the millions who are in
cidl T ' :7S-enerate them morally, materially, and

ughtly directed industry^- -to elevate the race in the esteem
Mr. Dillon O'Brien, of St. Paul, Minnesota.

''.•^

. J

■i
i

216

THE IlilSII IN AMERICA.

of tli(3 (ni]i'jcht(»no(l jind goneivnis-miiulcd of tlio American
people, —(.liiH in an object more practicjil, in no way liazard-
(lus or injurious to any interest or individual whatever, and
certainly not l(!ss noble or i)atriotie.

But all this while tlie brief picture of an Irish Settlement
in MiniK^sota is pressing for attention. The writer is the
Honorary S(>cretary of the Irish Emigrant Society of St.
Paul, who, by no means indilFerent to the value of a httlo
moiuiy capital, thus sliows what Irishmen have done witrh
the (Jod-^iven capital of strength, skill, and patient in-
dustry : —

' Alcn who (;onnnenced the very poorest are to-day well
olF. Let nm give you an instance. Sixty miles west of
St. Paul, on the IMinncsota river, Sibly county, is the
Irish Settlenusnt of Jessen laud. About thirteen years
an-o the first steamer that went up the IVEinnesota landed
two brothers of the name of Doheny, and a man the name
of Young, all from "gallant Tippcu-ary," at this place,
then an unbroken wilderness. Perhai)s they were the first
white men who ever stood there. AVell, they set to work,
cut down a tr(>e here .and there, put in a few hills of
potatoes, jilanted a little corn, put a few sticks fnd logs
together, and called them houses. This was all necessary
at the time to fulfil the recpiirements of the law. In this
way they made claims, not ak)ne for themselves, but for
friends in the East, and became owners of a large tract
of splendid kind. When all this was accomphshed their
money was run out ; so they returned to St. Paul, and
went again to work. In the following spring they again
went up the Minnesota, this time bringing their families,
and the friends for whom they had made land entries, with
them. To-day this settlement, and Walter and Tom Do-
luMiy, wh(j started it, are a credit to us all. The settle-
ment has two-storey handsome ';irm-houses and barns, i!.s
church, jiriest, and school. Its j)cople are what the Irish
peasant can become even in the first generation — intelti-

lUrSII SETTLEMBMTS IN JHNNI«OTA ANU lU.lSOlA. m

gent, i,uln»tno„s, op,.„.l.eartc,l, gccr,,,,., Inav,., „„,! i.,-
.1-1.0 ..l«..t. WI>on I want to l,o rc.,>i„,l,.d of ,ny cl,.„r
i;"i>iitrv, I Kpcud a day in Josscu Land.' '

Hero i» a more (ilimpso of the Irisl, i„ Illinois •
An e.eellent IrinLman. ro.si.ling in OI,icago, whoso
.nsmoss a. a commission ,vf;ent, has for the last ten years
l.rougl.t Inm mto constant communication with his connt.-y-
n.en of the fanning classes, not only throughout Illinois,
but several other of the Western States, s,rys: .Tl„.,-e i^
..ot a county of the one hun,lre,l counties of which Illinois
>.s composea, that has not representatives fran> Irela u
mnong .ts farnnng population ; and 1 am proud to say to
™. and the worR that where the Irish flrnrer once gets
tUcd down np,jn h.s fann, in this his western homo, that
ho shows as much energy and go-aheadishnoss as emigrants
•■•om any other part of the world. Wo have, in ^hnos
every county, what are known as Irish sottlen.ents founded
In- some early adventurous Irishnnun Soverd are of ..reat
extent ; that for instance, founded by Mr. NoiU Donmdly,

Ihcic aic throe good-sized Catholic churches and several
exceUont district schools in this settlement, in which -hero
rs much comfort and prosperity.' After referring to tho
januony m which the Irish live with all nationalities, and
the mu ual w.lhnguess to assist and servo each othe ■, my
exeoUent fnond adds: '^Nothing less d.an 80 acre S
|UKl i.s worth while to have out here, although occ^ionaU--

>o„ ^! H ■" "•'""/"™ "' *'^ '"'"''■' "»' " i« looked
ni on as nothing in this part of the world. Some of my

ln.h frienas m Donnelly's and other settlements, have

MO acr-es e.ach, and ahnost all at le.ast 120 acres Far-

orwhoa? ir,"""'or" °''''" '"^ ""^ "-''^^ ''^y 2« -ores
«heat, 10, or 20, or 40 acres of corn, so many acres

o oats, rye, barley, potatoes, &c., according to~thc size
ou. Ir,.h farmers, I will mention that often, in tha

■ .J

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•J

248

TIIR IRISH IN AMr:RI^CA.

coiu-RO of my busiiioRs, I liavo at ono iirno sold as hipli
as one ihoasatul JoUarH' wovtli of pork, Liittcr, anil wheat,
for one Irish farmer ; and I can tell you he had not much
when lio l)e«van the world here. But industry, and, abovo
all, sohrichj, will carry an Irishman throuj^li any dilliculty.
Wo should not have to see a poor man in any of our bi<^
cities while there is a glorious iState like this, with the
best laL ds to bo had for little. What I say of Illinois can
also bo said of AVisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota, as well as
of Indiana, Missouri, Kansas, and Nebraska. All tliis vast
country offers inducements to thrifty, honcvst settlers, such
as no other country can ofTer ; and our people, many of
whom are wasting their energies in (iastern cities, would do
well to avail themselves of them. I tell you it would bene-
fit them soul as well as body to do so.'

To one who hears so much as I have heard of the less
than 21,000,000 acres of Ireland, iind the 77,000,000 of
the Avholo of the United Kingdom— including England,
Wales, Scotland, Ireland, and every island adjoining or
belonging thereto — the idea of the acreage of the United
States is simply bewildering. One would require a gigantic
mind to grasp or comi:)rehend a thing in itself so gigantic.
Practically speaking, the public lands, or those which have
not passed into individual ownership, are illimitable.
INIillions and millions of square miles, hundreds of millions
of acres, never yet surveyed — millions and millions of
square miles, and hundreds of millions of acres surveyed,
but not occupied, and capable of absorbing, for centuries,
the surplus population of Europe. Almost any one of the
new Territories — which will be the States of to-moiTow —
would swallow, at a bite, as a child would a cherry, all the
agricultural population of Ireland, with its proprietors,
resident and absentee, included. One thing, however, is
indisputable — that the Irish who have emigrated, or who

Tim VVBLK LANfJS OF AJIEltlCA. u$

•n.iy cm,i«r„(,c. t„ Au„.ri,.,a, «„j;l,t to firul „., ,lini,„„,. ;„

H.nt,njj th.,m.s..lv,.s ; ,.1h.,, tlmt tluTo u™ ,.« f;„„a duvncos

'-.lay f.„- ( ,„ ),„1,1 ,„,.], ,.,lvoiit„r„uH as there were ten, or

TliouKh it is ,litKoult to .m,r,l ,x, sober i<loH of ,vl.at is of
>lxM ,ve 1 i„.h inco,„,,roh<,n»il,Io from its very vastnesa, I
..ms e.uloavonr to rei.resent, and that as briefly as possi-
ble the extent of the I'ubUe Lands of tlio XJnitecl'su.tos.

rho t,.tal extent of the Public Lands of the United
States ,s l,l(!8,000.()00 acres ; of which 474,100,000 acres
Imd been exiJored and surveyed „p to the close of ISGO
Iho snrveycd land is generally well suited for agriculture
undn, the most favourably circu.nstanccd localities, on the
banks of streams, and in the neighbourhood of trunk roads.
There rmuain unsurveyed, and open to any settler under
the Pre-en,ption Laws, !)!)1,;108,'249 acres. In Colorado, a
nch nnnera an,l agricultural State, only 1,,TO0,000 acres
are surveyed, and (i5,0()0,000. or nearly the extent of the
entire of the Umtc.l Kingd.mi, unsurveyed. In Washing,
ton Territory !i,.500,000 are surveyed, 41,000,000 unsur-
veyed, m Oregon, a State into which im:nigrants pour at
the rate o 20,000 a year, only 5,000,000 acres are sur-
veyed while 5.5.000,000 are unsurveyed. In Kansas, a
partially settled State, the surveys extend over IC 000 000
ncres, caving 35,000,000 nnsurveyod. Nebraska, IsioOO 000
out of 48,000,000. California, with 27,000,000 acres ur-
veyed, has 03,000,000 unsurveyed! This one State, to
v^'lnch the Irish have added so large a portion of its popu-
lation, IS SIX times larger than Ireland, or has six times
more than the number of acres respecting which it ap-
pears-at least, up to the time these words are written--
o be so u.ipossible to deal with or legislate for aecor ■■.!„„
to he dictates of man's wisdom and the principles of
Cxods justice In Arizona, Dacota, New Mexico, Utah,
Montana, Idaho, there are enormous tracts, to be counted
by hundreds of milhons of acres, of every variety of soil

S^V;

■■..I
.«
i

■s

■m

■it

£'.iO

TlIK linsn IN AMKRICA.

and riclily r ndowcd Avitli iiiincnilH, opcai to tlio eiulf^rfint
In JNTiiiiicsola, into wliicli iiiinii^Tiilioii has l)(>(^ii Hti'onj^'ly
flowiu}^' for yciirs, Www, mo :M,()()(),()00 of iininirvc.ytHl
land. In tlio older of tlu! still iMod/in SiatcH tlioro aro
vast tracts of land open to tlu inir''l"i^;cr, and all siir-
voycd. Tims, in AVisconsin tlicvo ar(> ;{|],()(){),(H)() acrcR ;
in Iowa, ar),()()(),()(K) ; ^lissouri, 41,000,000 ; Alahania,
:{2,000,000 ; Ohio, 25,000,000 ; Florida, 2(),000,00 ; Ar-
kansas, :{;{,()00,000 ; Mlsslssi])})!, no,()00,000 ; Lnninana,
2:M>0(),000 ; Indiana, 21,000,000; Michioiu,, iUi,000,t)00 ;
and Illinois, ^5,000,000 acres. In tlu; new mineral States,
such as Cohmido and Nevada, the niininjjf popidntion
alVord a r(nidy market for all surplus a<,a'i('uliural produce.
A couple of years since ther(i wvro prices for af^riciiltnra]
])roduce in Colorado which would remind (»n(^ of tlu! state
of thiuf^'s in (California durinj,' the iirst rusli to the pfold
min(>s ; but cultivation has now so nnich increased, that
the i)rices, thou<jfh most remimerative, have been eon-
sidtM-nbly reduced. In the course of time mininjif cnter-
j)rise will extend more to Arizona, M(mtiina, Idaho, kc,
all the new Territories and States bein<,r rich in minerals ;
and as mininfjc operations advance in any locality, the
agricultural population will be correspondingly benefited.
In fact, with mining enterprise, all kinds of manufac-
turing industries gradually spring up ; and those who are
thus engaged form the readiest and best customers to the
farmer, who finds with them a profitable market for his
surplus produce of every kind.

The Government surveys not only follow tlic course of
immigration, but meet its requirements. But there is
always a large quantity of surveyed land in each of the
new States, as indeed in the others, avail!d)le for imme-
diate settlement. Much of it is prairie, which does not
present the dilHculties of thnber land in cultivation.
The total thus available — offered or unoirered--in 18(!G,
was sufficient to make 831,250 farms of IGO acres each.

TIIK COAI. AND IRON OF AMKRICA.

251

Under the Honio.stoad Law* a farm may bo hud. afc an
ahnoHt iinniiual price— littlo moro than tlio cost of its
Hurvoy. Upon tho unmirvoycd lands any person may
enter, and proceed to ai)propriate and cnltivafe a trac-t ;
and when tho Rurvoy nsaclies and includes his hind, he
will liav(i th(5 rio-ht of pre-e!nption— purcliasinj;' its fc.^
Himjih! — at a small price, which may be somewhat en-
lianced by a neiohbonrin^' improvement, such as a rail-
I'oad passino- witliin a certain distance. The settler may
liavc! oceui»ied his farm for years, it may bo two or it may
bo ton, before tho survey comes up to him, and he can
tlusrefore well aflbrd to pay the very mrxlerato price which
tlie Government charo-es for wlml is then carofujly and ac-
curately defin(.'d, and for which his title is made ^rood
a«-ainst tho world. Under tho Homestead ~.aw the Ihnit
of the farms Mhirh each individual can obtain is 100 acres;
but under the Pre-emption Law it appears the settler may
purchase any quantity in proportion to the number of
acres cleared at the time of the survey.

The amazino- vastn(>ss of the land or territory of tho
United States may l^o indicated by a single fact in refer-
ence to her mines, which, in addition to her aoricultural
resources, offer an immense field for human labour. Her
coal latKh done coccr an area of two hundred (hou^and
.square miloi; wliile the combined coal fields of Europe;
cover but 10,000 square miles— that is, the coal fields
of the United States are more than twelve times more
extensive in area than all the coal fields of Europe!
Iron, that nu3tal more really ] recious than gold, is found
in the neighbourhood of coal. With respect to this valu-
able mineral, America maintains her supremacy of vast-
ness ; and any one who travels some hundred miles from
the splendid city of St. Louis may behold a huge mountain
of solid iron, rising many hundred feet above the phiin,
and presenting a striking feature in the landscape.

T^IZ^^^^l^^:^^"-'' *" ^''="''' «^'"^^t<^^'^« to a<.t„al SctHcrB on the Public.

I ^J-

■J

262

THE miSU JN AMERICA.

It is not at all iiocoHsaiy that an Iiinh immigrant bIiouU
y;o West, wliatciver unci !jo\v <^vv.d tin; iiuluccmciitH it olVera
to the ontorpri.sin;^'. TImto is land to bo had, under certain
circum.stanccs and conditions, in almost every State in tho
Union. And there is no State in which the Iri.sh peasant
who is livin{^' from hand to mouth in one of tho great cities
as a day-labourer, may not improve his condition by be-
taking himself to his natural and legitimate avocation — ■
tho cultivation of the soil. Nor is tho vast region of tho
South unfavourable to the laborious Jind energetic Irish-
man. On the contrary, there is no portion of the Ameri-
can continent in which ho would receive a more cordial
welcome, or meet with more favourable terms. This would
not have been so before the war, or the abolition of slavery,
and tho upset of the land syrtem which was based upon
the compulsoiy labour of the negro. Bc.''oro the war, the
land was held in nniss by large proprietors, and, whatever
its quantity, theri; was no dividing or selling it — that is
willingly ; for when land was brought to the hammer,
the convenience of the i)urchaser had to bo (!onsulted.
But there was no voluntary division of tho soil, no cutting
it up into jDarcols, to bo occupied by small proprietors.
Now, the state of things is totally dift'eront. Too much
land in the hands of one individual may now be as em-
barrassing in the South as in the North, especially when
it is liable to taxation. The policy of the South is to
increase and strengthen tho white population, so as not to
be, as the South yet is, too much dej)endeni on the negro ;
and the planter who, ten years ago, would not sever a single
acre from his estate of 2,000, or 10,000, or 20,000 acres,
will now readily divide, if not all, at least a considerable
portion of it, into saleable quantities, to suit the conve-
nience of purchasers. He will do more than divide ; ho
will sell on fair terms, and he will afford a fair time to pay
—he will, in fact, do all in his power to promote the growth
of the white population, while yielding to the necessity of

DOWN SOUTH.

ant Bhould
its it ort'crji
lor certain
tato in tho
ill peasant
,a-eat cities
on by be-
vocation — ■
^ion of tho
luetic Irish-
thc Aniori-
>ro cordial
Cliis would
of slavery,
used upon
e war, the
, whatever
it — that is
hammer,
consulted,
no cutting
roprietors.
loo much
be as em-
ially when
lutli is to
) as not to
he negro ;
or a single
000 acres,
nsiderable
he convo-
livide ; ho
inie to pay
he growth
jcessitv of

the times, which compels him („ part wifl

*25S

, ,, , - P'nt with whiit h;ia

become rathor bnrd(aisome and embarruHsing to hin.Hclf

Ihis iH a Hubjc-ct on which I could not venture to write
^vlthout the fuUest authority ; but I have spoken with
Iiundreds of Southerners of rank and position, men identi-
hcdwitli the South l,y the strongest ties of l,irth, prop(.rty
and patriotism; and I know, from unreserved interchange
of opHHon with them, that the general feeling of the en-
lightened and tlie politic is in favour of inducing European
settlers to como to the South, and come on easy terms «The
experu.tice of the past year (18CG), said a well-inforniod
Southern gentleman to me, 'leads most of our people to
see th. Mute ^^ecemt., of dividing and mb-diciding
the large plantation.: I heard almost the san.e words
used m several of the Southern States, as weU by owners
of larg^e estates as by persons extensively engaged in the
sale and management of property.

There is a prejudice, and a somewhat ignorant pre-
Jiidice, against the South ; the prevalent idea being that
no one but the negro can venture to brave its chniate-
that open-air labour in the South is death to the white
man I know of Irishmen who cultivate farms in all tho
Southern States, and who work at them themselves ; and
that they and their children are strong and robust But
not only are some of the Southern States temperate and
gemal, but m almost all those States there are portions
^^^nch are most favourable to the industry and longevity
o± the white man. I was anxious to obtain rehable in-
forniation on this point, and I received from the Bishop
of CharJeston-the honoured son of a good Irishman-a
sta ement respecting a, State that, perhaps of all others
IS the one to which prejudice would first point as the most
unsuitod o the labour of the European. South Carohna,
W^e aU the Southern States, has its belts, of soil as well
a« chmate, favourable and unfavourable to the Eur(.,K^an

^*3,1

1
,1

.1
3

-I

nnmigrant

Dx. Lynch says of his State, that it is 'pro^

254

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

bably the most Irish of any of the States of the Union.'
'Irish family names abound in every rank and condition
of hfe ; and there are few men, natives of the State, in
whose veins there does not run more or less of Irish blood.'
He adds, 'While its inhabitants have always had the
impetuous character of the Irish race, nowhere has there
been a more earnest sympathy for the straggles of Irish-
men at home, nowhere will the Irish immigrant be
received with greater welcome, or be more generously
supported in all his rights ; and I do not know any part
of the country where industry and sobriety would ensure
to the immigiLant ^vho engages in agriculture an ampler
compensation for hiniscK and family in a briefer number
of years.' In his communication, written in compliance
with my request, the Bishop points out the healthy and
the unhealthy, the favourable and the unfavourable, belts
or districts of his State.*

In reference to the Southern States I had the o}-)inion
of an eminent Irishman, one who laid down the highest
dignity in tlie church for an humble position, in which he
is honoured and beloved. His knowledge of the country
is intimate and extensive, and his experience goes back
more than thirty years. I was anxious to have his opinion
as to the suitability of the South for the Irish emigrant,
as I knew he had recently been in most of its States;
and it is thus given : —

' During my late trip to the South I made various en-
quiries regarding the prospects there for Irish emigrants
The result of these enquiries was, that a great' field was
open for them ; but I feel convinced that it could scarcely
be made useful for them in a temporal or spiritual point
of view without more combination and organised efforts
than I think it at all likely, at least at present, to bo
obtained amongst our people, or any parties that could be
induced to act for them or to direct them. If such

* For the Bishoii's letter, see Appendix.

%-:i'' * r» i»'%'>'3 *'^'

• -<v

he Union.'
. condition
! State, in
•isli blood.'
s had the
has there
s of Iriah-
igrant be
^•eneron.slv
■ any part
lid ensure
in ampler
!r number
;ompliance
salthy and
able, belts

le opinion
le Ligiiest
1 wliicli be
le country
goes back
lis opinion
emigrant,
ts States ;

arious en-
smigrants
'field was
d scarcely
tual point
ed efforts
!nt, to bo
. could bo
If such

A KILDARE MAN IN THE SOUTH. 255

organisation could be effected, I believe the South would
ofler a better field for emigration than any other part of
the country.'

Bishop Lynch insists on ' industry and sobriety ' as the
grand essentials to the Irishman's success in the South •
and when I was in Charleston he afforded me the oppor-
tunity of witnessing, in the person of a countryman from
the county Kildare, as good an illustration as I could desire
to behold of the happy exercise of these noble quahties
Some three or four miles outside i\^ city we arrived at a
snug prosperous-looking place, a good house surrounded by
a farm of rich land, in which acres of vegetables and green
crops of various kinds were then in luxuriant growth, beincr
cultivated in a manner that would satisfy even a London
market gardener. Twenty-three years ago the owner of
this valuable property— worth more than $20,000— arrived
m America, with little money in his pocket, but with some
knowledge of farming, and a speciality for the cultivation
of vegetables. He remained ' knocking about ' the nor-
thern cities for six months, Hvhig from hand to mouth,
taking such day work as he could obtain. ' This won't do '
said the boy from Kildare to himself ; ' it's all well for the
aay, but there's nothing for the morrow or the next day ;
I must try and get something to make me independent.'
So m pursuit of independence he came down South, whe-e
ho entered the employment of a gentlemen of famous
name m America, but whose parents were both 'full-
blooded Irish,' and whose approbation the boy from
Kildare won by the success with which he cultivated
vegetables and green crops. Had there been a priest or
a church within covenieno- distance, the young Irishman
would have willingly remained in his good cmplovmcnt
eoutmuing t.) lay aside the greater portion of his wao-es •
but as many as eight months would pass before he could
gratify the pious longing of his CathoHc heart ; and so, at
length, and much against his will, he oiiitted tlm o-veat

■■m

.'it

256

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

man's Rorvice. With hh earnings lie came to Charleston-^
not into the city, unless to say his prayers and make neces-
sary purchases or sales— antl set to work, like a sensible
Irishman, at the business he best knew. But without
entering into the details of years of honest and sober
industry, it is sufficient to say that his fine farm is his own
prop(>rty, and that he has given to his children a hberal
education. Kindly, good-natured, active and full of health,
this man, though now of middle age, is as simple in
manner— as natural and as Iriuh— as he was the day he
saw the last of ' Kildav- -: -oly shrine.' Possibly I am
somewhat prejudiced in his favour ; for a more pleasant
cup of tea I never drank in America than that which I
received from the hands of his wife— the more pleasant
because of a previous and somewhat extended exploration
round and through the famous city of Charleston. A sober
man, he was ' not a bit the worse of the chmate ; ' and his
looks fully justified his words. This man's capital was
industry, intelligence, and good conduct ; and in America,
perhaps more surely than in any country under the sun,
this kind of capital is sure to create the other capital— the
dollar and the dollar's worth.

When in Augusta, Georgia, I feU in with perhaps one
of the best persons to offer a practical opinion as to the
suitability of the South for the settlement of the Irish.
Names are not necessary to be mentioned in most instances,
but in this instance the name of my authority for the
foUowing statement may be given. Mr. H. C. Bryson,
from the north of Ireland, has been engaged for forty years
in the cotton trade ; and he holds that the temperate por-
tions of Alabama, South Carolina, Georgia, and Mississippi,
are-weU suited to the settlement and healthful labour of
the Irish. He mentioned many cases in point, where the
Irish had settled, gone on prosperously, and maintained
the most robust health. One iUustration, and that a very
striking and comprehensive one, will however sufiice. lu

. iK,t^-,>3>D^-> .

TIPPERARY MEN IN THE SOUTH.

257

liarleston —
nake iieces-
) a seiisiblo
iut witliout
and sober

I is his own
m a liberal

II of health,
simple in

the day he
isibly I am
re pleasant
at which I
i"e pleasant
exj^loration
1. A sober
3 ; ' and his
!ai)ital was
in America,
3r the sun,
apital — the

erliaps one
1 as to the

the Irish,
t instances,
ity for the
C. Bryson,
forty years
Derate por-
Vlississippi,

labour of

where the

maintained

that a very

jufliee. In

the year 1850, aboiit fifty Irish families, .all from the
county Tipperary,— Burkes, Keihno-s, Keatin^^s, Hyneses,
Hartys, Mahers, &c.,— made their way down from the
North, and settled in Talliafero county, Georgia. They
were hard-working-, sober people, but amongst them all
they did not possess a hundred dollars. One of the men
had to bring one of his children on his back, while the
other little ones trotted alongside him. In a very short
time after, these hard-working, sober people, who would not
' hang about the cities,' were in comfortable circumstances,
entirely the result of their labour and industry— that
capital wliich money cannot always purchase. These
Irishmen in the South raise corn, cotton, and stoc: and
in all they do, they are more careful and particular than
man.y.of the people around them. Mr. Bryson has often
sold from five to ten bales of cotton for each of them, at
$125 the bale. 'They are more particular,' says Mr.
Bryson, 'and take more pains with their corn and their
cotton, than most of their neighbours. They are all strong
and hearty ; in fact, I never heard of one of them being
ill— and I know every man of them well. But this I
attribute rather to their frugal hfe and temperate liabits
than to any other cause. They have a fine school of their
own, and can go to their chrirch as weU as the best people
in the country ; they have good houses, abundance of
everytliing they can desire — and I assure you they could
entertain you as well as any men in the State. They are
a credit to any country. Bat the Irishman, when he comes
out hero, is among the most industrious of all.'

'I think,' adds Mr. Bryson, 'that the cotton raised by
men of this class — men who work at it themselves, and
who have an interest in what they are doing — is the finest
grown of any. It is better handled, and more carefully
picked. None of these men owned a slave, and so much
the better for them ; for they have lost nothing by tiie
change, while others lost the greater part of their capital.

258

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

I spoke L'f tliG liealtli enjoyed by the Irish >vho are farm*
ing. In Locust Grove there are a good many of them,
and for tlie last ten years I don't know of an adult among
them dying, save one — for I don't count a poor fellow who
came home from the Army in Virginia to die; and that
one ^hat I do count was Murdoch Griffin, but he Avas
sixty-eight years old when he died, and he had hard work
in his day. Griffin started about thirty-five years since,
without a dollar in his pocket ; and when he died his
property was worth $70,000 in gold. Any Irishman that
goes into the country with his family can do well, and
make a fortune.'

This was the testimony of a shrewd observant Northern
Irishman, — as good an authority on the subject of which
he spoke as could be found in the v/hole of the United
States.

And in the city of Augusta, in which there are several
Irish doing a good business, and holding a good position,
there is an Irish settlement, known by the name of DubHn ;
which is occupied by a hard-working, industrious, thrifty,
and sober population, to whom the houses and the land on
which they stand belong.

An able and experienced Irishman — himself one of the
most successful citizens of Memphis, Tennessee— remarked
to me one day: 'The trouble is, that the Irish don't go
on the land as much as they ought. I never knew an
Irishman that pulled up pegs, and went on the land, that
did not do well. AU have done well that went into the
country. It is now the easiest thing in the world to get
land, and good land too, at fair terms. Take an examjile
in a man from your own part of Ireland, to show you how
an Irishman may purchase a good property here. A man
from Cork, a mere labourer, .went out to Brownsville,
dit(;hing— in other words, fencing, to keep in cattle. That
was in 18G2. I know that man to have $3,300 in bank,
and $1,500 besides ; that is, nearly $5,000 in all. He has

THE CLIMATE OF THE SOUTH.

259

are farm*
' of tliem,
lilt among
'ellow "who

and that
it he -was
liard work
!ar8 since,

died his
iman that
well, and

Northern

of which

le United

fe several
position,
f Dublin ;
s, thrifty,
e land on

le of the
remarked
don't go
knew an
land, that

into the
Id to get

examjilo
you liov/

A man
jwnsville,
le. That
in bank.

He has

not yet invested in land, but he intends doing so. He is
■ looking about him, and he will be sure to pick up a splen-
did tlmig for the money. This Cork man of yourg now
liircs a couple of negroes, and does work by contract.'

'But the climate?' I enquired.

' Climate !— all nonsense about the climate. Climate!
Why, you have more sunstrokes in one month in New ^^ork
than there are for a whole year in the entire of the h.outh.
If a man drinks, the climate will tell on him— may kill
him ; but if he is a sober man, there is no fear of him.
That is my experience ; and I have a pretty loiig one, I
can tell you. The land, sir, is the thing— the country the
place for our people. The land Avill give a man everything
but coffee, tea or sugar ; these he can buy, and live lil-e
a king. I know an Irishman, who was a porter in a hotel,
at $25 a month. He went five miles out of the city, and
leased forty acres, took a dairy, bought cows, and brought
his milk into the city. He is now the owner of eighty
acres of valuable land, with a fine house, and every comfort
for himself and his family. The land, sir ' the land, sir I
is the place for our people ; tell them so.'

I do not venture to suggest to the Irishman i.. i - lerica,
or the Irishman who intends to emigrate to America, to
what State of the Union he should go in search of a home.
All I say is this : if he is a farmer, a farm-labourer, a pea-
mnt~that is, a man horn and ^-^^'xl in the country— let him
go anywhere, so that he goes out of the city. Turn where
he may, he is always sure to find a market for his labour ;
ard having obtained the employment best suited to his
knowledge and capacity, he can put by his dollars, and
l<3ok around him to see if anyt) ii: , m the neighbourhood
would suit him, or is within hi?: ru jh ; or if there be no
fair opening for him, no prospect of making a homo there,
then he has only to push o'l farther, and he will bo certain'
to find the land and the home to his liking. With money

*i-

1
1

260

THE IR[SIl IN AMERICA.

in his poolcot mid sir('n<*'th in his arms, and a dot(!rmination
to omploy boili to tho best advantage, suroly tlioro is little
fear of tius Irislinian who desires to make a home for him-
self in the New AV^oiid.

In a word, the peasant — the man of the spade, the
pl(>ii^-l>, and the harrow — for the (iountry, tlu^ land, the
soil. So the artizan, the mechanic, the handycraftsman,
for the city, the workshop, the factory — for the place and
occnpation whi(!li are bcsst suited to his skill, his capacity,
and his traininjjf. One would not, at least onght not, re-
commend a watchmaker, or an engineer, or a gas-titter, or a
house-painter, or a l)oiler-maker, to go into tho forest and
hew down trees, or to the prairie and turn it up with a
I)lough and a team of oxen. The city is their right place.
But, even Avitli the mechanic, discrimination is necessary.
Young and rising (dties may oiWr l)etter oi)portunities to
the skilknl workman tlian old cities, in wliich the compe-
tition is lierc'e, tlui special trade may be overdone, and
the cost of living is out of all proportion to the payment,
however liberal that may be. In ntnv places the prudent
man may secure his lot, or his two lots, even a block, on
reasonable terms ; and as time goes on — a short time in
the States — the town extends, the population increases,
and property rises in vahie ; and thus, with comparatively
little t)utlay, a prudent man may become rich, with small
trouble and no risk. Then, in rising places, the demand
for certain classes of skilled labour is greater, and its rc-
nnmeration larger, than in places alr<^ady built and long
settled. The prudent artizan may thus have two strings
to his bow, and both of them serviceable : ho may work
at greater tidvantage, and speculate with greater cer-
tainty of proiit. There are in America thousands of Irish-
men — not a few of them 'millionaires' — who, prudent
and fiu'-seeing, have risen with the fortunes of new places',
in which they secured a large interest by timely and
judicious investment. I have met with several of these

■min.ition

e is little

for him-

r.ido, tho
l;uul, tho
niftsman,
iliico unci
Ciipacity,
b not, ro-
ttor, or a
>ro.st and
[) with a
flit place,
ccossary.
initios to
3 conipo-
onc, and
payment,
prndont
block, on
i tinio in
n creases,
aratively
th small
demand
d its re-
md long
J strings
lay work
iter cer-
of Irish-
prudent
IV places,
lely and
of thesQ

CALIFORNIA AN ILLUSTRATION OF TIIK TRUE POLICY. 261

men, and I heard from their own lips the story of their
good fortune.

Taking all things into consideration, I do not know of
iiny of the States which affords a more favourable illus-
tration of tho poHcy T d(,sire to urge on my countrymen,
than Cahfornia ; where the Irish, besides being engaood
m many proiitable pursuits, aro also found Lirgolv dis-
tributed over the land, and where tho knowledge "of 'farm-
ing which thoy brought with thom from the old country
has been turned by them to the best account.

I shall tlieroforo glance at that magnifi(;ent State to
ascertain in what position the Irish are there to be found.

2G2

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

CHAPTER XIII.

Ciilifornia of tin? Past and Present— Early Trisli Settlors— Death
ainid the Moimtains— Pat Clark. Put One Mormon— Tiie Irish
wisely settl(( on the Land— How they Succeeded in the Cities—
Successrul Thrift. Irish Girls— The Church in San Francisco—
What a poor Irishman can do.

THERE is not a State in the Union in which the
Irisli liave taken aeei)er and stronger root, or thriven
more snccessfuUy, than Cahfornia, in whose amazing pro-
gress—material, social, and intellectual— they have had
a conspicuous share. For nearly twenty years past this
region has been associated in the popular mind with
visions of bo-mdJess wealth and marvellous fortunes ; and
it may be interesting to learn under what circumstances
the Irish became connected with a country of such uni-
versal repute, and of whose population they form a most
imj^ortant and valuable portion.

Long before the discovery of the precious metal at-
tracted the adventurous from every quarter of the globe to
the golden shores of the Pacific, Irishmen had made their
home in Cahfornia, where they had been hospitably re-
ceived by the kindly Spanish race, with whom they freely
intermixed, and amongst whom they were in the enjoy-
ment of abundant means, won by honest industry, or the
result of no less honourable public service. And how
different the California of a quarter of a century since
from the California of the present day ! It retains but a
faint resemblance to what it was when the sole occupants
and lords of the soil were the good missionary priests, the
ranclieros, and the Indians. Then the peaceful dweller

CALIFORNIA OF THE PAST AND Pll ESKNT. 203

—Death
lie Irish
Cities—
ncisco^

wliicli the
or tlinven
xzin^ pro-
liave had
past this
aiiicl with
iiies ; and
iimstances
such uni-
m a most

metal at-
e globe to
iiade their
itably re-
iiey freely
he enjoy-
■y, or the
And how
ury since
ins but a
3ccupants
liests, the
il dweller

amidst the beautiful solitude, beheld nature in its most
lovely and attractive form ; a wide expanse of undulatiiio-
l)lain and charminnr valley, rich and well watered, un-
fenced and untilled ; o-roves and noble forests of oak, pine,
(^edar, and other trees of majestic size, some growing,'
Min^-ly or in groups, as if planted by the hand of taste"
large and numerous herds of horses and cattle roaming
over the luxuriant pastures, the only living objects giving
evidence of the presence or proximity of man. Bu. a few
years have passed since then, and what a cliange ! The
landscape che(iuered with smihng farms, homesteads, Mid
villas — dotted over with towns and villages— life and
movement everywhere — evidences of the energy and in-
dustry of man in all directions. Where there stood a
few huts on the sea-shore, there is now a great city, with
bustling wharves and crowded thoroughfares and busy
population— a majestic cathedral, and the rival churches
of almost every diversity of religious belief. The rancheros
and the Indians have passed away, never to return ; but
tiie Cross is still there, thanks, in a great measure, to those
islanders who have been so wonderfully selected by Pro-
vidence as the most successful missionaries of the Faith
in this century, as in others now remote.

Among the few, not of Spanish origin, who settled in
California prior to 1848, were many Irish, of every class,
who proved, by their presence in a distant and then ahnost
unknown country, to the possession of those quahties so
essential in the pioneer of civihsation— courage, enter-
prise, and love of adventure. The first sojourners were
the mountain trappers, whose knowledge and education
extended little beyond the woodcraft so necessary to suc-
cess in their perilous occupation. The trapper's chief
thought was of the trail and the Indian ambush ; his con-
stant study, the habits and the haunts of game; his
wealth and his defence, a rifle and a horse. This was a
Wild and dangerous, occasionally a remunerative calling

■ 4
i

j»

2G4

Till-: IRISH IN AMERirA.

^vlli('ll loo ofli II ((!niiiiiiii(Hl in liis l){'in<jf n vi(!tim to tho
l>ull(>t or llic Iviiil'i^ of tlio ircaclici'ouH Hiiva^o, wlio iidonustl
liis wi;^wiini with tlui Hr.n\\) of lli(^ \vliii<( iiivadtii* of his
Imntiii';- {^toiukIh. Tu oik; ol' Huh cIuhs, an IriMluiian,
Captain J. S. Siniili, i.s duo ilid credit of liavin<.( led (lie
lirnt i>arly of wliiio men over land to C.ilifornia. At the
head of a hand of some forty traiiju'rH, in the sorvice of tho
Ameriean Fur Company, ho had tlie conraf^'e to oiosh the
lofty lidgcH and formiihibk! l)arn(>rs of the SHUTa ISevada.
Smith, \vho was a native of the Kind's coiinty, emigrated
a^an early a|;o to tho United States, joined tlu; Fuv Com-
pany, and ultimalely beeanio chief trader at tlioir post on
Green Kiver. In oiio of his excursions, exph)rin^- ilie
county south and west of Salt Lake, ho crossed over to
(-alifornia, visitcnl San ])i<^^^o and San Jose, Avliero ho
encamped with his ])art.y for sonu^ time. There is a lett(!r
of his extant, writliMi in IMay, 18'J7, to Padre Zuran, tho
missionary priest of San Jose, in which ho ^ivos an ac-
count of himself, and his reasons for romainin<jf s«) lony" in
iho vicinity. On his return trij) ho and most of his party
were slain by tho Indians east of tho Si(vrra. But I'ow
oscapi'd — four or live at most ; and anuuig tluun was au
Irislnnan who, from his j>reat stature, was kuovvii as Big
Fallen. He rcMuained in the country.

Between tho years 1825 and IH-UI, some few Irishmen
arrived by sea, ami settled in California. Those wcro
princii>ally masters or other otlicers of American trading
vessels, or seamen before the mast, with an occasional a<l-
ve^ituror in search of a liomo ; jind being wise enough to
ai)prociate the advantages oflbrod by a lovely country and
a line climate, and liking the character of the inhabitants,
they resolved to abandon the deep and its dangers, and
cast anchor for life on shore. Generally settling in the dif-
ferent sea-ports, they soon, owing to their knowledge and
industry, became independent; and having married and
become naturalised, they w'ere recognised and treated by

rii to tho

I) .'ulonuul

lU" of Ills

IrislmiiHi,

" l(!(l IIm!

. At tli(.

^'u'o of tho

eroHH the

I'Uli^n'lltiHl

l^'iir Coiu-
ir \H)s\ on
)iiii<^ tlio

I oY(>r to
\vhero ho
H a lottor
urau, tlio
OS an ao-
o lon}^' in
liis party

]iiit few
u was an

II as Biy;

Irislimcn
oso were
II trading
■jioiial acl-
nionjjfli to
iintiy and
habitants,
gers, and
n the dif-
ledo'e and
fried and
reated by

2r.6

oanio

EAUI/ I If IS! r StJTTbERS.

tho kindly and hos'pitabjr poophs amongst whom tho>'
m bohjiiging to 1 horn (-Ives. Thoir similmity of rohgion
was greatly in thci' favour with tho Sp.uiiurds ; and 'this
iniportunt advaiitu-. vas in no sniidl dogroo enhanced
b,y the (!ase and (puokness with wlii<li i hoy u('«(iiired tho
language of th<> country, as well ii y their natural
]»olit(!noHs and tln-ir dcforenee to tho fairer i)orli()n of
tho cr(!ation, traits for which tho Irish are ut all tiiaos
Jionourably distinguished. '1 si* qualiti(!s and aceoni-
plishmonts rt'iKh'i'od them great favourites with the do-
sc(!iuh'u.ls of Iho (^-istiHan hidalgo, and facilitated their
worldly success. INIany of (hose early sctth-rs w(n-o men
of fair edu( ition and good manners, and '-amo principally
from the Southcu'ii provinces of Irelan<l. Among tluim
were to bo found Heads and l)(!ns of Waterford, Aliens of
Dublin, iMurphys of Wc^xford, Jhirkes of (Jalway, Cop-
pingers of Cork, and others. Some hecanio extensive
proprietors of land and raisers of sto('k, others j)ractised
as i)hysieians, while njore acquired wealth and repute as
enterprising merchants ; and they with their families, that
(piickly sprung up around tlnan-^vigorous in body as in
intellect—formed the nucleus of that Irish and Catholic
elonuint which was to be so wonderfully strengtluuied by
subsequent and ccnitinuous emigration.

I might hv. in{;liiu(d to linger over the history and for-
tuiK's of Don Timoteo Murphy, who, arriving in 182!) from
Peru, where lie had spent two years, rose to an eminent
])()sition, as Administrattu- of the Mission, and Alcalde for
the district of San ]{afael, acquired vast testates, and was
universally est(>enied and honoured (hiring a residence
of a quarter of a ctaitury in the country. He is thus
,^poken of by a fellow-countryman and friend, himself
OLo of the most fortunate and respected of the Irish
settlors in Cahfornia : ' Murphy was a splendid specimofi
of p man, tall, powerful, and well-l)uiU, a good horseman
and keen hunter. He imported the first greyhounds to

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266

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

California, and kept a kennel of twenty to thirty hounds ;
the abundance of deer, elk, and antelojie afforded material
for the chase, and Murphy gave them Uttle rest. He was
hospitable, kind, and generous, and looked up to as a
father by the people of the country.'

About the year 1838, the trail across the Sierras to CaH-
fornia began to be travelled more frequently by hunters.
In two years after a small party of emigrants arrived by
that route ; and from that date to th^^ present each suc-
ceeding year has brought with it bands of hardy and
adventurous men and women to develop the resources
of that portion of the American continent. In the ex-
ploring expedition of John C. Fremont many Irishmen
joined, and remained afterwards in the country.

The year 1844 witnessed a remarkable arrival — that of
a body of immigrants from Canada and Missouri, mostly
Irish, including a single family numbering no less than
five-and-twenty individuals. This party formed a valuable
addition to the community, consisting of respectable and
. intelligent men, who, from their previous traning, were weU
fitted to cope with the difficulties incidental to a settlement
in a new country. The leader of this party was Mr. Martin
Murphy, a native of Wexford, who brought with him
his family of sons, daughters, and grand-children. Mr.
Murphy had originally emigrated to Lower Canada, from
which he passed to Missouri ; but, not finding that the
Missouri of that day reahsed the anticipations which
he had formed of it, he decided, old as he was — ^lie was
then in his sixtieth year — on seeking a home more suited
to his habits and feelings. He gathered together the
different branches of his family, and joining with othet
Irish families in their neighbourhood, thus formed a
numerous party, or train, to cross the plains to California,
whither they were destined. Martin Murphy must have
had considerable pluck, fortitude, and confidence in him-
self and his associates, to start on a journey of 2,500

ty hounds ;
?d material
t. He was
p to as a

ras to Cali-
oj hunters,
arrived by
i each suc-
hardy and
resources
In the ex-
r Irishmen

al — that of
uri, mostly
less than
a valuable
ctable and
, were weU
settlement
^r. Martin
with him
Iren. Mr.
aada, from
^ that the
ons which
IS — ^lie was
lore suited
jether the
vith othet
formed a
Cahfornia,
nust have
e in him-
yof 2,500

DEATH AMID THE MOUNTAINS. 267

miles over a trackless prairie, inhabited by fierce and
hostile Induans bound to a land then Btle known, and
that only from the vague accounts afforded by trappers and
others, who from time to time returned to the settlements
m Western Missouri. The party, however, reached their
destination m safety, having met with no casualty beyond
the loss of their waggons, which they were compeUed to
abandon m the defiles of the Sierras. The gaUant leader
with his unmarried sons and daughters, settled in the
valley of San Josd, where the family purchased large
tracts of land, and became extensive owners of stock
countmg the one by the league, and the other by the
Wiousand It is a little more than a year since Martin
Murphy died, at a grand old age, the founder of a pros-
perous race. ^

That Martin Murphy's venture was fuU of peril, not-
withstanding its fortunate result, may be learned from the
story of the terrible disaster which overtook the Donner
party, among whom were some Irish-one of them now a^
extensive proprietor in the county of Monterey. This party
consistmg of over eighty persons, crossed the plain in the
summer of 1846. On the 31st of October they were caught
m a snow storm in the CaHfornian mountains, in ^hich aU
their cattle perished; and having consumed the last of
their provisions, and even eaten the leather of their saddles
and harness, they were driven to the dreadful extremity of
feasting on the remains of those who had died of cold and
iiunger. A gallant band was despatched to their rehef.
horn San Francisco; but, owing to the high state of the
waters of the Sacramento, and the heavy snowfaU in the
mountams they were delayed several weeks before they
could reach the sufferers. On the 1st of March 1847, reUef

company of eigh.y-one, not more than forty-five were found

One oMl T'"r^" ^^-''^ ^^™^^ ^''^'^''^ l^^rribly.
One of the band sent. to their aid, an Irishman, was in

■Ha

■ -1

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i
K

■'im

,1
.3
I

268

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

uii

lime to save a poor famislied and frenzied mother frcm
laying deadly hands on her own infant, to which he gave
the shelter of his coat and the warmth of his honest breast
all the way to San Francisco. The Eanch owner, who was
one of the survivors, is now living in San Juan, South,
with his wife and grown-up children, who shared the
privations of that terrific trip across the plains. The old
gentleman, though now in his seventy-fifty year, is in the
most robust health, and looks years younger than his

actual age.

In the following years many famihes of Irish, as weU as
young single men, came by every train that then regularly
arrived in the fall. Some had means, others had educa-
tion without means, and more were deficient in both ; but
if some lacked both of these important advantages, thej had
shrewdness, inteUigence, vigour of body, and a determina-
tion to allow no obstacle to stand long in their path.

The daring adventure of a poor labourer from the
county Meath affords a splendid instance of pluck and
perseverance.

Patrick Clark, seeing so many of his countrymen leavmg
Missouri, and pushing on for the new land, of which such
promising accounts were given by returning trappers, was
resolved, if possible, to imitate their example, and, hke
them, better his condition. Pat had energy and ambition
sufficient for any undertaking ; but to get over between two
and three thousand miles of grounl, and with provisions
.enough to support Hfe on the journey, required such ordi-
nary apphances as a waggon, a team of oxen, and other
matters, all entirely beyond Pat's reach. AVhat was he to
do^ Go he would, but how? As a landsman ofters to
work his passage in a ship, so did Pat Clark proffer his
services as a teamster. He was wilhng to feed himself.
and he would not demand a cent for his services. But no
one required his services, or would have them. Pat was
checked, not defeated ; go he was resolved, though he hud

TAT CLARK. BUT ONE MORMON.

269

to trudge every step of the weary way. And this he very
nearly did. He purchased a hand-cart, in which he placed
his blankets, some flour, bacon, and a few other neces-
siiries, and manfuUy set out on his tremendous journey,
now pushing before him, now dragging after him, his
hand-cart with his precious stock of provisions ; and in this
manner he had actually traversed 1,800 miles, when he was
overtaken by some compassionate traveller on the same
route, who gave the poor foot-sore but brave-hearted
Irishman a lift in his waggon, and enabled him to accom-
plish the remainder of .his journey in o manner the comfort
of which he could keenly appreciate. The Meath man
settled down on Cache Creek, and was soon independent.
Irishmen of his stamp cannot fail in what they undertake.

There was in the year 1847 a migration of a pecuhar
character, in which the Irish had a very smaP. .aare indeed.
The ship 'Brooklyn' arrived at San Francisco in the sum-
mer of that year, with 150 Mormons, composed principally
of English, Scotch, and Welsh, with a few Americans. Of
the whole number one was an Irishman— a young fellow
named Fergusson, said to be from AVaterfori. The party
pushed on to the Salt Lake, the single Irishman going
with them. 'What his end in this life was, or may be, is
uncertain,' says the friend who mentions the arrival of the
ship and its godly freight. From this arrival California
gained notliing ; but the same year came Stevenson's re-
giment of New York Volunteers, who held possession of
the country untU it was ceded by treaty to the United
States ; and of this regiment not a few of the Irish officers
and privates remained in Cahfornia, and in time became
distinguished citizens of the new State.

Shortly after was the headlong rush to the recently dis-
covered gold-fields, causing an immediate and immense
accession to the population. In this headlong rush came
Irishmen, not only from Ireland, but from every part ol
the States; from Mexico as weU as the British provinces,

■:'3

J 'J

■ ■. ;«

,3
■J

,■4

270

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

•?>.

from Australia equally as from England and Scotland,
Animated by the same passion, imx^oUed by the same thirst
for gain, all nationalities were merged in one great con-
fusion of races and tongues ; while in the universal scramble
for gold, every social distinction was trampled under foot,
individual superiority depending, not on good breeding or
intellectual cultivation, but on the greater capacity for la-
bour, or the tougher power of endurance. For a time at
least, simple manhood carried the day against all artificial
gradations in the social hierarchy ; the hodman and the
doctor, the labourer and the lawyer, standing upon exactly
the same level, provided that the doctor and the lawyer
happened to be endowed with thews and sinews as strong
and as serviceable as those of his brother gold-seekers, the
hodman and the labourer. In such a competition there
was a glorious chance for the humblest or most recently
arrived of the Irish new-comers. With the pick and the
shovel they were a match for any workers under the sun,
and their hick was on the average ^s fortunate as that of
others. It was a fair start, and no favour— just what best
suits the true Irishman : and the result at this moment is,
that one-half, or nearly one-half, of the entire mining pro-
perty of the country is in the hands of Irishmen or the
sons of Irishmen. The mine known as the Allison Ranch,
which is considered to be one of the richest in the - vrld,
and which last year employed between 500 and 600 workers,
is owned by five Irishmen and an American.

Fortunately for their ultimate and permanent success,
many Irishmen either failed in their mining opera-
tions, became dissatisfied with the wearisome monotony of
the daily drudgery, or desired to engage in some more
lucrative employment ; and they wisely turned their at-
tention to what was more certain to reward steady industry
—the cultivation of the soil. The moment, too, was singu-
larly propitious. Dniing the height of the gold fever,
when the one jiursuit absorbed almost every thought, all

d Scotland,

same thirst
) great con-
sal scramble

under foot,
breeding or
acity for la-
T a time at

all artificial
an and the
pon exactl}'

the lawyer
s as strong
seekers, the
:ition there
st recently
Lck and the
ler the sun,
e as that oi
t what best
moment is,
nining pro-
men or the
ison Ranch,
1 the ■ vrld,
00 workers,

mt success,
ing opera-
lonotony of
some more
d their at-
dy industry
, was singu-
gold fever,
thought, all

THE IRISH WISELY SETTLE ON THE LAx\D.
kinds of garden produce were sold i

271

fabulous prices; and
even in a year or two after, 12 or 15 cents for a pound of
pota oes was regarded as a moderate price for that essential
article of fc>od. The hourly increasing demand for the
produce of the field and the garden imparted a wonderful
stnnu us to agricultural industry, to which the Irish
brought both energy and experience. When they had
made money in the mines, they purchased a convenient
piece of land, and soon rendered it productive and profit-
able ; or had they been unlucky in their hunt after the
precious metal, they hired themselves as farm hands and
beino^paid enormous wages-wages which would render
high farming in Europe an utter impossibihty-they in a
Bhorttime accumulated sufficient capital to purchase land .
for themselves. Employment was to be had in every
direction by those who were wiUing to work ; and none
were more wiUing than the Irish. Everythhig had to be
built up, hteraUy created-cities and towns as well as
commumties. Labour, which is not estimated at its true
value m older countries, where the great work has Ion-
smce been accomphshed, and in which society has its
grades and classes and distinctions, was highly prized and
reverently regarded in California ; for without it nothing
could be done, where everything had to be done ; and the
humble Irishman laid the foundation of his own fortunes
while rendering to the infant State services which were
priceless in their value. Happily, the cities and towns
did not seduce the Irish fi-om their legitimate sphere, and
the dollars made in the mine, or in ditching and dio-<nn^^
or m hard toil of various kinds, were converted into land •
and mdeed with such success did they pursue this sound
pohcy-which it would be well for the race were it more
taensively adopted in America-that the one-fourtli of
the farming of the State of California is in the hands of
Irishmen. This is remarkably so in the counties of Santa
tiara, San Joaquin, Marin, Sonoma, Almeda, Contra

■ ■ n

272

tllE IRISH IN AMERICA.

Costa, and Santa Cruz. As agriculturists and stock-raisers,
the Irish are the leaders in almost every county in the
State, more particularly those counties lying on the sea-
coast and adjacent to the bay and wafers of San Francisco.

Inasmuch as it is more interesting to note what the
humble man — the Irish peasant — has done through his
unaided industry, than what the gentleman has accom-
plished through the possession of capital, or with the
advantages of education, an instance of this nature may be
mentioned.

There are two townships in Marin county — Tumahs and
San Rafael— largely owned and occupied by Irish. The
former of these is as extensive and as rich as any tract
of land in the State, and is almost exclusively possessed
by Irishmen, nearly all of whom a few years ago were
Moulders, working for monthly wages on the ranches of
the old proprietors, or delving in the mines. They worked
and they delved until they saved enough to purchase a
piece of land ; and now these men, who at home were
poor peasants, and, perhaps, would have been little better
had they remained in the old country, are the i roprietors
of estates ranging from IGO to 1,000 acres of the best land
in California! Here are three Irishmen, two of them
'boys' from Tipperary, who in 1850 worked on Anally
Ranch ; one of those is the owner of 800 acres of land in
Tumalis, well-stocked and cultivated ; and the Tipperary
boys are rich farmers, and surrounded with every comfort.
There are, and will be, among the children of these suc-
cessful settlers those whose special genius, or whose bent
of mind will naturally lead them to the city and its
pursuits ; but their parents adopted the wisest and safest
course for themselves and > heir descendants— they planted
themselves on the soil, and thus laid the foundations of a
prosperous and independent race. Many of our people
are, from special aptitude, knowledge or experience, best
suited to a town hfe, where alone they may find employ-

flow THEY SUCCEEDED IN THE CITIES.

273

k-raisers,

by in the
tlio aea-
l^rancisco.
what the
ough his
s accom-
with the
•e may be

iialis and
sh. The
any tract
possessed
ago were
inches of
ly worked
irchase a
Dme were
:tle better
roprietors
best land
of them
»n Anally
)f land in
ripperary
f comfort,
liese suc-
tiose bent
' and its
md safest
sy planted
tions of a
ir people
mee, best
I employ-

ment for their trained skiU, or a suitable field for their
talents ; but the vast majority of those who leave their
native country for America, were born on the land, were
reared on the land, were employed on the land ; and the
land is the right place for them, whether in America or at
home.

We may now see what the Irish have done in the cities
of California. San Francisco, the most famous of the
fair cities of the United States, will suffice as an iUustration
of the position and progress of the children of Erin. It is
rather a singular coincidence that an Irif.hman, Jasper
O'Farrell, laid out the city which his countrymen did r.,
much to build up ; and that in 1850, while all was still in
chaos and confusion, and license was the order of the day,
another Irisnman, Malachi Fallon, was caUed on by a vote
of the assembled citizens to leave his position at the
mines, and assume the administration of the pohce afiVurs
of the city ; which he did with admitted success. It was
two Irishmen— James and Peter Donahue— that erected
the first foundiy in San Francisco, which enterprise led to
the rapid increase of mechanical industry. The same
firm projected the gas works ; and with such success waa
this important undertaking croM-ned, that the stock of tho
Company has increased to six miUion dollars. The same
firm erected the largest hotel in the city, at a cost of more
than half a million. The first street railway— fi-om tho
City to the Mission of Dolores— was projected by an Irish,
man, Col. Thomas Hayes. Among the private bankers of
San Francisco, Donahue, Kelly & Co. take the lead ; their
firm, established in 18G4, does a larger amount of business
than that of KothschHd, which dates as far back as 1849.
But a stiU more interesting item— the first public donation
to a charitable purpose was made by two distinguished
Inshmen, Don Timoteo Murphy, and Jasper O'Farrell
who ' donated ' the lot of ground now occupied by the
Orphan Asylum, and which is at present worth 200,000

'•stm

\" *

■.J

3
J

274

THE miSII IN AMERICA.

►Hi

dollars. The greatcHt ovation ever offered by the eitizonfl
to an indi\dual was given to John G. Downey, an Irish-
man, who for two years ably lilled the oHice of Governor
of the State. Irish nuni held a prominent positicjn in the
convention by which the eonntitutiou was formed ; and in
both branches of the Legislatnre' Irishmen, or the sons of
Irishmen, are to be found. Among the largest holders of
city property, the most extensive merchants, the most suc-
cessful men of business, the ablest engineers, the most
accomphshed architects, and the most reliable contractors,
are Irishmen ; and in all branches of the legal profession,
whether practising in chamber, or in civil or criminal
business in courts, Irishmen enjoy an envial)lo repute.*
In fact, as soon as society, which, from the special circum-
stances of thp country, had been in a somewhat chaotic
state, settled down into its ordinary grooves, the Irish took
their place among the foremost in the battle of life ; and
in its eager struggle for wealth and distinction they held
their own with their co-labourers of every other nationality.
It may be questioned if in any part of the Union the
Irish of the working classes are better off in all respects
than they are in San Francisco. The immense and con-
tinuous employment, as well as the liberal xate of remune-
ration, have had much to do with this; but the thrifty
habits and admh'able conduct of the Irish is the happy
result equally attributable. Though wages of all kinds are
liberal at present, and employment is constantly to be
obtained for the greater portion of the year, still the rate
of remuneration is not equal to what it was when the work
to be done was more pressing, the hands to do it wero

* Among the lawyers of Irish birth may bo mentioned ^res8rs. Doyle, Casserley,
Byrne, and Delany. The last-mentioned gentleman— Charles M'Carthy Delany
—is brother to tlic Right Rev. Dr Delany, Catholie Bishop of Cork. Mr. Delauy's
practice cluefl;" lies in conveyancing ; and I have been informed, on the authority
of persons of great experience, as old residents in California, that although an
enormous amount of property has passed through his hands, in his i)rofessional
capacity, not a dollar lias ever been lost to his cliente either through erroneous
advici), or from a flaw or defect in the titles which ho made oiit.

SUCCESSFUL THRIFT. IRISH GIRLS.

he oitizfnfl
, nil Irisli-
Govoriior
ion in tlit;
d ; and in
ho sons of
holders of
most Huc-
tho most
ontructors,
profession,
r criminal
e repute.*
ial circum-
lat chaotic
Irish took
■ life ; and
, they held
lationality.
Union the
Jl respects
) and con-
)f remune-
the thrifty
the happy
.1 kinds are
ntly to be
ill the rato
n the work
do it were

loj'le, Cassorlpy,
'Carthy Delaiiy
, Ur. Dolauy's
)ii the authority
at although an
lis i)rofossioiial
)iiRh erroneous

275

fewer, and the mines attracted almost univoiMfd attention
From 184!) to 18.^,;{ skilled labour nm-c-d from ii to 10
dollai-H a day, while unskiik.d lal)oiir comniiindod from li
to r, dollars a day. Washin- was then as hi-h as (J dollars
per dozen ! Women in domestic employment were paid
at from 50 to 70 d.jllars a month. From wages such as
these it was not difficult for an industrious and economical
person to save money. Many did so, and bought lots on
the outskirts of the town, which soon extended in every
direction, and so enhanced the value of the property thus
honourably obtained, as to render its owners rich without
any further exertion on their part. I am happy to know
of many, many instances of such successful thrift and fore-
thought on the part of Irishmen in every part of the
United States, and also in the British Provinces.

Mechanics now earn from 4 to 5 doUars, while labourers
receive from 2 to 8 dollars a day. This, taking the present
value of the dollar, would be, on an average, 14.s'. Gd. a day
for the mechanic, and 8.s. a day for the labourer. Being
so amplj, remunerated, almost every working-man, whether
mechanic, labourer, or drayman, owns the house in which
he lives, and the lot on which it stands. Different indeed
from the state of things in New York, where the well-paid
mechanic, who but rarely owns the house in which he lives,
has to pay 100 or 120 dollars a year for two or three rooms
ill a tenement house. Women servants receive from 20
to 40 doUars a month, according to their occupation or
proficiency, or the class of people in whose houses they
reside.

If any further proof were required of the condition of
the Irish in San Francisco, it is to be had in the facts
connected with the Hibernian Savings' Bank and Loan
Society, now nearly completing its eighth year of useful-
noss. The deposits in this bank to January 21, 18G7, were
5,241,000 dollars. I perceive by the returns for 18G0 that
the depositors receive interest at the rate of eleven per cent..

iituti. m». mr ,-^ i tt fe. ■;:^;i»a>'"w

2TI

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

P»,.

and tliftt the cariiinpfR that year amounted lo 211,000 dolH.
IJiit it in nioro ini]H)rtaut to Iciirn that Hov(ni-(n<<liths of tlio
depoHitoiH arc Irish, and tliat of the amount dei)oHited )»y
the IriHh fully three-fourthH belong to the working elaiiHCH,
including niechanicH, lubourern, and girly in variouH eiu-
pkiyniciitH.

Of the Irish girls in America I have spoken elsewhere ;
but any notice of the race in San Francisco, in which
special mention of the Irish girls of that city was not made,
would bo most incomplete. They form a considerable and
valuable ])ortion of its population, and are deservedly
esteemed by all classes of its citizens. They are industrious,
intelligent, faithful, generous, high-spirited, and intensely
devoted to their religion, of which they are the proudest
ornaments and best examples. So justly esteemed are
these Irish girls for purity and honour, that some 2,000 of
them have been well married— fully half of that number
to men of substance and good position. It may be re-
marked that a considerable number of them had been
tenderly reared at homo, where they received a fair
education ; but driven by circumstances to emigrate, they
were of necessity obliged to acc(^pt even the humblest
situations in a foreign land. They soon, however, rose
above the lowly condition which tliey dignified by their
intelligence and worth, and found in an honourable
marriage ample compensation for all their former trials.
It is estimated that seventy-five per cent, of the Irish girls
in domestic employment in San Fi-ancisco can read fairly,
while more than fifty per cent, can both write and read well.
The rate of wages for domestic employment ranges from
20 to 40 dollars a month. The average would come to
GOl a year. Out of this income they save a certain
portion, indulge their Celtic love of finery, gratify their
charitable and religious instincts by generous contributions
to church, to convent, to orphanage, and to asylum; and
the balance is devoted to the two-fold purpose, with them

1,000 (lolH.

tllH of tlu)

[)()Hitc(l by

riouH om-

ilHowhcre ;
in which
not made,
ii'iiblo and
Lleservedly
idustriouH,

I intensely
3 proudest
3cnied are
le 2,000 of
it number
lay be re-
had been

ed a fair

^rate, they

humblest

^ever, rose

II by their
lionourable
mer trials.

Irish girls
read fairly,
1 read well,
mges from
d come to
a certain
ratify their
ntributiona
ylum ; and

with them

TIIK CIIUKCH IN SAN FRANCISCO. m

almoflt equally Hacred-to assist tlioir parents or n-ed
relatives in the old country, or bnnK out a bn.thn- or a
siHtor to their adopted home. It is calculated by tlu.se
who have every means of ascertaining the fact, that tl,o
Irish girls employed in ^an Francisco annually remit to
Ireland, for the purposes stated, the sum of 270 000
dohars I What eulogium can ocpial the mere mention of
this fact ?

Whatever religious indiflerentism there may bo in otlier
parts of America, there is none in San Francisco among
Its Irish Catholic population. In their hard stru.^-le for
the good things of this life they did not forget tlu^h^inter-
ests in the next ; and such was the liborahty with which they
co-operated with the zeal of their pastors, that, in Httle
more tiian a dozen years after the new city began to rise
obove the huts and shanties that once occupied its site the
church property, including buildings and real estate,' was
valued at 2,010,000 dollars. This includes the cathedral
and five other churches, convents, asylums, and hospitals,
viivmg Catholics of other nationalities full credit for their
hbeiality, and allowing for the generous assistance aftbrded
by those of diflerent denomin.'itions, it is admitted that
three-fourths of what has been done for the Church in the
city and county of San Francisco has been done by tlio
Irish. In fact, without them httle could have been done ;
but with them everything was possible. It is superfluous
to state that the Irish women of San Francisco are famous
for their piety and zeal for rehgion— that, indeed, is
characteristic of the race throughout America ; but it has
been particularly remarked by those who have had oppor-
tunities of observation in many of the States, that in few
places, if in any, did ihef notice a greater number of men,
in the prime of hfe, and actively engaged in the pursuits of
bushiess, so constant in the performance of their religious
duties, as penitents in the confessional, and communicants
at the altar, than in this noble city. With every charit-

278

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

able and benevolent undertaking men of this class are
instinctively identified, either as leaders and promoters, or
as zealous ard liberal supporters ; and should they shrink
from a position too prominent for th(jir modesty, th(^y more
than compensate for their sensitiveness by the abundance
of their generosity.

As an evidence of the progress and present position of
the Irish in San Frar.cisco, a few significant items might
be quoted from the record of the Assessor of Taxes ; but it
is sufi&cient to state that, with the exception of four others,
not Irisli, six Irishmen are the highest rated of its citizens.
One fact, however, renders further details unnecessary —
namely, that while the Irish constitute the one-fourth of
the population of San Francisco, or 30,000 out of 120.000,
they are considered to possess one-fourth of the entire
p'operty of the city, or 20,000,000 out of 80,000,000 of
dollars. And yet of every 100 Irish who came to San
Francisco, as to California generally, 75 were either poor
or scantily provided with means. Few, indeed, brought
any money capital with them, but they had energy, in-
dustry, with capacity for all kinds of work ; and though
they came from a country in which enterprise had little
existence, and industry not at all times a fair field or a
right reward, these men and women of Irish race soon
caught the spirit of the American — the right spirit for a
new country, the genuine ' Go-ahead ' — that which always
looks forward and never looks back.

AVith the mention of a single, case — of an Irishman
who was certainly one of the se\enty-five per cent, who
brought with them to the land of gold but little of the
world's goods — I may usefully conclude this sketch of the
Irish in California. It may be given in the words of my
informant, a gcatlenian who left Ireland for America in
1849. He says : ' There is one circumstance in connection
with my coming to America that lias always, and will
always, give me great pleasure. I mention it with a view

WHAT A POOR IRISHMAN CAN DO.

27«

class are
moters, or
ley shrink
th(^y iiioro
ibundanee

osition of
:ius might
;es ; but it
ur others,
s citizens.
3cessarv —
i-fourth of
)f 120,000,
:he entire
000,000 of
le to San
ther poor
., brought
nergy, in-
id though
had little
field or a
race soon
)irit for a
cli always

Irishman
cent, who
tie of the
:cli of the
rds of my
.merica in
!onnection
, and will
th a view

to enable ^ou to judge of what a poor Irishman can ac-
complish in this country with a fair field before him. About
thcl time I was making up my mind to come to California,
I was then engaged in building some public works in
the town of Sligo. I had then in my employment, and
for a short time before, a confidential labouring man.
At that time he had a wife and six children in the poor-
house in Tullamore, in the King's County, to which he
belonged, having been dispossessed of a small piece of
land in that neighbourhood. When I mentioned to him
that I was going to California, he fell on his knees and
implored rae to take him with me. I was at first thunder-
struck at the idea of his wiUingness to leave his family,
and go to so distant a country, and I so expressed myseK
to him. But he answered me— "If I remain here, I lose
my employment, and I, too, must go into the poor-house,
and then all hope is over." I felt too keenly the truth of
his reply. I could make no further objection, and I told
him I would take him with me. In a year after his arrival
in this country he sent home money, took his family out of
the work-house, and sent his children to school. They are
all now here, his daughters well married, his sons in good
situations, and the old couple, with two of their younger
children, b irn in Cahfornia, living in a comfortable way on
II good farm, from which no baihff can eject them. The sim-
ple statement of the history of this family speaks volumes,
in my mind, of what the Irish can do in Amei-ica.

In this language speaks another Irishman, a Cahfornian
resident of long standing, whose name is held in merited
respect by all who know him : ' Thus, in general with but
a poor beginning, in a manner friendless, strangers in a
strange land, have our people struggled and fought, and
been victorious. Their bones will lie far away from the
hallowed dust of their kindred ; yet every mountain, hill-
side, and valley in this favoured land will give evidence to
posterity of their toil, enterprise, and success. Their foot-

'■^:'

• ;.fl

. M

it'

'■^m

280

THE IRISn IN AMERICA.

prints, marking the genius and traditions of their race, their
love and veneration of the old fiiith, and the old country
from which they were such unwilling exiles, shall endure in
the land for ever.'

As this sheet was going through the press, my attention
was attracted by an article in the Monitor of San Francisco,
from which I quote the concluding passage, written, as I
believe, in the right spirit : —

'It is our interest to liave as many of onr countrymen here as possible ;
and, moreover, we honestly believe no other country holds out such advan-
tages for their coming. They have not the prejudices of race or religious
bigotry, which exist in some parts of the East, to contend with ; unskilled
labour is mororespeeled here than there, and Anally, the natural resources
of the country are greater, and the population less dense than in any of
the Atlantic States. Why cannot the Irishmen of this city form a society
for diffusing a knowledge of California's resources among our country-
men, and communicatlug with employers throughout the State, for secu-
ring immediate employment on their arrival. AYe almost feel a scruple
about encouraging emigration from poor depopulated Ireland, where the
fortunes of our race have yet to be retrieved ; but in England and Scot-
land there are nearly a million of Irishmen from whoso ranks we could
easily obtain an annual immigration of many thousands by a system such
as that we have just proposed. We know by experience the state of feel-
ing existing among our countrymen in Europe, and we believe that by a
plan such as we have described, an immense Irish population could be
drawn here, to both their own and our advantage. The Irish of Oaliibr-
nia are wealthy and liberal, and surely such a society as the one we have
proposed, could be easily started among them. We hope our suggestions
may turn the attention of some of them to the practical developiKent of
Irish immigration from England and the Eastern cities.'

race, their
(1 country
endure in

attention
Francisco,
Ltten, as I

as possible ;
such advau-
or religious
1 ; unskilled
•al resources
m in any of
I'm a society
)ur country-
te, for secu-
!el a scruple
1, where the
iid arid Scot-
ks we could
system such
state of feel-
ve that by a
ion could be
h of Oalifor-
one we have
' suggestions
elopixent of

CHAPTER Xiy.

Drink more injurious to the Irish than to others -Why this is so—
Archbishop Spalding's testimony— Drink and Politics-Temper-

ance Organisations— Hope in the Future

¥EPtE I asked to say what I believed to be the most
serious obstacle to the advancement of the Irish in
America, I would unhesitatingly aws^ev—Drinh ; meaning
thereby the excessive use, or abuse, of that which, when
taken in excess, intoxicates, deprives man of his reason,
interferes with his industry, injures his health, damages
his position, compromises his respectabihty, renders him
unlit for the successful exercise of his trade, profession, or
employment— which leads to quarrel, turbulence, violence,
crime, I believe this fatal tendency to excessive indul-
gence to be the main cause of all the evils and miseries
and disappointments that have strewed the great cities of
America with those wrecks of Irish honour, Irish virtue,
and Irish promise, which every lover of Ireland has had,'
one time or other, bitter cause to deplore. Differences
of race and religion are but as a feather's weight in the
balance ; indeed these differences tend rather to add in-
terest to the steady and self-respecting citizen. Were
this behef, as to the tendency of the Irish to excess in the
use of stimulants, based on the testimony of Americans,
who might probably be somewhat prejudiced, and therefore
Inchned to judge unfavourably, or pronounce unsparingly,
I should not venture to record it ; but it was impressed
upon me by Iiishmen of every rank, class, and condition

■km

tin
I

282

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

of life, wherever I went, North or South, East or West.
It was openly deplored, or it was reluctantly admitted. I
rarely heard an Irishman say that his country or his
rehgion was an effectual barrier to his progress in the
United States. On the contrary, the universal admission
was this : ' Any man, no matter who he is, what country

* he comes from, or what religion he professes, can get on
' hero, if ho is determined to do so ; and he will be
'respected by Americans, if he will only respect himself.

* If the Irishman is a sober man, there is no fear of him—
*he cannot fail of success ; but if he is too fond of the drink,
'it is all up with Jtim — he is sure to fail.' Expressed in
these simple words, this is the matured and deliberate
verdict of every experienced or observant Irishman, from
the most exalted dignitary of the Catholic Church to the
humblest workman who maintains his family in comfort
by his honest toil.

The question here naturally arises, — do the Irish drink
more than the people of any other nationality in America ?
The result of my observation and inquiries leads me to
the conviction that they do not. How then comes it that
the habit, if common to all, is so pernicious to them?
There are many and various reasons why this is so. In
the first place, they are strangers, and, as such, more
subject to observation and criticism than the natives of the
country. They are, also, as a rule, of a faith dirferent to
that of the majority of the American peoj)le ; and the fact
that they are so does not render the observation less keen,
nor does it render the criticism more gentle. Then, be it
constitution, or temperament, or whatever else, excess
seems to be more injurious to them than to others. They
are genial, open-hearted, generous, and social in their
tendencies ; they love company, court excitement, raid
delight in affording pleasure or gratification to their
friends. And not only arc their very virtues leagued

DRINK MORE INJURIOUS TO IRISH THAN OTHERS.

233

t or West.
Imitted. I
try or his
ess in jho

admission
at country
can get on
le will be
ct himself.
r of him—
: the drink,
pressed in

deliberate
iman, from
irch to the
in comfort

!rish drink
L America ?
ads me to
les it that

to them?

is so. In
uch, more
ives of the
[liferent to
id the fact

less keen,
riien, be it
ise, excess
3rs. They
I in their
oaent, raid

to their
js leagued

against them, but the prevailing custom of the country is
a perpetual challenge to indulgence.

Ihis prevaiUng custom, or habit springs more from a
spirit of kindness than fi'om a craving for sensual grati-
licahon. Invitations to drink are universal, as to rank and
station, time and place, hour and circumstance ; they ht-
erally.ram upon you. The Americans are perhaps about
the most thoroughly wide-awake people in tlie world, yet
they must have an 'eye-opener' in the morning. To pre-
pare for meals, you are requested to fortify your stomach
and stimulate your digestive powers with an 'appetizer.'
To get along in the day, yon are invited to acccept the
assistance of a 'pony.' If you are startled at the mention
of 'a drink,' you find it difficult to refuse 'at least a nip.'
And who but the most morose— and the Irishman is all
geniality— can resist the influence of 'a smile?' Now
a 'cocktail,' now a 'cobler'— here a 'julep,' there a
'smasher;' or if you shrink from the potency of the
'Bourbon,' you surely are not afraid of 'a single glass of
lager beer!' To the generous, company-loving Irishman
there is something hke treason to friendship and death to
good-feUowship in refusing these kindly-meant invitations;
but woe to the impulsive Irishman who becomes the victim*
of this custom of the country! The Amerioans drink, the
Germans drink, the Scotch drink, the Enghsh drink— aU
drink with more or less injury to thpir health or circum-
stances; but whatever the injury to these, or any of these,
it is far greater to the mercurial and hght-hearted Irish
than to races of hard head and lethargic temperament.
The Irishman is by nature averse to solitary or selfish in-
dulgence—he will not 'boose' in secret, or make himself
drunk fi-om a mere love of hquor ; with him the indulgonc^e
IS the more fascinating when it eil.nnces the pleasures of
fiuendship, and imparts additional s.est to the charms of
fiocial intercourse. In his desire to gratify his friends, and

'■^•»»

P!i!

281

THE IRISH IN AMEPaCA.

'e»»^::S!ii

stand well with his acquaintances, he is toe likely to over-
look the claims of those at home — the wife and children,
wlio are the sufferers, if others are the gainers which is
very questionable — from his generosity and his geniality.

It must be admitted that, in some cities of America
— by no means in all, or anything like all — the Irish
element figures unenviably in the police records, and
before the inferior tribunals ; and that in these cities the
committals are more numerous than they should be in pro-
portion to the numerical strength of the Irish population.
This is undoubtedly the case in some instances. But,
painful as this fact is to the pride of those who love and
honour their country, it is not without a consolatory fea-
ture — namely, the character of the offencefi for which the
Iridi are made amenable to the law. These offences are
irritating to the' sensitiveness of the orderly, the decorous,
and the law-abiding — to those whose position in life
raises them above the region in which such offences have
their origin — and they are damaging to the reputation of
those by whom they are committed ; but they are not of
a heinous nature — not such as cause a shudder to the
heart and a chill to the blood. The deadly crimes — the
secret poisonings, the deliberate murders, the deep-laid
frauds, the cunningly-masked treachery, the dark villany,
the spider-like preparation for the destruction of the un-
wary victim — these are not common to the Irish. Rows,
riots, turbulence, acts of personal violence perpetrated in
passion, are what are principally recorded of them in the
newspapers ; and in nine cases out of ten, these offences
against the peace and order of the community, and w^hich
so deeply prejudice the public mind, not only against the
perpetrators, but, what is far worse, against the irrace and
country, are attributable to one cause, and one cause alone
— drink. The American may drink from morning to
night without injury to his country, without peril to his
nationahty ; the German may snore himself into insensi-

ARCHBISHOP SPALDING'S TESTIMONV. 28S

bility in ^ delngo of lager beer, without doing dishonour
to Faderland; the EngHshman and the Scotchman may
indulge to exces8-as both do indulge to excess-without
comprounsmg England or Scotland thereby; b„t the
Insbman, moi-e impulsive, more mercurial, more excit-
able, will pnbhsh his indiscretion on the highway, and
«11 hnnself identify his nationahty with his folh. We e
It possible to induce Irishmen, if not to abandon drink al-
together, which is not at all likefy or probable, at least to
bo moderate m its use, the result would be a blessed one.
It were unpossible to imagine any result more blessed
more glorious. It would lift up the Irish race in America

Z Ti .^ '■' ,'"'"™'™' P°™'-. «"nply because Irishmen
would then have an opportunity of exhil,iting, without flaw
01 blemish, those quahties which, whenever they are
.aUowed fair play, excite the admu-ation and win the affec-
tions oi the American people.

A dozen years since, whUe the Know Nothing, furv
raged through the country, and Irish Catholics, esiTecially
uc muUitudes of emigrants who were then pouring into
the States in numbers sufficient to infl.ame the jealousy of
certani classes of Americans, were iiercefy assailed from
pulpit, press, and platform, the venerable ArchbLshop

fhet •*! ™'°*'' ^" ""''""■ '° *''' "^"'^"^ """'•« "S^i"^'

But (il i said) the Irish emigrants are viciou, and immoral That
a portion of thorn hav„ li.eir raiiUs-grievons and glarin-Tj t,-w.
do not deny; but all firm and impartiai men will ad^it I at Z

P e, b 'tl^l' "■" TT' """ "^"■"'^ «--SS"«ted by the'pnblio
press, bnl hoy have also their virtnes, ivhich are studiously kept out

1:'™ "■"" "■"'" """ ''"'"' i "'" "'"•» "»' t>- corL, ndh.

' , ■,.?'° I'»P"'»«»" ""'"■ viees also .as great, if not ,. real. ,•

than those of the das, whieh is now singled out !,s the vie, „t o a

".■'"ous pnblie indignation ! They have thoir viees, but Ih^se are

.^tlZJt'"" '" """"•'"■'' **'^'"«'» ■""'-"•"»■• ^»-,. Mu,,*,

'iblfJ

28G

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

often faults of the head more than of the heart; of imprudence and
ihoughllessness more than of deliberate design and malice. If you
look for the accomplished for<jer, the cold-blooded midnhjhi assassbi or
murderer, the man who goes always armed with the destructive bowie-
knife or revolver, ready for any deed of blood, you will in general have
to seek elsewhere than among the class of Irish emigrants whom, you so
fiercely denounce.

The Irishman's vices are generally the rcsxdl of intemperance, or cf
the sudden heat of passion, sometimes aroused by outrages upon his
country or religion; he is easily misled by evil associates, but his heart
is generally in the right place. The Irishman has no concealment in his
character; what he is, he is openly and before the world.

Since the Arclibisliop wrote, eveilts have greatly modi-
fied the feeUngs then entertained towards the Irishman and
his creed ; but the enemy of the Irishman's own creation,
and his own fostering, is as rampant and as deadly as ever.

The 'liquor' business' is most pernicious, either directly
or indirectly, to the Irish. Eequiring little capital, at least
to commence with, the Irish rush into it ; and the temp-
tation to excess which it offers is often more than the
virtiie of the proprietor of the business can withstand. If
the evil were confined to the individual himself, the result
would be ii matter of comparatively trifling consequence :
but the Irishman attracts the Irishman to his saloon or his
bar, and so the evil spreads. Almost invariably the lowest
class of groggery or hquor-storc — that which supplies the
most villanous and destructive mixtures to its unfortunate
customers — is planted right in the centre of the densely-
crowded Irish quarter of a great city ; while too often the
name on the sign-board acts as a tatpl lure to those who
quaff ruin or death in the maddening bowl. In America,
as in Ireland, there are men in the trade who are a credit
to their country, indeed an honour to humanity — generous,
high-spirited, charitable and religious, who are foremost in
ever}^ good work, and who are never appealed to in vain in
any cause of public usefulness ; but, on the other hand, there
are others whose connection with it is injurious to them-

prudence and
\lice. ]f you
t assassbi or
ruclive howie-
i general have
t whom you so

perance, or of
xges upon his
1, but his heart
oalmont in his

eatly modi-
ishman and
n creation,
dly as ever,
ler directly
ital, at least
. the temp-
3 than the
listand. If
', the result
nsequence ;
iloon or his

the lowest
upplies the
Linfortunate
tie densely-
)o often the

those who
11 America,
re a credit
—generous,
"oremost in
in vain iu
hand, there
s to them-

'i i

DRINK AND POLITICS. 287

itTr o7t/7f "'1' *^'^"" countrymen. The bad
hquor of the Native American or the Dutchman is far less
perilous to poor Pat than what is sold by the bar-keeper
^^•lIose name has in it a flavour of the shamrock. A feeling
o clanship. If not a spirit of nationahty, operates' as an
additional inducement to the Irishman, who probably
oquires httle mcentive to excess, beyond his own craving
^JT'^T^ enjoyment and dangerous excitement!
Meie too, the vorking man is seduced into that most
tempting, yet most fatal of all moral maelstroms-the
Avhirlpoo of pothouse pohtics, in whose accursed depths of
"uul and mire many a bright hope has been wrecked
many a soul lost. Here, fascinated by the coarse Sirens J
J^rnil. and Politics-many an Irishman, fitted by nature
for better things, has first become a tool, then a slave
then a victim ; helping to build up the fortunes of some
worthless fellow on his own ruin, and sacrificing the
legitimate gain of honest industry for the expectation of
some paltry office, which, miserable at best, ever eludes
Ins desperate clutch. It requires no httle moral courao-e
on the part of the eager and impulsive Irishman to avJld
being entangled in the fatal meshes of the pothouse and its
pohtics ; ye if he has the good fortune to resist the temp-
tation, or the energy to break through the toils, he i.
amply rewarded in his safety and independence. An
aiihghtened mterest in public affixirs becomes the freeman •
thankless drudgery and inevitable debasement are oni;
worthy of the willing slave. ^

Formerly there were inducements to excess which either
no longer exist, or do not exist to the same extent as they
^lid. The principal inducement was the low cost of
whisky Even of the best quality, it was so cheap as to
be withm the means of the poorest ; while whisky of an
menov and therefore more deleterious description, was
to be had at a price almost nominal. And with this
poisonous stuff-this rot to the entrails and devil to the

Jf,1

•I

'*4

f«*i

268

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

■r»

brain — many tlionsands of Irishmen wore delihoratcly slain
by contractors engaged in certain public works. Tlio Ruoner
the task was done the more profit to the contractor. It was
a free country, and tlio white man could not be made to
work against liis wiU ; but advantage was taken of his
weakness, and with red-hot whisky the Uberal contractor
lashed and goaded the toiler to superhuman efforts — before
wliich the embankment grew up, and the huge earth-
mound vaiiished, and the great ditch widened ami deep-
ened, as if with the celerity of magic ; but ere that work
was done — ere the train rattled along the iron highway,
the boat floated in the canal, or the ship was moored in the
dock — there were widows and orphans to mourn the
victims of a fatal weakness, and the reckless greed and
wicked crueltv of their taskmasters.

Instigated by the devil whisky, the oid insane and
meaningless jealousies Vjroke out — not the Catholic against
the Protestant — not the Green against the Orange ; but
Munster against Connaught, and Connemara against Cork.
And out of these shameful feuds sprang riots, and blood-
shed, and murder, as well as deep national scandal. The
Catholic Church spared no exertions to avert this evil, and
put an end to a cause of such just reproach ; but tnough
immense good was done, and much evil prevented, the
active devil was at times too potent for its mild authority.
Hai)inly, these are things of the past, which must yet
be remembered with a blush of sorrow and of shame.

If, even still, there is much to deplore, there is more to
rejoice at. Not only are the vast majority of Irishmen in
all parts of America as sober and temperate in their habits
as any men to be found in any community or country, but
in many parts of the United States the Irish enjoy the
reputation of being among the best, the most orderly, and
the most sober portion of the populaiion. And where this
happy state of things exists, the Irish of the Avorking-classcs
arc sure to possess property^, to have their 'house and lot,

TKMPEIIANCE ORGANISATION.

280

iboratcly slain
i. Tlio sooner
actor. It was
i be made to
taken of his
al contractor
fforts — before
hw^Q earth-
ed ojid deep-
3re that work
ron highway,
Qoored in the
» mourn the
ss greed and

. insane and
bhohc against
Orange ; but
against Cork,
s, and blood-
3andal. The
this evil, and
; but tliough
revented, the
ild authority,
ch must yet
shame.
3re is more to
: Irishmen in
n their habits
■ country, but
sh enjoy the
orderly, and
id where this
)rking-classcs
;use and lot,

and to 1)0 fnigal, thrifty, and saving. Nor, ns I can testify,
are the Irish without meeting with ready and generous
appreciation from Americans of long descent. 'The Irish
here, sir, are amongst our best citizens; they are s()l)er
and industrious, moral, orderly, and law-abiding— sir, they
are a credit to their native country.' This testimony I
was proud to hear in various States. But, unhappily, in
some of the largo cities, the evil habit of the minority
casts a certain amount of discredit, however unjustly, on
their Irish populations.

In every largo city and in most of the considerable towns
of America there is a temperance organisation, which o£fers
the usual advantages to those who belong to it. On Mon-
day, March 18th, I had an admirable opportunity of wit-
nessing the display made by the temperance societies of
New York ; and rarely did I behold a spectacle which was
in itself so cheering and consolatory, or of which I felt
more truly proud. In the hey-day of the temperance move-
ment in Ireland I had more thjin once seen processions
quite as brilliant and imposing, after their fashion, as that
which I scanned with eager scrutiny in New York. There
was therefore nothing novel in the display, whether in its
banners, its decorations, its music, or even its numbers.
What did delight me— what I know dehghted others, who,
hke myself, had a national interest in the festival of the
day— was to witness so large a body of Irishmen, and the
children of Irishmen, presenting in the face of the Ameri
can people a striking and beneficial example of courage
and good sense to their own race ; in a city, too, which
probably has within it more of risk and danger to sobriety
than any other city in the States. Their dress was admir-
able, even conspicuous where rospectabihty of attire was
tlie rule ; and there was that in their air and manner and
carriage which elicited universal admiration, and deeply,
gratified the Irishmen— many of them the most eminent
m the city— by whom, on that occasion, I happened to be

':^

■ 1:4(1

'-.4 '

290

TUB IRISH IN AMERICA.

ti.

surrouiulotl. In that onormous proceflsion, roii^rhly e«ti.
iiuitcil, at 30,000 persons, men and hoyn, thero ^voio
ihousaiuls of Hol)(3r sclf-rcHiJCctinfr men who wore not
members of a temperance or<ranisation— not • teetotaHerH :'
but there were alwo, I must admit, not a few who (lisphiyed
in tlieir maunvleriii<,' hjolcH and totterin^r f<iiit an over-zealouH
devotion to the Patron Saint of their native land.

I was mueh amused at receiving a letter from an inihi-
ential member of one of the most prosperous of the
temperance societies of New York, in which the writer
proudly claimed for his body prominent distinction, on
these very cogent grounds— that not only had they a con-
siderable number of members belonging to their society,
but that their members owned more property, had more
money in the bank and in profitable investments ; had
built more houses, and of a superior description; had
educated their children bettor, and advanced them 'more
successfully in life, and held a higher social position, than
the members of any other society in Now York ; though
the writer had no notion of disparaging any of them what-
ever. Here was a volume of sermons embodied in these
few words ; and being the words of a good Irishman, I
commend them to his countrymen wherever they may be.

I was thus addressed in a Western city by an Irishman
who ic himself a credit to his country. Upright, intelli
gent, and self-respecting, he is one of those men, of
whom there are thousands in America, who would not
compromise the national honour in his own pers'.n for
any earthly consideration. He said :

*I have one request to make of you, and I am ouu.iin
you will comply with my humble but earnest prayer : and
that is, to place before the eyes of the poor intending
emigrant, as of those who have their interest at heart, and
whose advice is liLel/ to be taken by our people, iheierrililo
dangers of int« mj;: • a-ice in this country. Implore of them,
in the name of everything pure and lovely in Heaven nnd

HOPE IN THE FUTURE.

ON ear h to make up thoir minds, aa good ChriHiian.. to
oavc oil the UHO of intoxicating drinlus before startinff f„r
n. country-otherwiHo they are not wanted here. Let
thuu 8tay at home, where, oven if of diHsipatcd hahits
tioy can meet some j^ood Samaritan who wiU extend to
them the hand of friendHliip in distress ; for liere the man
liic ined to drink wiU meet with nothing, but bad wlnsky
and a paupers grave, and not one to say ««Lord have
mercy upon hnnl" This is my request of you, and I make
itm th,. mlorest of our common country, because I have
too good reason to know that drink is tho bane of our
pooplp/

With the influence of sound rehgious teaching, whose
tendency leads to self-government and control-tho influ-
ence of the Church, which is every day drawing her
children more within the reach of her salutary authority-
the mfluence of organisations through which even the de-
«pan-ing outcast may learn a lesson of hope, of moral and
social redemption,_with these influences steadily acting on
the Irish in America, we may look with confidence to the
wiping away of a reproach which is due to the folly and
madness of the few .ather than of the many ; as also to the
moval rom the path of the Irishman of one of the most
fatal obstacles to his advancement in a country for which
he IS eminent^ suited by quahties that, if not mari^d or
perverted by this one terrible vice, must lead him to suc-
^r prlvat?'"^ ^"^^ '"^ ciepartment of Hfo, whether public

292

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

CHIPTER XV.

Poor Irish Gentility— Honest labour— The MiUe 'a son— Well-
earned Success— No poor Irish Gentility here— A Sfslf-nmdo Man
—Ihm bo became a blaster Baker— The Irish doirt do them-
selves Justice— How they are regarded- Scotch Irish.

THERE is another evil wliicli overtakes Irishmen of a
certain class in the new world ; it may be called the
Micauber evil — 'waiting for something to turn up.' The
delay of a week may be the destruction of the young man
who comes out to America with the highest hopes of doing
something, he knows not what, and getting on, he knows
not how. In mere delay there is danger quite sufficient ;
but woe to him if he bring with him the faded gentility of
poor Ireland to a country utterly without sympathy for such
threadbare nonsense. The Irishman who brings with him
across the ocean this miserable weakness travels with the
worst possible compagnon de voyage. In America there
is no disgrace in honest labour. It was labour that made
America what she is ; it is labour that will make her what
she is destined to be— the mightiest power of the earth.
But that pestilent Irish gentility, which has never appre-
ciated, perhaps never could appreciate, this grand truth ;
that Irish gentility, the poorest and proudest, the most
sensiti-3 and the most shamefaced, of all such wretched
shams— that weakness of indigenous growth has brought
many a young Irishman to gi-ief and shame. Advised,
by those who knew America well, to Hake any tiling'

to 'do anything' that offered, poor Irish 'gentiUty

could not stoop to employment against which its

liigli

els with the

HONEST LABOUR 293

stomached pride revolted-poor Irish gentihtj was 'never
used to that kind of thing at home ; ' so poor Irish gentil-
ity wandered hopelessly about, looking in vain for what
would suit its notions of respectability ; until poor Irish
-ontihty found itself with linen soiled, hat battered, clothes
soedy, boots unreliable, and spirits depressed-so down
fatally down, poor Irish gentihty sank, until there was not
strength or energy to accept the work that offered ; and
poor Irish gentihty faded away in some dismal garret or
foul cellar, and dropped altogether out ^f sight, into the
last receptacle of poor gentihties— the grave of a paupor I
heard a good Irish lady describe an awful tragedy of th^'s
nature ; and as she told the melancholy tale, her face -rew
pale at it« remembrance. Called too late to save one^who
had been her friend in youth, she was in time to close her
eyes as she lay in her last mortal agony on the bare floor
of a back room in a tenement house in New York. Meek
gentle, weU-educated and accomplished, the poor exile who
thus died on that bare floor, with scarcely sufficient rags to
hide her wasted limbs, was the victim of the husband's
false pride and morbid sensitiveness— of his poor Irish gen-
tility. Through every stage of the downward process he
rapidly passed, dragging down with him his tenderly nur-
tured wife, until the sad ending was that death of huno-er
on those naked boards. • ^

There must be no hesitation, no pause, in a country in
which there is no hesitation, no pause, no rest— whose "life
IS movement, whose law is progress. The golden rule to
be observed by the new-comer is to accept any employ-
ment that offers, and refuse nothing that is honest and not
luorally degrading : and from the lowest, the humblest, the
poorest positions, any commonly weU-cducated man can
rise if he only determine to do so. Many of the greatest,
highest, proudest men in America have risen fi-om the axe
and th'^ -—I-- i?- — ■! ' - - -

e spade— from labour of one kind or ot^her ; and

'»*s*

■■■■fl
.1

the estimation of every honourable mind th

111

oy arc the

294

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

•f?-.

greater, the higher, and the prouder, because of theii
having done so. Americans teach many useful lessons to
the nations of the Old World. Progress is not the only
principle happily illustrated by them; 'recuperation' is
even better understood. If an American fail in business,
his failure is no obstacle to his 'trying again;' as if a man
happen to fall in the street, there is no reason why he
should not pick himself up, rub the dust or mud fi-om his
clothes, and continue on his way. The American may fail
once, or twice, or, even thrice; but he does not therefore
sit down in despair— with him, as long as there is life there
IS hope. It might be curious to speculate how many emi-
nent merchants, now millionaires, or on the high road to
that goal of the business man's ambition, owe their present
position to the 'never say die ' poKcy— who, so long as they
had brains or health, would not give in. To ' begin again '
is not the same desperate thing in America that it is in
England or Ireland; simply because so many men have
begun at the lowest, are beginning at the lowest, must
begin at the lowest; and there is no shame attaching to
the lowest in a country where honest labour— toil in the
sweat of the brow — is honourable, not degrading, To our
mind, there is something more than healthful and hopeful
in this policy— it is manly and noble. Poor Irish gentiUty
cannot comprehend, or will not acce^it it ; but Irish pluck
and energy will. Of this Irish pl^ck and energy I could
give many illustrations ; but I must content myself with
a few.

I had not been long in the States when, in a Western
city, I met the subject of the following true tale.

There landed on the levee of New Orleans on the 2Gtli
of January, 1854, a well-built, bright-looking, high-
spirited young Irishman, from the neighbourhood of a
town in the county Eoscommon. The son of a miller, he
had received that ordinary kind of education which left
much to be done by the pupil in after life. Save health,

SG of theii
1 lessons to
ot the only
peration ' is
in business,
as if a man
son why he
id fi-om his
an may fail
)t therefore
is life there

many emi-
gh road to
leir present
Dng as they
egin again '
lat it is in

men have
west, must
btaching to
-toil in the
?, To our
nd hopeful
ih gentiUty
Irish pluck
^y I could
lyself with

a Western

1 the 26th
ng, high-
[lood of a
miller, he
which left
ive health,

THE MILLER'S SON. 295

strength and a fixed resolution to push his way in the
world, the son of the Irish miller had nothing when he
stood on the banks of the mi. .ty Mississippi. Young

U B did not lose much time, or wear out his boot-

leather, m hunting after employment that would har-
monise with his notions of Irish gentihty-for the simple
reason that he had not brought such a commodity with
him from Roscommon. Like a sensible young Irishman.
A^-ho had the world before him, he took the first work that
offered. With the savings of a few weeks' labour in his
pocket he paid his passage to St. Louis. Work was scarce
m tliat city at the moment, so he determined not to lose his
tune there, but push on. From St. Louis he proceeded to
the city in which he hoped to find something to do ; and as
he left the steamer, in which he had taken a deck passage
his entire fortune consisted of three silver doUars Fail-
ing to find work of any kind in this city, he resolved to
try what he could make of the country; for being a sober
lad, and having his bright Irish wits about him, he deter-
mined that he should not 'hang about the town' He
went some eight or ten miles into the country, and found
work as a farm hand. For six weeks he honestly did his
best to earn his pay; but his hands becoming sore from
the labour, he was forced to give in. Returning to the
own, the Roscommon lad was employed by the principal
hotel of the place to bring water to the stable with a horse
and cart. At this humble employment he was engao-ed,
when, happening to see a small man set upon by a groat
savage he came to the rescue of the former, and prostrated
the Gohath. The Goliath was treacherous as well as brutal -
and rushing into his house, which was near at hand he
possessed himself of a sharp weapon, with which he stabbed
the young Irishman, of whom he very nearly made an

end. For six months of pain and weariness poor O'B

was unable to earn a doUar. But ho had brought with
Inm from Roscommon a splendid constitution, and 'fine

296

THE IRISH IN A^rERICA.

healing' flesli.' When ho was on his legji again he was
taken into the office of t' notel, a position for which his
intolHgence suited him. ^' .e place was a very good one, as

a stej)ping-stone to bomething better ; and when O'B

quitted it, which he did in twenty months, it was with
900 dollars in his pocket, having saved every cent that he
could possibly lay by. To be a lawyer was his ambition ;
and he was bright, and quick, and clear, with a fervent
tongue, and a good tough brain withal. For two years
and three months he studied hard at the desk and in the
courts, and was then admitted into the profession after a
creditable examination. He then practised with an emi-
nent lawyer in the great city in which he had studied ;
and with the same eminent lawyer he remained until the
summer of 1860. Then he turned his face once more to
the smaller city in which he had humbly toiled and faith-
fully served ; and here he determined to set up as an
attorney and counsellor. . His wealth was then all in the
brain and the will, and his exchequer was low indeed.
He contrived, however, to . get an office, the furniture of
which consisted of a small table and a single chair — in-
tended for the joint yet separate use of client and of
counsel ; while the library was comprehended in a single
volume of the statutes, 'loaned' to him by a friend. It
was not a very splendid beginning, nor was his office a
palace of luxury ; but there was the right stuff in the
young practitioner. His first case was remarkable, not so
much from its being, what it was, a bad one — a 'hard
case ' — or for its success, as for an incident with which it
was attended. The opposing counsel, who knew the his-
tory of his 'learned friend,' finding his young antagonist
pushing him to the wall, and losing temper, had the good
taste and delicacy to suggest that his 'learned fiiend' was
more conversant with the manipulation of a trunk or
portmanteau than with the handling of a legal argument ;
to which taunt the young Irishman replied in a manner

n he was

which hi«
od one, as
1 O'B

was with
it that he
ambition ;

a fervent
two years
and in the
on after a
h an emi-
i studied ;
. until the
e more to
and faith-
up as an

all in the
w indeed,
irniture of
chair — in-
at and of
n a single
friend. It
is office a
Liff in the
ble, not so
— a 'hard
h. which it
w the his-
antagonist
i the good
riend' was

trunk or
[irgument ;

a manner

WELL-EARNED SUCCESS. 297

at once playful and emphatic-namoly, by hurling a great
glass inkstand right in the face of his 'learned friend
down whose obscured features a copious stream of ink'
artistically blended with a rosier hue, rolled and lo^^t
Itself m the full bosom of a shirt which a second b foro
had shone with dazzhng lustre. It is not given to every
man to make a sensation in court ; but the effect of this
coup was eminently successful. The judge, representing
the majesty of the Law, which affected to be deeply
offended and seriously outraged, solemnly imposed a fine
of fa ty dollars ; which fine was less solemnly remitted.
The tide of fortune began to set in ; and in few days after
his double success, alike of ink-bottle and argument, the
rising lawyer had the courage to go in debt for four chairs
and to have Ins office washed out on credit. But in five
years after the delivery of the retort courteous referred to

O B- received an absolute fee of 1,000 dollars for the

conduct of an important ca^e, and a conditioned fee of
0,000 doUars-in other words, one thousand dollars win or
lose, and five thousand in case he won ; and he did win
-that is, he got a young gentleman of good family safely
through a httle scrape which might have had a fatal ter-
mination^ The four chairs, long since paid for, are still
m the office; and the loaned copy of the statutes, after-
wai-cls presented as a tribute of admiration, expanded into
a library that is fast encroaching on the last few unoc-
cupied feet of wall. In 18G2 and in 18G3 O'B was

member of the State Legislature, and at the election for
Congress previous to the time i met him, he was a candi-
date on the Democratic ticket. There is no mystery no

disguise about O'B or his career; for at the State Con^

vention the gentleman-a State Senator-who nominated
nm, made the leading facts which I have now narrated
the be.st claim t., tlio sympathy and respect of his audi^'
ence, who, like the subject of his euloginm, were, most of
them at least, self-made men. I have seen O'B 's

298

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

home library, and I can answer that not only is it choice
and comprehensive, but that it is well employed by tlie
successful lawyer, who, when a lad of twenty, worked man-
fully on the levee of New Orleans. Possibly tlie moral
of the story might be found in these words, which I heard
him use — 'Thank Heaven! I never was drunk in my life.'

One evening in a great Eastern city I met in social in-
tercourse some five-and-twenty or thirty Irishmen from
all parts of Ireland, every one of whom was either pro-
gressing, prosperous, or rich : and all, without an exception,
owed everything they possessed to their own energy and
good conduct. During*- the evening a scrap of paper was
handled to me, on which was written the words — ' There
are more than four millions and a half of dollars repre-
sented at this table — all made by the men themselves, and
most of it within a few years.' The Irishman who sat
next to me was the possessor of a tweKtli of the v/hole.
He had not been more than sixteen years in the country,
and until some years after he landed in America he had
no connection whatever with mercantile affairs. A few dol-
lars and the clothes in which he stood — such was his capi-
tal. He had no poor Irish gentility to embarrass him;
and at the head of a dray-horse he might be seen soon
after his arrival, his frock-coat not altogether suited to his
rough employment, and hjs boots fatally damaged in sole
and upper. But in a short time he made and saved
money, and he went from one thing to another, mounting-
step after step of the commercial ladder ; until he now is
partner in one of the finest concerns of the city, and
enjoys the higheot repute for probity and enterprise. At
the same table sat one who, a native of my own city, liad
been earning at home four shillings a week — eightpence a
day — at a certain employment, but who was then the
owner of a prosperous establishment, in which several
hundreds were profitably employed. Intelligence, sheer in-
dustry, and good conduct, — these the secret of his success

NO POOR IRISH GENTILITY HERE.

299

In the same city I know an Irishman who holds peiluipa
as ijrominent and responsible a position as any man
within its walls, he having the management of one of the
most splendid concerns in America. He had a situation
in Ireland of some 100/. a year on a pu})lic work; but
being a young man of good education, clear brain, lunl
magnificent health, he thought he could do better iii
America. There was not a bit of false gentihty about
him, yet he sought to procure a situation at least as re-
spectable as that to which he had been accustomed ; but
the moment the last sovereign was turned into dollars,
and the dollars were rapidly vanishing, he determined ho
would not be idle a day longer. * I saw,' he said, ' there
was nothing for it but work, and I wvas resolved to take
anything that offered, I didn't care what. I spent a por-
tion of the morning knocking about here and there, trying
to get such employment as I would prefer; but it was
not to be had. I was too lat», or they didn't want me.
' Come,' said I to myself, ' there must be an end of this kind
of thing ; the way to get along is to begin with something,
so I turned into the first livery-stable I came to, and asked
the owner did he require a hand to rub down his horses :
he said he did, and that he would willingly employ me.
'All right,' said I; 'so I stripped off my coat, turned up
my sleeves, and set to work. And I assure you I slept
well that night. I was not long there, having soon found
what suited me better— and here I am now, thank God.'

As I was leaving a city ' down South ' I was accompanied
some way in the ' cars ' by a number of my countrymen
—every man of them prosperous, respectable, and 'self-
made.' Near me was a gentlemen rather advanced in
years, of the kindest expression, the softest voice, and eyes
mildly beaming through a pair of gold-rimmed glasses.
A thorough American, he was no loss a devoted Irishman.
I >vas speaking of the chmate, and its -ftect on the con-

'<^

.-4

stitution and health of o

"-1-^
^t'*

when

ho said, iu his

300

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

Boft voice — *My dear sir, it all depends on a man's

rt.

dcnce

The climate

pruilcnce or iniprudoncc.
tlioHo who arc foolish — who drink to excess. Any climate
would be injurious to them; but this climate, though
nnich talked against, is not dangerous to the sober man.
My dear sir, there is an instance of it in my own person
—I worked on a canal for three years, often up to my
waist in water — '

' You, sir I ' I could not help exclaiming.

'Yes, my dear sir'— his eyes mildly beaming at me
through the gold-rimmed glasses, and his voice catching a
softer intonation— ' Yes, my dear sir, I was often up to
my hips in water ; and at the end of the time I had my
health perfectly, and a considerable sum saved — quite
enough to begin with. I kept my health, because I never
drank — Avliilo hundreds of our countrymen Avere literally
dyhig around mo, I may say withering in my sight, all
the result of their own folly. Poor fellows ! the tempta-
tion was great, and the whisky was to be had for next to
nothing.'

'But,' I said, 'you surely had not been used to rough
work of that kind ? '

'Yery true, my dear sir; but w^hat was I to do? I
knew I had come to a country in which no man — no
stranger certainly— could be idle without great injury to
himself ; and as I had no immediate opportunity of getting
such employment as I myself would have preferred, and
was accustomed to, why, my dear sir, I took that which
oifered. And, on the whole, I am not sorry for it.'

My friend then branched off into the adaptabihty of
man to various cHmates; and, taking a wide and rather
comprehensive range of inquiry, he hurried mp through
several countries of the world, at the same time broaching
a number of plausible theories, evidently favourites of his.
As I grasped his honest hand, and felt the mild hght of
those kindly eyes beaming at me through the gold-rimmetl

A SELF-MADE MAN.

301

spectacles, I pictured to myself that man of soft voice and
ciiltivatod mind, working up to bis hips in mud and slush,
and the Southern sun raining its fierce fire on his head!
But there he was, not a bit the worse for his hard work-!
on the contrary, both personally and philosophicaUy proud
of what he had gone through.

Two instances of energy and determination must close a
hst which could be added to any extent.

A great strai^ping Irishman— who would be called at
home 'a splendid figure of a man '—landed at Castlo
Garden about fifteen years since. He neither knew how
to write nor read, but he was gifted with abundant natural
quickness, and he was fuU of energy and ambition. Work
he came for, and work he got-that of a labourer. He
was as strong as a horse, but he had not much experience
ni the management of a hod ; and some of the old hands
including one who was inchned to be specially offensive,'
sneered at the new-comer as a 'green-horn.' The leader
of the old hands was a strong, burly feUow, not bad-
natured, but inchned to bully the stranger. Now the
stranger was not one of those who liked to be bulhed • so
the moment he was made fully aware of the meaning 'and
mtent of the offensive phrase, he fairly challenged, and in
smgle combat manfully vanquished, his ill-advised assail-
^^*- - ' "^ moment he lost the verdant tinge which

he first \>. so fa:- this was serviceable ; but he was not

content wit p^or a triumph. He saw other men— dull
plodders, with 'not half his own gumption,' pushing their
way up the social ladder ; and why ? Because they could
read and write,-because they had 'the learning,' which
alas ! he had Lot. But it was not because he had it not
at that moment, that he could not have it some time or
other. Then he would have it ; that he was resolved on
bo the large Irishman— who seemed big enough to swallow
master and pupils at a meal— sat down on a form in a
night school, and commenced to learn his a, b, c ; and, with

ii /

.Itf

■A

803

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

ton

^nio tlesperdtely rlriven against ono cheek, strumrled

with his 'pot-Iiooks and h

lingers '—the first eilbrts of tlio

pohto letter writer. It was luird work, far tougher than
that with the spade or the pickaxe. Many a time did tlie
poor fellow's (uKirage begin to fail, and his heart sink, as
It were, nito his boots ; but lie would not be beaten—he
would not have it said that he failed. He did not fail
With the aid of a fellow-student, more advanced than
liims(.lf, he drew out his first contract, which was for a
few Imndred dollars. This was accepted; and bein-
executed in the most satisfactory manner bv the youn-
contractor, wlio himself performed no small" part of the
task. It was his first great step in hfe-contracts for
thousands of doUars, and hundreds of thousands of dollars
following more rapidly than, in his wildest dreams, he
could have imagined possible. This self-made man quickly
adapted himself to the manners of the class to which he
had so laboriously and creditably raised himself ; and no
one who converses with the shrewd, genial, ofi-handed
Irishman, who drives his carriage, lives in fine st-le, and
IS educating liis young family with the utmost care and at
groat cost, could suppose that he was the same rough giant
who a few years before sat upon the form of a ni-ht
sdiool, wearily plodding at words of two syllables, and,
with tongue fiercely driven against his cheek," scrawled on
a slate his first lessons in writiii'^''.

Any one passing through the fashionable quarter of the
capital of a Southern State may see the weH-appointed
mansion of a worthy Irishman, who was born within toe

swing of the

Bells of Sliandon,
That sound so grand on
Tlio iileasant waters
Of Mie river Loe.

As a journeyman baker he entered that city in the year
1851. In a few months after, he had saved 200 dollars :

now HE BKCAME A MASTER BAKER.

803

:, struggled
ibrts of tlio
)Uglior tlmn
iuie did tlio
:'Mrt sink, an

beateu — ho
id not fail,
ancod than

was for a
and being

the young
inrt of the
titracts for
3 of dollars,
Ireama, he
lan quickly
) which he
If ; and no
oil-handed

sb'le, and
xre and at
)ugh giant
)f a night
ibles, and,
rawled on

•ter of the
■appointed
-vithin the

1 the year
) dollars -

and with this, as part payment, he bought a small house
and lot of half an acre of ground— the balance to be paid
at the covenanted time. Having thus made his tirst start
in life, he then made his second — ho married. Besides
the half acre in his Jot, he rented an additional acre ; and
this acre wa« the chief moans of his future fortune. Hia
ambition was to be a master baker, 'no man's servant.'
How was this to be done ? Through the acre of garden.
But what time had the journeyman baker, who worked
from three o'clock in the morning till four in the evening
in the bakery, to spend in citUivathig vegetables? Very
little time, an ordinary person would sujipose ; but the
Corkman, who had seen how vegetables were grown in the
neighbourhood of his native city, and who knew how profit-
able they would be when raised for his adopted city, was
not an ordinary pei-Son— on the contrary, he was a deter-
mined and energetic person, who was resolved to rise in
the world by more than ordinary industry. So, after
leaving his day's work at the bake-house, he would go home
and work at his little farm fi-om five o'clock in the after-
noon to a late hour in the night— frequently to one
o'clock next morning, if the moon served ; he would then
snatch a couple of hours' rest, and be again in the bake-
house at the regular hour. Every minute that he could
steal fi-oni his natural rest, every moment of his leisure
time, was devoted by the journeyman baker to the culti-
vation of his land ; and when the bright Southern moon
Hooded the silent night with its radiance, the Corkman
might be seen digging and delving, raking and weeding,
planting and sowing ; until his farm blossomed as a garden,
and bore abundant fruit. By this means he nearly sup-
ported his family, and saved his wages. In three years he
has 500 dollars in the bank. With this 500 dollars he
took his third start in America— he became a master
baker. And so well did he succeed in his new capacity,
that he soon established a good business, saved a con^j-der-

Mij
-.'St'

■■f-

•N

THE IRISU IN AMERICA.

nl.le Kum of mon«y, e.lncato,! Iuh cI,il,l,o,., l,uiU for tl.o.u

do.. ,.t l„a lu.n.lH, cm Ht,.to that this solf-„m.lo m,u, i„
....."..« tl.0 „,„st rcspcctoa of tl.o Irisl.-bon. eitizo,., of tho

«..c.co.. ul y. Ho had a ■.,„oczo in hin ln,«i„o.,. d,.X! tl
^va.•; but ,vhc„ I «aw l,i,n he had f;ot over all hiHdiffi.
cilt.os, and was then sailing before tho wi,.d. Ho is a
genninely sobe- n,a„, who. to use his ow,. words, 'knows
the danger of drink, and never loat an hour by it iu hi

And hero I answer a question whieh is in every Irish-
man s nund op the tip of every Irishn.an's to„gue,_how
are he Irish .lon.g ui America ?-have they bettered their
condition, or the eontrary V-aro they improving or goi^"
back ? I was nearly six months going fi-om place to place"
and during that time, and in the course of \hat extlnded'
.lonniey I was brought into contact with men of diifercnt
nationalities, various opinions, and all classes of society
I conversed with Irishmen who took a desponding or :,
hopeful view of the position of their countrymen, who
mourned oyer their weaknesses and their follies, or were
proud of their virtues. I sought to gather information
wherever I went, and I had abundant opportunities of
doing so. I searched and I sifted wi.li an earnest purpose
and a conscientious desire to come at the truth. I set
statement against statement, opinion against opinion, in
the spirit of a judge rather than with the feeling of an
advocate-though, i honestly confess it. I could not, even
for a s^ocond, divest myself of a strong wish to hear the
best ot those of my own race and country. The result
then of every observation I could make, of every enquiry
I instituted, of every information I received, is thi.s.-that

TiiK inrsri dont no tuhmsklvrs justice.

C05

whilo, ill Ronio pldcoM, Uiv.Yo aro evils to doploro, but ovilH
whii-li aro boinj,^ it'me(li(«(l, unci Avliihi many urc not aoii,.^
wliut thoy on-l,t or coul.l do for their iidvaneoinont, on tho
whol<s and dealin<r with tlicni in luaHH, tho Iriwh in Anioricii
aro Htoadily riHin- Htoadily advancing ntoadily iinprovin.^
in cn-oujuHtanoos and in position ; and that, an a rule, thoy
havo cnonnously boncfittod their condition by liavinir loft,
the old country for tlio new. In every walk au«l de-
partment of life they are making their mark. As mer-
chants, bankers, manufacturers— as lawyers, physicdans,
engineers, architects, inventors— as literary men, *as moii
of science, as artists, as scholars, as teachers of youth- -as
soldiers, wise in council and terrible in battle— as states-
men, as yet more the sons of Irishmen than Irish born,—
the nationality is adeciuately and honoural)ly representc'd ;
while the great bulk— the mass— are felt to 'be essential to
the progress, the greatness, tho very life of tho American
Ilepublic. Where, as must necessarily be the case, tho
Irish constitute a large proportion of the working popula-
tion of a great city, they may be looked down upon by
the prejudiced or the superfine— those who dislike their
religion, or despise homely manners or rude employment ;
but the toiling, hard-working mass of the Irish are never-
theless rising day by day, not only to greater comfort, but
to a fuller appreciation of their duties and their destiny as
citizens of America.

Tho Irish in America injure themselves more than others
can or are willing to injure them. They injure themselves
seriously by not in all cases putting forward their best
men to represent them, whether in municipal or other
offices ; and by allowing men do speak and act in their
name who are not the most qualified, indeed in some, and
too many, instances^ not in the least qualified to do tho
one or the other. Thoughtful Irishmen, sensitive and self-
respecting, are the very first to deplore this great prac-
tical error ; and I must say I have been but too sensible of

-1

306

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

its damaginnr influence in more than one instance, or one
locality. The evil wliicli is done follows as a necessary
and inevitable consecnience. AVhen the Ir^sh put forward
or elect certain men, they are assumed to do so of their
own free choice— to select them as the right men, the
best men; and this being so, they must not be surprised
if the prejudiced or the censorious are only too willing to
accept such ill-chosen and unfit representatives as accurate
types and fair exponents of Irish character, Irish genius,
or Irish worth. But, on the other hand, when the Irish
adopt tlic right men— men who are upright, honourable,
wise— in a word, presentable— men of whom they may say
with pride, 'they belong to us; they are of our stock; we
are not ashamed to put them forward as our representa-
tives,'— in such case they do not so much do honour to
themselves, as simple justice to their country and their
race. I cannot venture to deal otherwise than in gene-
rahties ; and I shaU therefore only add that, while I have
frequently witnessed, and always with intense satisfaction,
ilio result of the wise and self-respecting policy of select-
ing the best, the ablest, and the worthiest Irishmen, or
sons of Irishmen, to represent the race, I have had 'too
many occasions to deplore the fatal folly of Irishmen
thrusting into pubhc positions, or rather suffering to be
thrust into such positions, men who, possibly excellent
persons in their own way, and eminently suited for the
retirement of domestic life, were not qualified to stand the
test of American criticism— that is, as the representatives
of a great nationality and a gifted people. There is no
lack of the best men for such offices or positions, be they
what they may ; but it wiU often happen that the sensitive
man of merit has no chance against the vulgar intriguer—
and so the Irish are damaged in the pubhc esteem. "" This,
however, is an evil that must cure itself in course of time,'
when the Irish-American witnesses the happy results of a
pohcy consistent not only with reason and common-sense,
but with the most ordinary seK-respect.

now THEY ARE REGARDED.

807

On the whole, then, and notwithstanding this evil, which
is more damaging- than some will beh(3ve, the Irish in
America are steadily advancing in social position, as weU
as improving in material prosperity. They are improving
oven in the cities in which dangers and temptations are
most liable to assail them ; they are improving in places
in which society is, as it were, only setthng down into its
legithnate grooves ; and in many, many parts of the country
they are— taking all circumstances into consideration-
progressing more rapidly and more successfully than any
other class of the community. The Irish landed on the
shores of America poorer- with less money, less means, less
capital— than the Eughsh, the Scotch, or the Germans; in
fact, under less favourable circumstances in almost every
respect than the people of any other country. The vast
majority of them came in poverty— too many in want and
sickness— too many only to find a grave after landing ;
and, therefore, what the Irish in America have done in
their adopted country— their new home— though by no
means all, or anything like all, that could be wished of
them, is an indisputable proof of the inherent vigour and
vitahty of their race. This is what may be conscientiously
said of them to-day ; but how nuidi more may be said of
them in ten or twenty years hence, belongs to the future
and to the goodness of Providence.

And now a word as to the manner in which the Irish are
regarded in America. Much necessarily depends upon
themselves, but much also depends on the circumstances
m which they are placed, or by which they are surrounded.
In some places they possibly exercise, or are supposed to
exercise, too much influence in elections; and those whose
party they liappen to oppose, or with whose ambition they
interfere, can scarcely be expected to think of them and
speak of them in the most friendly or flattering terms.
In otlier places tlie religious sentiment of a large and
powerful class may be so strong as to intensify national

."8

1!
3

'1$

308

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

I..

prejudice, a jealousy Avliich is common to all countries,
Or the majority of the Irisli may happen to be liumblo
working people ; and even in Republics the rich are like the
samo class in old-established Monarchies, rather inclined
to look down upon those Avho are not, as themselves, decked
in purple and line linen. I refer in another place to the
long and bitter struggle against the Catholic and the
foreigner, and I shall only now remark that, whatever
prejudice may still exist, it nnist, to a great extent, be
traced to this old feeling, which has nifinifested itself at
various intervals before and since the Revolution; and
that, when one may hear or see the Irish spoken of or
written of in a harsh or contemptuous spirit, it would be
well, before accepting such expressions of opinion as proof
of anything more than of a narrow, a malevolent,, or an
angry mind, to; speculate as to the cause, the motive, or
the circumstances in which the traduccr and the traduced
are relatively placed. On the whole, then, and makuig
due allowance for the causes and motives at which I have
glanced, the Irish do stand well in the pubhc esteem of
America; and in many places in which I have been I
know they are not only generally esteemed, but arc highly
popular.

As to the individual Irishman, he is perhaps more
truly popular than any other man in America. His genial
quahties and kindly nature, his wit, and humour, and
pleasant manners— these render him agreeable as a com-
panion, and sought after in society ; and when business
abiHty and rigid conscientiousness are combined with the
more social qualities, as they are in numberless instances,
then there is no man more admired or respected than the
Irishman. I have frequently heard an American say of
an Irishman, who would no more think of disguising his
nationality than he would of committing a crime, 'Sir, he
is a whole-soHled Irishman— a high-souled gentleman, sir.'

But there is one class of whom, neither from Irishmen

SCOTCH IRISH.

809

countries,
be Iniiuble
xre like the
or inclined
ves, decked
lace to the
c and tliG
, whatever

extent, be
3d itself at
ition ; and
>kcn of or
: would be
n as proof
ent, or an
motive, or
3 traduced
d making
ch I have
esteem of
^e been I
[ire highly

a^is more
His genial
Qour, and
as a com-
1 business
1 with the
instances,
-1 than the
in say of
uising his
3, 'Sir, he
3man, sir.'
Irishmen

nor Americana, is much said in praise. ' Whole-souled '
and 'high-toned ' would sound as a sarcasm and a mockc>rv
If applied to those Irish, or sons of Irish, loho ,U,h'. them-
selves 'Scotch-Irish '-a title or designation so unworthv
and so unnatural, as to excite the derision of every man of
lar<'e heart and generous spirit.

The Scotch-Irish! ,Who are the Scotch-Irish^ What
does the term mean ? Is not the compound of itself a con-
tradiction V Such were the questions which I involuntarily
asked when the strange absurdity lirst met my eye or ear
It was so curicnis, it comprehended a treason so incon-
sistent with the ordinary feehngs by which men are
governed, that I was at first much perplexed when striving
to explain its meaning. But now I have no difficulty iu
understanding and accounting for this most ridiculous
compound, this mongrel designation. Scotch-Irish are
those Irish, or descendants of Irishmen, who are ashamed
o± their country, and represent themselves to Americans
as other than what they really are. Not only are they
ashamed of their country, but, so far as this f^lse feelin^
influences them, they are its shame. Detested by every
true Irishman, they are despised by every genuine Ameri-
can It would appear that, though the descendants of
settlers who came over, or were sent over, to Ireland in
he time of James, or Charles, or Cromwell, and thou-h
their families have intermixed with the native p<Ppulation
with whose blood and race theirs has blended durino- two
centuries-in fact, as far l,ack as when the Pilgrim Fathers
landed on Plymouth rock-they still are not Irish ' This
practicaUy, is what the Scotch-Irish saj/ of them.dve, b^
the adoption of this unnatural distinction : ' Sucli is our
stubborn hatred of the country on which our remote
ancestors were quartered, and from which so many of the
rig-litful owners were driven to ma^e way for us, we could
not amalgamate with thr Irish nation, or sympathisc3 with
Its people. TJiis is a hard judgment for any class to pro-
nounco against itself-and this is unmistakably imphed

€1

.,.1

■"m

310

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

'■'<i *■■*■

by the mongrel designation of Scotch-Irish. The noble
Geraldines soon became more Irish than the Irish them-
selves. Such is ever the case with a generous race ; they
will thoroughly identify themselves with the people among
whom their lot is cast. Not so with the Scotch-Irish ; the
longer they dwell in the country, the stronger seems to
be their dislike to it, and the greater their anxiety— when
abroad — to be recognised as, or mistaken for, something
different from that which they are, according to every law
of nature. This, practically, is their own story of them-
selves.

It may be well to enquire why these people call them-
selves by this unpatriotic title or designation. The reason
or cause is based on various motives, not one of which is
praiseworthy or ennobling. Cowardice, whether moral or
physical, is not a very creditable excuse for the adoption
of this description of national masquerade ; yet to moral
cowardice inay be traced this ludicrous disguise. Vanity
is not a specially high-toned motive ; and vanity has much
to do with it. Bigotry is not an ennobling sentiment;
and bigotry has also its share in the miserable treason.
To conciKate prejudice and gratify dislike — this was the
origin of Scotch-Irishism.

The prejudice to be concihated was twofold— national
and religious. But the prejudice against the stranger
comprehended all strangers, all Irish, the Northern Pro-
testant no less than the Southern Catholic. Hence then
the cry—' I am no mere Irishman ; I am Scotch-Irish.'
And many of these men— these Irish-born sons of Irish-
born fathers, and Irish-born grandfathers, and Irish-born
great-grandfathers, and Irish-born great-great-grandfathers,
joined in every fierce crusade -against Irishmen, or against
Irishmen because they were CathoHcs. There v/ere, no
doubt, many more that claimed a remote Scotch ancestry,
who, Pr(3testants or Presl)yterians as they were, stood by
thoir countrymen on every occasion when either thciv
freedom or their religion was assailed ; and these high-

THE SCOTCH IRISH.

311

Id — national

minded men would have felt themselves disgraced if they
caUed themselves anything else but what they boasted of
being — Irish.

Then the mass of the Irish emigrants were poor, many
illiterate, many in a miserable condition, a temporary bur-
den on the charity or the industry of the community Tor
the moment this Irish emigration was unpopular ; it ex-
cited apprehension, even hostility, there not being, at least
in the minds of some, sufficient confidence either in the
energy of the incomers, or the resources of the country to
which they came. Here again was the occasion for the
unnatural Irish to exclaim-' These myriads of penniless
adventurers are a different race from us. We, sleek and
weU fed, have nothing in common with those ill-clad, haH-
starved creatures ; we are not Irish, but Scotch-Irish.' To
this pitiable vanity, this abject moral cowardice, there was
ii splendid contrast in the conduct of Irishmen, who not-
withstanding the old Scotch blood in their veins, welcomed,
assisted, and cherished their poor countrymen, with whom
they claimed kindred, even though their pockets were
empty, their raiment was scanty, and sickness had foUowed
in their track.

Then the vast majority of the Irish emigrants were Ca-
thohcs ; and when the evil spirit of persecution broke out,
here was a strong motive for repudiating the countr . that
Hooded America with Popery. 'We are of a different race
and religion to these people, good Know Nothings ! Ex-
cellent Native Americans ! do not confound us with these
Irish Papists. We are Scotch-Irish— Protestant Scotch-
Irish. We are as opposed to these Irish Papists as you
are ; and to prove our sincerity— to prove to you that we
are not of the same blood, though we had the misfortune
to be born in the same country, we will heartily join yon
m every effort you may make to put them down.' And
they did as tliey said. They were honest so far.

The hteraturo of England was anti-Catholic, if not anti-
Irish ; it excited hoatility and it deepened prejudice. The

312

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

literature of England became the literature of America, or
it influenced the tone of the literature of native gi'owth.
Another reason for the poor-hearted Irishman, while i^-o-
claiming his Protestantism, to repudiate his country.

A volume of indignant commentary could not outweigh
the force of a few words which I heard uttered by an Ame-
rican, who was much perplexed by the term Scotch-Irish :

'What does Mr. mean? Why should he set himself

out as not being an Irishman? What ,^ mean by this

Scotch-Irish ? Wasn't he born in Irela^ . I was born in
America. I am an American. Then why should he pre-
tend he isn't an Irishman? I may prefer an American
Protestant to an Irish Cathohc, though a man's religion is
nothing to me, it's his own aflair ; but I like the man who
stands up for his native laud, whatever he is. I don't like
a hound that denies the country that gave him birth. It
isn't natural.'

Thus it is, whatever their own opinion of their conduct
may be, those who proclaim themselves Scotch-Irish gain
little in the esteem of the generous and the high-spirited,
but, on the contrary, lose much by this shabby absurdity.

I am happy to say that among the most favourable
specimens of the country whom I met in British America
or the States, whether North or South, were Irish Pro-
testants, from Ulster as well as Munster ; but these men
were not only known and admired as Irishui n, but they
boasted of being Irishmen. 'Whole-souled Irishmen'
indeed. I must add, in justice to my countrymen iu
Canada, that I never heard of the Scotch-Irish until I camo
to the States.

There may possibly be those in Ireland who in their
secret hearts have no love for the country that gave them
birth ; but there is no open and avowed treason to their
nationality. Anything of the kind would only ensure
universal contempt, and loss of pubKc honour and private
esteem to the })erson niean enough or rash enough to be
guilty of it. Then why should it be pardoned in America?

CHAPTER XVII,

Remi tanceg nome-Something of tho Angel still-How the
Fam.ly are brought out-Remittunces-A SMe •L-naiT'-A
Young ^ Pioneer-A Toor Irish Widow-Selfi nr wLth^

Amount sent,

II America?

TT IS difficult to realise to tlie mind the magnitude of
1 the pecuniary sacrifices made by the Irish in America
either to brmg out their relatives to their adopted country
or to reheve the necessities and improve the circumstances
o± those who could not leave or who desired to remain in
the old country. To say that they have thus disposed of a
sum equal to Twenty-four Millions of British money or
supposing there to have been no depreciation of the cur-
rency of the United States, One Hundred and Twenty
MiUions of Dollars, scarcely conveys the true idea of the
vastness of the amount of money sent within a quarter of
a century by one branch of the same great family to the
other. But if it were asserted— as it might be with the
most perfect accuracy— that the amount of money sent
across the ocean by the Irish in America and Australia
withm that time would have paid for more than two-thirds
of all the property that passed through the Court of En-
cumbered Estates in Ireland-property represented by an
annual income or rental xceeding 2,000,000^.- the mind
Wight possibly appreciate the prodigious magnitude of this
leart-ofiermg of one of the most generous and self-sacri-
hcmg of all the families of the human race. As a mere
li'cit, more than 21,000,000Z. have been sent bv the

■I, >

nil

TIIK lUlSII IN AMi;i{|('A.

'\v\nU io |MIV for pMHHMir'VM mid OIiMIIh Mil. I f.llVH i... (liHl.Mlll

pliKvi; I.. (Minl.lo lli..M.« 'Mi liuinn' 1.. pMV m. Iii'-li iviil, |mm
''"I"' '" " I'"'" "I" N.-aivilv; I.. Nii|.|M.i(. paiviilH too old. or
•"" I'vMo. or loo pn«jii,li,-,>d. Ir, vridiiio Mcn.HH iUo hoii ; or
(-> N,«,Miio llio mmIV'Iv Mild rdiicMlioii ..!' l>io||i(-pH mid HiHiriM

vol loo Vi.nil;.; io I.IMVO lllC jHMilHof M. pro! TMl'l .'d VOVM-;!)

Mild M loiij; jounit'v ill m. .slrniifjo i-oiiiilrv.

TluM'o in not M^ |>rivMlo l>MiiK««r, or pmnmc-iij-im- hroluM-, or
UKofil ill Miiv of lli,» ,Mli,.Mo|' jlio lliiil,.d SImIoh who could
nol i.<H ol' iiiMlMiiroM of III.' most oximordiiiMrv M'lfd.MiiMl
pmclJNod in IIk' sons miuI dMiiolid^rH of IIk* hiMli vnco. Tlio
oidrifs ill Hump lod-'orH mio prtwii.' <«iioii..di so luMiiydol-
iars s,«iil. ,)ii siM-h M, il.'i.v. I.y M vomi..; niMii o\- a vomi,^
AVoiuMii wilh mi Irish iimiio, fo soiiu^ person in In-lMiid ol'
usiniilMr iiMiiu^ Ihif w.mv thai. iiiMllcr ofrad, (Milry (niiis-
UxHoA inlu ifs IriK' colours. vt>liiiiics of pO(>lrv niifrhl. Ih\
wrilltMi «>f ihosc «'omiilcsM hcarl -olV(>rinj;H, jhc fniils of
hard st^lf denial, iiol merely at llie s:icrilice of iimo<'(Mil,
(MijiunuMils. :ind liunihh* liiu'ry. d(>ai' io Nyonian's ii;diire,
from a n;iiur;il ;ind jvr;ic(^fiil iiislinci, buf oi'ieu nl i\\o
0OHio( the foihh^st hopes of tin* hiim.an Invart. Mow Ion..-,
for instanc«^. if th(> Mcconntani trouMed hims,>lf to consider,
mav li<^ nol \\n\o reiiuMnhenHJ this most, rc<;-nl!ir oi' his
visitors. sin*-e whiMi. almost ;i child in yearH, slie timidiv
mul vet jMoiulK i'oiUid(\l io his custody her tlrst (vmiiiios.
Avith many ;in iujunclion ;ind m.aiiy ;i pr;iyer. .and lu>li(>v-
iiij4> sho read sympathy in liis fac(v-told him fin- \yhom it
was intended, and ho\y sadly it xy.as wanted by the oU
I^cople :it home, for \yhom she had risked the dmio-ers o\'
tlu^ derp. ami the worse ptMMis of a strani;-o land? Did he
♦'.uv io voixiwd her in .any otluM- lio-ht than .as a constant
customer, lie mi;-ht haye observed lunv the soft fair face
lost Its n\aid(Mi bUuMu. .and hardened into prom.atnre a!;v.
nnirked with lines of care and toil, as year after y(\ar this
unconscious martyr io tilial duty surrcnderctl eyerytluii<»

— ixtMi iiie yision ol a Home bU>ssed by the hne of h

lUS-

UKMITTANCI':H.n()MIO. .„,,

•I. "f H,.n,|,„^, flu, r,„..,i„Ui ,„. f,h„ fifUnU, n.,„iU,. „

'"; ' '■';''^"-" '" "■-I'-i ; "".I iiu, , I t , ;

.J!'" rf '""''"'' ■ "'" ''■'"'' «"■! i« I" " 1 ■«.,.„.-

'" 'ii-'l I.;;.- ..rrival i„ (,i,„ N™ \V.„.1,1 u,-., a....M„ 1 ,

H ut I.-r .^V..M („ t,h„ ,a(,nM.U„„s „f „,„„„ ...tioi,,. ,„,,i,.i„ , f
-, tc, ,,n,v., .„ U,„ ,„v,.,| „„„„ ,.t ,„„„„ ,,,„.,, ;,„, '

" '"".' '' 'r'' 'I- -"' t "f u.., Httio i,„a,..i ";

u., «l,„ ,H „.,.,.klv ,.,1,11,,,, a,„l win,.,!. „1,„ i„(,o,„l„ s

■^. ..s «,(,I. .,om a mattor „f imperative ,1nty, ^vlncl.
'l'«.\ '1" "ot ami ,,,,„„ot tliink of ,li«„l,oyi,„v amlJ 1
'•» *o cont™.,, a.y <,e,i«,.t i„ j,e, J„- rg. Id'^

"1,-*

81G

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

money destined to that purpose in regarded an sacred, and
must not be diverted to any ol)ject less worthy.

I was told in Now York of a youn<,' Irish >^iv\, who was
only one month in the country, going to the oiHce of
the well-known Irish Emigration Society's Bank to scind
her lirst earnings to her mother, of course to the care of
the parish priest. 8ho brought with her live dollars,
whi(;h in her simi)licity she supposed to be equivalent to
tlie 1/. she intended to transmit. At that time six dollars
and fifty cents were rocpiirect to make up the British
pound, and the poor girl's disappointment was intense
wlien she was made to understand that she was deficient a
dollar and a half. The friend who accompanied her, and
who had been some time longer in the country, lent her a
dollar ; the clerk advanced her the balance, and the un-
diminished pound was sent to her 'poor mother, who
wanted it badly.' In a few days after, the money advanced
by the clerk was paid by the young girl, whose face was
soon known in the office, as she came at regular intervals
to send remittances, which were gradually increasing in
amount. In a very short time she understood the relative
value of American ' greenbacks ' and British gold, iind made
no mistake as to the amount of the money-orders she
desired to transmit.

It frequently occurred in that office, that small sums
were advanced to make up the amount required by the
person intending to send a remittance ; and in no instance
was there failure in payment. A debt of the kind is, of
all others, the most sacred. The money which the loan
thus helps to complete is a filial offering — the gift of a
child to a parent ; and confidence so reposed is never
forfeited. I have heard the same statement made by
bankers and brokers in many parts of the United States.
So much is this sending of remittances to Ireland a
matter of routine to those engaged in the business, that
there must be something special in the circumstance of the

H sacred, ami

SOMETHING OF THE ANGEL STHX. an

case, or in tlio manner or appearance of the applicant
<>i a bill of excluuio-o, to excite the least attention. But
.0 must have been insensible indeed who was not attracted
i.v he stran-e aspect and appearance of a regular visitor
a he bank in Chambers' Street. So surely as the festivals
of Chnstmas and Easter were approachinrv, would a man of
powerful frame, wild eyes, and dissipated appearance, enter
tlie olhce, and laymg^ on the counter $15, or $20 ask for
an order in favour of an old man away in some 'country
village m Ireland. Not unTroquently would the clothes of
the Society's customer bear the marks of abject poverty
and his face evidences of the roughest usage ; and were the
police asked to give a character of this poor fellow they
would say that, though honest and free from crime 'there
was not 'a harder case' in New York; and that' there
were few bettor known in the Tombs than he was True
he was a hard case indeed, wasting his strength and enero-y
m folly and dissipation, working now and then as a lon^'o-.
shore man, but spending what he earned in drink and
only sober when in prison, paying the penalty of drunken-
ness or violence, or at tlie two fixed periods of the year^
some time before Christmas and some time before Easter
While in prison his sobriety was involuntary— at these
periods it was voluntary and delil)erate. His old father
m Ireland expected to hear from 'his boy,' and the letter
so anxiously looked for at home should not be empty. So
long then as it was necessary to work in order to send a
couple of pounds as a Christmas-box or an Easter gift, he
would do so, and remain sober during that time ; but o'nce
the money was sent, and the sacred duty discharged, he
would go back to the old course, spending his days pa'rtly
at work, partly in rows and dissipation, and very constantly
m .the Tombs, possibly repenting his wanton waste of lif J.
ihore was no one to tell the old man at home of the wild
desperate course of his 'boy' in America, and he never
knew with what heroic self-denial these welcome re-

TIIK IRISH IN AMKIUCA.

'^5-

milinncoH worn oiinicd, or lion" tlio ono stronfjf aflfoction,
llio oiuf .surviving,' hoiiho of tluty, wiiH Huirici(>iil, tlu)U«,^li
nuliii[)pny hut for a inoniont, to rtulocni a rockloHH but not
allo^c^ihor (Ic^fj^radcil nature. Tlioro was indeed Honietliinf^'
of tlio an^^el left in that victim of the most fatal enemy to
the Irish in the New AVorld.

AVith all haidvH and ofliccjs thronj,di which numoy is sent
to Ireland the months of Deccnubor and March are the
huHiciHt portions of the year. Th(! larjj^c^st amount is then
sent; then the olKces are full "of bustlin*,', eaner, indeed
clamorous applicants, and then are the clerks hard set in
their attempts to satisfy the demands of the im])ati(mt
semhn-s, who are mostly femahis, and chiefly '«^nrls in
phu^e.' The jj^reat fc^stivals of Christnuis and Easter ar(i
specially d(>ar to tlu! Irish heart, being associated with the
most sacred inysteries of the Christian rc^lif^ion, and like-
wise with those modest enjoyments with which the family,
liowever Inuuble or poor, seek to celebrate a season of
spiritual rejoicing. Then there is joy in the Church, which
typifies in the decorations of her altars as in the robes of her
ministers the gladness which should dwell in the heart of
the Christian. Thus misery, and sorrow, and want, are not
in accordance with the spirit of these solemn festivals, nor
with the feelings which ought to prevail with those who
believe in their teaching. Therefore, to enable the friends
at home— the loved ones never forgotten by the Irish
exile — to 'keep' the Christmas or the Easter in a fitting
manner — in reality, to allbrd them some little comforts at
those grateful seasons of the Christian year — remittances
are specially sent ; and coming from the source which they
do, these comforts, too often sadly needed, are the more
prized by those to whom the means for procuring them arc
forwarded with touching remembrances, and fond prayers
and blessings, grateful alike to piety and affection. There
is something beautiful in these timely memorials of una-

now THE FAMILY A\IK lUiOUGHT OUT. ;U9

l-i«'«l lovo, they link Htill donor hearts which (ho ocuu
(!;iiiuot (hvi(h).

What womlorliil tluno-.s havo not thoso Irish ^nrls ch,noI
iHko u HiM;,do oxu,ai,k>-,uul thoro is not u Stuto in Iho
UiH.m in winoli the simio doo.s not oocur :-~-KosoIvi^-.•
o ch, somothin^r to bottor tho eircnniHtunc.os of her funiilv"
t io youu^r I,ish ^nrl leavers lu>r h<nno for Aniorica. TIhto
«he ^^oos into sorvico, or cn^oi^^oH in nonio ki.ul of foniinino
^'.npOyinont Tho ohject slio 1ms in viovv-tho same for
wh.oh sho loft hor homo and voiituro.l to a strano-o oonntry
--im,tootH hor fnmi all (lai.^<u., ospooially to hor oharaotor :
hat ol,, ,, hor <lroam l.y day and ni^dit, is tho wolfaro of
uu- lainilv^ whom sho is dotorminc.l, if possihlo, <o a-.tin
Imvo witli hor as of old. From tlio first momont, sho savos
evory cent sho oarns-tliat is, ovory <.ont sho can spare
horn what IS absolntoly necessary to hor decent appearance.
She regards everythino- she has or can make as holon^nno-
to hose to whom she has unconsciously devoted tho liowor
of lier youth, and for whom she is wiHiny to sacrifice her
woman s dearest hopes. To keep her place, or retain her
employment, what wiU she not endure !-snoers at her
nationality mockery of her peculiarities, even ridicule of
lier faith thouc,di the hot hlood flushes her cheek with
liorce indignation. At every hazard the place must be
lai)t, the money earned, the deposit in the savings-bank
increased ; and though many a night is passed in telrs and
prayers her face is calm, and her eye bright, and her voice
^(HU-fiU. One by one, the brave girl bvings the members
of her laim y about her. But who can tell of her anguish

117 t ^!'' t^" "^"'^ ^^^« '''''^^> «!• strays from the

I ght path!-who would imagine her rapture as success

owns her efforts, and she is rewarded in the steadine..

the brother for whom she feared and hoped, or in the

H ogress of the sister to whom she has been as a mother!

One by one, she has brought them all across the ocean, to

become members of a new community, citizens of a great

320

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

,^-r
'.'>»

country— it may be, the mothers and fathers of a future
race; and knowing the jjerils which surround youth in a
country in which Hcence is too often— with the unthink-
ing and inexi^erienced — confounded with hberty, and im-
piitience of control with proper independence of spirit, the
faithful girl seeks to draw them within the influence of
religion, in which, as in her passionate love of her family,
she has found her safeguard and her strength. Probably
she has grown old before her time, possibly she reahses in
a happy marriage the reward of her youth of care and toil ;
but were the choice to be given her of personal happiness,
or aU-sacrificing afi'ection, she would choose the hard road
rather than the flowery path. Such is the humble Irish
gu'l, who may be homely, who may be deficient in book
knowledge, but whose heart is beyond gold in value.

There is no idea of repayment of the money thus ex-
pended. Once given, there is an end of it. This is not
so w^th other nationalities. The Germans, a more prudent,
are a less generous people than the Irish ; and when money
is expended in the bringing out of relatives, it is on the
understanding that one day or other it will be refunded —
that it will become a matter of account, to be arranged as
soon as possible, or, at farthest, when convenient. An emi-
nent Irish clergyman, who, from his position, has much to do
with the affairs of a large and important diocese, remarked
to an Irish girl, one of his penitents, who came to consult
him as to the best mode of bringing out her mother and
father, she having frequently sent them remittances, and
also brought out and provided for a brother and sister. —
'Why, Ellen, you are leaving yourself nothing. Now your
father, as you tell me, can get on well, and there is work
enough for him here ; and surely he ought to pay you back
something of what I know you have been sending him for
years.' The girl looked at her old friend and adviser, first

in doubt, then in surprise, then in

indignation.

When

she replied, it was with sparkling eye and flushed cheek—

)f a future
youth in a
e uutliink-
7, and im-

spirit, the
fluence of
lier family,

Probably
reahses in
e and toil ;
happiness,

hard road
mble Irish
it in book
lue.

y thus ex-
^his is not
•e prudent,
hen money
] is on the
refunded —
LTanged as
. An emi-
much to do
, remarked
to consult
lotlier and
tances, and
.d sister. —

Now your
re is work
y you back
ig him for
Iviser, first
Dn. When
3d cheek —

REMITTANCES. 321

'What sir! take back fi-om my father and mother what 1
gave them from my heart ! I could not rest in my bed if
I did anything so mean. N.^ver say the hke of that to me
agam, Father, and God bless you!' and the poor ch-rn
voice quivered with emotion, as her eye softened in wistful
appeal. 'Don't mind, Ellen,' said the priest, 'I was
wrong; I should have known you better.' 'I really' as
he said to me, 'meant to try what answer she would give •
tor that same day I was cognisant of a very different mode
o arranging matters. Sir, let people say what they please
of them, the Irish are a grand race, after all, and the Irish
women are an hcmour to their country and their faith.'
Ihis was said with an enthusiasm not usual to a man so
self-contained as this somewhat Americanised Irish Priest
Instances without number might be adduced in vindi-
cation ol the eulogium thus pronounced. This year (18G7)
a young girl landed at Castle Garden, and was fortunate
enough to obtain employment the same day. She had in
her possession a pound in gold, and some shillings ; and
findmg that she was safely provided for, she determined
to send back the money to her mother, to whom it would
be of great assistance. Her employer, seeing her so well
disposed, advanced her a month's wages, which she was
dehghted to add to her own money ; and a draft was pro-
cured and 'mailed' the very first day of her arrival in
America !

An Irish girl in Buffalo, who had been but four years in
the country, had within that time paid for the passages
ot two brothers and two sisters, besides sending 40^. ; and
when lately sending another remittance through the' Irish
Emigrant Society of New York, she said she 'would not
rest until she brought out her dear father and mother '
winch she hoped she would be able to do within the next
SIX months.

In populous cities the women send home more money
than the men ; in small towns and rural districts' the men

, 3

322

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

1%'

are a,s constant in their remittances, and perhaps send
larger sums. Great cities offer too many temptations to
improvidence or to vice, while in small places and rural
districts temptations are fewer, and the occasion for
spending money recklessly less frequent ; hence it is, that
the man who, amidst the whirl and excitement of life in a
gieat city, but occasionally sends $10 or $20 to the old
people at home, sends frequent and liberal remittances when
once he breathes the purer air of the country, and frees him
self from the dangerous fascination of the drinking-saloon.

Whether the money is given as the price of the passage
out, or in the form of a ticket paid for in America, and thus
forwarded to Ireland, or is sent as a means of supj)lying
some wailt or relieving a pressing necessity, practically
there is no more thought of it by the donor. It not un-
frequently happens that tickets are returned to the donors,
the persons to whom they were sent having changed their
minds, being unwilling or afraid to leave the old country
for a new home. But the money — recouped through a
friendly agent — is almost invariably sent back, with a re-
mark somewhat in this form : ' I intended it for you any
way, either in ticket or in money ; and if you won't take it
in ticket, why you must in money. It is yours, anyhow,
and no one else is to have it.'

A large amount is finnually cxjiended in the purchase
of tickets at the American side ; but this, large as it is,
bears only a small proportion when compared with the
enormous amount sent in the shape of assistance to rela-
tives at home. For instance, there was sent last year
(18GG) by one firm in Lowell $44,290; and of this amount
$32,000 were for the material assistance of the friends at
home, and but $12,000 in i^assage tickets out. The total
amount, though small in comj)arison to the vast sums sent
from the great cities, is still not a little surprising, when it
is considered that the Irish population, consisting for the
most part of young j)ersons working in mills and factories,

A ' MERCENARY.

823

laps send
tations to
and rural
asion for
it is, that
if life in a
D the old
fices when
frees him
ig-saloon.
le passage
, and thus
supplying
•ractically
!t not un-
le donors,
ged their
1 country
hrougli a
^'ith a re-
■ you any
ii't take it
anyhow,

purchase
as it is,
with the
3 to rela-
last year
s amount
friends at
The total
!ums sent
', when it
g' for the
factories,

is now about 15,000. From another emigration agent in
the same place, and who is but recently in the business, a

says—' Tlio

striking instance of liberality is obtained. He „.^ .

most I received at any one time was 20/., or $140,"^ from an

industrious Irish girl in one of our mills.'

The foUowing instance of self-devotion, though not at
aU of uncommon occurrence, displays in a stiU more
striking manner how ready these humble Irish people-
not Scotch-Irish, as the miserable cant of the day has it,
but Irish Celts— are to make every sacrifice for those they
love. A poor Irish labourer emigrated to America in 18G1,
in the hope of bettering his condition, and being enabled,'
by hard work, to bring out hi's wife and seven children,'
whom he had been compelled to leave after him in Ireland!
It was an unpropitious time for a working man, as the war
had just broken out, and employment was scarce in many
cities of the Union. All he required was an opportunity
to work, his thoughts being for ever turned to the old land
in which he left those who, he knew, looked to him as their
only hope. For a time he was discouraged and despond-
ing, but he resolved to wait awhile, and take advantage of
any opportunity that would offer, through which he might
be enabled to achieve his grand object— the bringing out
of his wife and family. The opportunity did offe^^r rather
unexpectedly, and in this way— a gentleman who prefer-
red the profits of a lucrative business to the risks of war,
desired to obtain a substitute, who would take 'his place
for three years under the banner of the Union ; and to
secure some one to fight, or possibly die, in his place, he
was wiUing to pay down One Thousand Dollars. The
poor Irishman heard of this dazzling offer, and at once
accepted it. The money was paid to the substitute, by
whom it was thus disposed of : he placed it in the hands
of a friend, directing him to send part to Ireland, to bring
out his family, and reserve the balance to meet their wants
on arrival— saying, if he was killed in battle, or if he died

•ap=.

324

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

of sickness, lie had clone the best thing he Cf 'Id for his
wife and chihlren. He was quickly marched to the front,
where the hot work was going on ; but though he w^as in
many a hard-fought battle, and saw death in every shape,
he passed scatheless through the dread ordeal — steel and
lead seemed to have no power to injure him, nor did
hunger and hardship break him down. He returned to
his family, a bronzed war-worn soldier, and is now a hard-
working honest citizen of a New England town. Your
scornful ' Special Correspondent ' would no doubt have set
him down as a base mercenary, who hired himself to butcher
his fellow men ; but such was not the opinion of those to
whom the facts v/ere known.

The gentleman — an eminent American physician — to
whom I am indebted for this strong proof of family affec-
tion, says : — ' In my professional visits I have met from
time to time many instances where a father or Aj, child, a
brother or a sister, had made very great efforts and
sacrifices to have enough of money to send to Ireland to
bring out one or more members of their families. These
are noble and beautiful examples of affection and disin-
terestedness, that have occurred in the obscure and humble
life of the Irish emigrant in America, that cannot be
surpassed, in my opinion, anywhere by sketches to bo
found in the biography of individuals or the history of
nations.' The civilised world, less scornful or contemptu-
ous than certain traducers of the humble Irish, will endorse
that opinion.

Few instances of this ' affection and disinterestedness '
could exceed that displayed by a mere child from Kil-
kenny. Pat w^as but thirteen years old when he

determined, if possible, to go to America, having heard
that he had an uncle who lived in St. Louis, Missouri.
His id(!a of America w^as what might be expected from a
child of his age, — his notion being, that every boy in that
favoured country was his own master, and had a pony to

A YOUNG PIONEER.

325

ride whenever lie wished for that enjoyment. His motive
in urging his father and mother to consent to his perilous
enterprise was the desire to make his fortune, and be able
to bring out all his family, and make them, according to
the story-book formula, 'as happy as the days are long.'
The parents of the boy allowed themselves to be per-
suaded by him, especiaUy as his uncle would bo certain
to receive and take care of him ; and a steerage passage
at New Orleans having been procured, the little fellow
started on liis venturous journey. Landing at New
Orleans, he, knowing nothing of the country, imagined
that he could easily walk to St. Louis ! as he might from
Kilkenny to the neighbouring town. Hearing "that the
goal of his hopes— the city in which his uncle Hved—was
nearly 2,000 miles distant, he was sorely afflicted. He
went from steamboat to steamboat, asking sailor, steward,
and ca]3tain, 'did they know his uncle? would they take
him to St. Louis?' and telling them his name was Pat.'

Sailors and stewards and captains of the Mississippi boats
are not invariably the mildest of mortals ; therefore it
must not be a matter of surprise that the eager questions
of the poor Irish boy with the beseeching eyes were more
often rephed to in a rough and surly manner than other-
wise. If those to whom he applied troubled themselves to
think of him at aU, it was as a foohsh or importunate cub
who had no business to bother them with his stupid non-
sense. What was his uncle to them? or did they care a
cent whether his name was Pat Blank or Pat anything
else ? He was bade get about his business, and that quickly
too. The child began to sob and pray ; and as, sobbing
and praying, and sorely bewildered, he was wandering about
the levee, he was remarked by a kind-hearted gentleman,
who asked him why he cried. He rephed that he wanted
to go to his uncle in St. Louis, and that no one would
take liim, and that he would gladly work his way. Tlie
meeting was providential, for there was not on the

326

TIIL IRISH IN AMERICA.

I\Iissi.ss]ppi a braver, a kinder, or a better man than Captain
Duraok, tlie Irish commander of one of the finest steamers
chat ever ran the risk of a sna- or a blow-up. Tlie captain
had pitj on the helpless child, and took him into his boat
>vhor(; he at once made himself useful. In fact, such was
the n-illmo- spirit and gentle disposition of the little fellow
and such his anxiety to oblige everybody, that he became
a general favourite. After a nine days' steaming, the
vessel reached St. Louis, where Pat landed, high in hope,
his pockets containing more monev than he had ever
before possessed, the passengers having hberally rewarded
his wilhng services. He found his uncle, but found him-
a confirmed drunkard, fast sinking into the grave which
his own foUy was hourly pro])aving for him. Cruelly
disappointed in the hopes he had so fondly cherished, the
boy again sought his friend the captain, who adopted him,
and procured for him the appointment of assistant steward
in 1 steamboat on the Upper Mississippi ; in which position,
the young ofncial earned money rapidly, and acquired the
good wishes of all who knew him. His friend the captain
was made his treasurer, hkewiso the repository of his hopes
and intentions respecting his family at home. For them
—his father and mother, his brother and two sisters— the
boy offered up many a fervent prayer ; and not unfre-
quently was he observed on his knees under the wheel-
house absorbed in his devotions. The boat, on arriving in
port, would remain for an interval of a week or so, °and
during that time the young Irish lad would attend school,
and m this way laid the foundation of his education. Whilo
ho was thus employed, carefully hoarding his monev, and
acquiring by snatches some of the learning for which he
eagerly strove, he was overwhelmed with the sad news
that reached him from home,— that his father and mother
were both dead, and that his brother and sisters were in
tiie workhouse ! He was so affected by this distressing in-
telhgcnce, that his health gave way, and his kind protector

A POOR IRISH WIDOW.

327

the captain feared lie was faUing into a consumption. The
pious boy unburdoucd liis sorrows to a good priest in St.
Louis, who cliocred him by his advice and sympatliy. The
vision of his httle brother and sisters— the latter only einht
and ten years old—in the workhouse, hnunted him day
and night. To rescue them from that degrading position,
and bring them out as soon as possible, was now the great
duty of his hfe; and with this additional motive for
economy, every cent he could save was entrusted to the
care of his patron and treasurer the captain. He sent
20/. to an uncle in Ireland, to pay for the passages and
outfit of his brother and sisters, reserving something for
their support on their arrival. Having achieved that*' first
grand work, he next turned his attention to the object
of his fondest ambition— the Priesthood ; and he resolved,
if possible, at once to commence the studies necessary for
that sacred calling. He presented himself to the then
Superior of the CoUege of St. Mary, of the Barens, Mis-
souri, to whom he confided his touching history and his
l)assionate longing for a religious hfe. The good Irish
priest was deeply impressed by the simple recital, and
gave the lad a free place in the seminary. The zealous
student soon went through aU his studies, was ordained a
priest, and became one of the most efficient missionaries
of the diocese of St. Louis. The children, whom their
brother's love had rescued perhaps from a life of poverty,
arrived safely ; the infant sisters were adopted by a
community of the Sacred Heart in the same diocese, and
the brother is a respectable member of one of the learned
professions.

An instance of the courage and energy which a mother's
affection inspires may be given in the simple language of
the poor woman who tells the artless story of her trials,
the family were well off so long as the husband lived ;
Ijut, when he died, the widow was compelled to accept a
few pounds in lieu of valuable improvements which her

328

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

linsband had eiibcted on two farms. Left with four chih
dron, and seeing lier Httle fund diminishing day b: day
and dreading that the poor-house would be their fate if
slie did not make some desperate effort to save them from
such a calamity, she resolved to start for America herself
and there, by hard work, earn as much as would brin-
them out ; and this 'determination she resolutely acted
upon. Telhng, in happier times of her past trials, sLe
used these words : —

'Oh, it would break the heart of a stone to see my four
httle children on the road, crying after me. My heart
sure enough, was near breaking with the sorrow that day'
I ran as hard as I could away from them, for they cried and
bawled ; and it was " Oh, mammy, mammy ! Oh, don't
lave us! Oh come back, mammy, mammy!"— it went
through and through me like a swoord. I had to look
back, no matter though I tried not do so, and I thou-ht
the seven senses would jump out of my two eyes. Poor
httle Patsey was then about four years old, and he ran
after me, and cried "Mammy, mammy!" bigger than the
rest. Sure my legs couldn't carry me any farther. He
kissed me, and asked me to give him another penny • he
didn't know where I was going to, or how long I'd be
away, poor darling. This broke my heart entirely-I de-
clare to you I don't know how I got away from them-it
was like a bad drame to me. WeU, we landed in Quebec
and I didn't know a sowl on God's earth, but a neighbour's'

boy of my own ; and sure I thought that N (meaning

a place nearly a thousand miles away) was the next plouo-lf-
land to Quebec! They put me in a boat, and I felt as if it

took us months to come to N , for I was nearly perished

w.th the could and the hunger. Sure the cattle passen-ers
ai-e treated better than the Christians. When I came to

^ , I lived with a farmer. I worked hard all the day

and cried the most of the night. No wonder, for I was
waiast fuU and comfoi table at home, with my cows and

SELF-SACRIFICE.

821

th four chil-
diiy b; day,
tlioir fate if
e them from
rica herself,
.voiild briiifj-
lutely acted
t trials, Bt'i

see my four
My heart,
w that day.
sy cried and
Oh, don't
" — it went
ad to look
. I thought
syes. Poor
md he ran
r than the
L'ther. He
penny ; he
»ng I'd be
•ely— I de-
a them — it
in Quebec,
eighbour's
■ (meaning
xt plough-
felt as if it
y perished
passengers
I came to
1 the day.
for I was
cows, and

m} pigs, and my horses, till my husl)and died— God rest
his sowll But, bcgonnies, in throe months I was able to
send home for the ouldcst little girl— she was only nine
years of age. When she came out, it warmed my poor
heart ; but she was a great care to me— I had to pay $J:
a month for her boord, and that was hard enough. After
a time I says to myself, "this will never do ; paying $1 a
month won't help me to bring out the rest of the children,
poor things ;" so I went and looked out for another place,'
and God sent me one. I hired as a cook, and the httfe girl
was taken to nurse the babby for her boord. I took great
courage then entirely, and in half a year more I sent for
another of the children. But I axed the priest— who was
from my own place at home— to lend me the loan of the
passages for the other two, and I would pay him, as sure as
the Lord was in heaven. He did, sure enough, trust me
with the money, and so he might : and may the Heavens
be his bed for that same, amen! The three landed safe
into my arms ; then I felt I was a happy woman— and I
cried that night at my prayers— but it was not like the
scalding tears on the road, when I was laving them, and
every step was like tareing the heart clane out of me:
them tears, that night, did me good. The children were
soon able to earn for themselves, and now, thanks be to
the Lord! we are all comfortable and happy — no thanks
to the villain of a landlord for that same ; and the big
boy, the Lord mark him co grace! is now able to read
his fine books of Greek and Latin, and knows more than
Murty Dermody, the schoolmaster in our parts. Oh, the
liealth was a grand thing ; that and the help of the Lord,
^•lory be to his holy name ! got me through ; for, if I had
a pain or an ache, the fear would come on me — and what
would become of the children ? 'Twas hard work enough ;
but sure the Lord fits the back to the burthen.'

'It would be quite impossilile/ said a Sister of Mercy
of New York, 'to relate half the instances of heroic sa-

J30

Tin: lUISII IN AMKRIGA.

crificGS iniulo for parcntH

or other rolativeH by Irish Lnrls

ut como to our kno^vlod^.e.' Not tho loss heroic, that
. Uiey arc entirely diveHted of dramatic interest or sen-
sutional attraction. Hannah Finn, a poor «-irl from tho
county of Lnnerick, was not just the person or the tyne
a novehst or a poet would have chosen for story or tbr
verse ; and y(>t her life was one of the most complete self-
Harn hce. At home she had toiled on a farm, and was
therelore unaccustomed to house-work ; yet, on her arrival
in New lork, whither she came in order that she mi-lit
more etiectually assist the old p(,>ople whom she could not
bnno- with her, she hired herself as 'cook's helper' in one
ot Its hotc"ls, prefcuTino- that situation to an easier place,
that she nnn-ht earn higher wages, and thus hav«. more to
send to her parents, to whoso condbrt she devoted hw life
Iwice a year she sent to them a]\ the money she had
saved, and always to the care of the parish priest. In tho
midst of her hard patient toil she received the sad tidings
o± her father being obliged 'to leave tho land,' at which
her heart was sorely troubled. But she only toiled the
harder, and saved the more. On the next occasion she
was sendmg money, the Sister wlio wrote the letter for
her wished to direct it to the place indicated by the o-hTs
mother-tho village to which tho landless couple "had
removed ; but Hannah persisted in sending it to tho care
of her former pastor, declaring that she would not send a
penny of her money to any one else. She contiinied to send
her earnings regularly home as long as the old people
lived; and soon after their death—her mission beiim- now
accomphshed-she herself died of dropsy. To the charity
of others she was indebted for assistance during her last
illness, she having given everything to her parents, and
reserved nothing for herself. Tho story of Hannah Fii n
the poor county Limerick girl, the patient drudge in the
Aew York kitchen, is that of many an Irish girl in America
to which they have emigrate.] rather with the purpose

THE AMOUNT S.'NT.

381

Irish girls
loroic, that
st or scu-

from tho
r tho t} po
iory or for
iploto Holf-
, and wuH
her arriviil
Hho uiiolit

could not
or ' in one
sior 2)hice,
o nioro to
d ]i(;r life.
' she hiid
t. In tho
!:id tidings

at which
soiled the
asion yhe
letter for

the gii-ra
iiple liad

tho care
ot send a
d to send
d people
Bing now
:e charity

her last
mts, and
ah Fii.n,
l"e in tlio
America,

purijose

of helping those at home than of advancing their own
fortunes.

AVlien a passage is paid for by an Irish emigrant to
bring out a member of tho family, it is the custom, wlien
s(!nding tho ticket, to accompany it with a few pounds to
defray incidental expenses.

As a rule, those Avho are newly-como S(>nd moro and
make greattu* sacrifices to bring out their relatives, or to
assist them ac home, than those who have Ixsen longer in
iho country : the wjints of tho family in the old country
are more vividly present to the mind of the recent emi-
grant, and perhaps tho ailecitions are warmer and stronger
than in after years, when time and distance, and tlie cares
or distractions of a now existence, have insensibly dulled
tho passionate longings of yore. J3ut thousands— many,
many thousands— of Irish girls have devoted, do devote,
and will devote their lives, and* sacrifice every woman's
liope, to tho holiest, because the most unselfish, of all affec-
tions — that o ' family and kindred.

'I would say, from my own experience, as agent and
otherwise,' remarked an agent in a New England State,
that emigration will never cease with Irish families, as
long as any portion of them remain at each side of the
Atlantic, and as long as those at this side find means to
send for those they left behind— or so long as tho Irish
nature remains what it is ; and I must say I can't see much
change in it as yet.'

That the amount of money sent from America, includ-
ing the British provinces to Ireland, cannot be far from
21,000,000/. I feel assured. The Commissioners of Emi-
gration, in their report of 18G3, return the amount as
12,G 12,000/. J3ut they say it would not be unreasonable to
estimate the amount, of wliic-h there are no returns, as half
«>■ much again as that of which there are returns. Taking this
rather moderate estimate, tho gross amount to the close of
18G2 would reach 19,000,000/. That at least a million a

•I

332

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

year has been sent Hinco tlioii, muHt bo asHiunod For
lust your — 18()()— tho CommiHsionors put down tho uniount
at loHs than liiilf u million. But I am awaro that, for tliat
year, one bank or society in Now York— tho IriHh Emi-
grant Society— romitted over 1(K),()()0/. to Ireland, and
tliat some 130,000/., was sent by agents in Boston whom
I could name. Hero, tlion, is more than half tho entiro
amount of which tho Commissioners have, any official
knowled«(e. In many cities I personally know bankers or
agents who sent amounts varying from 20,000/. to 30,000/.;
and there is scarcely a placo of any importance, or in
which there is an Irish population, however inconsider-
able, from which some contribution does not go to tho
old country, for ono purpose or another. If, then, we add
a million a year to tho nineteen miUions estimated by
the Emigration Commissioners, wo have, up to tho 1st of
January 1808, the amazing sum of 24,000,000/. sent by the
Irish abroad to their relatives at home.* In the history
of the world there is nothing to match this. It is a fact
us glorious as stupendous, and may well stand against the
sneers and calumnies of a century.

• Reaittanccs from the Irish in Aii'tralla must be included in the grosa result

10(1. For
10 amount
it, for tliat
null Eiui-
laiul, and
ton whom
iio cntiro
ay official
)!iiilverH or
30,000/.;
ICO, or in
iconsicler-
go to the
n, we add
natcd by
lio 1st of
nt by the
le history
is a fact
jaiust the

3S8 result

CHAPTER XVIII.

The Cliaraclor of frish Wcinon in A..UTica~Aii U.nvolcome
I5aj)tism-llie Universal TcHliniony-Shadows-lVnls to Fe-
male Virtue- -Irish Ciirls ; their Value to the lluce.

A QUESTION of unsiioakablo imi)ortanco may bo thus
X\ put,— is it true that Irish women maintain in America
their traditional reputation for virtue? Unhesitatingly,
it must be answered in the affirmative. Whatever estimate
Aniericans may form of their Irish felhnv-citizcns, be that
estimate favoural)le or unfavourable, there is but one
opinion as to the moral character of Irish women. Their
reputation for purity does not rest on the boastful asser-
tions of those who either regard all matters concerning
their race or country from a favourable point of view, or
who, to gratify a natural feeling, would wilfully exaggerate,
or possibly misstate a fact: it is universally admitted!
Were it otherwise— were this reputation not well-founded,
sad indeed would be the calamity to the Irish in America,'
—to their character, position, future— to them and to
their descendants. Happily, no such calamity is hkely to
befall the Irish in America, as the loss to the Irish woman
of her pre-eminent reputation for purity and honour.
Prejudices, strong prejudices, there are in the States, hb in
all countries in which divei-sity of race and religion exists ;
find where tliis diversity comprehends race and religion in
the same individuals, these prejudices are certain to be the
stronger and the more" deeply rooted. The Irish CathoHo

:i:ti

Till': IIIISII IN AMKIIICA.

luiM I

O ('t>IU«Ml(| (IJ'IIIMnI

lllH (

lottl.l

(Im<I

O |>f<'jll(llCO

liici

r.sM iM not |>(»\vt>l rill ('iioil;,;li lo iiilcrj

(•l'(^ Willi

1 lirvor-
li(> con

vu'Ikhi. iiuJrtMJ mliiiissi.u

1. MM lo \\u\ monij <'lmrMclrr ol' ||

uoiiHMi of IIimI cniiiilrv iiiKJ lliiil. riiilh. Tl

l(* IXKir IliNJl

♦ 'till' 'I

.!">

Hit

Mpiij'il

■Mill. <;irl luiiv poMsihJv Im« rii(|('. iiiitiiHriiiliiicd, a,\vl<\VMi\l
Mniv.'.l ill a, ulniiifit^ I-ihI, wilh nil IIk^ ni.>'.r,,,|

V of JuM- pcMMdiiCs Iniiiiiiio'; hul, sli<^ is >uhh\ mjkI

li.Mi.'sl. Nor, MS NJK^ rMpiillv Mrt|uin's lli<« i«>liiirinciil, m-
NoparaMi* iVotu an iin|>n>v(«»l conililion of \\\'v, and daily
iiMsocialion willi p,.,.plo of .Millivalcd niann.TM. docs ,s|,n
nilcli llio fonlM''io!i ol' llu> vi.vs oi i\\v oival. <>(>nln's of
Ut^allh and lii\iirv. NVIuilcvia- licr posi(i,.n. and i|. is
priiu'ipalh anioiui'sl. Ili,< hmnhh* walks ..f lif,- ||„. ,,,„ss (.f
Iho Irish aro slill lo 1.,. round. sli,> niainlains lliis oii(«
uol.U^ cliaracUM-islic pmily. I n doin,«.s(i,- service Ikm- nicril,
is t'lillv rrc»».;,iiis,-d. Oucv salislifd ,,f (|„> ovniiiiKMicss ol'
Itor t-haracl.M\ an .\nu«iiran rainilv will Inisl. in lirr
iinplii'illv : and iiol, only is llicn* ii(» lockin-v np aoainsl,
luM-, iMit <M('rytliin.;' is l,>ti in her chari-v. Occasionally slio
may "l»o liol liunpiMcd. dilViciilt (o ho mana-vd. pt>rli'aps a,
litllo 'lurhnUMil" t>sp,vialk vyluMi her coiinlry is siitvivd
Mt. .M- luM- faith is wanlonly ridicuNni ; hul .sli(> is cli(>(>i-ful
and laboiioiis, yirtiioiis and faithful.

An instanct^ o{' ycrv Ic-ilinialc ' lurbuliMicc ' occiinvd
not \o\\iX sinc(> in i>iu> oi iUc niosf risin,^- of lh,> oiv;,(,
AVoslorn cities. TIumv liy,>d. as a ' lu^Ip/ in (he lioiis,> o\'
a Prolt^stanl faniik. an inlclji-cnl and hio-h-spirit.MJ Irish
^jirl. rciiiarkal»lt> (ov her .Acniplary conducl, and (li,« /,,>al
with Nvhich she dischar.>vd tho dulics of ht-r ])osilion.
Kate acted as a mother lo a vouiio- brotluu- and sisler,
whom siie was brino-ino- up ^vitii llio oToatost, care; and a
happy oir! was Katt> >yhen she receiytnl --ood lidino-s of
their pro-ivss in knowled-e and piety. Kate. lik,> niany
other ptH.pIe nx the world, had her special lormenl, anil
(hat spev'ial tonuent was a i>layful-miiuh>d preaclu-r who
Visited at the house, and who looked upon ' r>rid.»et ' - ho

AN IINWKI.OOMI-; HAI'TLSM.

83ft

I ll I ll(> COM

itclcr <»i' i\\o

|><»«>r Ii-jhIi

'<l, ."iwkwnivl

iiKMiiciii. ill

, Mild (1,'iilv

<, (Iocs slid

<'('iilrrs of

Mild i(. is

ll«' IIIMSS of

IS (his oii»«
<" Ikm' iiicril,

lilMMICSH of
IS|. ill luT

ii|) Mpiiiisl,
^ioiiMllv slio

pt'lllllps M,

is siu>»'r(>d
is fli(H>rful

(X'ciirrcd

Mi(> f^rcnf.

' house of

i-iltMl Irish

d (he /,(>;il

I'osiiioii.
iiid sis{(>r,
kVO ; Mild ;l
lidiiii^-s of
like iii;iiiy

lU'llI, Mild

K'licr who
dyct' - ho

)ri>nh/ ciill Ih'I- |{ri(|...(.|,

MS M. I'mIi- hiili for j,|

his pIcMSMIll, wil, of \vl|ic|

IC <'\<'l'(tlS(! ()

KmI(^'s diifv (,,) uMciid l,id)l(- ; mid

I iin WMs jiislly proud. ||, wjtM

no sooiHT did i;]\(' tnnU

'"''■ "IM»<'"''""('<> III (li(^ diiiiii.;-n,oiM, |h;u, Mm, playful
picMchn- (•oiiiinciici'd hin usiimI U\i\, whid

llM.f

I \V(»II

III

Ihis fiishioii : ' W'v.U, {{rid.-vl,, i„y oj,.] t ^y\

IX'. HOIIK!"

ICM (

lid

Noii pniy hisl, (,o Wus Vir-iii Mur.y V Tdl me, {{rid.,,,!,, vvl
were you Willi I'^ifhci- Vuit \\'\\n.{, did
I5rid.';((l,? W'IimI, did lh(. old r,.||

i(;lt

.you {^nvo liMii,

ihis lime ? N(

ow mhIv for i,li(! jil)Hoiiil

lOII

»W, I <;UCM.M i(, WMH fell (•(MliH for il|(. HMUlll sillH

•■""' ''M '"'»'■ ""^ ihuiiip<TH! Coiiio now, IJrid^r,,f, U,\\ ,,10
IxniiiKM! did IIimI, pricsl, of yours <qv(! yoiiV Thus

hM,l.

would Mio M}.';n'<'!il)l() jcslcr jx'K, Uki jmxh- IriH]» </i\-\ vvil.li I
;;(Mi(>rous pl(^'lHlUlll•i<•s, lo ilui uiiiusciMcni, of tho ihou'dilJ

lis

(!SS,

iMll

II0I

llU<!

Im> serious Miiiio_vMii('(^ of Mie f.'iir-iuiiidcd, who did
lo SCO her IVcliiios ho wiiniouly woiindiid. The;
iiiislress of Iho house mildly reiiiousl,riii('d with luir w.v-
VMiii's lively ((.rnieiil(u-, IJiou-^h she dj<| ii,,j, herself aditiire
' l5ri(l;^«*|,'H.' foi'iu of prM-yer, jiiid

'l'\'i(li<>r I»m,I;h'm,1)so1u(
]\\d iho wil, should hM,ve

was vvillin;^'- io icy^-.a-d
•n MS M, iiiM,(,l(M- of l)ar<>iiiii and salo.

liis

WM,y.

Iirid«''ofc ' WMH ii liand-

oiiie <rirl, Mild l.lie nx^nv. liked io see ilie (ire kindle in 1

f!r

>;voy vyo, jind ili(> hoi, Mood luaiiil

rlieek ; und ihen ilie iMU-^hlcr (»f his ad

(! over lier I'Mir i-oiind

deli-hlful

imrei-K was such

mceiise

how su('('(»ssfully ill

io his VMiiiiy, as jieal aficir jMial ioid

On oii(> luemorabh* day, how

<^ in<M»rjM<'il)l<> wa^- ' i-oasied ]ii-id<'(!i.

i)\'or, hJH lovo of the humor

)inpaiiy was as-

oiis carricHl him jusi too far. A lar<^n3 (•(
seml)l(>d round Uw hospitahlo iahlo of the m^isiross of the
lioiis(>. ^JMi(> pn>Mcher was ])r(!seiii, and was brinmiiiij,M)vor
with morrimoiii. Kaio eniorod tlio room, 1

)oariii'>- a larL''(5

liire(Mi of sieMiniiij^r soup in lier liands. 'Ho, lio, J3rid<--et!

how

Mi(^ you, Hridovi? W<>ll, Urid-ci, wliai did

i'Mv l'\i(li(>r I»Mi for ahsoluiiou lliis i
Brid-

you

I UK!? {,-omo to me,
Jndget, and I will oive you as many dollars as will mt
you all straight uiih llui old fellow for the next wix mcmths,

■i^i

S36

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

and sctilo your .iccouiit Avilli pnrj'utoi'y too. Now, Bri(lo(>t,
Icll lis liow many cciitH for cich sinV Tli<^ </\r\ luul jiisi,
rcacluHl ilio in-cacluM-iis lui riiii,sli(>(l liis litllo joko ; and il"
he wislicd lo sco ilic Irisli (»yo lla.sh out its li^^lit, and tlio
]risli blood huvu in tlu\ dieclv, lie had an {^\(H>ll('nt o])|)()i .
iuniiy for onjoyin"- iliat treat. It wuh Jirid-^ct's turn lo
1)0 itliiyful. Sloi)j)in«jf noxt to liis chair, and looking- liim
stoa(hly in hi.s face, Avliilo she grasped tho tureen of rich
^•r(H>n-pca Houp ni(n-o lirinly in her hands, she naid : ' Now,
sir, I oftiMi askeil you to h'avo nio alone, and not mind
m(\, and not to insult mo or my roli^icm, what no real
j>-ontleman wimld do to a poor j^irl ; and now, sir, as you
want to know Avhat I pay for absolution, hero's my an-
swer ! ' and, suitino- Iho aelion to the Avord, she ilung the
hot steaniino- litpiid over the face, nock, breast — ontiro per-
son—of the })lMyt'ul preaeher! A ' header ' in one of Mr.
Boucieinilt's dramas eonld not liavo produced a more start-
ling- elVect than did this unexpcH'ted baptism. Tho con-
dition of the preaeher nniy best bo described as abject:
morally as W(>11 as [)hysieiilly, he was overwhelmed. Kah*
rushed to h(>r room, locked herself in, and rehovcd her
excitement in a cry— ^ as if lu^r lu^art wonld bre.;k.' In a
short time her mistress tapped at tho door, told her to
come out, that all was right, and that Mr. Blank was sorry
tliat he had annoyed her — as, no doubt, he was. Tho sen-
timent — tho o-enerous American sentiment — was in Kate's
favour, as she niioht have perceived in the manner of the
j>uests. For the jioor preacher, it may bo said that tho
soup ' spoiled his dinner ' for that day. Ho did not make
his appearance aoain for some time ; but when ho did, it
was as an alt(u-ed and much-improved g-entlem in, who
apiH\'ired to have lost all interest in tho religions pecu-
harities of Kate, whom, strange to say, lie never inoro
callinl by thi^ name of ]5ridget. The warm bath, so vigor-
ously a(hninist(n-ed, had done him much service — Kate
saiil, * a power of good.'

()\v, Bii(l<^(\t,
(\v\ liiul jusi,
<)]v(; ; iiiul if

^••lli, !U1(1 11|(!
'llcilt, ()])|)<)|

H'Vh turn lo
lookiii<^' liiiu
vevn of rich
[lid : ' Now,
(1 not iiiiiul
hilt no real
, .sir, jiH you
ro's my uu-
lic flung tlui
—entire per-

one of Mr.

more stiirt-
Tho coii-
l !is jibjecit :
mod, Kat(3
•elieved lior
L*e;!k.' In ii
told her to
k was sorry
. The SOU-
LS in Kate's
nner of the
id that the
[1 not make
1 he did, it
em an, who
>-ions pet'u-
lever moro
h, so vig'or-
■vieo — Ivalo

THE (GRANDEST TESTIMONY OF ALL.

I'th

337

When once her
trust is plac(>d i.i the Irish girl. Tlierc^ an, thousands of
ii<>us(!s m tlio Uuit(Ml States in whic.h everything is left to
licr charge and under her control; and,' unless iji some
rare Hlstane(^s, in which fanaticism is more than a match
for common sense, the more devoted she is to the practi(u>s
of her religion, the more she is respected and eonfich-d in
hy those with whom sh(3 liv(!S. Occasional betrayals of
trust there may be, for humanity is not perfc(;t ; but as a
rule, broad and sw(!eping, confidonee and kindness are re-
warded with unswerving fidelity.

In the hotels of America the Irish girl is admittedly
iiulispensable. Through the ord(!al of these iiery furnaces
of temptation she passes unscathed. Thenj, wliero honesty
and good conduct are m^st essential, she is found ccpial
to the test, while; in checn-ful wilhng inihistry none can
sm-pass her. Such is the testimony which is readily borne
to the Irish girl in every State of the Unioji.

I rcmembcir asking one of the best-known hotel proprie-
tors of Americia, why it was that aU the young women
ni the establishment were Irish, and his replying— 'The
thing is very simple: the Irish girls are industrious,
willing, cheerful, and honest— they work hard, and they
are strictly moral. I should say that is (piite reason
enough.' I agreed with him.

There are testimonies, also, borne to her in a very differ-
ent spirit, but e(pially honouring— those extorted from
the bafHed tempter, who finds all his arts of seduction fail
before the seven-fold shield of an austerity as imexpected
as unwished-for. Nothing is more common than for one
who has failed in his attempts against the honour of an
Irish girl to warn his companions from a similar foUy—
'Oh, hang her!— don't lose your time with her; she is

one of those d d Irish girls-the priest has a hold of

her— she goes to conf,,ssion, and all that kind of nonsense
—don't lose your time, for it's no use.' Quite true : tcmi)-

.-A

i. iJI

888

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

■-'4'*

tations assail her in vain ; in her faith and i^iety she ia
invincible.

The Irish woman is naturally religious; the fervent
character of her mind is adapted to devotional enthusiasm ;
and in the practices of her faith she finds occupation for
her leisure time, as well as strength for her soul and con-
solation for her heart. If she happen to be in a new
mission, where everything— church, school, asylum, hospi-
tal—is to be erected, she enters into the holy task with
congenial ardour. To build up, finish, or decorate a
church— to her, the House of God and Temple of her An-
cient Faith— she contributes with generous hand. It is
the same in a long-established parish, whose spiritual
necessities keep pace with its growing population ; there,
also, the Irish girl is unfailing -in her liberahty. To her
there is no idea of making a sacrifice of her means ; she
gives as weU as a pleasure as from a feeling of duty. Ap-
peal to her in the name of her religion or country, for the
sick or the suffering, and seldom indeed is it that there is
no response from her purse and her heart. The Irish girl
—whether in store, factory, hotel, or domestic employ-
ment—takes pride in renting a seat in her church, which
she has so materially helped to erect ; and in nearly every
city in the Union she may be seen occupying her place in
her pew, neat in person, modest in deportment, and col-
lected in manner— as true an honour to her race and
countiy as though the blood of princes flowed in her veins.
Thus is maintained over her that rehgious control whicli
is her own best preservative against danger, and which,
while forming and strengthening her character, enables her
to bring a salutary influence to bear upon her male re-
latives, and in case of her marriage— a contingency most
probable— upon her husband and children. And this is
hoiv the purity and piety of the Irish women are of price-
less value to the Irish in America.

To assert that there are no dark shadows to this picture,

l^iety she is

the fervent
enthusiasm ;
cupation for
)ul and con-
36 in a new
^lum, hospi-
ly task with

decorate a
5 of her An-
hand. It is
se spiritual
tion ; there,
ty. To her
means; she

duty. Ap-
titry, for the
hat there is
tie Irish girl
tic emjoloy-
urch, which
learly every
ler place in
it, and col-
r race and
n her veins,
itrol whicli
and which,
enables her
3r male re-
T:ency most
ind this is
'e of pricc-

his picture,

SIIADOAVS. 33g

no murky tints to throw out in stronger relief its pre
vaihng brightness of colour, would be to assert an untruth
nt once foohsh and mischievous. There are dark shadows
there are murky tints-there are exceptions to a rule
which IS almost universal. Under ordinary circumstances
the rule is absolutely in favour of the high moral character
of Irish women in America ; but there are in some of the
great cities circumstances not favourable to female virtue •
and these are attended with occasional injury to the repu-
tation of Irish girls.

It is weU known that America, while the home of the
strong, the adventurous, the honest and industrious of the
emigrants from Europe, is also the asylum of the broken-
down and the unfortunate. Female frailty seeks refu-e
from exposure in those convenient hiding-places, the gretat
cities of the Western World. Nor is it always the case
that a hrst fall is atoned for by a future of virtue, or even
a career of prudence ; and thus the sad wreck which has
happened at one side of the ocean is unfairly counted
agamst the moral character of the race at the other. Here
then, m the first place, is frailty imported from the old
country, and under circumstances not altogether favourable
to reformation and moral strength.

Then, without seeking other evidence than may be found
in pubhc records, and in the statute-book of the United
States, it can be shown how fatal to vouth and inex-
perience has been the long passage in the emigrant sail-
ing ship. As mentioned elsewhere, Co..gress was com-
peJed, so late as 18G0, to pass a law for the protection of
teniale passengers from the foul and systematic attempts
ol officers and seamen to effect their ruin. Eegulations
have been made, rules laid down, penalties proclaimed
notices posted, partitions and barriers erected ; but all pre-
cautionary measures have been, in too many instances,
luimd ineffectual to counteract the watchful wickedness of
evil men, and the utter defencelessness of women exposed

"^t*

340

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

to the perils of a protracted sea-voyage. Even so late rh
18(50 the Government Commissioner of Emig-ration reports
to the Secretary of State that these protective laws have
been systematically violated, and calls for more stringent
measures. Nor when the poor Irisli girl has escaped h{ r
enemy on ship-board, and reached the shelter of Castk)
Garden, is she entirely in safety ; [ind not rarely has it
occurred that the indignant officials have beaten back the
prowling wolf, as he sought to get his intended victim with-
in his grasp. Numerous instances, not alone of seduction
on board ship, but of lawless violence, are on record ; but
the Act of 18G0 is of itself sufficient evidence of the fact
that protection was required, without the necessity of its
illustration by harrowing and revolting details.

Terribly suggestive of ruin to female honour were the
w^ords addressed by jir. Thurlow Weed in 18GJ:, on the
occasion of laying the foundation stone of the Emigrant
Hospital at Ward's Island, Referring to the helpless
condition of the emigrant before the present admirable
system was organised in New York, he says : ' Families
were frequently plundered of all the money they possessed,
and left to the charity of the city. Young and friendless
females coming from abroad, to find their friends, or
seeking employment, ivere not inifrequentlt/ outraged:
Again : ' Thousands of emigrants arrived with railroad
tickets purchased abroad, for which they had paid not only
double and treble the regular fare, but upon their arrival
here, they found themselves with bogus tickets and bogus
drafts. Innocent and unprotected girls came consigned to
houses of prostitution: Mr. Weed was referring to what
frequently occurred some years before ; but it is notorious
that similar evils have existed at a later period, and are not
yet effectually suppressed. The panderers to the lust of
great cities are constantly on the watch to, drag into their
dens of infamy the young, the innocent, and the unsuspect-
ing. There is scarcely a lloivSe of Protection un-lev the care

PERILS TO FEMALE VIRTUE.

341

m so late rh
ation rci^orts
VG laws liavo
jro stringent

escaped licr
;er of Castlo
rarely has it
ten back the

victim witli-

of seduction

record ; but

! of the fact

jessity of its

ur were the
L8G4 on the
le Emigrant
the hel2)lG.ss
it admirable

: ' Families
jy possessed,
id friendless

friends, or
/ oidraaed.'
ith railroad
aid not only
their arrival
5 and bogus
consigned to
ng to what
is notorious
and are not
the lust of
Lg iiito their
1 unsuspect-
uer the care

of a Eeligious Order in America, which cannot record cases
of young girls snatched from the jaws of danger. Many,
it is true, are saved ; but what can the helpless do against
the snares and traps and frauds of those who Hve by the
vilest crime? The contest is unequal : the lamb is heljDless
in the talons of the vulture, or the fangs of the wolf. As a
single instance of the peril awaiting the unsuspecting, may
be mentioned that of a young and handsome Irish girl who
was lately trapped into hiring, in a "Western city, with a
person of infamous character. She was fortunately ob-
served by a poor old Irish woman, who, knowing the peril
in which the young creature stood, boldl}^ rushed to her
rescue, and, at personal risk to herself, literally tore the
prey from the grasp of the enemy. The rescued girl was
taken to the Refuge in the Convent of Mercy, where she
was at once in safety ; and though she lost all her clothes,
save those in which she then stood, she congratulated her-
self that she had never crossed the threshold of a house of
ill-fame.

Perils by sea, and perils by land, is it wonderful that
fraud and violence so often triumph over innocence and
helplessness? — that human WTecks occasionally strew the
highways of the centres of wealth, of luxury, and of vice ?

I have in another place referred to the evils of over-
crowding, in lowering the tone of the community, and
exposing the humbler classes to dangers of various kinds,
moral as well as sanitary. Besides the temptations of
poverty and passion, of youth^and thoughtlessness, there
is the terrible mischief of daily and hourly association in
the densely-populated lodging-house, in which it too often
Imppens that, even with the best intentions, the most
ordinary decency cannot be maintained. There is not a
physician or a clergyman in New York who will not say
that this system is fraught with danger to the health of
soul and body. It is in the last degree unfavourable to
the development of virtue ; and the same state of things,

■■m

"CI

^- «

342

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

whorovcr if, is to bo found, Avlu^tlior East
or Soiitli, must he produclivo of ovil fniiti

or Woat, North

Tliorc iir(! also i\w. luiturjil coiiscquGncos of tlio vicious
liiihits of pjirouts—tho (lrunkoniu!Hs of tlio fatlu'r or ilu,
motlu^Muoro usually tlio former—so fatal to tlio dmraclcr
of tlioir <aiil(lrou. This hahit alone is quite as dostiMUttiv.,
in its O()iiso(iiioiic'cs as orphauan-o, ^vhit•h, from this mor(»
Ihau any other cause, is .so prevalent in America, where, at
least in fh(> towns, the averao-e duration of human life—
esp<'cially that of the hard-worlcino- classes who are not
t.emperat(^— is so short. Then th(>re is vanity, love of
dre.ss, and perhaps individual pervcr.sity, acted upon
throuoh all the evil influences of jrrcat cities— with the
wiles and snares of the fowler ever .spread for the destruc-
tion of fh(> fjutterino- bird. These and other causes will
explain why it i.s, that in some, yet comparatively foAv,
places in America a certain percentage of women of bad
repute are necessarily of Irish origin.

^ But, however deplorable that, in any part of the United
States, Irish women should form an appreciable percentage
of the whole of the class of unfortunates, still, when com-
p.'ired with the Irish female population of those great cities,
wliether Irish born or of Irish extraction, the number is
small indeed. In very many places the proportion is hi-
linitessimal ; and there are cities and districts throughout
the States in which there has never been known an instance
of Jin Irish girl having come to shame— in which the
character of the Irish woman is the pn'de and glory of all
who belong to the old country, or have a drop of genuine
Irish blood in their veins.

I have fre(iuently marked with interest, how the counte-
nance of the faithful pastor brightened with enthusiasm as
the good conduct of the female portion of his flock was
the theme of conversation. I remember an excellent Irish
priest— one of those men who are justly looked upon as
the fatliers of their people— describing the character of his

Ilil.SIl GI[iLS-Tl[I-:iR VALUE TO TllK llACM

313

"NVost, North I oon^-oiratioii. It wan in a town of conHidovaMo inii)()rt

iinco

>f tho viciouH
'atlior or tlio
iio clifiraclcr
us (l(\strn(!tiv(i
m this nioro
ca, whoro, at
ninian litV; —
rvho arc not
ity, h)vo of
aetod Tijion
!S — with th(^
tho (Icstrnc-
causes will
ativoly few,
men of bad

the United
! percentage

when corn-
great cities,

number is
rtion is in-
throughout
an instance

which the
glory of all
of genuine

;hc coiinto-
Inisiasni as
1 flock was
ellent Irish
d upon as
.cter of his

y, and in which 11

miiient for its manufacturing industr
liish (ihnnent was |)articidarly strong. 'Good, sir! t!
Irish girls good! Why, sir,' said their pastor, 'the fall of
an Irish girl in this town is as rare as— as— as a white

10
10

l)lackl)ird'— and a pleasant laugh iuiparted additional
ladiness to an illustration which its autl
))()th neat and happy. 'Our Irish girls

lor regard(Ml as
are an honour to

llioir <!ountry and their race— they are the «dory of tl

lie

Cliu'-ch ; to their iiilluence we h)ok for much of what we
l.<.p(, ior in th(! future. They will yet lift the men to
tlu>ir level by tho force of their (^xamj)le.' This was Um
grave testimony borne by a Western Bishop. 'Tluiyaro
llie salvati(ni of their race in this country -the salt of tho
(\-irtli,' said an enthusiastic; Southern Prelate.' The salt of
the earth, indexed ; and if the salt should lose its savour,
wherewith shall the earth be salted ? ' My belief is, that
the Holy Ghost has ihem in special charge, for the good
they do, and the evil they prevent.' This was tho wind-up
of a long oulogium pronounced upon Irish girls by an emi-
nent ecclesiastic, who spoke with all tho earnestness and
jj,ravity of the most profound conviction.

That would be a sad day for the Irish in America when
Irish women lost tho reputation which, notwithstiinding
the evil produced by adverse circumstances and special
causes, they, universally enjoy. The Irish nature is jm-
petuous and impulsive and passionate, and tho young are
too often Hable to confound license with the display of
iiianly independence'; hence even the light yoke of tho
(Hmrch is occasionally too burdensome for the high-mettled
Irish youth, in an especial degree tho American-born sons of
Irish parents. In what, then, if not in the beautiful faith
and piety, the unblemished purity of Irish womon— in tho
nover-faihng example of sister, wife, and mother— are
those who love the race to look for a counteracting
uilluenco to a freedom fraught with danger, and for that

1:
-J-

■ r,- 1
.1

i4*

344

THE lUISII IN AMKUICA.

strong yot delicate rliaiii of gold with wlii(;li to bind the
wayward and tlie licadHirong to the Clinrch of their fathers'?
As yet, as possibly for some time to come, congregations arc
more numerous than churches, i\odiH than pastors, children
than schools or teachers- -..iK-h schools and teach(>rs as are
most requiied; and in the meantime, until in diurches
and pastors, schools and teachers, protection is everywhere
afforded to endangered youth, in the piety and purity of
the sister and the mother is there the* best safeguard
against the risk of apostacy, and iho deadlier blight of
mfidelity. Long may the virtue of Irish women constitute
one of the noblest claims on the respect and sympathy of
the generous-minded people of America I

CHAPTER XIX.

To Catholic CI.,u-cli-Tlio Tiisli-Tlio Cliurch not, afVaul of
lM-(u.d„m---A Contrast-- AVIh. the I'.Ms.Tutors w.-riv -Tin A , ,.,i

C n P^ ^ / ^o'k-I3o.Hlon in ITUO-UnivcM-sulily of t ho

^^t '""■ ^^'•^^■'•-l^^'^'-'y l^iffi^'-lties unci PrivutionLlrish

TO tlioir eonntiTmcn tlii^.n-luMit the worl.l tho spiritual
condition of the Irish in Am, ica cannot l.o other-
wise than a matter of the deepest interest, inasniueh as
their material proo-ress in the New World must of necessity
and to a considerable extent, depend on the moral and
rehf^ious influence brought to bear upon them and their
children. The great mass of the Irish in the United
btates, as in Ireland, are of the Catholic faith : therefore
m order to ascertain what is tlie spiritual condition of the
Irish m America, what the spiritual provision for them wo
must enquire as to the position and prospects of the Catho-
hc Church in that country.

But first, before doinpf so, it is necessary to refer to
statements which have been made by some, and relied on
by others, as to the alleged falling away of the Irish from
the faith of their fathers. Were this statement true it
should be a matter ol regret to every Irishman worthy of
taat name ; for nothing could be more calamitous to the
mc^, or more damaging to the honour of their countrv
than the loss of that which maintains over the Irish heart
tlie most salutary of all influences. Happily for the Irish
in America, these statements are the result of exaggerated
alarm, or reckless invention.

1 1

'*!»

THE IllISII IX AMERICA.

1%,.
r

It lias boon oonfideiitly st(it(,'(l tliat \\u\ inoinciit tho Irinij
touch tho froe Hoil of Araori(!!i, th(>y lo.so tho old fuitli— tliat
thoro is soiiiothin^^ in tho very natnro of ropuhhcaii insti-
tutioiiH fatal to tho Ciuirch of lluiiio. Admitting', aw a fact
^dli(rh oaiiuot ho doiiiod, and which Catliolics aro thcni-
Kolvos the first to proclain), that there has boon some,
even considorablo, fallinf^ off from tho Church, and no
little indifforentisni, it must bo acknoAvlod-rod that there
has been loss of both than, from tho circumstances of tho
country, might have boon reasonjibly expected; and that
tho same Irish, whoso allo;:rod defection en masfie has been
the theme of un'j'onorous triumph to those whoso 'wi^^h
was father to tho thought,' have done more to develop tho
Church, and oxtcnid her dominion throughout the wide
continent of North America, than even tho most devoted
of the children of any other of the various races who, with
them, are merged in the great American nation. This
much may be freely conceded to them, oven by those who
are most^ sensitively and justly proud of what their own
nationahty has done to promote the glory of the Universal
Church. Fortified by sulTering and trial at home, and
inheritors of memories which intensify devotion rather
than weaken fidelity, tho Irish brought with them a strong
faith, the power to resist as well as the courage to jDor-
severe, and that generosity of spirit which has ever
prompted mankind to make large sacrifices for the pro-
motion of their religious belief.

Those who foolishly think, or pretend to think, that
there is something in republican institutions fatal to tho
extension and influence of the Catholic Church, must be
ignorant of, or wilfully ignore, the evidence of history, or
what is going on in tho world at the present day ; or must
have conceived the most erroneous impressions concerning
the actual position of tho Churcli in tho United State;-;.
Not only, throughout her long and chequered history, has
the Church flourished under republican governments, and

THF-: CIIUKCH NOT AFRAID OF FRKI'DOM.

847

lit tho Irinii

faitli— that
>liciiu iiisti-
ig, tiH a fact

are tlu'in-
jet'ii some.
;h, ami no

that there
ices of tho

; and tliat
c has hcoii
hoso 'wii^h
Icvclop tho
; the wide
st devoted
I who, with
ion. This

those who

their own
i Universal
lome, and
on rather
Q a strong
ge to jDcr-

has ever
r the j)ro-

hink, that
ital to tho
., must he
history, or
' ; or must
;onccrniiig
od State;-!.
istory, has
tients, and

that at this nionu^nt among her faithful suhjects are to l)o
f-»und the most strenuous supporters of repuhlicau iu.stitu-
tioUH, as in America and the Catholic (^mtoiis of Swit/er-
laud ; but it is one of tlie striking characteristics of the
Church— conceded to her even by her enemies— that she
has the marvellous faculty of adapting herself to every
form of government, and to every description of human
institutijn. Instinctively conservative— that is, of those
great principles which lie at tho root of all civil govern-
ment, and are reverenced in every well-ordered state of
society— she fully appreciates the blesshigs of liberty, and
flourisluis in vigour under the very freest form of national
constitution. In every region she is readily acclimated—
in every soil she takes firm hold ; nay, oven where she is
trampled upon and persecuted, tho sweeter is tho odour
she gives forth.

Her progress in tho United States has not been over a
path bestrewn \yith roses ; hvX not only are tho persecu-
tions and sufferings of other days tho glory of tho present
hour, but they have given her strengh to meet with forti-
tude, and endure with undiminished confidence, those
spasmodic outbursts of violence which are born of the
mad frenzy of tho moment. Under tho wise guidance of
able and sagacious prelates, no less patriots than churchmen
— devoted to the greatness and renown of the noble coun-
try of their birth or of their adoption— the Catholic Church
is not only adapting herseK to tho genius of the American
people, and in complete harmony with her institutions,
but, so far as her influence extends, is one of the most
efficient means of maintaining social order and promotino-
pubHc contentment. And wo shall see how, in the
moment of tho gravest peril that ever overtook a people
or tried a church, when others waved tho torch and rang
the tocsin peal, she retail] ed her holy serenity in tlic
midst of strife ; and while sounds of hate and fury rever-
berated through so-called temples of religion, she calmly

'^1

Cfifll

348

THE IRISH IN AME-IICA.

preached her mission of peace on earth to men of- goo^
will.

That there has been falHng away, is true— that there
is indifference, no one can doubt ; but the faUing away
is not what exaggeration has represented it to be, and
is moreover largely compensated by the most valuable
acquisitions ; and the spirit of indifferentism, which is the
form of religious disease most prevalent in the United
States, is steadily yielding to the zeal of the Church, and
its fuller and more perfect organisation.

To appreciate rightly what has been accomphshed, we
must look back; and in order to imderstand what the
Churcii had to contend with, what obstacles she had to
surmount, what she had to create and build up, it is essen-
tial that a sketch— for anything more formal would be
impossible, and indeed out of place, in this volume— should
be given of her position before and at the period when the
emigration from Europe began seriously to influence the
population of the United States.

So long as England retained her power in her American
colonies, persecution and proscription ' were the lot of her
CathoHc subjects. It was the same at both sides of the
Atlantic— cruel laws and degrading disabilities. If any-
thing, her colonial governors and legislators outdid in
. violence and malignity ilia policy of the mother country ;
for, strange as it must appear, and however dishonouring
to our human nature, it is nevertheless the fact, that those
who fled from persecution, who braved the stormy ocean
in frail vessels, to escape from the tyranny of a sect or
a government, became relentless in their persecution of
others who, hke themselves, had hoped to find a peaceful
home and a safe asylum in a new and happy country.
The Puritans of New England outdid, in their fierce in-
tolerance, those whose milder tyranny had compelled
them to seek relief in exile, The contrast offered by tlio
different pohcy pursued by CathoHc and Puritan colonist!?

A CONTRAST.

349

len oi' goo(\

-that there
ailing away
to be, and
st valuable
rhich is the
the United
:!hurch, and

phshed, we
I what the
she had to
it is essen-
. would be
Qe — should
d when the
luence the

? American
lot of her
des of the
If any-
outdid in
L' country ;
ihonouriug
that those
rmy ocean
a sect or
Bcution of
a peaceful
Y country,
fierce in-
compelled
•ed by the
1 colonistsi

should put to shame those who are so lavish in their accu-
sations of Cathohc persecution. When the Cathohcs had
power or influence, they proclaimed the broadest toleration,
the fullest liberty to every sect of Christians; while, on
the contrary, not only were Catholics in a special degree
the objects of persecution in every colony, and by every
governor or legislature, but the zealots who persecuted
them did not refrain from persecuting people of other de-
nominations. We may refer to the conduct of the Catholic
settlers of Maryland, and of the Catholics during the only
time they ever possessed any influence in the State of New
York, and contrast their enhghtened pohcy with the laws
against Qu.akers and Cathohcs— the latter of which laws
were not erased from the statute-book until after America
liad accomphshed her independence.

The code of the New England colonies was conceived in
the most ferocious spirit, and was enforced with relent-
less severity. A single extract from the law passed at
Plymouth on the Uth of October 1G57, wiU be saffieient
to display the mild and Christian policy of those who
themselves had suffered for conscience^ sake :

And it is further enactod, that if any Quaker or Quakers shall pre-
sume after they have once suffered what the law requireth, to come
into this jurisdiction, every such male Quaker shall, for the first
oflence, have one of his ears cut off, and be kept at work in the house
of correction till he can be sent away at his own charge ; and for the
second offence, shall have the other ear cut off, &c., and be kept at the
house of correction as aforesaid. And every woman Quaker that
hath suffered the law here, that shall presume to come into this juris-
diction, shall he severely wMpt, and kept at the house of correction
tUKshe be sent away at her own charge, and so also for her comin-
again she shall be alike used as afor<>said. And for every Quaker he
or she. that shall a third time herein ai^ain offend, they shall have their
tongues hored through toilh a hot iron, and k-pt at the house of correc-
tion till they be sent away at their own char.-e

The ofience thus fiendishly punished was the mere
commg of any of these harmlcs* people within tho jurisdic-

■■>]!

850

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

tion of tliosc ardent wor.slnppors of human froedom and
relio-ions iil.erty. It were hard to say .vhcth(^r the Puritan
H-an more ferociously iu earn(.,st iu his persecution of
Quakers and Cathohcs, or in ]iis extermination of witches
-tor a profound l,ehef in witchcraft was one of the most
strilang evidences of his cnhghtenment and good sense.

Bancroft, the historian of America, thus describes the
state of things in the CatlioHc colony of Baltimore :—

Yet the happiuoss of the colony was enviable. The persecute,! and
«.e unhappy thronox.d to the domains of the benevolent prince If
l^a tunore was. in one senr-' a monarch-like MiUiades at Chersonesus
and other founders o ...ies of old-hi,s monarchy was tolerable to'
tiie exile who soughi ibv freedom and repose. Numerous ships tbund
emp ..ynu"nt n, Ins harbours. The white labourer rose rapidly to the
condu.on of a free proprietor; the female emig-rant was sure to im-
prove her condition, and the cheerful charities of home gathered round

her m the New A\ orld

Emigrants arrived from every clime; ami 'the coionial' leHslature'
^ extended its sympathies to many nations, as well as to many sects
Irom France came Huguenots; from Germany. IVom Holland, from
Sweden. Iro.u Finland, I believe from Piedmont, ihe chHdren of «uV
.forlaue sought protPcilon under ihe Movant sceptre of the Human Catho-
lie. Bohemia itself, the country of Jero.ne and of Huss, sent forth
their sons, who at once were ma<le citizens of Mai-yland with equal
franchises The empi.'e of justice and humanity, according to the
l.ght ol those days, had been complete but for the sufTerino-s of the
people called Quakers. Yet they we.-e not persecuted for their reli-
gums woi'ship, which was held p,iblicly. and witho.it interruption.
llie truth was received with revei-ence and gladness;' and with
secret satisfaction Geoi-ge Fox relates that members of the legislature
and the council, persons of quality, and justices of the peace, were
present at a large and very heavenly meeting.

This was in 1668, but in a few years after the arrival of
Wilham Penn, the Quakers had full justice done to them
In Catholic Maryland there had been no ear-croppin<.-
no l)oring of tongues with hot pokers— such exhibitions .5'
brotherly love and mercy were reserved for the Puritans
of Plymouth.

'The apologist of Lord Baltimore/ says Bancroft,

WHO THE PERSECUTORS WERE.

351

uedoMi and
lie Puritan
ocution of

of witclK!.'^

f the most
d sense.
scribes the

rsecuted and
t prince. If
Chcrsonesus.

toleral)le to
' sliips found
tpidly to tlie

suro to iin-
hcred round

I legi.slatnre
many sects.
Mland, from
Iren of mis-
'oman Gutlio-
, sent forth

with equal
ling to the
■ings of the
r their ri'li-
nterrnption.
' and with

legisUiture
peace, were

arrival f)f

to them,

croppino-,

jitions of

Puritans

Bancroft,

* could assort that his government, in conformity with his
strict and repeated injunctions, had never given disturb-
ance to any person in Maryland for matter of religion ;
that the coh)nists enjoyed freedom of conscience, not less
than freedom of person and estate, as amply as ever any
people in any place in the world. The disfranchised friends
of prelacy from Massachusetts, and the Puritan from Vir-
ginia, ivere welcomed to equal liherty of conscience and political
rightti in the Roman Catholic province of Maryland.' These
halcyon days did not long continue; for when the Pro'
testants got the upper hand in Maryland, they persecu-
ted the Cathohcs, who had extended toleration and lib-
erty to all !

We shall now see how Catholics were tr^ ced in New
York. In 1G83 Colonel Thomas Dongan, a Catholic, was
sent out as governor, and under his liberal administration
the legislative assembly— the first which was convoked—
proclaimed that ' no person or persons, which profess faith
in God by Jesus Christ, shall at any time be any way
molested, punished, disquieted, or called in question for
any difference of opinion or matter of religious concern-
ment, who do not actually disturb the civil peace of the
province ; but that all and every such person or persons
may, from time to time, and at all times, freely have and
fully enjoy his qr their judgments or consciences, in matters
of religion, throughout all the province— they behaving
themselves peaceably and quietly, and not using this hberty
to licentiousness, nor to the civil injury, nor outward dis-
turbance of others.' By another article, all denominations
then in the province were secured the free exercise of their
discipline and forms, and the same privilege extended to
such as might come. Bancroft describes this Charter of
Liberty as eliminating ' the intolerance and superstition of
the early codes of Puritanism.',

The New York Assembly of 1G91 declared null and void
the acts of the Assembly of 1683, and, instead of the Char-

'^l

■ij

852

THE IRISH IN- AMERICA.

■p*

ter of Liber les, passed a Bill of Rights, which expressly
^xchuled Catholics from aU participation in the privileo^s
Avlnch it conferred. It had been the same in Maryland
where Githolics had first proclaimed religious liberty, and
where the Protestants, who soon gained the ascendancy
proscribed the Papists and their creed. * '

In 1090 a wicked law was passed, enacting that any
priest commg into the colony, or remaining in it after a
cer am day should be deemed an incendiary and disturber
ot the public peace and safety, and an enemy to the true
Cliristian religion, and adjudged to suffer perpetual im-
prisonment. If he escaped, and were retaken, death was
the penalty. And any one who harboured a priest was
made lable to a fine of 300/., and to stand three days in
the pillory. In 1701 Catholics were excluded from office
and depriyed of the right of yoting ; and in the foUowino'
year they were specially excluded from sharing in the
hberty of conscience granted by Queen Anne to aU the
inhabitants of New York.

It may be easily imagined that, whateyer their condi-
tion at home, there was Httle inducement for Irish Catho-
hcs to emigrate to the American colonies while under
British rule, and so long as the spirit of their laws was
more than a faithful reflection of the odious intolerance
bi-eathmg m eyery page of the statute-book of England.
Ihey did come, neyertheless, and, though not in groat
numbers, they were to be found scattered oyer the country
m yarious directions, and carrying on business in New
lork and other of the principal cities.

The Keyolution .did much for the Cathohcs of America
if not to change the public sentiment in their favour at
least to afford them relief from positiye persecution, 'xo
doub , men of just and generous minds, Hke Washino-to:),
would, without the pressure of special circumstances, have

* Shea's ' Catholic Church in the United Stales.

THE AMERICAN CONSTITUTION.

363

ell expressly
^e privileges
I Maryland,
liberty, and
ascendancy

g that any

I it after a

d disturber

to the true

L'petual im-

death was

priest was

fee days in

Tom office,

3 following-

ng in the

to all the

leir condi-
ish Catho-
lile under
• laws was
ntolerance
England.
-J in great
le country
s in New

■ America,
favour, at
tion. No
ishington,
ices, have

been willing to extend the same liberty to Catholics as io
all other rehgious sects ; but had there not existed the
necessity of endeavouring to conciliate, ,r even neutrahse,
the CathoHcs of Canada, and of not offeidmg the pride of
France, a Catholic nation wliich had re ....^red such material
assistance to the revolted colonies of En-land, it is possible
they might not so soon have been allowed to participate in
the fidl measure of freedom secured to the citizens of the
infant rei^ubhc. Even the fact that Citholics— soldiers
and merchants, and among tliem gallant and high-spirited
Irishmen— distinguished themselves by tlieir hcToism and
generosity in the cause of American Independence, would
not, of itself, have been sufficient to brea.k down the bar-
riers of exci".siveness which intolerance and fanaticism had
raised against the just claims of that faithful but persecuted
body of Christians.

There is little mention made of religious matters in the
Constitution, but what is there proclaimed has often since
been appealed to, and will many times again be appealed
to, as the solemn declaration of a great and fundamental
principle of religious toleration and equality. 'No reli-
'gious test shall ever be required as a qy.alif "ation to any
'offiee or public trust under the United States.' 'Con-
'gress shall make no law respecting an estdbl'shment of
'religion, or prohihiting the free exercise thereof: This
is the entire ; but it was like a grand key-note, to regulate
all future legislation, winch ought to be in harmony with
the principle embodied in these fcAV but memorable words.
It rather pointed out to the thirteen States then in the
Union what they ought to do, than what they should not
do. This broad proclamiyH -n notwithstanding, each State
was at full liberty to legi.^Uat- according to its own views,
in reference to the imporL.iit matter of religion. This is
put clearly by the authors of 'The Catholic Church in the
United States : ' —

■t

t a

■'IV

S54

1%*..
i^"

TIIK lltlSIl IN AMKRICA.

Tlio o/ijrinal tliirl.'cii Slat

CiitliolicK liberty of

<'«, one iUtcr iuiollicr, granted to II

Calliolic

'■onscience. but many „r (hem Jonjy refused tl,o

■"< eivil and politieal ri«j;lits. Tims it

Catholics, to liold oHJ

i» only since Lsoi; (jiat

, <>""■«' in ine .>uit(> „r New York, have been dis-

pensed w.tl. a soUmu. abjuration of all obedience to a foreign ecelc-
K.as.,cal power. Down to Ja.n.ary ], mn, to bo an elector and
;'";:'>'•■ '■• 'IK' Slate of Xorth Carolina, it was necessary ,o swea
''<'>"" ", ll,e Irull, of (he I'mlestant religion. Jn N<'v Jersey a
ola.,se exeludmg (^allmlics fron. all ,>IIices was only abolisi.ed in 1811
An.l even now (ISS.!). eighty years after (he Declaration of the'
/;;';">■.'•' '"''"I-n<lene,>. (he State of New Hampshire still excludes
<""'- "I's iron, every oUiee. slubboruly resisting all (he petitions pre-
•sented l,.r a removal of this stigma from (heir s(a(ute-book.

As (o (he Slates founded on lerrit.uy ceded by Franco or Spain
sueh as I.mnsiana.Flori.la. Michigan. ladiana. or severed from Mexico'
hko lexas and California. ll„. (^a(h.,lic;s original proprielors of the soil'
olXaine.l. by the act of c.-ssion. the free enjoyment of their w<.rship •
and there is on the side of i'rotcstautism mere justice, but no generosity'
in keeping the faith of treaties.

In 1700 a rciiuirkablo Address was presented to \Ytisli-
mgUm from the Catholics of America, signed by Bishop
Carroll, the iirst Ctitholi,. .Bishop, on tlu. part of the ch^m-y
nnd l,y Charles Carroll of Ctirrollton, David Carroll, Thonms
Fitzsmimons and Dominick Lyneh/f= on the part of the hiity.

* Domiaiclc Lyncl, was born in Gahvay, Irdan,!, in 1754. a.ul was a direct
U cm. ant o one oi tl.o most inllnonlial fanulics of tl,c town ; one of his anco^lorH

':;;;;: Z- ; r '' 'T' """' "' '^^ "^'^'""^'^ "- '^ "'"«^«'™*^>- rrononn.-oa t;:

tcnco of death npon h:s -wn Hon. Having ae,],uircd a eonsidorablo fortuno in

1^ Tor ;;^^'"*"''"^7"'"« ^o now Y.^K whe,-c his arrival was regarded as an

v.nt of pubhe nnportaneo, as ho brou«lit witn him a larger amount in speeie

han had been bronght to the eonntry in many yours by a private individual.

iionr "' '' "'^ " "'^''' ^'""'^^■' '''■'''"• "*' ''^'"'" '■^'•'" ^^ ^""'"'"'t l'^'--^'-

fo tun. HI Phdadolplua, to which plaee he can.e about the close of the. last int.T
.'olomal war. He was a numiber of the State L.-gisIaturc of Pennsylvania for
many years ; also of the Continent.! Congress in 1782-3 ; of the Constitution.!
C..nvention m 1787; of the U. S. House of Representatives from 178'J t.. 17U.-,
Uc was a man of truly noblo chara.ter. morally, intolleetually. and phvsi..alb '
J lu hrm ot George Meade & Co., of which Thonms Fitz.sinmions was a memb..-,
o..n ributod the sum of 5,000/. t<. the r..Iief of the Continental Armv in 1780. lie
rtiod in 1811. in his 70th year. His wile. Catharine Meade ritzsinnu..ns. «as a
daughter M lU.bert Meade, an Irish Catholic nu'rchant of Philadelphia, great-
grandfather ot Major-General George Gordon Meade, of the Eegular Army

.VASIIINGTOX'S UHl'LY TO TJIK CATHOLICS.

365

mlt'd t<t ilio
: refiisc'd tlio
W! lS()(i iliat
vc been dis-
Ibrcisi;!! I'cclc-
t'k'clor iiiiil
y lo .swt'ar 11

'W JlTHCy. u

-lied ill 1811.
itinii of II, (>

ilill ('xcliidcs
K'liiions pro-

co or Spain,
roiii .Mexico,
* of tlio soil,
'ir worship ;
[) geuorosily,

to Wtish-
by Bisboi)
tho cloroy,
11, Tlionijis
f tho luity.

was a direct
Ilia iuicostDrH
inouiu'od sc'ii-
Ic! fortuuc in
'giinled as an
lint in spoi'ie
to individual.
3Uiiiient posi-

c'onsidcrablo
lie Ja.st inter
nsjlvaiiiii fur
^institutionni
178!) t(i 17'.ir>.
d iih.v.sically
s a nieiulK r,
in 1780. Ho
nions, was a
liiliia, great-
uiy.

T\ra p.'issiioYiS, oiio from flm Address, tlio oilier from the
)-"])ly, m:iy \h\ iis(d"ully ciuoied.

•'I'lds prospccd of iiiitioiial proHponty,' .say the Catholics, 'is pecu-
liarly plcasiii;,' to us on aiiolhcr acoouul,, bccausi.', whilst our coutilrv
in-i'scrvcH her IVocdoiu and iiidcpcndciico, wn shall have a well-rounded
till.' to claim IVoiu her justice equal ri<!:lils of citi/.eiishij», as the pri<;e
of our blood spilt under your eyes, and oC our connnon e.xcMtions lur
her delrnce under your auspicious conduct ; ri;j;lits rendered more de-ar
lo us by the remembrance! of lornjer hardships.'

In his reply, Wiisliiiiotou thus r(3t'eiTed to tliat piissago
in tli(! Catholic Address : —

As matdcind beoomi' more liberal, they will l)e mon; apt to allow,
that all those who coi duct Ihemselvt^s as worthy m(!mljers of tho
comnuinity arc e(|ually entitled to Viw. ]trotcction of \\n\ civil tjovern-
ment. I hope- ever to secf America among the rorenu)st nations, in
e.vamples of justice ami liberality. A)Ld J presnine (h'd your /(dlow-dti-
zms icill not fon/d the palrwUc part irhkh yon took in the accomp/lsh-
hieut of their rcvolutioiu and the vstithlishnicnt of their ^overmnmt ; or,
ike imporintit assistance they receiml from a nation in wtdch the lioman
Catholic reUqiim is professed.

To Baltimore we must naturally look for the first
establishment of the Ciitholic Church in America. Mem-
bers of various relio-ions Orders, especially the illustrious
Society of Jesus, those heroic soldiers of the Cross, had
shed their blood, or wasted themselves m a life of labour,
in the propaoation of tho faith. Spain, Frar(;o, England,
and Ireland too, had all their share in the glory of those
early missions. But, previous to the revolution, tho number
of those who pro(;laimed their adherence to the Church
was not very considerable. Besides, the priests wore few,
and many of them worn down by ago and hardships. The

TliGHG particular.s respecting two eminent Irish Catholics arc abridged from notes
supplied b.v Judge Daly and Mr. Michael Hennessy to Mr. John Gilmary Shea,
for liis rei)ul)lication of the 'Address from tho RomaTi Catholics in 1790.'

It may here be remarked, that tlie Irisli, (!specially the Catholic Irish, wore, of the
three nationalities-English, Scotch, and Irish— the most devoted to the interests
of the revolution. It would seem as if they instinctively arrayed thomscdves la
hostility to the British power ; a fat:t to be explained alike by their love of liberty,
»nd their vivid remembrance of receBt or past misgoverimient.

:i*

36G

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

Catholics of the Unittul Htiitos were under tlio jurisdiction
of tlio Vicar Apostolic of the London district, Jind during-
the war there was not the least communication between
them and their ecclesiastical sui)eri(u-. Of course, after
the termination of tlie war, which ended in the indepon-
<lence of the American colonies, it was impossible that the
Catholics of the United States could any longer remain
in sul)jection to an English ])ishop ; and accordhigly the
clergy of Maryland and Pennsylvania addressed the Holy
See, praying that they tlicmselvcs might be allowed to
choose a spiritual superior, subject to the approbation and
confirmation of His Hohness. Dr. Carroll, tlien the most
eminent ecclesiastic in the country, was selected to repre-
sent the case of the American CathoHcs before the Holy
See ; and in praying that the episcopal power should bo
placed in the hands of one 'whose virtuo, knowledge, and
integrity of faith,' should be certified by the clergy of
America, he was unconsciously describing his own univer-
sally admitted qualification for the high office to which,
in the year 1789, he was raised, to the great satisfaction
of the clergy and laity of the infant Church, and the
approval of the foremost American citizen of that day.*

There was a Cardinal Antonelli in those days, as in
these ; and the Cardinal of that day, when despatching to
Dr. Carroll the official documents appointing him to the
new see, thus expressed his congratulations and his hopes :
' It is a splendid and glorious office to oflbr to God, as it
were, the first fruits of that portion of the Lord's vineyard.

* The Rev. Dr. White, in his ' Sketch of the 0ri,!,'in and Progress ol the Catholic
Churc-h in the United States of America,' published as an appendix to Darras'
'General History of the Church,' quotes a passage from a Utter of the lute Hon.
Mr. Custis, a nephew of the illustrious Washington, representing tlie esteem in which
the first of the Catholic bishops of the United ^^tates was held by its greatest
titizen : —

' From his exalted worth as a minister of God. his staitilcss character as a man,
and, above all, his distinguished services a«! a patriot of the revolution, Dr. Carroll
•stood high, very high, in tho esteem and affections of Pater Patriaj.'

Bishop Carroll was of Irish, descent on his father's side.

THE FIRST CHURCH IN NEW YORK.

857

irisdiction
1(1 (hiriiio-

I betwcoii
irse, jil'ter

indojjon-
) that tlio
er rGinain
iiiif^-ly tho
the Holy
[lowed to
atiou and
the most

to repre-
tho Holy
;lioiild bo
jdgc, and
Lilergy of
1 nniver-
;o wliicli,
tisfaction
and the
lay.*
ys, as in
:ching to
01 to the
s hopes :
rod, as it
vineyard.

the Catholic
X to Darras'
1'^ lute lion,
cm in which
its greatest

}r as a man,
, Dr. Carroll

Enjoy, thovcfore, so groat a blessing, not only for tho
salvation of yourself, but for that of otliors, and for tho
increase of the Catholic faith, which we -trust will become
more and more widely established in that distant region.'

In 1785, when Dr. Carroll submitted the castJ of^'his co-
religionists to the Propaganda, he estimated the number
of Cathohcs in the United States at 20,000, and thus
distributed them--lG,000 in Maryland, 7,000 in Penn.syl-
vania, and 2,000 in New York and the other States.'
This was too low an estimate, as it did not include French
and other Cathohcs hving to the west of tho Ohio and on
the borders of the Mississii)pi ; but the small number
attributed to New York, now perhaps the most Catholic of
any of tho States of the Union, is worthy of notice. It
Avas not until the city of New York was evacuated by the
British, in 1783, th;it the Catholics began to assemble for
the ()pen celebration of public worship. They probably
uiiglit have been content to remain for a longer time witli-
out a church of their own, had they been able to obtain any
suitable place in which they could decently oiler up the
Holy Sacrilice ; but finding it impossible to accommodate
themselws with a building such as they required, they
were compelled to commence what must have been in those
days a formidable undertaking— the erection of a Catholic
church by a small congregation ; and in 1780 the Church
of St. Peter, the iirst Catholic Church in the; State of New
York, was erected— several Irish names being included
among its principal benefactors. That there were Irish
congregations in the States at that day, and that the New
York congregation bore that distinction, we have evidence
in a letter quoted by Dr. Bayley in his 'Brief Sketch of
the Catholic Church on the Island of New York.' The
letter is from Dr. Carroll, dated December 15, 1785, and
addressed to his friend the Eev. Charles Plowden :—

Tlie congrc-rniion at New York. l»t\c:nn l>v tlio voiuM-able Afr.
Farmer, of Fhiladelplila, ho Las now codod to an Irish Capiichin

»4

^r^

■si

858

THE IRISH IN AMi:iaCA.

resident thoro. The prospect nt Unit placo is pl(,asins un the wlioN-.
The Cnpuchin is a milous, pious, and. I ihiiiit, Innnble man. Ho
iM not indeed so leurn(>d, or so go(.d a preacher, us I could wish, whicli
in..ilifi..,s his con-re^^ation ; as at New YorI<, and most otlier places in
America, the dillei-ent sectaries Iiuvo scarce any other test ti. jiidKe of
a clergyman than his talent lor preachlni^. and oar IdsU cow/rcjalioo.,,
sKch as Xew York, follow tlic same rule.

Fiitlicr Wholan had served in a rrencli ship hclouoin^r
to the Heet of Admiral De Grassf, who was enfragrd in
assisting the cause of American Independence ; and at the
close of the war he selected America as the theatre of his
missionary zeal, and became 'the first regnhirly settled
priest in tlie city of New York.'

By the aid of another letter from the same pen, quoted
by Dr. White in his 'Sketch,' we ha%e a glimpse at the
state of things at Boston in the year 1700. The descrip-
tion of the feeling of hatred and horror created by ' scan-
dalous misrepresentation' applies, as the reader will luive
reason to judge, to a period even more tlian half a century
later, and to many parts of America. The njime of CarroU
was inseparably associated with the successful revolution.
When Charles Carroll signed his name to the Declaration
of Independence, and added ' of CarroUton,' to his signa-
ture, Benjamin Frankhn exclaimed— ' There goes a ^^cool
million! ' The new Bishop was therefore certahi of being
received with distinction even in the capital of Massji"^
chusetts of that day.

It is wonderful (he writes) to tell what gi-oat civilities have been
done to me in this town, where, a few years ago, a 'Papist priest' was
thought to be the grossest monster in the creation. Many here, e -en
of their principal people, have acknoiokd<jed to me, that they would hav,
crossed to the opposite side of the stred, rather than meet a lloman
Catholic some time ago. The horror which was associated with lli..
Idea of a Papist is incredible ; and the scandalous misrepresentations
by their ministers increased the horror every Sund ly. If all the
Ca'tholios here were united, their numbers would be about one hundred
and ticenty.

HI the wliolt'.
)le iiiiui. Ho
(i wish, which
her places in
t ti» jii(lj,'e of

3nj^a^T(l ill
and at tlio
itrc of his
rly settled

en, quoted
)se at the
e desorii)-
by ' scan-
will hiive
a century
of Carroll
■evolution,
eelaration
tiis signa-
)es a cool
of being
»f Massa-

have been
priest' was

here, e'en
would havx.

a Itoman
I with the
esentations
If all the
le hundred

UNIVERSALITY OF THE CUUIK^fl-EARLY MISSION> :?59

To the revolutionary fury of Franco, which dir<'cted itH
tiorcent rago ay inat the Church, that .strongest bulwark of
civil government, was America indebted for niaiiy eminent
scholars and (U vines — ecclesiastic, pious, zealous, learned,
who established seminaries, fomuhxl colleges, s[)i-(nid the
faith with characteristic ardour, nid tilled with distinctit)n
several of the iirst sees in the United States. Nowhere
is the Catholicity — the Universality of the Church — more
strikingly exhibited t n in America. Now it is the
Spaniard, now it is the Frenchman, now the Englishman,
now tlie Irishman, who preaches the faith or sacriiices his
hfe in its dangerous mission ; and, as years roll by, it is
the Irish masses, and then, thou-h not to so great an
extent, the Germans, who build up iicr churches, and give
strength to her congregations.

The number of Cathohcs having increased so rapidly,
principally thrcjugh emigration, the Holy See deemed it
advisal^le to elevate Baltimore into an archbishopric,
and to appoint four suil'ragan bishops — to Philadelphia,
New York, Boston, and Bardstown ; and of th<\so four
bishops, two — the Right He v. Michael Egan and the Kight
Rev. Luke Concannon — were Irishmen. The new bislu)pf^
were ctmsecrated at Baltimore by Archbishop Carroll in
1810, at which period the strength of the Church was
represented by seventy priests, eighty churches, and one
hundred and fifty thousand laity.

From original documents in his possession, Dr. White
gives, in his Appendix to Darras' ' General History of the
Church,' some characteristic letters from missionary priests
to their Bishop, Dr. Carroll. A passage or two from these
letters will afford an idea of missionary life in those days.
Considering the sharp provocation to its use, the poor priest's
strength of language in the following, written from West
Tennsylvania, is but natural. The writer is an Irishman :—

Your reverence (he writes) can have no conception of uiy dis-
tress here, even for the necessaries of life, for really I have not any.

.11

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WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580

(716) 87i-4503

860

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

thing like a sufficiency of food such as I get, and, indeed, poor
and fiUi.y it is. Most of the Irish, who, though poor, were by far
the mofit generous, have now quit this settlement ; five or six German
families alone remain, whose chaplain I may call myself, since I can-
not pretend to travel for want of a horse, and those people, inde<!d.—
abstraction made of religion— are the last of all mankind for senti-
ments of humanity. The poor man I live with is not paid what was
promised for my board, and, whether he intends it or not, he treats
me accordingly. Perhaps he can't help it. Broad is the sole support
of his family. Morning, noon, and night, flour and water, or bread
and water, with a little burnt grease thrown over it, is the sup-
port of his starved and almost perfectly naked family. Since my
arrival, the only meat they had was a little pig about twenty or thirty
pounds, and a calf ten days old, of which we eat this whole week,
till it became musty and green for want of salt. . . , Thus have I spent
five months of a very rigorous Lent, that threw me into a diarrhoea,
that, in such wretchedness and cold, made me pass a most penitential
winter.

Aiiotlier priest writes from Milltown, Pa., in January
1799. After informing his Bishop that he had a large
tract of land about twenty miles from there, and that he
had placed his sister, a nun, on it, allotting her and her
Order five hundred acres, he requests him to send him,
in the spring —

Twenty Munster or Connaught men, and if they are poor, I'll pay
them as much a year or a day as any other gentleman in the country,
provided they are Catholics, because there are plenty of other descrip-
tions here already ; but I don't approve of it. Thus you'll free me from
a reprobated class of infamous Scotch-Irish, superior in all kinds of wick-
edness, only in a superlative degree, to the most vile convicts. . . .
This before I would not mention to you, until I could be settled, in
dread you might suppose interested views might oblige me to exag-
gerate in my reports. . . , . In consequence of the cold, I am
dislodged from my spring house, and obliged to turn into the pig-sty
—that is, the poor honest man's own ho^ise, where cats, young dogs,
and young fowls, both men and their wives, sons and daughters, all
in one store-room comfortably kennel together. Bui what is more
humourous is, that I am kept in pledge, in this sweet-scented situation,
for my quarter's, diet and lodging.

There is something comical in the bitter wail of dis-

TWO GREAT ORDERS.

361

indeed, poor
, were by far
)r six German
f, since I can-
pie, mde<!d, — .
ind for senti-
)aid what was
not, lie treats

2 sole support
ater, or bread
t, is the sup-
^ Since my
mty or thirty

whole week.

3 have I spent
) a diarrhoea,
ist penitential

in January
ad a large
nd that he
3r and her
send him,

>oor, I'll pay
the country,
)ther descrip-
free me from
:inds of wick-
■icts, . . .
le settled, in
me to exag-
cold, I am
) the pig-sty
young dogs,
aughters, all
■hat is more
3d situation,

lil of dis-

tress emanating from poor Father Whelan, who for many
years a missionary in Kentucky, now, January 1805, ad-
dresses his Bishop from Clay Creek, Pennsylvania :—

As to Thomas Maguire and his wife, a priest migLt as well go and
lodge in a wolf-pen as with them— he being a wild Irish savage, she
being either of the Sambo or Shawnee breed, though some say she is
a Hottentot. But, let the case be as it may, she is one whose exte-
rior appearance and interior disposition differ totally from any woman
I ever conversed with. At the second word, she will give me the lie
to my face. Her husband, though present, would say nothing to all

tbis No man in Bedlam suffers more than I do, in the

company of four wolves. I hope it is a temporal purgatory, and will
atone for some of my sins.

Among the many great works associated with the episco-
pacy of Dr. Carroll, two may be noticed— the foundation of
the Jesuit College of Georgetown, and the estabhshment,
under Mrs. Seton, of the Sisters of Charity at Emmetts-
burg.

From the date of the foundation of the College of
Georgetown to the present hour, this parent house of
Catholic learning has steadily pursued a noble career of
usefulness and honour, educating thousands of the best
youth of the country, preparing many of them for the
most eminent position in every walk of Ufe, and every
department of the pubhc service. And at no period of its
splendid careef has this first of Catholic American institu-
tions held a higher place in public esteem than it does at
this moment. I had the pleasure of walking through its
halls, and visiting its rich and varied Hbrary, in which
there are works of the rarest kind, inestimable in the eyes
of a collector. The president is an Irishman, as distin-
guished for his learning and piety, as for his gifts as a
preacher.

*1^4|!ft

To tv/o holy women— one a native of America, the other

» native of Ireland— is America indebted for a gift beyond

862

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

Measure priceless, and indeed of which no human estimato
can be formed— the foundation and introduction of two
Rehgious Orders, which, commencing under cii-cumstances
of the greatest difficulty and discouragement, liave since
spread over the face of the continent, having their branches
in every State of the Union, and being in all places where
they are established the noblest exemplars of the Cathohc
rehgion, because the truest representatives of the Christian
virtues. What Mrs. Seton did for the Order of Charity
in America, Mrs. M'Auley accomplished for the Order of
Mercy in Ii-eland ; and not only was the Order of Mercy
introduced from Ireland into the fruitful soil of America,
but Ireland— that exhaustless fountain of the faith, whose
well-spring is ever fuU of living waters— contributed to
both orders very many of their most zealous and devoted
members.* '

In founding the Order of the Daughters of Chari.y in
the United States, Mrs. Seton not only rendered a lasting
service to rehgion and humanity, but afforded the honest
doubter, as well as the scoffer and the hater of CathoHcity,
the most convincing proof of what it teaches, what it
practises, and what it really is. Born in New York, in
the year 1774, of Protestant parents, her father, Bv.
Bayley, being an eminent physician of that city, Mrs.
Seton was ever remarkable for singular sweetness of dis-
position, tenderness and compassion for every form of
human distress, and a fervent piety, which found the most

* Though somewhat anticipating, it may be here mentioned that, of ihe Order
of Jrercy in tlie United States, now numbering about 1,300 sisters, the large
majority of these are Irish-born, .vhile the greater number of the remainder,
though born in America, are of Irish parentage. The minority consists of Ameri-
can, French, Spanish, German, and other nationalities. To the convent in Carlow
is America indebted for the lirst colony of these holy women, who were introduced
in 1343 by Bishop O'Connor of Pittsburgh ; and to the zeal and energy of .Mother
U. F. Xavier Warde, the first superioress of the Order in the United States, ;./id
now superioress of tlie hour^e in .Manchester, New Hampshire, are mainly due the
wonderful and rapid spread of this noble institution in the New World. In fact,
Uiis gifted lady cstiiblished the principal houses throughout the Union.

MRS. SETON.

SOS

eloquent expression in her conversation and in her writin-s
To those who desire to witness, as it were, the stru-l .^ of"
a Ghnstian soul, distracted by doubts springing from the
purest conscientiousness, and yet impelled to the hght by
an invisible influence, we cordially commend the admirable
Life of Mrs Seton.'* by the Rev. Dr. White ; a work
that will weU repay perusal, whether by the Catholic or
the fair-minded Protestant.

It may be remarked, that this holy woman, this model
wife and daughter, was deeply impressed with the religious
demeanour of the poor Irish emigrants of that day-the
opening of the present century-who were detailed in
quarantine at Staten Island, and attended by her father,
as Health Physician to the Port of New York. ' The first
thing,' she says, 'these poor people did, when they got their
tents, was to assemble on the grass, and all, kneeling
adored our Maker for His ..orcy ; and every morning sun
Imds them repeating their praises.' The scenes then
witnessed at Staten Island remind one of those which were
so fatally fi-equent in subsequent years. Even at that
time-1800, and the years following-large numbers of
timigrants arrived at the port of New York, suffering from
the dreadful scourge of fever, so calamitous to the Irish
race. A striking picture of the sufferings of its victims is

* 'Life of Ifrfl. KJfza A. Seton. Foundress and First Superior of the Sisters or
daughters of Charity in the Unitad States of America.' By Charles f White

A companion to the 'Life of Mrs. geton' is the 'Life of Catharine M'AiUey
Foumlress and First .Superior of the Institute of Koligious Sisters of Mercy • by
a Jfember of the Order of Mercy. Published by D. & J. Sadlier & Co.. New York
Th« ,s a charming book, written with a grace, and at times a vivacity and fresh"
ess of style, most delightful. One is led to beUeve that a woman alone-and
hat woman a good and holy one. whose heart was in the great work of the
foundress of her Order-could have done justice to the beautifurcharacter of tha
"t r '*'°If ' ^^"""^ daughters, numbering about 4,000. are now widely
ca tcred over the world, diffusing everywhere the blessings of I relLuous I^dus
m and moral training to the young, and performing those works om;ry by

l With ^roar""'''' '''" '""""' "' '^'" °^^'"°"' " ""^ ^^ ^'"^ ^-''^ P^-'-^

864

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

given in a letter," addressed by Mrs. Seton to her sister-
in-law : —

Rebecca, I cannot sleep ; the dying and the dead poHsess my mind
—babies expiring at the empty breast of the expiring motiier. And
this is not fancy, but the scene that surrounds me. Father says that
such was never Itnown before ; that there are actually twelve children
that must die from mere want of sustenance, uiuible to take more
than the breast, and, from the wretchedness of their parents, deprived
of it, as they have lain ill for many days in the ship, without food,
air, or changing. Merciful Father! Oil, how readily would I give
them each a turn of my child's treasure, if in my choice! But, Rebecca,
they have a provider in Heaven, who will soothe the pangs of the
suffering innocent.

She would willingly have become a mother to those
helpless Uttle ones, but her father would not permit her
to obey the womanly impulse, as her first duty regarded
her own child. In 1801 her father fell a victim to his
attendance on the Irish emigrants. He had directed the
passengers and crew of an Irish emigrant ship, with fever
on board, to go on shore to the rooms and tents provided
for them, leaving their baggage behind ; but on going into
the hospital the following morning, he found that his
orders, given the evening before, had been disobeyed, and
that crew and passengers, men, women, and children, well,
sick, and dying, with all their baggage, were huddled to-
gether in the same room in which thr had passed the night.
Into this apartment, before it had been ventilated, he
imprudently entered, and remained but a moraent, being
compelled to retire by deadly sickness of the stomach and
intense pain in the head, which seized him immediately
on entering within its precincts.* From the bed to which
he at once retired he never rose again. This was Mrs.
Seton's first great grief ; but many times, in he*' af*^^er life,
was her tender heart wrung by the loss of those whom
Bhe loved with all the passionate strength of her nature.

* T hacker 'S American Medical Biography.

MRS. SETON FOUNDS HER ORDER.

3 her sister-

8«5

The circumstance of a visit to Italy, whither she went
in company with her dying husband, who, as a last
resource, sought the mild climate of the South of Europe
ns his only chance of recovery, not only confirmed her in
her previous intention, or desire, to become a Catholic,
but acquired for her the enduring friendship of a high-
minded and generous family of Leghorn, by name Fellici,
to whose munificent assistance in her future work she was
under the deepest obhgations. At length, and after an
exhausting mental conflict, rendered more distressing by
the importunities and the anger of her relatives and friends,
Mrs. Seton took the final step, and in the church of St!
Peter, New York, in March, 1805, she joined that Church
to which it has been her happiness to render the greatest
and most exalted services. By this last act of what her
friends regarded as spiritual treason of the most flagrant
kind, Mrs. Seton cut herself off for ever from all com-
munion with them ; and some time after she estabhshed
m Baltimore, under the auspices of Bishop CarroU, and with
the co-operation of those who knew her story and respected
her character, a school for young ladies, in which she soon
had the requisite number, including her own daughters,
to whom she was the fondest but the wisest of mothers!
But she was impeUed to a fuller development of her own
desire, which was to dedicate herself to the sernce of the
poor ; and how this desire was fulfiUed is thus told by her
biographer : —

About this time another circumstance took place which still more
plainly mdicated the will of God in reference to the good work. Mr
Cooper, who was then a student in St. Mary's Seminary, at Balti-
more, intending, if such were the divine will, to prepare himself for
be sacred mmistry, possessed some properly ; and he was desirous of
'torally following the maxim of the Gosp.l :-' Go, sell what thou
Kast, and give it to the poor, and come, follow me.' One mornln-,
nnmodiately after receiving the holy communion. Mrs. Seton felt
a strong inclinalion arise within her to dedicate herself to the care
and mstruotion of poor female children, and to organise some plan

^ii

.<!

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

- r*

for this purpose that might be continued after ber death. She com-
raui.ieuted this to the Rev. Mr. Dubourg. 'This morning,' she said,
•in my dear communion I thought, Dearest Saviour, if you would
give me the care ot poor little children, no matte:- how poor;
and Mr. Cooper being directly before me at his thanksgiving,
I thought— he has money; if he would but give it for the
bringing up of poor little children, to know and love you!' Mr.
Dubourg, joining his hands, observed that it was very strange ; for
Mrs. Seton had not mentioned the subject to any one else. 'Mr.
Cooper,' said he, 'spoke to me this very morning of his thoughts'
being all for poor children's instruction, and if he had somebody
to do it he would give his money for that purpose; and he won-
dered if Mrs. Seton would be willing to undertake it.' The good
priest wa« struck at the coi 'cldence of their views, and ho requested
them each to reflect upon thi, subject for the space of a month, and
then to acquaint him with the result. During this time there was
no interchange of opinion between Mrs. Seton and Mr. Cooper in
relation to tlieir wishes ; and at the expiration of it they both re-
turned separately to Mr. Dubourg, renewing the sentiments they had
expressed before, one offering a portion of his temporal means,* and
the other her devoted services for the relief of the poor and sufferinrr
members of Christ. The providence of God in behalf of the Ameri"-
can Church was so clearly indicated in the circumstances just related
that little room was left for deliberation. Bishop Carroll having
been informed of the design, gave his warmest approbation to it, in
conjunction with the Rev. Francis Nagot, the saintly superior of St.
Mary's Seminary ; and the only question that now presented itself
for consideration was in reference to the locality of the intended
establishment.

Tlie two ladies who first joined Mrs. Seton, were Miss
Cecilia O'Conway and Miss Maria Murphy ; and among
those who formed the little community of Emmettsburg—
the locality selected for the parent house of the Order in
America, we find such names as Maria Burke and Cathe-
rine Mullen ; proving that, in this infant institution, the
Irish element was not wanting. In a miserable httle
house of le storey and a garret, sixteen persons, including
the female children of Mrs. Seton, were crowded ; and
here the holy women, who were destined to prove the
mos+, eminent benefactors to religion and humanity, suf-
fered hardships and privations which they yet bore with

* Eight thousand dollars.

EARLY DIFFICULTIES AND nilVAnONS. 367

cheerltilnoss. At times, indeed, they were reduced to a
coiiditioir of absolute destitution. To supply the pla^^o of
Goffee, they manufactured a beverage from carrots, which
tliey sweetened with molasses : and their rye bread was of
the coarsest description. For months they were reduced
to such absolute want that they did not know where the
next day's meal was to come from. On Christmas-day
they considered themselves fortunate in having some
smoked herrings for dinner, and a spoonful of molasses
for each.* By her anti-Catholic friends Mrs. Seton was
denounced as 'the pest of society,' ajid 'a hypocrite and a
bigot,' they visiting on her the early death of two loved
members of her own family who, braving the trials of her
exalted mission, died in the early bloom of youthful
womanhood. As, with some modifications to suit the
constitution of different rehgious communities, the objects
contemplated by the Daughters of Charity are those com-
mon to several orders in America, it may be weU to state
their objects, as given by Mrs. Seton's biographer :—

The end which the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph proposed to
tbomsolves was. to honour our Lord Josus Christ as the source and
model of all charity, by rendering to Him every temporal and spiritual
service in their power, in the persons of the poor, the sick, prisoners,
and others ; also to honour the Sacred infancy of Jesus Christ, in the
young persons of their sex whom they may be called upon to form to
virtue, while they sow in their minds the seeds of useful knowledg.?.
Thus the poor, of all descriptions and ages, the sick, invalids, found-
lings, orphans, and even insane persons, were embraced within the
sphere of Ihcir solicitude and care. Another object of their zeal, no
less important at that time in America, was the instruction of young
persons of their sex in virtue, piety, and various branches of usend
learning.

And these, and such as these, were then, and have been
even to this day, described as Mrs. Scton was described by
her anti-Catholic friends— ' pests of society,' 'hypocrites
and bigots ! '

Philadelphia was the first place to which a branch of

♦ Life of Mrs. Seton.

id -

868

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

i1-

the order was extended; and the care of the orphans
.vhoso parcutH liad perinhod of yeUow fever offered a fittin.^
opportunity for the exercise of their charity. Their's
however was a hard trial for a considerable time, not:
v. hH tandmg the sympathy shown to then, and the assist-
ance they received. The Sisters had nothing beyond the
coarsest fare, and not always sufficient of that. For three
mon hs they had no bread whatever, subsisting whoUy on
potatoes, which formed their principal article of diet for
heir first year. Their 'coffee' was made of corn, and
their fuel was gathered from the tanyards. 'One day, the
Sisters being to much occupied at home, an orphan wa.
despatched to the market with twelve and a half cents
a// the money in the home, to buy a shin of beef. A few
hours after, the child returned to the asylum with a large
piece of meat, telling the Sisters that an old market-
woman, finding that she was one of the orphans, had
given her the money and meat, and authorised her to caU
upon her for assistance whenever they were in want.
Ihis old woman became a generous friend of the in-
stitution. By the benevolence of herself and others it
graduaUy acquired ample resources, and was enabled to
maintam under its charitable roof an increasing number
of orphans.'

The holy foundress of the order went to her eternal
reward on the 4th January, 1821, in the 47th year of her
age, her death being as edifying as her life.
^ From the very first formation of the Order of Charity
m the United States, there were to be found in the infant
institution ladies of Irish birth and Irish parentage ; and
as it gathered strength, and its branches spread from State
to State, the Irish element was ever strong in its commu-
nities. How attractive the great work of this order has
proved to Irish piety may be leo.rned from a passage in a
letter fi-om a Sister ol St. Joseph's Academy, Emmettsburg
dated June 3, 1867, and addressed to a reverend friend of

IRISH SISTERS.

801

the orphans
sred a fitting
■>y. Their'8,

time, not-

1 the assist-
beyond the

For three
g wholly on

of diet for
I corn, and
ne day, the
arphan wan

half centh,
Dof. A few
vith a largo
Id market-
phans, had

her to call
I in want,
of the in-
i others it
enabled to
3g number

ler eternal
ear of her

of Charity
the infant
fcage ; and
from State
s commu-
order has
issage in a
aettsburg,
friend of

mine: 'The number of Irish sisters now living, and in
'our community, amounts to /our hundred and ten. This
'speaks well of the piety of the Emerald Isle.'

The prosperous branch of the order in the State of New
York, though founded from the mother house at Emmetts-
burg, and based on the same principles and constitution,
and doing the same work, is altogether independent.
It numbers several hundred sisters, the majority of whom
are Irish. The order, wherever it is estabhshed, embraces
within its ranks a considerable number of Sisters of Irish
descent as well as of Irish birth.

Hi
■■■■ i

'-^'i*

370

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

CHAPTER XX.

fmm-

:«•

Bishop Connolly's Notc-]]ook— Laity'fl Directory for 1822--r)r.
Kirwan previous to tiis Ap<>stacy--Tlic Church in 1822--l'ro-
grcH3 in 1834— How the Faith was LoHt.

AN extract or two, taken from a note-book, unhappily
only a fragment, kept by Dr. Connolly, Bishop of New
York, and quoted by Bishop Bayley in his ' Brief Sketch/
will tell us something of the Irish of his day, as also of
the condition of his diocese, which comprised the whole of
the State of New York and part of New Jersey.

March 10th, 1810.— Wrote to Dr. Troy an account of my voyago
to America; illness here for nearly two months. Catholics dispersed
through the country parts of the States of Pennsylvania, New York,
New Jersey, and New England, vMere they seldom see a priest: they are
not able to maintain one in any particular district— ambulatory zea-
lous priests, necessary for them to prevent their children from con-
forming to the persuasions cf neighbouring sectaries, who all of them
have their respective ministers. Only four priests in this diocese,
though the Catholics of New York and its district are about seventeen
thousand.

Feb. 25ih, 1818 At present there are here about six-
teen thousand Catholics, mostly Irish; at least ten thousand Irish
Catholics arrived at New York only within these last three years. They
spread through all the other States of this Confederacy, and make
their religioii known everywhere. Bishops ought to be granted to
whatever State here is willing to build a Cathedral, as Norfolk lm»
done. The present Dioceses are quite too extensive. Our cathodnil
owes 53,000 dollars, borrowed to build it, for which it pays interest at
the rate of 7 per cent, yearly. This burthen hinders us from sup-
porting a sufficient number of priests, or from thinking to erect a
seminary. The American youth have an almost invincible repugnance
to the eccleeiastical state.

LAITY'S DIRECTORY FOR 1822.

871

822-Dr.
22-^Pro-

unhappily
lop of New
cf Sketchj'
as also of
le whole of

r my voyago
lc8 (lispcrsod
I, New York,
iest : they are
bulatory zca-
m from con-
all of them
this diocese,
ut seventeen

•e about six-
Tusand Irish
years. They
7', and make
granted to
Norfolk liiis
in* cathodnil
^s interest at
13 from Slip-
to erect a
! repugnance

Tlio uaiiies of tbo prioHts ordaiued by Dr. Connolly—
O'Gorman, Bulger, Kelly, Breunau, Hhaiiahan, and Oonroy
— are sufficient evidence of the country ^»'oni which the
infiUit Church of the United States obtained tlu! greater
imuiber of its pastors. Dr. Bayley mentions one of the
many amusing incidents in the missionary life of Father
Bulger, whose ardent zeal and buoyant spirits enabled
him to bear up against many hardships, and not a few
insults ; for the horror of * Priests and Topery,' as Bishop
Carroll said of Boston, was ' incredible.' Trudging along
one day on foot, carrying a bundle, containing his vest-
ments and breviary, under his arm, Father Bulger was over-
taken by a farmer and his wife in a waggon. The farmer
invited Mr. Bulger to ride ; but it having come out in the
course of conversation that ho was a priest, the ' » 'to de-
clared that she would not remain with him in the waggon,
and ho was obliged to get out and resume his journey on
foot. But the strange part of the story is, that the farmer
afterwards applied to Father Bulger for instructions, and
became a Catholic.

The most authentic and accurate information as to the
condition of the American Church towards the latter part
of the first quarter of the present century, is a£forded by
the 'Laity's Directory' for 1822.* This little compilation
deserves notice, not only because of the contrast it offers
to the great volume of the present day, but that it enables
us to behold how feeble and comparatively insignificant was
the Catholic body of the first quarter of this century as com-
pared with its present magnitude and power. At the time
it was published, not many pages were required for the or-
dinary purposes of a directory and calendar ; and on ana-
lysing the 138 pages of which the Httle volume is composed,
I find there are not more than 50 devoted to such purpose ;
and of these 50 pages 10 are occupied with obituaries of

* To the kindness of Mr. John Gilmary Shea I am indebted for the use of copies
of a Laity's Directory for 1822 and 1833— the former published at N'ew York, the
latter at Baltimore.

••fit •

872

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

'^*"'

sit

■t

'^~^lr?^

deceased predates and priests, and 11 more are devoted to a
single institution, and an account of the Society of Jesus
in tlie United States. In fact, less than a dozen pages of
Sadher's voluminous directory of the present year would
amply suffice for an epitome of the ecclesiastical intelli-
gence of 1822. But, according to the advertisement, it
was intended 'to accompany the Missal* with a viow to
facilitate the use of the same.' Revised and corrected by
an eminent Irish Priest — the Rev. John Power of New
York — it testifies in every line of its historical and de-
scriptive mattei to his piety and eloquence.

Among other offerings to the ^aity, it contains *ANew
Year'c Gift for the Year 1822 ; ' and though a somewhat
strange New Year's gift, it must have been welcome and
valuable at the time. It is a * Discourse on Religious In-
novations,' delivered by the Rev. Walter Blake Kirwan, at
the Neapolitan Ambassador's Chapel, in London, on the
20th March, 1786. Having, a short time after the delivery
of this remarkable discourse, abandoned the church which
in that discourse he so vigorously and, one might say,
fiercely defended, his apostacy was a source of great scan-
dal to the faithful, and of corresponding triumph to their
opponents. From the published sermons of Mr. Kirwan
this discourse was omitted, * doubtless,' says the Editor of
the Directory, ' because his family had no reason to be so-
licitous to promote its publicity ; his fall must to them have
been a subject of grief and humiliation : and they felt
poignantly that it could not exalt his memory, since the
talents and impressive truths it displays are not more con-
spicuous tlian that deplorable frailty which so soon after-
wards induced himself to become a striking example of
what he had therein so wisely and eloquently deprecated.'

The publication of this remarkable discourse was no
doubt intended to answer the revilers of that day, and per-
haps strengthen faith which was then exposed to many
perils. Reading it, one can scarcely avoid arriving at one

DR. KIRWAN PREVIOUS TO HIS APOSTACY. 378

or other of two conclusions,— either that he wa^ a hyi)ocrite
of the most daring description, or that he was seized with
some sudden rehgious vertigo, in which he saw everything
through a distorted medium. Thus, for instance, he says,
'Yet in what terms of sufficient indignation shaU I speak
of that profaneness which has branded her (the Church's)
ceremonies and discipHne with the foul and opprobrious
epithets of pageantry and abuse ? I beHeve, nay, I am con-
fident, wheQ I assert that such ill-founded and scandal-
ous reflections are received, even by those who dissent from
us— by the thinking and informed part of the Church of
England— with the utmost contempt for the person that
utters them, with a perfect detestation of his perfidy.

Keferring to a point of general discipline in the Catholic
Church which was then, and has been often since, the sub-
ject of comment and attack, that of 'performing the public
service in Latin,' he shows how it estabhshes uniformity,
and prevents confusion ; ' because natural languages are
subject to decay and corruption, and in the space of a cen-
tury may have undergone a total change as to the meaning
and acceptation of words and phrases ; the consequence
must be that error and obscuiity might insensibly steal
into the Liturgy. Because,' he adds, 'in the same king-
dom, for instance in this island, which is but a speck upon
the expanse of Europe, public service would be read in
three different tongues, English, Welsh, and Erse. Hence
what confusion would arise, even in the Liturgy of this na-
tion, insomuch that were one of you to be present at the
mass in Wales, or in some part of Scotland, not to speak
of Ireland, you might as well hear it in the language of
Hindostan.' He thus sums up this part of his discourse :

' In whatever point of view I consider this matter, I am
persuaded that to alter the present practice would be an
unwise and dangerous reform. That such a measure might
have been demanded in too insolent a manner, may perhaps
be triwi ; but that it had not been acceded to, because we

*5«,

374

THE IRISH IN AMEUICA.

w-i

are irri ated by petulant reflections, or not disposed to pray
m the language of a Lutli( r, a Calvin, or an Elizabeth, is
not the case ; but because the Church judges it expedient
to preserve uniformity in her service, and secure it from
change, corruption, and confusion.'

With these passages-defending the use of ceremonies-
we may turn from the New Years' Gift offered in the
Laity s Directory of 1822 :

If there is any faith to be given to the attestations of-the primitive
wruers of Christianity, and usages of the Church, from the earliest

nSir ; ^"'^""'"" ""''''''' '" '^"^ P"^'^'^ -vice a." at
Therhn *; t "-TT "" ^'""^''^^-^^"'^ ^---1 ft-om ^he Apostles.
The Church has judged it expedient to institute additional ones- her
power is from Christ. '

_ The use of ceremony is to maintain order, decency, and uniformity
m the exterior acts of religion ; to raise and elevatL the mind To a
proper contemplation of our mysteries, and to inspire respect and awe
for the supreme majesty of God. How much they conduce to this
gi-eat object, every one's experience bears ample testimony. The
strongest impressions are produced on the mind through the medium
of the senses The animal part of man fetters and clogs the powe"
of he sou , checks its activity, and blunts the edge of il conception.
The saci-ed pomp of religion was designed, therefore, as an auxiliary
to assist the efforts of the mind, and give a spring to its operations.

In 1822 the number of churches throughout the whole
of the United States did not much exceed one hundred •
and m some of the States not only was there no church'
but a priest was never seen by their scattered population \
so that If they kept the faith, they did so by a miracle of
grace.

The diocese of Baltimore had then more than one-third
c. all the churches-meaning thereby aU the missions-in
the states. Baltimore boasted at that time of thirty-nine
(Churches, and several institutions, educational and charitable

Cathohcity had a hard struggle to make any way in the
New England States, the historic stronghold of the Puritans
It was nevertheless making progress, but slowly ; nor was

it until WnVP nffov tTTntrr^ ^t ^„,.- J.'_. P T - -!

'^-^ """^^ ^^ ciiiigriiiiou from Ireland was

THE CHURCH IN 1822.

375

osed to pray
Elizabeth, is
it exjjedient
mre it from

eremonies —
3red in the

■the primitive
n the earliest
rvice and ad-
i the Apostles,
nal ones; her

nd uniformity
he mind to a
pect and awe
idiice to this
imony. The

the medium
js the powers
M conception.

an auxiliary
rations.

the whole

hundred ;

no church,

opulation ;

miracle of

I one-third
Lssions — in
;hirty-ninc
charitable,
vay in the
) Puritans.
; nor was
eland was

directed to its shores, that these States began to feel the
influence of the Catholic element. The diocese of Boston
comprehended at that time— 1822— the entire of the New
England States, including Maine ; and in all these States
there were but six churches, two of which were in the city
of Boston. There was one at Salem, one at Now Bedford,
and two in the State of .Maine, thus leaving districts of
enormous extent without church or priest. To two noble
French clergymen— Bishop Cheverus and his Vicar-General,
Dr. Matignon — was due the exalted merit of having ren-
dered Catholicity respected in Boston. They were learned,
pious, zealous, indefatigable, and of the most amiable dis-
position and concihatory manners. They failed not, we
are told by the Editor of the Laity's Directory, in a short
time to win the hearts and gain the affections of their dis-
senting brethren. 'Prejudices soon began to disappear,
inquiries after truth to be made^ numbers successively to
join their little society ; and at this present time the
church of Boston forms a very prominent feature in the
CathoHc body of the United States. O, truly fortunate
revolution in France ! every true Catholic in this country
may exclaim, which has brought so many edifying and en-
lightened instructors ! '

In 1822 the diocese of New York, which comprehended
the whole of the State of New York, together with the
northern part of Jersey, possessed but seven churches ; and
including the Bishop, Dr. Connolly, who discharged the
ordinary duties of the humblest missionary, the number
of priests did not exceed nine. Two of the churches were
in New York ; the others being in Albany, Utica, Auburn,
New Jersey, and Carthage. The clergyman officiating at
Albany occasionally visited Troy, Lansingburgh, Johns-
town, and Schenectady. Under the head of the * Clergy-
men officiatmg in the diocese,' we find the following items,
alike indicative of the laborious duties of the clergy and the
spiritual iestitution of the scattered flocks : —

876

THE IRISPI IN AME.,.

i ^'*'^ w

*Eev. Patrick Kelly, Auburn, Rochester, and other dis-
tricis in the Western part of this State.

'Rev. Philip Larissy attends regularly at Staten Is-
land, and different other congregations along the Hudson
lUver.* - '

Philadelphia, which included Pennsylvania and Dela-
ware, was a comparatively flourishing diocese, with fifteen
churches. *It is pleasing to reflect,' says the Editor of
the Laity's Directory, 'that at the present day the pro-
fessors of Catholicity make up nearly one-fifth of the
population of the city.' Even then the Irish were strong
in Philadelphia.

The Bishopric of Bardstown was then of 'prodigious ex-
tent,' comprehending the States of Kentucky, Tennessee,
Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, with the Michigan and North
Western Territories. A few years back all these countries
were little better than a wilderness, and with scarcely a
CathoHc to be seen in them ; and though we are tcld, in
the Directory, that they formed, in 1822, ' one of the most
populous flourishing portions of Catholic America,' we
must only say the Cathohcs were left very much to them-
selves ; for in the entire ol this diocese— we shall not
state how many times larger than the United Kingdom-
there were but nineteen churches, the majoi'ity of them
of wood. We are not, therefore, surprised to read a
passage hke this— 'There are yet parts of this country
in which many Cathohcs have settled (chiefly on the bor-
ders of the great lakes) who have not yet seen the face of a
Catholic clergyman.'

The diocese of Louisiana, which included the whole of
ancient Louisiana and the Floridas, was then one of the
most flourishing of the domains of the Church. It had
a considerable staff of priests when compared with the
other dioceses, though there were many portions of this
extensive region in which the voice of the minister of
reliffion wns -ne^rvp^v hc^fvYtl

id other dis-

Staten Is-
the Hudson

and Dela-
with fifteen
e Editor of
ay the pro-
ifth of the
were strong

)digious ex-
Tennessee,
and North
se countries
I scarcely a
are tcld, in
of the most
nerica,' we
h to them-
i shall not
Kingdom —
:y of them
to read a
lis country
n the bor-
e face of a

3 whole of
one of the
h. It had
[ with the
)ns of tliia
inister of

PROGRESS IN 1834.

377

In the diocese of Richmond, which embraced the whole
of Virginia, there were but seven churches ; and in the
famous Bishopric of Charleston, to v/hich Dr. England
lent such undying lustre, CathoHcity had ma,de but little
progress at that time.

The diocese of Charleston included North Carohna, South
Carolina, and Georgia. In 1822, or two years after the
appointment of Dr. England to the see, there was but one
church in the City of Charleston ; there was no church in
North Carohna, and no church in South Carohna, though
churches 'were intended to be;' while in Georgia there
were three churches, one in Savannah, one in Augusta,
and one at Locust Grove. In this vast diocese there was
ample field for the energies of the most zealous missionary:
and we shall hereafter see how vigorously the most illus-
trious bishop of his day girded his loins to his great work.
There were as yet, we are informed, no Catholic schools
in any part of the diocese, but active exertions were then
being made by Dr. England to diffuse a correct knowledge
of the principles of the Cathoho Church, through the
estabhshment of societies which had for their object the
dissemination of books of piety and instruction.

We now, with the aid of 'The Metropolitan GathoUc
Calendar and Laiti/s Directory for 1834,' pass over a
period of twelve years. This httle volume, not greater in
size than that pubhshed at New York in 1822, was
printed in Baltimore ; and we are not surprised to read in
it the following description of the position of the Church
in this favoured diocese.

'Baltimore has, not improperly, been styled the Rome
of the United States; and, indeed, whether we consider
the monuments of rehgion, rare and magnificent of their
kind, or the spier ("laTr of the ceremonies of the church, or
the number, respectubihty, and piety of those who profess
the Cathohc faith, there is no one who could question the
justice of her claim, or attempt tc deprive her of the glory
of her title.'

'\\

378

THE IRISH IN AMEHICA.

l,"^

We find four now diocoscs in tlio year 1834, namely,
that of Cincinnati, establislied in 1823, St. Louis in 1827,'
i\r()l)ilo in 1825, and Micliij,^in in 1823. Of the old
di()C(3sc!H, wo discrover more api)aront prof,n'css in that
of Boston, in which twonty-six churches are well dis-
tributed tliroujjfh its diiferent States. Thus, while thero
are nine in Massachusetts, there are three in Rhode
Island, two in Connecticut, two in New Hampshire, two
in Vermont, and six in Maine. This improved condition
of tilings denotes that the Irish Catholics were even then
maldng their way in the home of the New Enf>-land
Puritan. New York, with a wonderful future before it, has
still but nineteen churches throu^rliout its vast diocese;
while Charleston, under the vi<Torous administration of
Bishop En'.dand, has already twelve, but with only twelve
priests for its three States.

The Rehgious Orders are making themselves known
in several of the dioceses, where their value is already
thoroughly appreciated. The Sisters of Charity have
established twenty-five branches in seven dioceses, these
taking the charge and management of academies, free
schools, asylums, infirmaries, and hospitals.

In 1820, when the first Provincial Council of Baltimore
.was held, which was attended by the Archbishop of Bal-
timore and five bishops, four being absent, the assembled
Prelates expressed their gratitude to God for the increase
of the Church, whose position is accurately stated in the
following enumeration : — 11 dioceses, 10 bishops, 232
priests, 230 churches, 9 ecclesiastical seminaries 8 colleges,
20 female academies, and a Catholic population of at least
half a milhon. In four of the dioceses, Baltimore, Rich-
mond, New Orleans, and St. Louis, the number of priests
was 132, thus leaving but 100 for New York, Boston, Phila-
delphia, Bardstown, Charleston, Cincinnati, and Mobile.
The progress, such as it was, was considerable, taking into
account the difficulties with which the infant Church had

now THE FAITII WAS LOST.

879

"^34, namely,
uis in 1827,
Of the old
3SS in that
■o well dis-
while thcro
i in Ehode
ipshir(3, two
d condition
B even then
w England
cfoie it, has
Lst diocese ;
atration of
only twelve

:ves known
I is already
arity have
;cses, these
emies, free

' Baltimore
lop of Bal-

assembled
he increase
lied in the
shops, 232

8 colleges,
of at least
lore, Rieh-

of priests
ton, Phila-
-d Mobile,
alving into
hurch had

to contend, especially the want of churches and jjastors
for fiist-growing congregations, and the various hostile
influences arrayed everywhere against the faith. Li the
Directory of 1834, wo frequently read such announce-
ments as these — ' mass occasionally ' — * mass every two
months ' — ' mass once a month ' — ' mass twice a month.'
The ' occasionally ' was in those tim.es, and for years after-
wards, a word of large significance, and luight mean once
a year, or once in three years, as was in many instances
the case. If a certain proj)ortion of the Irish emigrants
did lose their faith, the explanation is obvious. It may,
however, bo given from an authority that cannot be ques-
tioned; namely, the Pastoral Letter of the Archbishop
and Bishops of the Seciond Council of Brdtimore, dated
the 2nd of October, 1833 ; from which the following pas-
sage is taken : —

In viewing the mernbors of our fiociks who aro sproatl abroad over
the; surface of tliis country, and the comparatively small number of
our clergy, we have often been forced to deplore tht destitution of
Hpirituiil aid under which multitudes labour. God is our witness,
that so far as we had the means we have endeavoured to supply the
wants of our beloved children. AVe have not been sparing of our-
selves, nor have our brethren in the priesthcwd been spared. Of this,
you, brethren, aro also our witnesses. But notwithstanding thene
efforts, the Catholic has been too frequently removed far from the
voice of his pastor, far from the altar of his redeeming Victim, far
from the broad of angels, far from the other sacraments and institu-
tions of religion. The emigrant who comes to our shores for the
piirpose of turning his industry to more profitable account than he
could do in regions long and thickly inhabited, has wandered through
our forests, our fields, our towns, and some of our cities, in r.maze-
lULMit at not being able to find a church in which he could worship
according to the rites of his ancestors ; he has left our republic in
the bitterness of disappointment, or he has not infrequently become
iiidifll'rent. Others have with a firm faith preserved the sacred de-
[losit, and transmitted it to their children, looking forward with hope
to that day when they would be cheered by the ancient sounds of a
liturgy derived from the Apostolic ages, and known through all th«
nations of the cartli.

l»n

'1!

• Ill

880

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

From the condition of things in a single diocese, in
which, for more than twenty years, the bishop had to do
far more than the hardest work of a missionary priest, the
reader may form a notion of the state of CathoHcity in
many parts of the United States, not alone from the year
1820 to the year 1834, when the Second Council of Balti-
more was held, but down to a very recent period indeed
— wherever, in fact, the circumstances were at aU similar.
I have been favoured with a diary kept by Dr. England,
Bishop of Charleston, during tie first three years of his
episcopate ; * and some extracts from its pages will afford
the reader a lively idea, as well of the multiplied work
whicih a Catholic bishop in ihose days had to go through,
as of certain peculiarities in the religious world of America,
for which there is no match to bo found in these countries,
where the hard line of separation is rigidly defined. Before
the Bishop speaks for himself, it may be well to show what
manner of man he was, and how far he was fitted for the
position to which Providence had called him.

* This clicrlshed memorial of her illustrious brother was entrusted to me by his
venerable sister, one of the oldest members of the North Presentation Community
of Cork. For half a century known by the honoured title of « Mother Catherine,'
Mrs. England has been eminent for much of that vigour of intellect and energy
of character for which the Bishop of Charleston was remarkable ; and in zeal for
the glory of God— for religion and Christian education— it were difficult to decide
to which, the brother or the sister, the priest or the nun, the palm should be
Rwarded.

diocese, in
hud to do
r priest, tliG
tholicity in
m the year
ill of Balti-
•iod indeed
all similar.
'. England,
3ars of his
will afford
plied work
;0 through,
)f America,
! countries,
d. Before
show what
ted for the

a to me by hia
n Community
ler Catherine,'
ct and energy
and in zeal for
[cult to decide
ilm should be

CHAPTER XXL

Dr. England, Bishop of Chark'ston— IMsliop Enprhvnd's Diary —
Bishop England's jSlissionury Labours— Tho Biahop'a Trials-

Bishop England's growinj? Fume.

ENDOWED with singular energy of character, and a
mind at once vigorous and comprehensive, enriched
with information both varied and accurate, John England
combined the advantages of a thorough training in all the
priestly duties, derived fr'om an active missionary career,
first in his native city, and afterwards in the parish of
Bandon. To the discharge of his functions as a minister
of the Gospel he brought the zeal and piety gf an ardent
nature, and the promptings of a spirit entirely unselfish,
and indeed wholly self-sacrificing. Nor was he unaquaint-
ed with 1/i. ose political questions which agitated the public
mind of that day. In Ireland, whatever the disposition of
priest or prelate, there happen occasions when he is tempt-
ed — ^nay even compelled — to quit the sacred precincts of
the sanctuary for the arena of pohtical strife ; and before
John England was appointed to the parish of Bandon,
even the ecclesiastics who, by character and disposition,
were most inclined to shrink from the angry contentions
of the outer world, felt themselves compelled by a sense of
conscientious obligation to assert their rights as citizens.
This was during the long and wearisome struggle for
Emancipation, which was mainly carried, as the world
knows, by tho pluck and determination of the Catholics of
Ireland, assisted, no doubt, by the generous and persistent

!!
I

'- I
'fit I

S82

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

aid of tlio Liboral Protestiints of tho United Kingdom.
• Tho grand object of tho Irish Catholics of that day wrh
to return, as their representatives to Parliament, the
friends of Emancipation ; and such was tho power and in-
fluence of those who made a desperate resistance to tho
just claims of their fellow-countrymen, that it required tho
utmost eff(n*t and tho most perfect union on the part of tho
CathoNc body to frustrate tho machinations of their wily
and relentless opponents. Tho Ilev. John England was a
ready, dashing writer, as bold in attack as skilful in reply ;
nor as a speaker was he inferior, either in power or bril-
liancy, to the most gifted orators of a period when men bor-
rowed tlieir best inspiration from tho earnest convictions
and strong passions of tho moment. To him, in no small
degree, was owing the courage, the cohesion, and tho tri-
umph of tho popular party ui his native city ; and when he
left that city for the pfirish to which, at an unusually early
period of life ho was appointed, and afterwards when he
quitted the shores of his native land for that great country
with which his fame is inseparably associated, he was fol-
lowed by the best wishes of every friend of freedom, ex-
pressed as well by substantial tokens as in eloquent words.
Thus was Bishop England ospociaUy prepared for the work
he had to do in Jiis new field of labour ; his acquaintance
with public aftairs, and his faculty of dealing with questions
other than those within the immediate province of a minis-
ter of religion, frequently obtaining for him the most valu-
able influence with people of position and authority.
Wo now turn to the diary, which thus opens :—

On Monday, the 10th of July, 1820, 1 received in Bandon a letter from
the Reverend Henry Hnghes, dated June 17, 1820. at Rome, informing
me that on the preceding Monday I had been appointed Bishop of Charles-
ton, In South Carolina, and requesting of me. for various reasons thereia
alleged, to accept of this appointment.

September 21st.— I received the grace of Episcopal Consecration in
the Catholic Church of St. Finbavr's, in the city of Cork, from the
Right Rev. Dr. Murphy, Bishop of the Dioccsu, assisted by the Right

DR. ENGLAND, BISHOP OF CIIARf-ESTON.

883

ed Kingdom.

that (lay was
rliamciit, tlio
wwor and in-
stance to the

required the
le part of tlio
of their wily
Inland was a
Iful in reply ;
)wer or bril-
len men bor-
t convictions

iu no small

and the tri-
md when ho
usually early
L'ds when he
reat country

lie was fol-
freedom, ex-
pent words,
for the work
icquaintance
th questions
) of a minis-
3 most valu-
)rity.

1 a letter from
)me, informing
jop of Cliiulcs-
■oasons tbcreia

'onsecration in

ork, from tlio

by the Right

Uov. Dr. Ariiram, Bishop of Ossory, and Ki'lly, first Bishop of Rich-
mond (Virginia), whoso appoinlnuMit was Hubscfiiicnt to mine, but
wliostf consccralion took [)lacn at Kilkenny on tlio 2-lth of August.
Tiii-rc! w»'ro present, the Most Rtsv. Dr. Kverard, Archbishop of Myto-
iciK!, coadjutor of the Most Rev. Dr. Bray, Archbishop of Casliel,
iiiid the Right Rev. Dr.s. Coppinger, of Cloy no and Ross, Stighruo
111' Ardfert and Aghadoo (Kerry), and Tuohy of Limerick

October 11th.— I having many applications from priests and can-
didal((s for places on the American mission, I appointed my brother,
liie Rev. Thomas R. England, and the Rev. Thomas O'Keelle, my
Vicars-General, for the purpose principally of selecting such of Ihoso
as 1 may afterwards want, and if necessary having them ordained.
This day waa tho anniversary— twelve years— of my ordination to
llu! priesthood. On this day I i)arted from my family to go whither I
thought (u)(l had called me, but whither I had no other desire to go.
Should this be read by a stranger, let him pardon that weakness of
our common nature which then affected me, and does now after the
lapse of three months.

December 2(jth.— Found soundings in 35 fiitboms water, and on
the next day saw the Hunting Islands on ihe coast of South Carolina,
after a very tedious and unpleasant passage. On the evening of the
27th came to anchor off Charleston Bar, and on the 28th crossed it,
and worked up the channel, and came to anchor in tho evening.

December 30th.— Came on shore in Charleston; saw the Rev.
Benedict Fenwick, S.O.I., who was Vicar-General of the Archbishop
of Baltimore, who exhibited to mo his papers. I gave him my Bulla
and Certificates, received tho j-esignation of his authority, and re-
newed his faculties of Vicar-General for my diocese, as Bishop of
Cliarleston, which he accepted.

December 31st.~Being Sunday, I had the happiness of celebrating
Mass, took possession of the church, had my Bulls published, and
preached.

Dr. England soon made himself acquainted with the
tjondition of his diocese, which in all respects was far from
encouraging. Upon enquiry he found that there was a
congregation in the City of Savannah (Georgia), but that
it had been deserted, and he took into consideration the
necessity of having a priest for that mission. He deter-
mined to visit Savannah and Augusta, and Warrenton in
Georgia, and Columbia in South Carolina, without delay,
Appointing the Rev. Mr. Fenwick his Vicar-General, with

J ^

,,'

tBgJI*

.■^

.•a«

381

TIIH lUISII IN AMERICA.

full powers initil liiH return to ClmrleHton, and requesting
liiiii to pinclmHe ^'rouml for a second teniponiry church in
that city, and if poHsihlo i)rocuro a good 8it« for a large
cathedral, he went on board the wloop * Delight,' and Hailed
for Savannah on the 15th of January, 1821. He found
there had been no priest in that city since the prcviouH
October ; and to repair the evil caused by the want of a
clergyman for so long a time, he commenced a vigorous
course of instruction, followed by the admhiistration of the
sacramcntH. The following entry aftbrds an idea of liis
energy, and of the attention which ho already excited
amongst non-Catholics.

'January 21. — Heard confessions, celebrated the Holy
Mass, and administered the Holy Coramiuiion to 27 per-
sons. Gave Confirmation to 15 persons. At half-past ten
o'clock I spoke on the erection of the See, on my own
authority, and publicly committed the flock of Savan-
nah to the care of the Rev. Robert Browne until I should
think proper to remove him ; and after Mass I preached
to a large congregation, amongst whom were the principal
lawyers of Savannah, and many other strangers. In the
evening I had vespers, and gave an exhortation and bene-
diction — Church crowded and surrounded.'

The next entry records the same round of duty, with this
paragraph added : ' Was asked by the M:iyor and others to
preach in the Protestant Episcopal Church, which I de-
clined for the present.'

Appointing 'John Dillon to rend prayers for Mass on
Sunday,' until the return of the Rt\ Tf<.. Brow?.o, whom
he took with him on his visitat.un, the Jiishop proceeded
to Augusta, which pl<i,ce he reached after two days of hard
travelling. After a brief but energetic work in this city,
where he administered Confirmation * to John McCormick,
Esq., and 48 others,' he set out for Locust Grove, whoso
vJaiholic congregation had not had the benefit of a pastor
for several v'ears.

Brsnoi' ENGLAND'S DIARY.

88ft

ul reqncating
iry church iu
» for II lai'f^'o
t,* jiiul Kiiilcd
Ho found
the previous
[lo want of a
[ a vi{jforous
ration of tho
idea of liis
3ady excited

(d tho Holy
I to 27 per-
lidf-past ten

on my own
: of Savan-
til I should

I preached
ho principal
crs. In the
1 and benc-

ty, with this
nd others to
which I de-

br Mass on
^w.^o, vvhom
p proceeded
ays of hard
n this city,
McCormick,
rove, whoso
of a pastor

Arrived tliore at niKlitfall. und was most kindly

oniKT of wliom

rccclvcii by old and

great merit in d

coimfry, This wan tli«

y<MinK Mrs. 'I'honipson. to the t

hcforu (iod. for preserving tho faith in tliirt

rnst Catholio oon^rre.^ratl(.a in Ck'orKia; it u-«8 funned in 17!)l or 1705

hy tiie Hettlement „ Mrs. Thonipson'M family and a few others from

Maryland. I{iMhop Carroll, of JJallimore, nent tho Rev. Mr Lc

Mercier to attond them. After elKhtet-n months he went to Savannah,

iind Rev. Mr. Snjet then remained Heventeen innntliH. and returned to

Frane(>. There wa.s no clergyman then- nnlil Novoml.er I810, when

llie U.'v. Itobert Drowne came- to take charge of Angnsta and \i»

vidnily. and remained nnlil 1815. This place was occaHlonally

visit«'d l.y Rev. ^v. Egan and Rev. Mr. Cooper.

Like all Catholic priests, Bishop Enf>land was particu-
larly solicitous for the welfare of the ne«,^roeH. Tho policy
of the Church was not to oppose an institution which was
alto^'other beyond its province or jurisdiction; but its
ministers nevertheless did what they could to elevate tho
moral condition of the slave through religious influences,
and also sought to improve their temporal condition by
•jiducing their owners to respect the sanctity and vahdity
of the marriage tie.* In Locust Grove, Bishop England
found several Catholic negroes, amongst whom were some
both 'intelligent and well-instnicted.'

There he preached his first open-air sermon. 'The
church being too small, and several persons having col-
lected from various parts of the neighbourhood, I preached
from an elevation outside to about 400 persons.' At
Warrenton, he says, 'I met three Cherokee Indians viz.
Colonel Dick, who could speak a httle Enghsh, John
Thompson, and Sampson, to whom I gave their breakfast.
I showed the Colonel my ring and cross, of which he took
particular notice, and told him I intended visiting his
nation ; he said he would know me.'

At Columbia he finds a flock consisting 'of about 250
persons, principally Irish labourers employed in making

* For greater convonienee, and not to interfere witli the sketch which I give
of the progress of the Catholic Church in America, I prefer treating the subject of
its reiaiiou to Siavery in a unto at tlie end of the vohimo.

■It

886

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

the canal.' There was no church, and the Bishop 'th(ire-
fore preached in che Court-house that night to a very
nun erous and respectable congregation,' mostly Prol
testants. He makes strenuous eiforts to commence a
church: and on his committee of collection we see sncU
genuine Irish names as Peter M'Guire and John He£fer-
uan.

Keturning to Charleston, Dr. England addressed himself,
with renewed energy, to his great labours. He now com-
menced a course of lectures which laid the foundation of
a fame that ere long spread through every State in the
Union, and attracted the attention of the most thoughtful
and intellectual. The first was on the Existence of "fktd ;
the second on the Nature and Necessity of Eeligion ; the
third on the Establishment of the Church by Our Saviour;
the fourth on the Marks of the True Church, ' exhibited
in the Holy Koman CathoHc Church, and in that alone.'
These discourses, which were continued during Lent, were
not without result ; for, under date of AprH, 28, there are
recorded in the diary the names of several converts, iu-
eluding that of ' a lav/yer of eminence.'

In the last week of Lent the Bishop published a cate-
chism, which, he says, 'I had much labour in compihng
from various others, and adding several parts which I coiT-
sidered necessary to be exphcitly dwelt upon under the
peculiar circumstances of my diocese.'

The number of communicants in Charleston in the
Easter fortnight (1821) was 250.

'April 26. Established the Book Society, and had the
necessnry measures taken to cstabHsh a general committee,
and to have the Society extended throughout my diocese.'

The foUowing passage, though descriptive of the condi-
tion of the Catholics of that day in a Southern State, was
just as applicable to most other parts of the Union, save
where a priest was regularly stationed. Indeed it as accu-
rately represented the condition of Cathohcs in a vast

eston in tlie

BISHOP ENGLAND'S MISSIONxUlY LABOURS,
number of places in thirty years after it was written.

was written of Wilmington :—

387

May lOth.-Celebrated Mass at my lodging, and gave an exhorla-
t.on to thoso who attended. After breakfast met the Catholics, about
twenty men: not a woman or child of the Catholic faith. No priest
had ever been fixed here, nor in the neighbourhood. A Rev Mr
Burke hud spent a fortnight here about twenty-five years before and
a Jesuit going to some Spanish settlement spent two or three days
m the town about the year 1815, and baptised the children of Mr

; but their mother being a Methodist, they were not educat-d in

the faith. The Catholics who lived here, and they who occasionally
came hither, loere in the habit of going to other places of worsHp-
Episcopal Protost ant, Methodist, and Preshyleriav -and had nearly lost
all Idea of Catholicity. I spoke on the necessity of their assembling
together on Sundays for prayer and instruction, and of their forming
a branch of the Book ■ Society, to both of which they readily a-reed"
and then recommended their entering into a subscription to procure a
lot for a church, and to commence building, as I would take care
they should be occasionally visited by a priest. I also exhorted them
to prepare for the sacraments.

I received an invitation from the pastor and trustees of the Pres-
bytenan Church to use their building (the best in the town), which
upon consideration I accepted. I was waited upon by the Protestant
minister, who offered me his church also, which of course I declined
as having accepted of the other. In the evening I preached io a
very large congregation, on the nature of the Catholic religion.

Here was a fitting occasion for the zeal of the young
Bishop ; and we find him daily exhorting his own Httle
flock, and also preaching each evening to large and atten-
tive congregations— ' On the nature of Redemption, the
Mission of the Apostles, and the Authority of the Church
to explain the Scriptures and teach the doctrines of Christ
by her traditions.' Nor was his labour without fruit as
he established a branch of the Book Society, raised by
subscription 1,1G0 dollars for a church, and received some
converts of note.

^ Among the entries of May 12th, there is this record :
'Baptised George Washington, aged three years, son of

•

588

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

Patrick Murijliy and Rebecca Lear ; sponsor, J. P. Cal-
luirdo.'

'May 20 Was requested by some Protestant

j^'cntlenieu to preach twice this evening, as I was to leavo
town in the morning. I complied with their request, and
preached at half-past three and at seven o'clock, to vcny
full congregations. There was created in AVihnington a
spirit of inquiry, and the prejudices which were very
general against Catholics were removed.'

In a place near South Washington, we are told that
John Doyle, an Irishman, is the only Catholic. In New-
born we find a state of things exactly the reverse of that
described in Wilmington. In Wilmington there were
twenty Catholic men, and not a single woman or child of
the faith; but in Newbern there are 'upwards of twenty
CathoHcs, principally females.' A priest had visited them
seven months previously. Here the Bishop baptised two
converts, ' men of colour.'

In North Washington the CathoHcs were ' few and gene-
rally negligent.' No priest since the jDrevious year. 'The
Methodists have a meeting-house, the Baptists a temporary
place, but there is no other house of worship.' The Bishop
not only preached in the Court-house in the evenings, but
said Mass in it in the mornings ; and the congregations
increasing, the converts, including people of colour, coming
in, and favourable impressions bqing made upon others,
who took time to consider what they should do, w^e are not
surprised to learn that 'the Baptist and Methodist leaders
were drawing off the hearers to the best of their power.'

On his arrival in Plymouth he finds but one Catholic ;
but in a day after he discovers a second. Still, he is well
received, and actually estabhshes a Book Society. ' Find'
ing,' he says, 'an anxiety to hear me, I consented to re-
main, and preach twice this day, to about 40 persons at
eleven o'clock, and to a much larger congregation at five
o'clock, at the Academy, which was the only pubhc building

THE BISHOP'S TRIALS

389

or, J. P. Cal-

ae Protestant

I was to leave
f request, and
''clock, to vei'_y
iVilmiiigton a
cli were very

are told that
)lic. Ill New-
everse of that

II there were
11 or child of
L'ds of twenty

visited them
baptised two

few and gene-
3 year. 'The
s a temporary
The Bishop
evenings, but
congregations
olour, coining
upon others,
o, we are not
hodist leaders
eir power.'
one Catholic ;
till, he is well
dety. ' Find'
sented to re-
40 persons at
nation at five
iiblic building

in the town.' For three days he preached, both morning
and evening ; on the third evening he 'preached to a very
crowded congregation in the Academy, after which the
Book Society met, and elected their officers.' It was on
that evening that the Bishop discovered the second Cathoho
in the town.

In other places he finds a few Catholics, the greater
number attending the Methodist or Baptist places of
worship, there being no Catholic church, and the visits of
a priest being ' few, and far between.' Whatever the nature
of the congregation, whatever its admixture of nationahties,
Irish are to be found amongst them ; thus, next to a high-
sounding Spanish name, we alight upon a Daniel Flynn, a
Michael Dempsey, or an Ignatius Crowley.' Deputations
wait upon him to request he will preach in Protestant
churches or in Court-houses, which he generally does, and
with advantage to the cause of truth. But converts are
lukewarm, and Catholics relapse into indifferentism ; and
priests cannot be had, or are not always rehable, being
discouraged by the hardships of a seemingly unpromising
mission ; and troubles and perplexities plant the Bishop's
mitre with plentiful thorns; and rheumatisms rack his
bones, and fevers break down his strength ; and to add to
his afflictions, poverty oppresses him. ' I was frequently,'
says the Bishop of three great States, 'without a dollar,
from the wretched state of the income, and the bad dispo-
sition of the infidel portion who professed to belong to the
flock.' Still, in spite of incessant toil in the mission, and
drudgery in his seminary, and the constant pressure of
poverty, he continued to extend his Book Society, and
establish in Charleston, in 1822, a weekly newspaper,
called The United States Catholic lliacellany, wlii^h, under
his management, became, one of the most potent means
of vindicating the faith, and refuting the calumnies so
constantly circulated by its opponents ; in fact, it soot
gi'ew to be a power in the country.

390

TDE IRISH IN AMERICA.

* December 28th, 1822. Columbia. I preaclied in the
House af Rejireseutatives, at the request of the Legislature.'

' April 24th, 1823. Celebrated Mass and exhorted, and
after dinner returned to Camden, and stopped by invita-
tion with Mr. Salmond, a Presbyterian.'

'ipril 24. 3fr. Salmond was kind enouyh to find thu
Catholics and to bring them to me. They consisted of the
following persons (French, Spanish, and Irish names), to
whom I gave the usual commission. I gave them some
books, and heard the confession of one who presented
himself. At the request of the inhabitants I preached in
the evening in the new Presbyterian Church, to a very
large congregation. I afterwards baptised three children.'
With one other extract we shall conclude a notice of
the Bishop's diary, from which sufficient has been given to
afford the reader a true picture of a mission throughout
which Cathohcs were thinly scattered, and in which they
had to depend, in a very great measure, upon their own
steadfastness to retain even a semblance of their faith. In
purely country districts— perhaps not visited for years by
a clergyman— matters were necessarily worse; notwith-
standing which there were many, many instances of Irish
Catholics keeping the faith ahve under the most discour-
aging circumstances.

April 29th, 1823.— Fayettevillo. Heard confessions, celebrated
Muss, and exhorted; had four communicants— baptised a child. I
found that the congregation had regularly prayed together on the
Sundays and holidays, until the sickly season, when they fell off. I
endeavoured to prevail upon them to resume the good practice.
Superseded the former commission, and issued a new one to John
Kelly, Dillon Jordan, Laurence Fitzharriss, Doctor James Moffet, and
Daniel Kenny. Was invited to preach at the State House. In the
evening I a'^ain saw the Catholics, and exhorted them to persevi're-
spoke to several individually. At eight O'clock I preached in the
State House to a very large and attentive audience.

As years went on, so did the fame of Bishop England
increase, until the time came when, from one end of the

BISHOP ENGLAND'S GROWING FAME.

891

iclied in the

Legislature.'

xhorted, and

ed by invita-

i to find the
sisted of the
h names), to
I them some
10 presented

preached in
b, to a very
3e children.'

a notice of
)een given to
. throughout

which they
n their own
dr faith. In
for years by
B ; notwith-
Lces of Irish
ost discour-

Union to the other, his name became a household word
with CathoHcs of every nationahty, who recognised in him
a champion fully equipped, and equal to the good fight.
The feeling of his own countrymen towards him cannot bo
described, so intense was their pride in his great quahties
—his power of pen and tongue, his resistless force as a
controversialist, his capacity for pubHc affairs— the noble-
ness and grandeur of his nature, which all men respected,
and which made for him the fastest friends among those
who were not of his Church. There were other great and
good bishops, who by their saintly character and holy lives
commanded a respectful toleration for their faith ; but
Bishop England extorted respect for his religion by the
matchless power with which he unfolded its principles to
those who crowded round him wherever he went, and
refuted the calumnies and misrepresentations that had
been the stock-in-trade of the enemies of Catholicity for
centuries. Like all Irishmen, of that day as of the pre-
sent, Bishop England at once became an American citizen,
thoroughly identified with his adopted country, proud of
her greatness, jealous of her honour, loving her beyond all
others, save that old land whose recollection lay warm in
lus heart

•t

IS, celebrated
ed a child. I
gather on the
ley fell off. I
food practice.
one to John
es Moffet, and
[ouse. In tlio
;o persevere—
cached in the

)p England
end of the

892

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

CHArTER xvin.

Bishop England's Diocese— ' Music hath Charms '-Preach-
ing by the Wayside-William George Read-' Mister Paul '-
Taking a Fresh Start-Father O'Neill's Two Hundred Child-
reu.

BISHOP England's diocese, as we have seen, was suffi-
ciently extensive to satisfy the most insatiate thirst
for wide-spread jurisdiction. It extended from Charleston
to Elizabeth city, North Carolina, a distance of 450 miles,
and from Charleston to within 80 miles of Mobile— about
800 miles in the two directions. It was from 250 to 300
miles broad. Still, extensive as this vast territory was, it
was not too much so for the energy of this extraordinary
man, and the ardour of his priestly zeal. He would get
through his missionary labours in this manner : possessing
a little carriage, indifferently described as a 'sulky,' 'buggy,'
or 'waggon,' the Bishop endeavoured, perhaps with" the
aid of one of his few monied fi-iends, to purchase a pair of
serviceable horses, or strong ponies, and, accompanied by a
negro boy as driver, he would travel from place to place,
preaching, instructing, and administering the sacraments ;
and on his return, it might be in three months, six months,'
or even nine months, he would readily and even profitably
dispose of his cattle, then more valuable than at the com-
mencement of the journey, owing to the training to which
they had been subjected.

Many a strange incident, and even startHng adventure,
occurred to the Bishop during his long and arduous jour-
neyings, at a time when the roads were Httle bett(3r or

* MUSIC IIATII CHARMS.'

393

' — Preach-
r Paul '—
red Child-

Q, was suffi-
itiate tliirst
L Cliarleston
f 450 miles,
'bile — about

250 to 300
itory was, it
traordinary

would get

possessing
y/ 'buggy,'
>s with the
se a pair of
Danied by a
e to place,
acraments ;
six months,

profitably
/t the com-
g to which

adventure,

luous jour-

bett(3r or

wc rse than trades, the population was thinly scattered, and
accommodation, even of the rudest kind, 'was not always
to be had. Frequently, the shelter of the forest was all
that could be obtained in those days for the traveller.
Once in a city or town, he was sure of being well received ;
for whHe prejudice kept some aloof from the 'Popish
Bishop/ curiosity, and the irrepressible desire of Americans
to hsten to sermons, discourses, 'lectures' of any descrip-
tion, impelled numbers to hear a man who was famous for
his eloquence. Halls, court-houses, concert-rooms, churches
and chapels, would be freely placed at his disposal ; and
the probability is, that he rarely suffered from lack of
hospitahty under those circumstances. But there were
occasions when the Bishop found it difficult enough to
make out a dinner, or secure the shelter of a roof against
the night. Even in the Southern States, which are pro-
verbial for the unaffected hospitahty of their people, churls
were to be met with, at least in Dr. England's time.

One evening the Bishop, who was on this occasion
accompanied by one of his few priests— Father O'Neill ; it
need scarcely be added, a countryman of his own— drew
up at a house of rather moderate dimensions, whose master
was a marked specimen of the species Surly. Negotiations
were entered into for a dinner, which the liberal host was
wilhng to give on certain conditions, somewhat exorbitant
in their nature; but there was to be no further accom-
modation. 'You cannot stop the night, nohow,' said the
agreeable owner of the mansion ; and his look of dogged
dislike was quite as emphatic as his words. After dinner,
Dr. England sat on a chair in the piazza, and read his
'office;' while Father O'Neill, having no desire to enjoy
the company of his unwilling entertainer, sauntered to-
wards the carriage, a little distance off, where the boy
was feeding the horres ; and taking his flute from his
portmanteau, he sat on a log, and commenced his favourite
air, ' The last Rose of Summer,' into which he seemed to

'•If

994

TUB IRISH IN AMERICA.

t *

ij*i

breathe the very soul of tenderness. From one exquisite
melody to another the player Avandered, while the negro
boy grinned with delight, and the horses enjoyed their
food with a keener relish. That

Music hath cha.'ms to soothe the savage breast,

was here exemi)lified, As the sweet notes stole on the
soft night air of the Scuth, and reached the inhospitable
mansion, a head was eagerly thrust forth, and the project-
ing ears thereof appeared eagerly to drinlc in the flood
of melody. Another lovely air, one of those which bring
involuntary tears to the eyes, and fill the heart with
bahn, was played with lingering sweetness, when a voice,
husky with emotion, was heard uttering these words —
' Strangers ! don't go ! — do stay all night ! — don't go ; we'll
fix you somehow.' It was the voice of the charmed host !
That evening the two guests enjoyed the snuggest seats at
the hearth, Father O'Neill playing for the family till a late
hour. Next morning the master of the house would not
accept of the least compensation. ' No, no. Bishop ! no, no,
Mr. O'Neill! not a cent! You're heartily welcome to it.
Come as often as you please, and stay as long as you
can. We'll be always glad to see you ; but/ specially
addressing Father O'Neill, 'be sure and don't forget the
flute!'

There were occasions when not even Orpheus liimseh
could have made out a dinner or a bed, had he been, like
Bishop England, on the mission in the Southern States.
Orpheus would have had to sleep where he could, and
carry his dinner with him, as the Bishop very often did.
The Bishop was not unfrequently obliged to be his own
groom and servant, to look after the comfort of his horse,
and see to the cooking of his simple meal. Tying- the
horse to a stake or a tree, he would brush him down and
supply him with corn, and then commence preparations
for his own refreshment. One night in the woods, tlie

PREACHING BY THE WAYSIDE.

395

lie exquisite
) the Dogro
ijoyed their

tole on tlio
inhospitable
the project-
ti the flood
diich bring
heart with
len a voice,
se words —
't go ; we'll
rmed host!
[est seats at
y till a late

would not
op ! nro, no,
3ome to it.
)ng as you
/ specially

forget the

3U3 himseh
3 been, like
ern States,
could, and

often did.
be his own
' his horse,

Tying tlio
I down and
re23arations
woods, the

Bishop and Father O'Neill had taken their frugal supper,
lead their ' ofilce,' and lain down by the fire to sleep ; but
tliey had not been long nsleep when they awoke in fright :
a few moments more, and the forest would have b(!en on
tire, and perhaps the two missionaries * roasted like chest-
nuts,' as Father O'Neill afterwards said. The parasite ivy
had caught the flame, and it was rapidly encircling a
gigantic tree in an embrace of fire. By the most extraor-
dinary exertions, such as fear could alone inspire, the ivy
was torn down, the fire extinguished, the forest saved, and
the great missionary longer preserved to the American
Church.

The desire to hear the Bishop was not confined to any
particular class ; it was common to all. A somewhat curi-
ous instance, illustrative of his popularity as a preacher,
occurred during one of his journeys. Arriving at a kind
of wayside inn, or what may be described as a carman's
stage, the Bishop found himself in the midst of a large
convoy of cotton— waggons drawn by horses and mules,
with a number of drivers and attendants, white men and
negroes. His horses had been fed, and he was about to
resume his journey, when a grave elderly man, who
seemed to be in command, approached him with every
mark of respect, saying—' Stranger, are you Bishop Eng-
land?' On being answered in the affirmative, he con-
tiruec:— ' Mr. Bishop, we've heerd tell of you much. The
folks say you are the most all-fired powerful preacher in
this country. I had to leave Washington before you got
there, and I can't got to Milledgeville till you're gone.
Would you, Mr. Bishop, mind giving us a bit of a sermon
right here? It'll obleege me and my friends much— do,
Mr. Bishop.' 'Do, Mr. Bishop!' was taken up, in full
chorus, by the rest. The appeal so urged was irresistible
with the zealous missionary, who yielded a ready assent.
On the stump of a tree, which had been cut dowr to
wicicn the road, the Bishop took his stand, the branches

i)
M

396

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

^.i^-

of a IinrvG cedar fliiif^niif. thrir grateful Rliadow over the
proachor and the rovoront group that chintored round
liim lu mute expectation. It was a scene for a pfiinter-,
tlie great overhanging forest, tlie rude weather-stained lo<v
liouse, the open clearing lit up by a glowing sun, the huge
waggons with their horses and mules, the bronzed weather-
beaten countenances of the whites, the great eyes and
gleannng teeth of negroes of every hue and tint. But the
principal figure was not unworthy of its prominence-a
man m the prime of life, of powerful well-knit frame his
ower hmbs clad in breeches and silk stockings, ihvl ex^
hibited a leg of model symmetry-a face strong, massive,
dark, lull of power and passion-an eye that looked as if
It would search the very soul : this was Bishop England
as he stood upon that tree stumj) by the wayside. Soon
wore his willing audience bound by the spell of his elo-
quence, as he unfolded before them the gi-and truths of
rehgion, and explained to them their duties to God and
their fellow-men. He had been about twenty minutes
addressmg them, when the leac^or stepped forward, and
raising his hand, said-' That will do, Mr. Bishop, that
will do; we're much obleeged to you, Mr. Bishop; it's
all just as the folks say— you are an all-fire^i powerful
preacher. We'd like to hear you always, but we musn't
stop you now. Thank you, Mr. Bishop, thank you. Mr
Bishop.' ' Thank you, Mr. Bishop,' cried the rest in chorus.
And amidst a cheer that would have tried the nerves
of horses less trained than his, the Bishop started on
his journey.

A brief memoir, or biographical sketch, is given in the
first volume of ' The Works of the Right Rev. John Eng-
land, First Bishop of Charleston,' pubHshed by Murphy
and Co., of Baltimore. The memoir, too brief for thu
illustrious subject, is evidently written by one who loved
the man, revered the prelate, and thoroughly apprecifited
his power of intellect, his energy of character, and liis

WILLIAM GEORGE READ.

887

w over the
Bred roiiiul
a loiiinter —
■stained W
n, the Im^^o
ud weatlier-
t eyes and
fc. But the
miuence — a

frame, his
:s, thiit ex-
ig, niasfiive,
3oked as if
p England,
iide. Soon
of his olo-

truths of
5 God and
y minutes
ward, and
shop, that
ishop; it's
I powerful
we musn't
f you. Mr.
'> in chorus,
he nerves
started on

ven in the
rohn Eng-
y Murphy
3f for tho
who loved
pprecifitcd
\ and Ills

boundless zeal. To an apparently trivial incident was that
tribute eventually due. How tho Bishop became Icuowu
to his future biographer haj)pened in this way :

A lady of ranjc and refinement came to Baltimore with
[\if^ view of consulting a dentist of repute ; whom she
accordingly visited shortly after her arrival in that city.
The case, though important to tho lady, was not of that
acute nature which required immediate attention ; and the
dentist havin;,' satisfied himself on this point, asked his
visitor to excuse him that day, as ho had made an engage-
ment which he was very anxious to keep. 'In fact,
madam, Bishop England, the most celebrated preacher in
our country, is now in this city, and I had determined to
hear him.' 'By all means, sir,' replied the lady, 'do carry
out your intention— I can call as conveniently to-morrow.'
The lady withdrew : but not well knowing how to dispose
of her time, which hung rather heavily on her hands, she
thought she could not do better, in order to occupy an
hour or so, than go and hear the famous preacher. She
went ; and so strong ^vas the impression produced on her
mind by the Bishop, then in the full vigour of his in-
tellect, that she became half a Catholic on the spot. On
her return she confided to her brother — a man of consider-
able eminence as a scholar, and a gentleman of the highest
personal character — the change wrought in her -opinions
respecting the Catholic Church. The brother received the
startling intelligence with feehngs of alarm and indigna-
tion. But how check the evil ? — how draw her back from
the fatal goal to which, with all the ardour and impulsive-
ness of a woman, she was so rapidly hurrying ? He should
himself undertake the fraternal duty of solving her doubts,
and confuting her new-born errors ; and the more surely
to convince her of her folly, he commenced an earnest
course of reading and enquiry — and in order to foil the
Bishop with his own weapons, he resolved to hear hiin
preach. He did go; and bueh was tho power of the

111

lit

198

TIIK IRISH IN AMKRICA.

PWMI',. %

^^? M

►•

preacher, and tho honest candour of the listener, that tho
alarmed and indionant biothrr was actually rcceiv(3d into
tho (Jhurch b(.fi,io the Kister, who was only on tho road to it !
And from tho date of his conversion the Catholic Church
in A/nerica had not a bolder or abler champion than
y> liham George lUtid, the author of tho 'Memoir of Bishoi,
Kn^-land.' ^

The clenchin- force of the Bishop's manner of reasoning
may be lU.istrated by tho followin- reply ^nvon by an Irisir.
man, who was one of tho warmest admirers of his distin-
guished countryman : —

'Well, Pat,' said a lady to tho Irishman, 'what do you
think of your Bishop?'

'Think of him, ma'am! faith, ma'am, I think a deal of
Jinn, and why not ? Isn't he grand, ma'am, when ho
crosses his two arms on his breast, and looks round at them
all, afttn- one of his regular smashers, as nmcli as to say-
" Answer mo that, and be d d to you ! '"

'Oh Pat I' remonstrated tho lady, who, whatever she
thought of the criticism, was somewhat startled at the
manner in which it was expressed.

To break a lance with the 'Popish Bishop' was an
object of no small ambition to the controversialists of his
day; and many a flcdghng repented his rash attempt to
provoke him to an encounter. Animated by the determina-
tion to crush the great champion of Rome, a young preacher
was unlucky enough to fasten on the Bishop with tho per-
tinacity of a gad-fly. The Bishop happened to be traveUing
m the same stage with the preacher, and was engaged in
an earnest conversation with some of his follow-passengers,
themselves men of mark and position, on a matter whi<;]i'
then excited considerable public attention. To tho preacher
the subject of conversation had no attraction at that
nio]iient; ho was only thinking of the splendid opportunity
which the occasion afforded of striking a blow that would
bo heard of throunrhout America, and possibly be felt in

'MISTER PAUL.'

S90

ler. that tlio
)ceiv{3(l ill to

road to it !
jli(r Church
npioii thiiu
ir of Bishop

f rciiHoiiinnf

)y an Irish-

his distiu-

liat do you

; a doal of
, when lie
nd at thoni
as to say —

atever sho
:lod at tho

1 ' was an
lists of ]iis
ittem2)t to
:letormiiia-
^ preacher
h the per-
» travelliiij>'
ingaged in
assengors,
:ter which
D preacher

1 at that
)portunity
liat wouki

ha ifAi. in

tho halls of tho Vatican. First, ho ventured a question,
(hen a sneer, then a challenge, but without ellect : tho
Uishop altogether disregarded his would-be antagonist, and
merely wuwd him off with a careless gesture or a careless
phras(;. The si)iritual Quixote would not bo put down,
and would not be waved off ; he was resolved on piercing
tho armour of his scornful foe, and humbling his prido
in tho presence of chosen spectators of his controver.sial
prowess ; and so he persevered, interrupting tho conversa-
tion, to tho annoyance of tho other passengers, who pre-
ferred tho discussi(ni of a tojnc in which they had a
personal and immediate interest, to a bootless polemical
disputation. The valiant preacher was not to be extin-
guished by the cunning evasions or cowardly subterfuges
of the faint-hearted Itomanist ; so he came again and a'-'aiu
to tho charge, flinging St. Paul at tho Bishop with tho
most destructive intention. It was nothing but 'Paul'
iiere, and 'Paul' there, and how could the champion of
the 'Scarlet AVoman ' get over Paul? — and what answer
could ' Antichrist ' make to Paul ? Tho nuisance becoming
intolerable, the Bishop determined to put an end to it
effectually. Confronting the preacher, and directing upon
him the blaze of his great eyes, Avhich gleamed with irre-
pressible fun, he placed his hands with solemn gesture on
his knees, and in .i deep voice gave utterance to this
strange rebuke : — ' Young man, young man ! if you have
not faith and piety sufficient to induce you to call the
Apostle " Saint Paul," at least have the good manners to
call him " Mister Paul," and do not be perpetually calling
him " Paul," " Paul," as if you considered him no better
than a nigger.' The words, assisted by the comical gravity
with which they were uttered, and enforced by the roar of
laughter with which they were received by the delighted
passengers, who had so long suffered from the infliction of
liis misdirected zeal, extinguished the poor preacher, who
rapidly hid himself in the town at which the stace had

400

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

jiisf arrived. Nor Avas this the end of the disastrous en^
coiiiiter-for the story having soon got abroad, the imhicky
man was interrupted by some irreverent wag, with ' MUer
1^-Mn^er Paul,' while addressing the eongregation
Avhoni he had eome to enlighten and inspire ; and lie had
to leave the plaee in consequeneo of the absurdity of the
a 11 air.

One of Bishop England's most zealous and efficient
e ergymen was the Rev. Mr. O'Neill, through the influence
of whose melodious flute he obtained, as we have seen, a
tree dinner and a good bed from one of the rustiest cur-
mudgeons in South Carolina. Father O'NeiU was an Irish
priest of the finest type, genial, cheery, and hght-hearted
but earnest, and even stern, when the occasion required'
Arrived at a patriarchal age, and honoured and respected
by all classes of the community, he is still on the mission
in the city of Savannah.

Father O'Neill could preach quite as well as he could
play, nor was his tongue a less persuasive instrument than
his flu e. Indeed, it may be doubted if, in his most
inspired moment, he could perform as successfully with
the former as with the latter, and for the same length of
time hold his audience spell-bound with the one as with
the other. For Father O'Neill had marvcUous powers of
endurance as a preacher, or lecturer ; and his audience
were so 'kept aUve ' by his manner, in which argument,
lUustra ion wit, and dehcate humour were agreeably
blended, that they did not perceive the time passing,
and were rather sorry than otherwise when ' the Father'
gave m.

On one occasion he was preaching somewhere in Georgia,
cuid the country round had assembled to hear him. At
the end o twx) hours and a half, during which there was
not the slightest symptom of weariness exhibited by a
densely crowded audience, he said that the expiring cob-
dition of the candles warned him to bring his remarksto

TAKING A FllKSU START

401

isasti'ous on-
, tho unlucky

with 'Mhter
eoiigrcg-atiou

and lie hud
n-dity of the

-nd efficient
he injfluence
have seen, a
fustiest cur-
ms an Irish
ght-hearted,
on required,
d respected
the mission

IS he could

ument than

1 his most

3sfully with

B length of

•ne as with

powers of

s audience

argument,

agreeably

le passing,

he Father'

in Georgia,
' him. At
there was
)ited by a
)irin£r con-
■emarks to

a close. Quick as thought, an Irishwoman, who occupied a
conspicuous position among tho audience, and who would

willingly have sat there till

mornmg.

cried out, 'Never

mind that, your reverence ; sure we brought half-a-box of
candles along with us, as we thouglit you'd need them.'
The wise consideratencss of the Irishwoman was hailed
with general satisfaction, and with brighter auspices the
])roacher resumed his discourse.

There was one occasion, however, when Father O'Neill
surpassed all his former achievements. It was on the re-
ception of a Mrs. Taylor into the Catholic Church.

Mrs. Taylor was a lady of good social position, whose
conversion to Catholicism excited much interest amonir

her friends and

neighbours.

Her

reception into the
church was to be made an occasion of some solemnity,
and invitations wore sent to the gentry for miles round,
requesting their ' attendance at the ceremony, which was to
be followed by a banquet of more than usual elegance and
profusion. The auspicious morning arrived. In the grand
saloon, where an altar had been erected, were assembled
sixty or seventy people, and crowding in front of the win-
dows of the apartment were groups of negroes, to whom the
day was to be one of welcome rest and rejoicing. At the
termination of the Mass, Mrs. Taylor was to be received.
Punctual to the appointed hour — eight o'clock in the morn-
ing — Father O'Neill commenced. Wearing his soutane, or
cassock, he made his ajipearance at the temporary altar,
on which the various robes and vestments worn by a
priest in the celebration of Mass were placed. Referring
to the purpose of the day's ceremony, he stated the leading
reasons why a Protestant should become a Catholic. He
thcui specially explained the doctrine of the Mass, dealing
with it as a sacrament and a sacrifice ; and having justified
tbe use of the Latin language in its celebration, he said he
would represent the symboHcal meaning of each vestment
as he put it on ; which he did in a popular and persuasive

402

THE IIIISII IN AMERICA.

' I. . -!

raft,

manner that excited the interest and rivettod the attention
of liis audience. Having concluded his series of discourses,
and being then fully robed, he turned to the altar to com-
mence ; but seeing that one of the candles had been entirely
consumed, and that the other was flickering in its socket,
he glanced at his watch, and found that the hour was within
a quarter to two o'clock ! Zealous patriot ! patient audience !
Father O'Neill took the matter coolly, saying, 'My friends,
I have committed an oversight. According to the ordinary
laws of the Church, Mass should commence before twelve
o'clock. In a missionary country, like ours, we have the
privilege of commencing an hour later — any time up fo
one. But now it is approaching two, and I cannot pro-
ceed with the service. I am sorry for your dissappoint-
ment this morning ; but if you will come to-morrow
morning at eight o'clock, we will take a fresh start.' The
audience bore the disajDpointment with perfect equanimity,
and were determined to see the ceremony to the end ; so
they enjoyed the hospitahty of Mrs. Taylor for the re-
mainder of the day, and next morning again assembled in
the saloon at the appointed hour, when Father O'Neill
took his fresh start ; this time with such energy, that the
whole was well finished by twelve o'clock.

But Father O'Neill could be quite as effective in a short
speech as in a lengthened discourse ; and on an occasion
of much interest, and in a time of no small anti-foreign
and anti-Catholic excitement, he delivered a few pithv
sentences which produced a most salutary effect. It was
at a public dinner in Savannah, to celebrate the inaugura-
tion of a monument erected to Pulaski, one of the heroes
of the Revolution of 1776, who, wounded at the Battle of
Savannah, had died a few days after. There had been a
procession and an oration in the day, and a gi'and dinner
was to be the agreeable wind-up of an event so dear to the
patriotic heart. There could be no pubhc dinner in
Savannah that did not include the popular Irish priest as

FATHER O'NEILL'S TWO HUNDRED CHH.DREN.

e attention
discourses,
tar to corn-
sen entirely
its socket,
was within
t audience !
Ay friends,
e ordinary
ore twelve
! have the
inie up fo
mnot pro-
ssapj)oint-
to-morrow
art.' The
;iuanimity,
e end ; so
>r the re-
embled in
er O'NeiU
Y, that the

n a short
I occasion
iti-foreign
few pithy
>. It was
inaugura-
lie heroes

Battle of
id been a
id dinner
ear to the
iinner in

priest as

one of the guests, and, as a matter of invariable routine,
Father O'Neill should have a toast or a sentiment to
propose. It was in the time when the wretched ' Know-
Nothing' excitement was rife in most parts of America,
and the furious cry of 'Down with the foreigner! down
with the Papist ! ' found an echo in the South.

'I have listened,' said Father O'Neill, 'to the oration of
the day. It was excellent, so far as it went. But it
omitted one most essential point— about Pulaski himself.
I will supply the deficiency. Pulaski was a foreigner, who
had the extraordinary habit of saying his beads eveiy
day. He, a foreigner and a Catholic, shed his blood and
sacrificed his life for this country. And I am sure that
tlK monument erected by the grandsons of the heroic men
who fought and bled side by side with Pulaski, is a proof
that they still adhere to the glorious principles of their
fathers, who welcomed all brave men — whatever their race
or religion — to their country.'

The effect was electrical. The majority of the excited
audience exclaimed 'Bravo!' and cheered with ardour;
while the few hung their heads with shame, crushed by
the imphed rebuke, and the courage which inspired its
utterance.

Father O'Neill lost and won the good graces of a Protes-
tant lady by an admission of paternity, which, well
understood in a Catholic country, was rather startling in
the America of that day. He and the Rev. Mr. Byrne,
afterwards Bishop of Arkansas, were travelling fi-om Fay-
ctteville to Cheraw, in South Carohna, and stopped for the
night at the house of a respectable Protestant lady. The
lady being elderly, used the privilege of her sex, and made
many enquiries respecting her guests. Having satisfied
herself on various points, she at length asked Father
O'Neill if he had a family. 'Yes, madam,' rephed the
priest. ' Ho v/ many children have you, sir ? ' enquired
the lady. 'Two hundred, madam,' was the astounding

ISSfc

404

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

answev.* Two— two— liiindred, sir!' gasped tliG bewil-
dered hostess. 'Yes, madam— two hundred/ coolly replied
her guest. Had there been Mormons in those days, she
might have imagined she had afforded hospitality to Brig-
ham Young himself ; but as Joe Smith had not then made
his famous discovery, she possibly had a vague idea of the
Grand Turk, or some such polygamous potentate, being
beneath her modest roof. She became silent and reserved,
displaying an icy civihty to the minister with the appal-
hngly large family. On a subsequent occasion Mr. Byrne
travelled alone, and stopped at the same house. The old
lady rather hesitatingly enquired after * the other minister,'
and then, with more marked hesitation, asked if it were
really true that he had so enormous a family as he said he
had. Father Byrne laughed heartily at the question, but
more at the manner in which it was asked, and explained
that Catholic priests did not marry ; that by his 200 ' child-
ren' Father O'Neill meant his congregation — whom he
regarded in that light. The old lady's face brightened
with pleasure at the explanation of what had been a source
of serious and constant perplexity to her ever since she had
heard the startHng statement from the lips of 'the other
minister.' 'Well, sir, he must be a good man ! ' she said ;
* I am sorry I did not understand him at the time. That's
just the way a minister should speak and think of his flock.
Be sure, sir, to give him my respects w^hen you meet him,
and tell him I shall be always happy to have him in this
house.' For the future the good old soul felt no embarrass-
ment when enquiring after the two hundred children of
the Irish Priest.

liG bewil-
lly replied

days, she
f to Brig-
hen made
lea of the
ite, being

reserved,
he appal-
vlv. Byrne

The old
minister/
if it were
e said he
stion, but
explained
00 ' child-
whom he
rightened
L a source
e she had
the other
she said ;
s. That's
his flock,
leet him,
a in this
nbarrass-
ildren of

CHAPTER XXin.

Dangers from witliin and wlthout-The Lay TrusteoH -A Darin^
IIT'^Tk T\"]l ""f ^•'^ Charlestovvn Convont-A Grateful ]lut"
nnV '^'"Ir^ f>'«closures of Maria Monk'-l'rokstant Verdict
on Maria Monk.

THERE were in those early days o^' the American Church
dangers from within as well as dangers from without,
and it may be said that the formcTr were more perilous
to the Church, and a more formidable obstacle to her influ-
ence and progress, than those which were purely external.
These interior causes of difiiculty arose mainly from the
system of lay trusteeship, which in too many dioceses—
notably Philadelphia, New York, and Charleston— were
the occasion of long-standing feuds, and of grave public
scandal. Certain members of the laity—generally men of
Httle faith, much vanity, and strong self-conceit— braved
and defied the authority of their Bishops, treated with con-
tempt the discipline of the Church, and even ventured to
appoint and dismiss pastors at tlieir pleasure! The great
body of the faithful had no sympathy whatever with the
acts of those who, not only by their in^rigues and turbu-
lence, but by making their contentions the subject of con-
stant proceedings in courts of law, brought much discredit
on Cathohcity. It required, on the part of the Bishop
who found himself so painfully circumstanced, not merely
the greatest prudence and wisdom, but firmness and de-
termination. Occasionally, either through gentleness of
nabi]-e or utter weariness of soul, or from a spirit uf con-
ciliation—in the hope of healing an ugly wound, and

40G

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

f«*»i»t= J-;

'-"Vli

' ,».'

^ preventing further evil— a Bishop consented to surrender
some portion of liis legitimate autliority ; but there were
others, and those the larger number, who, being of stronger
and sterner nature, resolutely set their foot against all
and every encroachment on the episcopal functions, and, by
sheer force of character, vanquished the intriguers, and
crushed schism wherever it showed its head. It would be a
profitable task to refpr f-vthcr to events which may be left
to merited oblivion, Lk ich planted thorns in the mitre
of many an American ^. elate. TJiere is, however, o cir-
cumstance connected with the schism in Philadelphia to
which allusion may be made with profit.

To the conduct of a misguided and headstrong priest
named Hogan, who afterwards apostatized and took to
self a wife, was due a prolonged scandal in the city of
Philadelphia. It is sufficient to state that, although deprived
of his faculties by his bishop, he still continued to perform
the priestly functions— openly defying the episcopal au-
thority. The daring contumacy of the unhappy man left
no option to the bishop but at once to cut him off from
the church of which he proved himself so unworthy a
minister ; and the priest was accordingly excommunicated
according to the form prescribed by the Roman pontifical.
This necessary act of vigour on the part of the Bishop of
Philadelphia was made the occasion of one of the most
daring hterary fi-auds probably heard of in America before
that date— though, as we shaU show a little further on, a
second, of more serious consequences, was perpetrated in
a few years after. The excommunication being a matter
of pubhc notoriety, it was deemed advisable by the enemies
of the Church to turn it to the best account against the
'tyranny and despotism of Rome ; ' and accordingly there
was published in a Philadelphia newspaper a form of ex-
communication which, naturaUy enough, excited no Httle
horror in the mind of the community. A saniDle or two

A DARING HOAX.

407

surrender

there were

of stronger

against all

3ns, and, by

iguers, and

would be a

may be left

n the mitre

ever, o cir-

idelphia to

^•ong priest
id took to
the city of
5"h deprived
to perform
Lscopal au-
y man left
n off from
nworthy a
imunicated
. pontifical.
' Bishop of
the most
dca before
:ther on, a
letrated in
J a matter
le enemies
gainst the
ngiy there
>rm of ex-
i no little
)le or two

of this precious document will afibrd the reader a sufficient
idea of the whole :

^rlvy he be damned wherever he be, whether in the house or in the
stable, the garden, or the field, or the highway, or in the path, or in
11.0 wood, or in the water, or in the church; may he be cursed in
livnig and in dying

May he be cursed inwardly and outwardly,' may he 'be" curs'ed'in'his
branis. and in his vortex-in his temples, in his eyes, in his eyebrows,
in his cheeks, in his jaw-bones, in his nostrils, in his teeth and grind-
ers, in his lips, in his throat, in his shoulders, in his arms, in his

lingers.

May he be damned in his mouth, in his breast, in his heart and
pnrtenance, down to the very stomach.

Even his 'toe-nails' were not spared in this terrible
anathema. Those who search for the original of this ex-
communication in the Roman pontifical would fail to
discover it there ; but those familiar with light literature
may find it. in Tridram Shandy/ In his Miscellany, which
did so much for the defence of the Church and the
cause of religion. Bishop England, who was thoroughly
famihar with the writings of Laurence Sterne, promptly
exposed the unblushing fraud. But as it is difficult to
overtake a lie, let it have never so short a start, many
beheved in the cursing of the grinders and the toe-nails—
perhaps do to this day.

That the spirit of hostility to the Cathohc Church was
as virulent as ever, we have evidence in the Pastoral Letter
of 1833 ; and an event which followed shortly after— the
burning of the convent of Charlestown, Massachusetts— is
a proof how successful were the appeals which were then,
as in years subsequent, made by malignant sectaries and
dishonest politicians to the passions of the unthinking and
the biiital. The Bishops say : —

Wo notice with regret a spirit exhibited by some of the conductors
of the press engaged in the interests of those brethren separated
iioiu our communion which has within a few years become more
unkind and unjust in our regard. Not only do they aeeail us and

408

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

our institutions in a stylo of vituperation and ofTenco, misrepresent
our tcnota, vilify our practices, repeat tbo humlred-tiines-refutcd cal-
iiuinie.s of days of angry and bitter contention in other lands, but lliey
hiuJ even denounced you and us as enemies to the republic, and li!iv(>
openly proclaimed the fancied necessity of not only obstructing our
progress, but of using their best efforts to extirpate our religion ; and
for this purpose they have collected largo sums of money. It is
neither our principle nor cur practice to render evil for evil, nor railing
for railing ; and we exhort you rather to the contrary, to render bless-
ing, for unto this you are called, that you by inheritance may obtain

a blessing Wo are too well known to our fellow citizens

to render it necessary that we should exhibit the utter want of any
ground upon which such charges could rest. We, therefore, advise
you to heed them not; but to continue, whilst you servo God with
fidelity, to discharge, honestly, faithfully, and with affectionate attach-
ment, your duties to the government under which you live, so that
we may, in common with our fellow-citizens, sustain that edifice of
rational liberty in which we find such excellent protection.

There are in Cliarlestown— a little outsiae the City of
Boston, which boasts, perhaps witb justice, of bemg the
A-thens of ALicrica — two monuments. One is a monu-
ment of glory. The other is a monument of shame. On
Bunker's Hill is reared aloft a noble pillar, on which is
recorded the triumph of a young nation in the proud as-
sertion of its right to govern itself ; and among the names
of the heroes who fought and bled in the cause of human
lilierty are those of CathoHcs, foreigners and natives. On
Mount Benedict, from which the tower of liberty was every
day beheld, there remain to this hour the blackened ruins
of the Ursuline Convent, destroyed on the night of the
11th of August, 1834, by a ferocious mob, to whose law-
less violence neither check nor impediment of any kind
was offered. Deceived by reckless falsehood, bhnded by
the foulest calumnies, their passions infuriated by the
harangues of clerical incendiaries, a savage multitude flung
themselves upon the dwelling of helpless women and
innocent children, and after plundering whatever was

i, misrepresent
es-refiitcd cal-
aiuls, but llicy
blic, and havn
bstiMicling our

religion ; and
noney. It is
'il, nor railing
I render bless-
ce may obtain
fellow citizens
r want of any
L'reforo, advise
jrvo God with
tionate attach-

live, so that
hat edifice of
1.

the City of
f being the
is a monu-
shame. On
3n which is
e proud as-
' the names
B of human
latives. On
)j was every
kenecl ruins
light of the

whose hiw-
)f any kind

bhnded by
ted by the
titude flung
vomen and
latever was

BURNING OF THE CIIARLESTOWN CONVENT. 409

1 ortable, and destroying what tht>y couhl not take away,
set fire to it amidst fiendish rejoicings, and with the
most complete impunity. AVhat was the origin of this
infamous exhibition of ferocity and cowardice? A he— a
iiction— an invention— the coinage of a wicked or a foohsh
bram. It was the old story, so grateful to the ear of
bigotry. A nun was said to be detained in the convent
against her will, and was there pining in a subterranean
dungeon ! The old story, but of marvellous vitality and
eternal freshness— told in Boston thirty-three years since
-told in Montreal in a few months after— told yesterday
or to-day of any convent in Englaiuh To this story, old
and yet ever new, was added the usual imputation of
the systematic infamy of women whor;e lives were devoted
to God's service. On Sunday— the Lord's Day!-the trum-
pet-note of hate was sounded fvom more than one pulpit •
and on Monday night the fine institution, erected at gi-eat
cost, was given to destruction.

It would be a malignant slander on the fair fame of
Boston to assert that this disgraceful outrage, which sent
a thrill of horror and disgust through the civihsed world
was sympathised with by any considerable portion of the
citizens of that enlightened community. So far from
sympathising with a deed which was in the last degree
dishonouring to the reputation of their city, a number of
Protestant gentlemen, of. position and influence, were
appointed at a meeting, pubhcly held the day after in
FaneuH Hall, to investigate the circumstances of the oat-
rage, and assist in bringing the perpetrators to justice A
report was presented by that committee, with the signa-
tures of thirty-eight eminent citizens attached to it. Drawn
up with singular ability, it put to shame the miserable
bigots to whose malice or fanatical credulity the national
scandal was entirely owing. The Committee, after describ-
ing the Order of Ursulines, their objects, and their institu-
tion--of which they state that of sixty pupds, 'for the most

410

THE IRISH ;n AMKUICA.

2W|

."waMEjipitiM

part chilclroii of tlioso among tho moHt respectable families
ill the country, of variouH reli<,aonH clenomiiijition.s,' not
more than ten of ^vhom jit any time were Catholics—
they present a strikin-r picture of the outra<,^e, whicli
-they iiuli<,niantly aenounce. Even at this day— for cal-
umny is still rife, and fanaticism never dies— it may be
useful as well as instructive to reproduce this startliii<^'
description of what men will do when impelled by a bhnd
savage impulse of unchristian hate.

'At iliu time of tbis attack upon tho convont,' sny tho Committco
of Proti'stiint Kcutlcincii, ' thore woro within its walls about wixty
IcMualo cbildroii and ton adults, oiui of whom was in tho last stage of
pulmonary consumption, another suHenng under convulsion fits, and
the unhappy female who had been the immediate cause of the excite-
ment was, by the agitation of this night, in raving delirium. No
warning was given of tiie intended assault, nor could tho miscreants,
by whom it was made, have known wh(!ther their missiles might not
kill or wounfl the lielpless inmates of tliis devoted dwelling. For-
tunately for them, cowardice prompted what mercy and manhood
denied : after tho first attack the assailants paused awhile, from the
fear that some secret force was concealed in the convent, or in ambush
to surprise tliem ; and in the interval the governess was enabled to
securethe retreat of her little flock and terrified sisters into the garden.
But before this was fully efiected, the rioters, finding they had nothing
but women and children against them, regained their courage, and ere
all the inmates could escape, entered the building

'Three or four torches, which were, or precisely resembled engine
torches, were then brought up from the road ; and Immediately u'pon
their arrival the rioters proceeded into every room in tlio building,
rifling every di-awer, desk, and trunk which they found, and breaking
up and destroying all the furniture, and casting much of it irom the
windows ; sacrificing in their brutal fury costly pianofortes, and harps,
and other valuable instruments, the little treasures of the children
abandoned in the hasty flight, and even the vessels and symbols of
Christian worship.

'Alter having thus ransacked every room in the building, they
proceeded, with great deliberation, about one o'clock, to make prepa-
rations for setting fire to it. For this purpose, broken furniture,
books, curtains, and other combustible materials, were placed in the
centre of several of the rooms ; and, as if in mockery of God as well
as of man, the Bible icas cast, loith shouts of exultation, upon the pile

A GRATKF(/L RUFFIAN.

411

tiihlo families
iiijitioiiH,' not
) Cutliolies —
truf^^o, wbicli
lay — for cul-
) — it may bo
his startliiiiT
Del by a blind

tho Committee
Is about Hixty
L' last stago of
ulsion fits, ami
'■ of" tlie oxcitc-

dolirliim. No
tho miscreants,
^llt'3 might not
l\V(!lling. For-

and manliood
vhile, from thn
, or in ambush
vas enabled to
ito tlie garden.
ij had nothing
iirage, and ero

ambled engine

nediately upon

tho building,

and breaking

of it from the

tes, and harps,

the children

id symbols of

building, they
) make pre pa-
ken furniture,
placed in the
' God as well
upon the pik

Jii'sl knulM; and as upon this xcere SHhsvqncnthj thronm the ve.slmn.ts
used ,n rvh.jhms service, and the ornament.', of the altar, those shouh and
ydls were repeated. Nor did they cease untii the cro.s.s was xcrenched
Jroin Us place, as the final triumph of this fiendish enterprise.'

But the work of (Icstruction did not end hero ; for after
l.urninj,^ down the bishop's lod-e, in whieh there was a
valuable hbrary, the rioters proceeded to the farm-house,
and ^ave it also to th« flames, and then reduced an exten-
Kive barn to ashes. 'And not content with all this,' say tho
Committee of Protestant {-entlemen, ' Ihrij ljiu\st opni the
tomb of the edahli,hm<mt, rijlcd it of the mvred vcshhIh
there deported, ivredcd the platen from the coffuin, and
e.rpoml to view the mouldering remains of their tenants ! '

•Nor,' say they, 'is it tho least humiliating feature in this scone of
cowardly and audacious violation of all that man ought to hold sacrod
and dear, that it was perpetrated in the presence of men vested with
authority, and of multitudes of our fellow-citiziMis, while not one arm
was lifted in defence of helpless women and children, or in vindication
of the violated laws of God and man. The spirit of violenci^ sacrilege,
and plunder reigned triumphant. Crime alone seemed to confer cour-
age, while humanity, manhood, and patriotism quaiL'd, or stood irreso-
lute and confounded in its presence.'

The report, able and searching, thus stingingly con-
cludes: 'And if this cruel and unprovoked injury, perpe-
trated in the heart of the commonwealth, be permitted to
pass unrepaired, our boasted toleration and love of order,
our vaunted obedience to law, and our ostentatious prof-
fers of an asylum to the persecuted of all sects and nations,
may well be accounted vainglorious pretensions, or yet
more wretched hypocrisy.'

There were trials, no doubt ; but, save in one instance,
they ended in the acquittal of the accused, of whom the
leader was a ferocious savage, who thus addressed his
sympathising friends through the pubhc press :

A CA.Rn_Jnhn R. Buzzell begs leave, through your paper, to
tender his sincere thanks to the citizens of Charlestown, Boston,

412

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

Ill

and Ciirribii(]^(<>, for tho exi>res.sli)iia of kindness and j>liU(iuthrojt>f
niitiiilfsifd louiirdH him on his iic(|iiittiil of (ho ciiargo of aiding
tilt' (lfsinj(;ti(»ii of tJHj convent; also \v(»uld Ki'i'tefully renienih.-r (ii.
yrhtlniKinli/ dcportinad of Mr. W'utsun, while iniiirisoned iti Cum
bridf^o Guol.

The reader may bo pardoned for not knowing' wlietlu i-
it wiiH tho individual (ionipliniented for his f^entlenianlv
deportment, or tho author of tliis card— this hulicrous ami
shameful commentary on tho whole proceedings— that
was imprisoned. AVe must assume that Mr. John 11.
Buzzell, the gallant leader in the outrage on wonion and
children, was the unwilling tenant of the jail of whi, !;
Mr. AVatson was the custodian of gentlemanly deportment.
Before this wretched man Buzzell died, he admitted, what
his jury would not, that he was one of the perpetrators of
the outrage. And from the day that Mr. Buzzell returned
his thanks for the ' kindness and philantliropy ' of those
who stamped, and yelled, and clapped their hands at his
acquittal, and for Mr. Watson's ' gentlemanly deportment '
to him while in jail, that atrocious violation of tho laws of
God and man is, we shall not say unavenged, but yet
unredi-essed ; to this hour, and as it were within the very
shadow of the proud record of Boston's glory, lie the
blackened evidences of Boston's shame.

Bigotry is the most contagious of all diseases of the
human mind, nor is there any moral epidemic whose
poison travels more swiftly, or affects more readily or
more fatally the sobriety of communities. From Charles-
town, Massachusetts, to Charleston, South Carolina, the
malignant influence was borne; but had the John II.
Buzzells of the latter city attempted to carry their inten-
tions into execution, they would have experienced some-
thing less pleasant than 'kindness ond philanthropy' and
'gentlemanly deportment;' for at the first hint of danger,
a gallant band of Irishmen rallied in defence of the men-
aced convent of Charleston, and its Irish Bishop coolly

•AWFUL DISCLOSURES OF MARIA MONK.'

418

1<1 pl(U(i))th>'oivf
ifu of (liiliii); ill
r roiiu'iiibfr (|i,.
iuiiL'd ill Ciiiii

v'nVff wliotlu r

pftjiitleiiuiiily
lulicrous and
iodiiigs — that
Ir. Joliii 11.

womon and
ail of will !.

doportniont.
ruitted, what
•petrators of
:ell returned
py' of those
liands at his
deportment '

the laws of
fed, but yet
hill the very
ory, lie the

sasGS of the
emic whose
readily or
3ni Charles-
arolina, the
le John II.
their intcn-
nced soine-
thropy' and
; of dang'cr,
)f the men-
shop coolly

f'xarniiicd the flints of their rifles, to RatLsfy himself that
flun-e should be no missing fire— no failure of summary
jiistico. The John R. Buzzells are bravo against women ;
bat they eiire less to see a man's eyo gleaming along a
1 lusket-barrel, if the ominous-looking tube bo pointed at
Ihcir precious persons. So in .riouth Carohna and in other
States, the resolute attitude of those who would havo
wilHngly died in defence of the best and noblest of
humanity, saved the country at that time from still
(leejier disgrace.

Shortly after the destruction of the Charlestown Convent
by tire, there was perpetriited perhaps the most daring as
well as the most infamous swindle upon public credulity
ever recorded in the history of fraud ; namely, the 'Awful
Disclosures of Maria Monk '—the result of a foul con-
spiracy, of which a dissolute preacher and his miserable
tool were among the chief actors. Although that ' damn-
able invention' was exposed in all its naked vileness ;
though Maria Plonk's mother made solemn oath that the
abandoned preacher, her daughter's paramour, had, with
another of the conspirators, unavailingly endeavoured to
bribe her to support the imposture ; though the sect to
which the preacher belonged, and whom he had cheated
in some money transactions, flung him off with pubhc
<xpressions of loatliing ; though the conspirators after-
wards wrangled about their infamoas spoils, and more than
one of them admitted the falsehood of the whole story ;
iliough, in fact, it was proved that the Awful Disclosures
V. eve a verbal copy of a Spanish or Portuguese work which
had been translated half a century before ;* though the

* The Dnstnn Pilot thus exposed the daring imposture :—

' W'i arc ready and wilUng to declare upon oath, that the extracts which we
have seen in the New York I'ranmipt £/>./«» v«,.«.\.^ i>..„/ c...;.«, ^„-,„. ... ,
ctlier respectable periodicals, purporting to be extracts from the diacloaures of

414

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

■foflpJ"

•^•

monstrous lie was disproved in every form and manner in
which a he could be disproved— still the influence of that
he is felt to this very hour, not only in Canada and in the
States, but in Europe. While in Canada, in the autumn
of 18G6, I read, to my profound astonishment, even more
than to my disgust, an article in a Canadian paper said to
have influence with a certain class, written in reference to '
education in convents, and in which article the hterary
lunatic described those institutions as 'sinks of iniquity.'
I might have supposed— did I not know that Maria Monk
died in the Tombs, of New York, to which prison she had
been committed for theft— that the conspiracy was still in
full sAving, and that the writer— to judge him in the most
charitable manner— was one of its besotted dupes. AVe
shall hereafter see how this atrocious book, sworn to by
the unscrupulous and believed in by the prejudiced, has
poisoned the minds of a generous but credulous people.

We may dismiss this revolting case with a few hues from
the statement of Colonel Stone, of New York, who, in
company with some half dozen other persons, all of them
Protestants, visited and inspected the Hotel Dieu, of Mon-
treal, the scene of the alleged iniquities, which included
child massacre scarcely less wholesale than Herod's slaugh-
ter of the innocents. It may be remarked that several
parties, many of whom were not without faith in the 'Awful
Disclosures,' returned from their investigation with the same
conviction as that expressed by Colonel Stone, who says :—

I have rarely seen so many ladles together possessing in so great a
degree the charm of mannner. They were all affability and kindness.

Maria Monk, &c , are to be found, word for word, and letter for letter (proper names
only being altered), in a book translated from tlie Spanish or Portuguese language,
in 1781, called " The Gales of IIM Opened, or a Dewlopment of the Secrets of N tinner it's/'
and that we, at present, arc the owner of a copy of the said book, which was loan(?d
l>\' us, a year or two since, to some person iti Marblehead or Salem, who lias not
returned it.

I'he excommunication from Trislram Shandy, palmed off on the American puLlio
as the genuine Roman article, was something iu the same spirit— just as ingenious
as a fraud upon public credulity.

PROTESTANT VERDICT ON MARIA MONK 415

(Jhcrfuhess was universal, and vory unlike the notions commonly
.nterLaincl of the gloom of the cloister. Their fuoes wer( too often
wreathed m smiles to allow us to suppose that they were soou to
ii^sist in smothering their own children, or that those sweet spirits
were soon to be trodden out of their bodies by the rough-shod priests

of the Seminary Indeed I have never witnessed in any

c.mmunity or family, more unaffected chterfiilness and good humour,
nor more satisfactory evidence of entire confidence, esteem, and har-
Biony among each other.

Having tested every wall in the building, examined every
receptacle for potatoes and turnips, every dung-con de-
voted to the incarceration of soap and candles or loaf sugar,
poked at mortar with an iron-shod stick, peeped into
every corner and crevice of the whole establishment, and
elaborately traced his progress and its results, the Colonel
thus pronounces the judgment of an intelligent and ra-
tional mind : —

Thus ended this examination, in which we were most actively en-
gaged for about three hours. The result is the most thorough con-
viction that Maria Monk is an arrant inipostor-that she never was ^
nun, and was never within the walls of the Hotel Dieu~and consequently,
that her disclosures are wholly and unequivocally, from beginning to end,
unirue-either the vagaries of a distempered brain, or a series of calum-
nies unequalled in the depravity of their invention, and unsurpassed in
their enormity. There are those, I am well aware, who will not adopt
this conclusion, though one should arise from the dead and attest it-
even though 'Noah, Daniel, and Job,' were to speak from the slumber
of ages and confirm it.

41C

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

CHAPTER XXIV.

cti>

vi-'S

k ii

*iii-

^■■^

ft:--

Bisfcop England's Devotion to the Negro— The Frenchman Van-
qiiif.hed— The Bishop stripped to his Siiirt— Bishop England's
Death— Spiritual Destitution— As late as 1817— The Sign of the
Cross- Keeping the Faith^Bishop Hughes -Bishop Hughes
and the Scliool Question— A Lesson for the Politioians— The
Riots of Philadelphia— Tiie Native American Party— The Bishop
and the Mayor— Progress of the Church.

¥E may return to Bisliop England, ere, worn out—
spent by fatigue and malady— lie is snatched from
the faithful that loved him as their father, and from the
Church which honoured him as one of her stoutest cham-
pions and strongest piUars.

Notwithstanding the difficulties of his position, arising
in no small degree from the infidel spirit displayed by
some unworthy members of his flock, whose vanity and
self-sufficiency rendered them impatient of all control,
Bishop England prosecuted his mission with characteristic
energy. Nor were the three States which constituted his
enormous diocese wide enough for the greatness of his zeal. -
He was to be heard of in most parts of the Union, preach-
ing, lecturing, propagating truth, confounding error; and
wherever he went he was surrounded by the leading mem-
bers of other churches, or those who were of no church, who
constitute a rather numerous body in America. He also
made frequent visits to Europe ; and it is told of him
v»=-Ith truth that from a chamber in the Vatican this 'Steam
Bishop,' as he was styled in Rome, would announce the
day when he was to administer confirmation in the interior
of Georgia ! This Cathohc Bishop found time amidst his

man Van-

Eiigland'a
gn of the
» Hughes
ans — The
he Bishop

rvorn out — •
tched from
d from the
itest cliam-

lon, arising
splayed by
vanity and
ill control,
aracteristic
tituted his
of his zeal. •
3n, preach-
error; and
ling mem-
hurch, who
.. He also
Id of him
lis 'Steam
louncc the
he interior
amidst his

BISHOP ENGL \ND'S DEVOTION TO THE NEGRO. 417

pressing avocations, to promote the spread of hterary and
scientific knowledge in the City of Charleston ; and as a
minister of peace he fulfilled his vocation by the formation
of an anti-duelhng association, of which General Thomas
Pinckney, of revolutionary fame, was the president. As a
lecturer, few, if any, equalled Bishop England, and in the
pulpit he had no rival in his day in the United States;
but it was when the Yellow Fever made havoc among his
flock— black as well as white— that the Christian Bishop
was seen in all his glory. It was as he hurried from sick
bed to sick bed, his charity glowing with an ardour more
intense than the sun that seemed to rain down fire on his
head, while it scorched the ground beneath his badly-
protected feet, that those who were not of his communion
thoroughly understood the man. When the poor negro
was in health, the Bishop would turn fi'om the wealthy
and the learned to instruct him in the truths of religion ;
and when stricken down by the plague, of which the Black
Vomit was the fatal symptom, his first care was for the
dying slave. Bishop England did not venture to oppose
slavery — few men would have been rash enough even to
have hinted at such a policy in his day ; but he ever
proved himself the truest friend of that unhapjDy class,
and did much to mitigate the hardship of their position.
His, indeed, was the pohcy of his Church in America.*

In the diary from which I have quoted, the Bishop
more than once makes an entry of this kind : ' Was
invited to preach before the Legislature Preached to
a numerous and attentive audience.' Not a word to
afford an idea of the effect produced by his discourse.
But we have in the brief memoir written by his devoted
friend and admirer, William George Read, an account of
one of these discourses and its effect : —

An illiberal majority was once organised, in the Lower House of
the LeglHlature of South Carolina, to refuse a charier of incorporatioo •

* See note at the end of the volume.

418

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

41 i*i

»■..$

«,*»

■^ »«!*

to a community of mm«, whose invaluable services he was desirous to
secure for tlie eductrtion of the f( ale portion of his floclc at Charles-
ton. They were a braiicli of that same admirable UrsuKne Order
whose convent had been pillap:ed and burned, with such unmanly
cruelty, in one of our eastern cities. Some of his friends procured
him an invitation to preach before the Senate, and many of tiie
members of the Lower House attended tlirough curiosity. He spoke
of religion, its claims, its obligations. He discoursed of toleration.
Ho held up Massachusetts to their scorn. He adverted to the subject
of his charter— hurled defiance at them— showed them how he could
possess the entire State, lor ecclesiastical purposes, had he the means
to buy it, despite their narron'-souled policy. He exposed to them the
folly of driving those of his communion from the high road of legalised
establishments, into the bye-paths of the law. He changed his theme,
and told of Catholic charity ; arrayed before them her countless insti-
tutions for promoting the glory God and the welfare of man. There
was not a dry eye in the house ; his bill was passed without a division
on the following day.

It was strange that, although Bishop England's speaking
voice was rich and tuneful, equal to the expression of
every emotion, he had no faculty whatever for vocal har-
mony, and lacked the power of turning the simplest air,
or singing the least difficult bar of music. His efforts at
singing High Mass were pitiable ; and, were it not for the
solemnity of the occasion, his performance would be more
calculated to excite auerriment than to inspire devotion.
When first appointed to the parish of Bandon, an attempt
was made by an excellent and pious man to try and
'hammer' as much music into the new Parish Priest as
would enable him to get through his functions as High
Priest with some approach to decency ; but, though Father
England's Bandon instructor was animated by a profound
reverence for the dignity of Catholic worship, he failed—
miserably failed— in the hopeless attempt. But what all
the pious enthusiasm of the honest Bandonian could not
accomplish for the ungifted Parish Priest, the vanity of a
Frenchman made him beheve he could succeed in achieving
for the great Bishop of Charleston. The Frenchman
felt confident he could make the Bishop sing ; the Bishop
was certain, and with better reason, that he could not be

THE FRENCHMAN VANQUISHED.

419

as desirous to
ck at Cliarles-
rsiiKne Order
5uch uiunaiily
iiids procured

many of tlio
y. IIo spoke
of toleration.
;o the subject
liow he could
he the means
(d to them the
d of legalised
cd his theme,
)untless insti-

man. There
out a division

's speaking
Dression of

vocal liar-
mplest air,
s efforts at
not for the
Id be more
3 devotion,
an attempt
;o try and
L Priest as
ls as High
igh Father
a profound
he failed —
it what all

could not
vanity of a
1 achieving
J'renchman
;he Bishop
aid not be

made to sing. The Professor was positive in his beHef,
and demanded the opportunity of testing his powers, which
opportunity was freely afforded to him by the Bishop ; and
to work they went, the Professor elated with the antici-
pation of his glorious triumph, the Bishop thorouglily
reconciled to his vocal incapacity. They commenced, the
teacher all zeal, the pupil all docihty. 'Bravi, bravi ! '
cried the Professor, as the first note or two rewarded a
long and laborious lesson. The world would hear of this
splendid achievement; all America would do homage to
science in the person of the Professor. The lessons and
the practice proceeded; but as they did, so did the Pro-
fessor's confidence abate. Had the task been simj^ly im-
possible, it was his duty, as a Frenchman, to accomphsh it ;
but this was something more than impossible. Still the
A^allant son of Gaul bravely struggled on, hoping against
hope — rather, hoping against despair. At length, even
the courage of his nation gave way; and thus the crest-
fallen Professor addressed his doomed but smiling pupil —
* Ah, momeigneur ! vous prechez comme un ange, et vous
ecrivez comme un ange; maiH vom chantez diahlement !

There is a capital story told of the Bishop doing duty
for a Protestant pastor ; and it is so characteristic of the
liberal side of American Christianity, that it may be given
in the words of Dr. England's enthusiastic admirer, Mr.
Read : —

During one of his visitations he had been obliged with the loan of
a Protestant church, for the purpose of delivering a course of lectures
on the Catholic religion. On Saturday evening the regular pastor
came to him to 'ask a fiivour.' 'I am sure,' said the Bishop, 'you
would not ask what I would not gladly grant.' 'Occupy my pulpit,
then, to-morrow ! I have been so much engrossed by your lectures
tluough the week, that I have utterly forgotten my own pastoral
charge, and am unprepared with a sermon.' ' I should be most happy
to oblige you, but are you aware that we can have no partnerships?'
' I have thought of all tliat— regulate everything as you think proper.'
' At least,' Rtii.l the Blnliop, ' 1 can promiHO you that nothing shall be
Baid or done which you or any of your congregation will disapprove.'

420

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

On the morrow the novel spcjcfaclo waa seen of a Catholic Bishop,
arrayed in bis ordinary episcopal vesture, ad-'ancing to tlie pulpit of
ttiis Protestant congregation, lie invited tliein to sing some hymna
he had previously selected from tliose they were accustomed to ; read
to them from the Douay translation of the Bible; recited appropriate
jirayors, such as all could freely join in, from a book of Catholic
devotion; preached them a sound practical discourse, and dismissed
them with a blessing ; wondering if such could be the doctrine and
the worship they had so often heard denounced as 'the doctrine of
devils.'

It was the custom of the Bishop to wear his ordinary
episcopal robes — soutane, rotchet, and short purple cape
— whenever he was preaching, whether in a pubhc court-
house or a Protestant church. Many of these latter build-
ings being in his time rather primitive structures, and
affording little accommodation for robing, he was frequently
compelled to perform his ecclesiastical toilet behind the
pulpit. This happened on one occasion, when his fame
was at its height, and people of every creed, as well as
class and condition, rushed to hear the famous preacher.
One of the robes worn by a bishop, the rotchet, is a kind
of surplice, usually made of muslin or fine hnen, and
trimmed with lace. Dr. England remained some time
hidden fi'om the view of the audience, probably engaged
in prayer; and the expectation was somewhat increased
in consequence. At length, one, more impatient or more
curious than the rest, ventured on a peep, and saw the
Bishop in his rotchet, and before he had time to put on
his cape; and, rather forgetting the character of the
place, and the nature of the occasion, he cried out in a
voice that rang throughout the building — 'Boys! the
Bishop's stripped to his shirt ! — he's in earnest, I tell you ;
and darn me, if he ain't going to give us hell this time.'
The Bishop, wlio, Irishman like, dearly loved a joke, and
who frequently told the story, ever with unabated relish,
mounted the steps of the i)ulpit, and looked upon his
audience as calmly and with as grave a countenance as i/
these strange words had never reached his ears.

BISHOP ENGLAND'S DEATH.

42]

'lolic Bishop,
;he pulpit of
some hymna
10(1 to ; read
l1 appropriate
of Catholic
nd dismissed
doctrine and
! doctrine of

3 ordinary
irple capo
blic court-
,tter build-
tures, and
frequently
)eliind the

his fame
as weh as

preacher.

is a kind
Linen, and
5ome time
J engaged

increased
t or more
d saw the

to put on
er of tho
i out in a
Boys ! the
I tell you ;
this time.'

joke, and
ted relish,

upon hia
ance as if

Too soon, alas ! was the life of the great Bishop to come
to a close. Returning from Europe in a ship amongst
whose steerage passengers malignant dystentery broke out,
this noble Christian minister laboured incessantly in the
service of the sick. He was at once priest, doctor, and
nurse, and daring the voyage he scarcely ever slept in his
cabin ; an occasional doze on a sofa was all that his zetll
and humanity would allow him to enjoy. Exhausted in
mind and body, and with the seeds of the fatal disease, in
his constitution, Dr. England landed in Philadelphia ; but
instead of betaking himself to his bed, and placing him-
self under the care of a physician, he preached, and lec-
tured, and transacted an amount of business suited only
to the most robust health. In Baltimore he stayed four
days, and preached five times.

'When he arrived hero/ says Mr. Read, 'his throat wag raw with
continued exertion. I discovered the insidious disease that was sapping
his strength. I saw his constitution breaking up. He was warned"
with the solicitude of tho tenderest affection, against continuing these
destructive efforts. The weather was dreadful. But he lelt°it his
duty to go on. He said only, "I hope I shall not d.-op at the allar—
if I do, bring me home." He wished to do the work he was sent to
perform. Exhausted by fatigue, overwhelmed with visitors, he was
yet.i.ady at the last moment to give an audience to a stranger who
begged admission for the solution of a single doubt ; and never did I
listen to so precise, so clear, so convincing an exposition of the trans-
substantiated presence of our Redeemer in the Holy Eucharist. His
auditor was a person of intelligence and candour, and the Bishop ex-
hausted, for his instruction, the resources of philosophical objection to
the sacred tenet ; to show how futile are the cavils of man iu opposition
to the explicit declaration of God.'

His death was worthy of his life. Nothing could be
more in keeping with the character of the Christian Bishop.
The dying words of this great Prelate of the American
Church, addressed to his clergy, who were kneehng round
his bed, were noble and impressive, full of paternal solici-
tude for his flock, and the most complete resignation to
the will of his Divine Master. He humbly solicited the

422

THE lUlSII IN AMERICA.

CS^

forgiveness of his clergy, for whatever might at the time
have seemed harsh or oppressive in his conduct ; but he
truly declared, that ho had acted from a sense of duty and
m the manner best adapted to the end he had in view-
their good. 'I confess,' said the dying Prelate, 'it ha.
likewise happened, owing partly to the perplexities of my
position, and chiefly to my own impetuosity, that my
demeanour has not always been as meek and courteous as
It ever should have been; and that you have experienced
rebufis, when you might have anticipated kindness. For-
give me! TeU my people that I love them-teU them
how much I regret that circumstances have kept us at a
distance from each other. My duties and my difficulties
have prevented me from cultivating and strengthenino-
those private ties which ought to bind us together • your
functions require a closer and more constant intercourse
with them. Be with them-be of them-win them to
(^od. Guide, govern, and instruct them, that you may do
It with joy, and not with grief.' In this his last address
he did no^ forget his infant institutions, which were never
so dear to his paternal heart as at that moment, when he
appealed to his weeping clergy in their behalf ; and to the
Sisters, who afterwards knelt by his bedside, he bequeathed
lessons of wisdom and courage. Almost his last words
were, 'I had hoped to rise-but I bow to the will of God
and accept what He appoints.' *

By his grave stood the representatives of every sect and
communion, offering their last tribute of respect to one
who did honour to his native land in the country of his
adoption. The press of the United States joined in one
universal chorus of sorrow for his loss, and admiration of
his exalted merits as a scholar and orator, as a Christian
nnnister, a patriot, and a citizen ; for had he been born
on her soil, he could not more thoroughly have identifled

in-iol sXr. t'aT^I and accon.p,ished Bishop of Charleston was one of the

o h n!b ' ^ds ;?r'"t '' "" ^''' ^^^'^°^'' -'^ P— ^'i - f-thful record
oi 1113 uowe ^\ords. Dr. Lynch is the son of Irish parents

SPIRITUAL DESTITUTION.

423

: at the time
-luct ; but lio

of duty, and
lad in view —
*late, 'it lui,>.
xities of ni}'
ty, that my
courteous hh

experienced
iness. For-
1 — tell them
kept us at a
y difficulties
rengthening-
ether ; your

intercourse
in them to
you may do
iast address

were never
it, when he

and to the
bequeathed

last words
ill of God,

ry sect and
lect to one
ntry of his
tied in one
niration of
a Christian
been born
3 identified

.'as oue of the
faithful record

himself with the glory and greatness of America than
he did.

E^en in 1842, when he was lost to the Church, his flock
— scattered over three vast States — did not exceed 8,000
souls ; but by his matchless zeal and singular power of
organisation, and his firmness in dealing with the turbulent
and refractory, he succeeded in establishing order in the
mist of chaos ; and, by his own living example of every
virtue which could adorn humanity, even more than
by his intellectual power, did the illustrious Bishop
England render the name of Catholic respected.

'^\^len in 1832 the first Council of Baltimore assembled,
the CathoUcs of the United States numbered not less
than half a million. In 1830, according to Bishop Dubois,
the Catholic population of the diocese of Nev/ York was
150,000, of whom 35,000 were in the city of that name.
In 1834 the number in the latter must have been at least
50;000, and in the diocese 200,000, as emigration was
steadily setting in ; and though the emigration of that
day was generally diffused through the country, still the
greater portion of this life-current was even then directed
to the Empire City. There were at that time — in 1834 — •
in the entire of the State of Nevr York and the portion of
New Jersey combined with it in the diocese, but nineteen
churches^ not a few of which were utterly unworthy of that
distinction- -being miserable wooden shanties, hastily run
up by poor congregations ; and the number of priests for
this enormous territory, which is now divided into five
dioceses, did not exceed five-and-twenty ! Too many of
the scattered congregations of this vast diocese had not for
years seen the fuce of a priest, or heard the saving truths
of religion from a minister of their owni faith ; and the
young people grew up to manhood and womanhood with
only such imperfect knowledge of sacred subjects as tlie
scanty information of simple parents could afford them.

424

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

ffJe ^^il

•^

Ono may easily ima-iiio how difficult it was, uiKlor those
circumstances, for tho Irish Catholic to preserve the faith
Ihe Insh Protestant, no matter of what sect or denomina-
tion, found a chrrch and a congregation wherever he went
and with Inm there was neither inducement nor necessity
to cliango. Indeed, the position held then, and for Ion'
a Or, by the Cathohcs in America, did not offer any special
attraction to those of other communions to join their
ranks ; and while aU sects of Protestantism enjoyed com.
paratively ample means and opportunities for public wor-
ship, the Catholic lacked them altogether in too many
instances Save in cities and towns, and not always in
these either, the Catholic had no church, no priest, no
instruction, no spiritual consolation-nothing, in fact to
depend on for the preservation of the faith, until'the
coming of the better days for which ho ardently longed -
but the grace of God and his own steadfastness '

Albany, and Buftalo, and Brooklyn, and Newark
which are now, in a CathoHc sense, cathedral cities, and
the centres of prosperous dioceses, having a complete
ecclesiastical organisation of their own, were each 'seized'
by a single priest in 1834. When Bishop Dubois visited
Jiullalo in 1829, he found a congregation of 800 Catholics
about half of whom were Irish, who had been occasionally
visited by a clergyman from Eochester ; but, previous to
that arrangement, they had been for years without havin-
seen a minister of then- Church. The first church-a
httle wooden structure-erected in Buffalo was in the fall
of that year. But in 1847, when Buffalo was formed into
a diocese, the state of things discovered by Bishop Timon
not only in his first visitation, but on subsequent occasions'
was httle different from that recorded by Bishop En-land
of his three Southern States ; and while there were more
Cathohcs to be found in the towns springing up in the
State of >sew lork, the spiritual poverty and destitution
were as marked in the North as in the South. Bishop
Timon had fifteen priests to assist him, and sixteen

AS LATE AS 1847.

420

under those
've the faith.
r clenomina-
'er he wont,
Lor necessity
nd for lou"
any special
join their
joyed com-
pubHc wor-
•■ too many
t always in
) priest, no
in fact, to
1, until the
tly longed, ■

I Newark,
cities, and
- complete
ih 'served'
3oiH visited
Catholics,
ccasionally
>revious to
)ut havinjif
church — a
in the fall
rmed into
op Timon,
occasions,
1 England
fere more
ip in the
[estitutiou
. Bishop
d sixteen

rlmrches ; but wo arc told, on the Bishop's authority, that
most of them ' might rather bo called huts or shanties ; '
luid when there was a church, of whatever kind, there warj
scarcely a sacred vessel for the ube of the altar, and the
vestments were ' few and poor.'

There is the strong Catholic hkeness in all tho Bishops
of the American Church— the same energy, the same
zeal, the same self-sacrilico, the same disregard of toil or
labour ; and Bishop Timon's visitation in 1847, or in years
after, might be fitly described in the very words einploy-
cd by Dr. England in 1821. Ho preached in Protestant
( liurches, when they were olTerod, or the Cathohcs conld
obtain ' the loan of them,' or in court-houses, or in school-
houses ; or, when ho had none of those at his disposal, in
the open air. In his first visitation Bishop Timon con-
firmed 4,G17 of his flock, half of whom wore adults— a fact
significant of previous spiritual destitution. It is not to
be supposed that this state of things is limited to a
period so remote as twenty years— it was the same in
many of the States so late as a few years back ; and even
to this day there are Catholic famiUes in America who have
rarely entered a church or heard the voice of a priest.

There was never, at any time, on the part of the Irish
Cathohc, a lack of zeal for rehgion, or an indifference as
to procuring a place for the worship to which, from his
infancy, ho had been accustomed in his own country.
Indeed, one of the inducements which the Irish had to
remain in the great cities, instead of pushing on to take
possession of the land, was the facility afforded, through
their churches and their staff of clergymen, for practising
tlieir rehgion, and of training their children in the; know-
It.'dge of its prmciples. Still, better for thoasands had
they penetrated the remote forest, and there, in the depths
of their own hearts, kei)t alive the love of the faith, and
thus lived on in expectation (.f happier days, than have
yielded to a feeling which was commendable ratlier than

42a

TIIK HUSH IS AMKUICA.

•1*,:

SWttMl

;■ "^

Miirn.'iblo. It is tnio, tlio ehiiarcn of mixed marriaf^os—
osp(>ciiilly when tlio niothor was a iiieiijl)cr of soino Pro-
lostaut body, and wlioro the CatliolicH wore few and thinly
J!catt(a('d arnono;Ht pei-HonH of other sects— did occasionally
adopt the reli<rious belief of their relatives and friends';
but in the vast majority of cases the faith was cherished,'
and kept strong? and ardent amidst the fjravest discoiira/?e-
meiits. When the mother was a Cathohc, there was little
fear for the children ; thonc,di there have been innumerable
instances of fathers resisting the infJuc^nce of their Baptist
or Methodist wives, and bringing up their children in their
own faith.

There is not a priest of any experience in the American
mission that has not met with the most interesting proofs
of the holy ilamo burning in the hearts of Irish Catholics
far removed from a church. The delight of these good

people at a visit from one of their own clergymen the

Sorgartli arooii—is indescribable. A friend, who now
holds an eminent position in the ministry, told me Low lie
was aficcted by the feeling exhibited by an Irish woman
whom he visited, as much by chance as design, in the
course of a missionary tour whose extent might be counted
by hundreds of miles. He came to a house in the midst
of the woods, but surrounded with every appearance of
substantial comfort ; and on entering through the open
doorway he found a number of young people in the prin-
cipal apartment. He was welcomed, but coldly, by the
elder girl, who told him that 'mother' was somewhere
about the place with the boys. The clergyman asked some
questions, which at first were replied to with evident re-
straint ; but when he said he was a Catholic priest— and
an Irish priest, too— there was an end to coldness and
reserve. The girl had taken him for a preacher, of one
of the many sects to be found in every part of America,
and her courtesy was rather scant in consequence. ' Oh,
Father, don't go !— I'll run and fetch mother I ' cried the

THE SIGN OF TIIK CROSS.

427

i^nil, iia who run out to iinpurt i\w joyful iidiii^M to \wv
piu'oiit ; the priti.st in the nioiuitime OHtiibliHhiii^' frioiully
njlivtions witlx tlio y()Uiiy:oi' childrou. Soon \V(!i'o burricul
stops hcird Hi)pro;u;liin{^ tho houHO, and ono voico, Imlf
choked with ouiotiou, Huyhi^' : * M.iry, Miiry, durliiif^, nro
you Herious? — is • it tho priest? — is it really the priest'?'
iiiiswered l)y that of tho dau{,diter with : * YtiS, mother
dear, it is tho priest, sure enough.' lu rushed a woman
of middle age, her arms outstretched, and her face flushed
with strong excitement. Falling on her knees on tho
lloor, she exclaimed, with an accent of pa-ssionate suppli-
cation, that tlirilled the priest to his heart — 'Oh, Fatluir!
f(jr the sake of God and his Blessed Mother, mark mo with
tho sign of tlie Cross ! ' Her face, though merely comely
at best, was positively l)eautiful in its expression as her
pious rofiuest was complied with. Tho example was con-
tagious. The entire family were at once on their knees,
and 'Me, Father! — don't forget me. Father! — Father, don't
forget me,' from tho youngest, showed how the mother's
spirit pervaded her children. It was some hours before
tho good woman's excitement subsided ; and as she busied
herself to do fitting honour to her guest — whom she assured
she would rather see in her house than the King on his
throne, or the President himself — she constantly broke off
into pious ejaculations, full of praise and thanks. The
priest remained long enough under her hospitable roof to
celebrate Mass, which to her was a source of joy unspeak-
able, as she looked upon her dwelling as sacred from
that moment ; and to strengthen by his instruction the
strong impression already made upon the minds of her
cliildren by their pious mother. This good woman's hus-
l)and had been carried off by malignant fever, leaving to
hor care a largo and helpless family ; but, as she said,
'God gave her strength to struggle on for them,' and she
did so, bravely and successfully, until the eldest were able
to help her, and abundance and comfort were in her

428

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

^mmuit

'p».

^t^

dwelling. For many years she had not seen the face of a
priest, or entered the door of a church ; but the faith was
strong in her Irish heart, and every morning the labours
of the day were blessed by the prayers of the family, who
repeated them as regularly before they retired to their un-
troubled rect : and on Sundays the prayers of Mass were
read, and the litc*nies were recited. Thus Y,ras the faith
kept in the midst of the forest, until the time came when
the church was erected, and the congregation knelt beneath
its sacred roof, and the voice of praise blended with the
swelling peal of the organ, and the exiles really felt them-
selves 'at home' at last.

When visiting the Hospital of the Good Samaritan in
Cincinnati, I was made aware of a remarkable instance of
how the faith was kept by the Irish in" the days when, from
want of priests and churches, the spiritual destitution of
CathoKcs was extreme. In a ward of this splendid hospi-
tal, the munificent gift of two Protestant gentlemen to an
Irish Sister,* a young priest was hurrying fast to the close
of his mortal career. He, had been a chaplain in the
Federal service, in which, as in the ordinary sphere of
his ministry, he was much beloved, on account of his great
zeal and devotedness ; but consumption, the result in a
great measure of hardship and exposure, set in, and the
termination of a Hngering sickness was at hand. His
father and mother— the father from Tipperary, the mother
fi-om 'the Cove of Cork '—settled amidst the woods of
Ohio, about twenty miles from Cincinnati, and not a family
within many miles of their home. About that time there
were not mors than a dozen priests in Ohio, Indiana,
Illinois, and Missouri, and but two brick churches in Ohio.
This was the state of things when Bishop, now Archbishop,
Purcell was consecrated. Little spiritual provision then
for the Irish family in the woods. But the faith was
strong in the hearts of the Irish parents, and they deter-
mined that their children should not be without its know-

*S!|

ee page 481.

KEEPING THE FAITH.

429

he face of a
le faith was
the labours
family, who
to their un-
Mass were
s the faith
came when
elt beneath
d with the
■ felt them-

maritan in
instance of
svlien, from
ititution of
idid hospi-
men to an
<o the close
lin in the

sphere of
: his great
esult in a
1, and the
land. His
he mother

woods of
)t a family
:ime there
, Indiana,
js in Ohio,
rchbishop,
sion then
faith was
bey deter-
its know-

ledge. Every Sunday the father read the prayers of Mass,
and then gave an hour or an hour-and-a-half's catechetical
instruction to his young flock. Every night the younger
children, each in their turn, recited the accustomed
prayers ; and with the aid of good CathoHc books, and a
couple of the best of the Catholic newspapers, the right
spirit was maintained. The father, who was then in inde-
pendent circumstances, and is now the owner of 700 acres
of land, used to send, four times a year, a ' buggy ' for a
priest, who celebrated Mass in the house, aaid explained, in
a better manner than the father could have done, the
principles of the CathoHc religion. The family grew up a
credit to their Irish father, himself a credit to his country.
One of the sons, thus taug' t amidst the sohtude of the
woods, was then closing a noble career of priestly useful-
ness, and others were exhibiting the influence of their
training in various walks of life. The sound Catholic
teaching at home counteracted whatever might have been
prejudicial in the district school, to which, at a suitable
period, the young people ^Yel'e sent. I had the satisfaction
of seeing this fine old Tipperary man, who, at seventy
years of age, had the appearance of one much younger.
It was men of his stamp, I felt, that did most honour, in
America, to their native land.

Bishop England often mentioned his visit to a family
whom he found in the midst of the woods, and who had
not seen a priest for forty jncars! But the faith had been
preserved through the piety of the parents. The Bishop
described this wonderful fidelity as a miracle of grace.

From the foregoing we learn how the faith has been kept :
in the following we have an instance of wiiat a humble
man may do for :ts advancement.

In a rising town of one of the Northern States an Irish
priest, actuated In- religious zeal, attempted to build a
church for the accommodation of his flock, which at that
time was small in number and feeble in resources. Tlie

430

THE IRISH IN AAIERICA.

task was beyond his and their means, and the work, but
partially accomplished, was necessarily suspended.' A
poor Irishman was passing through the town, on his way
to the West, when, attracted by the appearance of the
unfinished building, he enquired what it was intended for,
and why it was allowed to remain in that incomplete state.'
The reply, while it afforded the desired explanation, was
mockmg and derisive. 'That building! Oh, it was the
Papists— them Irish Papists— that tried to get it up ; it
was too much for them ; they couldn't do it, nohow. ' It
does look ridiculous— don't it, stranger?' 'It does look
mighty quare, sure enough,' was the quiet rejoinder of the
poor working man, who added, as he first looked at his
informant, who had passed on, and then at the incomplete
structure ; ' but, 'pon my faith, I'll not lave this place
'till it's fini.slied, and I hear Mass said in it, too.' He
remained to labour ; and being a sober and thrifty man,
his labour throve with him. As other emigrants passed
through the town, also on their way to the West, he
induced several of them to remain, and to these he 'soon
imparted his own spirit. A more vigorous effort was
made, and made successfully, mainly owing to this one
humble man, who ere long heard Mass in the temple he
so effectually helped to raise ; and before many years had
passed, there were convents and schools, in which his child-
ren, and the children of others once as poor as himself,
imbibed a thorough knowledge of their religion, and
caught the spirit of their fathers. To behold the cross on
that church was the object of his ardent desire. He did
behold it, and so have many thousands, who worshipped
beneath the roof which it adorns

When, in consequence of the increasing age and in-
firmities of the sainted Bishop Dubois, one of those holy
men whom France had given to the American Ghurcli,
Dr. Hughes, recently one uf the most popular and in-

BiSnOP HUGHES.

431

ie work, but
pended. A
I, on Ins way
-ance of the
ntended for,
nplete state.
Illation, was
, it was the
et it up ; it

nohow. It
"t does look
inder of the
3ked at his

incomplete

this place
t, too.' He
thrifty man,
ants passed
3 West, ho
3se he soon

effort was
to this one
! temple he
Y years had
ill his child-

as himself,
ligion, and
he cross on
-e. He did
worshipped

?e and in-

those holv

111 Churcli,

ir and in-

fluential of the working clergy of Philadelphia, assumed,
as coadjutor Bishop, the practical administration of the
diocese of New York, the state of things was not very
hopeful. For this diocese, of 55,000 square miles in ex-
tent, there were then but twenty churches and forty
priests; with lay trusteeship rampant in its insolence,
and disastrous in its mismanagement ; the fruits of which
were to be witnessed in the condition of the city churches,
all of which were in debt, and half at least in a state of
bankruptcy. The venerable Bishop Dubois was past the
age of dealing successfully with the increasing difficulties
of the position. But the man who had been providentially
selected for, if not the most important, certainly the most
responsible diocese in the United States, soon proved him-
self to be in every way equal to the emergency.

Bishop Hughes was one of those Irishmen who, loving
America, as the asylum of their race, rapidly become
American citizens, in feeling, in spirit, and in thought.
Bold, fearless, and independent, he determined to assert
his rights of citizenship ; and no idea of inferiority to the
longest-descended descendant of those who, at one time,
were either colonists or exiles, ever crossed the mind of
that stout-hearted prelate. As a minister of God, he was
ever for peace, and by preference would never have quitted
the precincts ^of the sanctuary ; but there were occasions
when forbearance would have been criminal, and quiescence
or meekness would have been mere abject baseness ; and
when, for the interests of religion and the safety of his
flock, it was his first duty to come forth as a citizen. And
when these occasions occurred, his active interference was
crowned with success, and productive of the happiest
results. Bishop Hughes held the Irish of New York
in his hands and under his control, by the spell of his
eloquence, and the genuine ring of his national convictions ;
and by their aid, and with their fullest sanction— backed
by the congregations— he crushed the baneful abuses of

432

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

--*

C3^

■if

the system of trusteeship, and terminated a struggle which
had been long a source of interior weakness and external
scandal.

To such lengths had tlio evUs of this system arisen
under the mild administration of the predecessor of Bishop
Hughes, that a committee of the trustees waited upon
Bishop Dubois, and with expressions of respect somewhat
inconsistent with the object of their mission, informed
hmi that they could not conscientiously yote him his
salary, unless he comphed with their wishes, and gave
them such clergymen as were acceptable to them! The
reply given to this cool insolence was characteristic of
the holy man. 'WeU, gentlemen, you may yote the
salary or not, just as seems good to you. I do not need
much— I can Hve in the basement, or in the garret ; but
whether I cpme up from the basement, or down from the
garret, I will still be your bishop.'

Bishop Hughes did not destroy the system of lay trustee-
■ ship ; he purged it of its vicious abuses and defects, such
as were opposed to the principles of the Church. There
was much in it that was useful, if not absolutely necessary,
m the circumstances of the country ; but it was essential
that it should be regulated according to Catholic princi-
ples, and be placed under proper ecclesiastical control.
Bishop Bayley, a thoroughly competent authoritv^ thus
refers to the ■ services rendered to the Church by Br.
Hifghes, whose courage and determination put an end to
the scandal, at least in the city of New York :—

Those only who have carefully studied the history of th*^ Church
can lorm any idea of the amount of undeveloped evil that lay hid
within that system of uncontrolled lay-administration of ecde-.iasticul
property, and which partially exhibited itself at Charleston, South
Carolina, at Richmond, Virginia, in Philadelphia, and mor*. slicrhtly.
but stil[_ bad enough, here in New York. The whole future o°f the
Church m this country would have been paralysed, if il had been
alU^wed fully to establish itself: and, to my mind, the must important
act of Bishop Hughes' life~the one most beneflcial to reiigion-was

iggle which
ad external

tern arisen
r of Bisliop
aited upon
' somewhat
, informed
e him his
and gave
hem ! The
3teristic of
' Tote the
lo not need
garret ; but
n from the

ay trustee-
jfects, such
3h. There
necessary,
iS essential
)lic princi-
:vl viontrol.
)ritv. thus
!h by Dr.
an end to

the Church
that lay hid
icolerjiasticul
-'ston, South
ovo slightly,
iture of the
It had been
it important
-'iigiou— was

BISHOP IIUGilES AND THE SCHOOL QUESTION. 433

his thus bringing the whole Catholic community to correct ideas and
right pnncipk's on this subject.'*

Each year strengthened the influence of Bishop Hughes
over his flock ; and on two remarkable occasions this" in-
fluence was usefuUy exerted,-the first, in extinguishing
a pestilent danger to faith and morals ; the second, in
protectmg the peace of the city by the firmness of the
Catholic attitude.

For nearly two years the School Question, fiercely
agitated in New York, attracted the attention of the
country at large. The system of education against which
the Cathohcs protested was more than insidiously danger-
ous-it was actively aggressive ; and not merely were the
book replete with sneer and hbel against that church
which aU sects usually delight in assaihng, but the teachers,
by their explanations, imparted new force to the lie and
additional authority to the calumny. Respectful remon-
strances were met either with calm disregard or inso-
lent rebuff. Pohticians were so confident of having the
Irish vote, no matter how they themselves acted, that they
supposed they might continue with impunity to go in the
very teeth of their supporters, and systematically resist
their just claims for redress. But Bishop Hughes read
them a salutary lesson, the moral of which it was difficult
to forget. With matcliless abiHty he fought the Cathohc
side m the Municipal CouncH against aU comers, represent-
ing every hostile interest ; and when justice was denied
there and in the Legislature, he resorted to a course of
pohcy which greatly disturbed the minds of the timid, and
the sticklers for peace at any price, but which was foUowed
by instantaneous success. Holding his flock weU in hand
addressing them constantly in language that, while it con-

* Discourse on tho Life and Character of the Most Rev. Archbishop Hugh, s

aehvered in St. Bridget's Church. New York, Feb. 18C4. bv the Ei.ht X. jt;;

a..;.cvclt Bayley. I>. D., Bishop of Newark. TTao substance of this Discourse is g^en

Hu!hes tn fT', V'" '''°"' ''"^""' "' "" ^«™r"^'« ^'-''^ «f Archbfshop
Hiighefc, pubhshed bv Lawrence Kehoe, New York.

434

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

r3t

• 14,

vinoed their judgment, roused their rehgious enthii.siafim,
ho .idviscd them to disregard all political ties, and vote
only for those who were the friends of the new School sys-
tem,— which, it may bo remarked, was ' Godless ' at best,—
and the opponents of the old system, which, as we Ikuo
said, w^is actively aggressive. The Bishop thus put the
case to his flock :

The question to be decided is not the strength of party, or the
emolument and patronage of office, but a question between the helph-s«

and ill-used children and the Public School Society An

issue is made up between you and a large portion of the community
on the one side, and the monopoly which instils the dangerous prin-
ciples to which I have before alluded, on the other. The question
lies between the two parties, and you are the judges ; if you desert
the cause, what can you expect from strangers? ... I have been
given to understand that three out of four candidates presented to
your sutfrages are pledged to oppose your claims. They may perhaps
triumph; but all I ask is, that tliey shall not triumph by the sinful
aid of any individuiil who cherishes a feeling in common with those
children. I wish you, therefore, to look well to your candidates ; and
if they are disposed to make Infidels or Protestants of your children,
let them receive no vote of yours.

The advice thus given to them by their Bishop was as
consistent with common sense as with decent pride. But
something more was required to be done, and that was
done. With a few exceptions, the candidates of all parties
in the field were pledged to oppose the claims jof the
Catholics. An independent ticket for members of the
Senate and Assembly was therefore suggested and pro-
posed, and this was adopted at a meeting in Carroll Hull,
with an enthusiasm which was owing even more to the
pluck than to the appeals of the Bishop. Having, by a
speech of singular power, put the whole case before his
immense audience, he worked thorn up to a state of ex-
traordinary excitement wnth the true Demosthenic art,
puttiiiQ- to them a series of .-.firif^ing queries, touching-, as it
were, the very Hfe of their honour. * Will you stand by

A LESSON FOR THE POUTICIANS.

485

m enthii.siafim,
ties, and vote
!W School Rys-
ess ' at best, —
ii, as we Ikuo
thus put the

of party, or Ihe

yeen the helph'ss

All

f the coiiimunity

dangerous prin-

The question

? ; if you desert

. I have been

;os presented to

bey may perliiips

ih by the sinful

mon with those

candidates; and

f your children,

»ishop was as
t pride. But
md that was
of all parties
daims jof the
abers of the
;ed and i:)ro-
CarroU Hull,
more to the
Baving, by a
36 before his
state of ex-
osthenic art,
ouching, as it
^ou stand by

the rights of your offspring, who have so long suffered
under the operation of this injurious system?' 'Will
you adhere to the nomination made?' 'Will you be
united ? ' ' Will none of you shrink ? ' And ho thus con-
cludes : 'I ask then, once for all, will this meeting
ph'dp its honour, as the representative of that oi)pressed
portion of the community for whom I have so often
pleaded, hero as elsewhere— will it pledge honour,

that it will stand by these candidates, whose names have
been read, and that no man composing this vast audience
will ever vote for any one pledged to oppose our just
claims and incontrovertible rights?'* The promise, made
with a displ ly of feeling almost amounting to frenzy, was
fully redeemed ; and 2,200 votes recorded for the candidates
nominated only four days before, convinced the politicians,
whose promises hitherto had been, as the Bishop said, as
large 'as their performances had been lean,' that there
was danger in the Catholics— that, in fact, they were no
longer to be played with or despised. Notwithstanding
the pledges to the contrary, the new system— that of the
Common Schools— was carried in the Assembly by a
majority of sixty-five to sixteen ; and the Senate, appre-
hending that a similar attempt would be made at an
approaching election for the Mayoralty as that which had
made in the elections of candidates for the Senate and the
Assembly, passed the measure.f

* Complete Worfis of Archbishop Hughes; Lawrence Kehoe, New York.
Also Hassard'a 'Life of Archbishop Hughes,' published by D. Appleton and Co

J«e\v York.

t Bishop Bayloy, in his 'Brief Sketch,' published by Edward Dunipan and
Bro her. New York, thus refers to the practical results of that memorable
contest. The Bishop writes in 1853 :-
^ 'Experience has since shown that the new system, though administered with

as much mipartiality and fairness as could be expected under the circumstances
^ IS one which, as excluding all religious instruction, is most fatal to the morals and
^rehgions principles of our children, and thit our only resource is to establish
^schools of our own, where sound religi(,u.s instruction shaU be imparted at the
^sarae tune with secular instruction. If we needed any evidence upon t)io matter

It «ould be found in the conduct and behaviour of those of our children who

186

THE IRISH IN AiMERICA.

r3i

■mmm

Fiercely assailed by liis opponents, bitterly denounced
by aliirnicd and indignant politicians, reviled in every
imaginable manner by controversialists of tiio pulpit and
the press, even turned upon by the faint-lien rted of his own
communion — that decorous and cringing class, to whom
anything like vigour, or a departure from rigid rule, is sure
to cause a shudder of the nerves — the Bishop of New York
became, at once, one of the best-abused as well as one of
the most popular men of the day. His infiuenco over the
Irish portion of his flock was unbounded. This flock was
rapidly increasing through emigration, wliicli was setting
strongly in from the old country, then, for its size, one of
the most populous countries of Europe. Bishop Hughes
was just the man to acquire influence over an Irish con-
gregation. That he himself was an Irishman was, of course,
no little in sliis favour ; though there are, as I am per-
sonally aware, bishops and priests without a drop of Irish
blood in their veins, or at best having only some remote
connection with the country which has given so many of
her children to the American Church, who are beloved and
venerated by their Irish flocks — who are referred to in
language of the warmest affection, and pointed to with
pride, either for their moral excellence or their intel-
lectual endowments. But Bishop Hughes was eminently
quahfied to gratify the pride of a people who found in
him a fearless, a powerful, and a successful champion — one
who was afraid of no man, and who was ready, at any
moment, not only to grapple with and overthrow the most
formidable opponent, but to encounter any odds, and fight
under every disadvantage. In his speeches and letters*
their reader will behold abundant evidence of his boldness
in attack, his skill in defence, and his severity in dealing

•are educa'ed under the Christian Brothers, when contrasted with those who are
* exposed to the pernioions influences of a public school.'

* The sermons, letters, lectures, and speeches of Archbishop Hughes are
publishod in two flue vohinies by Lawrence Kehoe, Nassau-street, -New York, by
whom they are also edited.

denounced
d ill every
I pulpit find

I of his own
>.s, to Avlioni
rule, is sure
f New York

II as one of
ICO over the
is flock was
was settin<^
size, one ot

lop Hughes
1 Irish con-
LS, of course,

I am Y)ci'-
•op of Irish
omo remote
so many of
beloved and
'erred to in
ed to with
their intcl-
s eminently
o found in
tnpion — one
idy, at any
w the most
is, and fight
ind letters*
lis boldness

in dealing

. those who are

)p Hughes are
;, 'New York, by

THE RIOTS OF PHILADELPHIA.

487

with an enemy, especially one to "whom no quitrter should
be given. When the Bishop struck, it was with no gentle
or faltering hand, nor was his weapon a lath or a blunted
sword : he struck with the strength of a giant, and the
weapon ho wielded was bright and trenchant, and never
failed tc pierce the armour of his closest-mailed foe. AVith
the ablest and most practised writers of the public press,
the most accomplished advocates of the bar, the subtlest
controvorsiahsts, Bishop Hughes had many a fair tilt in
the face of an aj)preciativo public; and none of those
with whom he was compelled to come into conflict, whether
with tongue or pen, speech or letter, that did not acknow-
ledge, or vas not obHged to admit, the power of his mind,
the force of his reasoning, his happiness of illustration, and
his thorough mastery of the EngHsh language. It was not,
then, to be wondered at that the Irish of New York, as
indeed throughout the States, were proud of their great
countryman, and looked up to him with confidence and
affection. His influence over his flock was not without
being submitted to a severe test.

In 1844 the memorable riots of Philadelphia occurred.
It was the old story again. Sectarian bigotry and ignorant
prejudice appealed to by reckless firebrands and intriguing
politicians ; lies, calumnies, and misrepresentations ; old
falsehoods dug up and furbished afresh, and new false-
hoods invented for the occasion ; clamour from the press,
the platform, and the pulpit — with the grand cry 'The
Bible in danger ! — Save it from the Papists ! ' The only
possible ground of this affected alarm for the Bible was
the simple fact that the Catholics required that when their
children were compelled to read the Bible in the Public
Schools, it should be the recognised Catholic version of
the Scriptures, and not the Protestant version. But the
world knows how easy it is to get up a cry, and how it is

, ?-<

438

TUE IRISH IN AMERICA

oftentimes tho more effective when based on entire false-
hood. Add, then, to this dishonest cry, imreasonin- hatred
of the foreigner, the bitter hostihty tc» the foreigner's
creed, and you have the combustibles, which only required
a nmtc!i and au ojiportunity, in order to ensure an explo-
sioii. AfHl n, f -rriblo and savage explosion of human passion
it was, scattering confusion and death through one of the
fairest cities of the Union, and casting discredit on its
boasted civihsation. There was a ' Protestant Association '
at its vicious work in those days, and among its most
active members were Irishmen, who had brought with
them across the ocean the old fierce spirit of Orangeism
which so far bhnded their reason and stilled their sense of
honour, that they were not ashamed then, as on subsequent
occasions, to join with the Native American and Know
Nothing party, in their mad crusade against the 'foreigner'
—that foreigner their own countryman ! During the^iots
the Orange flag, the symbol of fraternal strife in the
old land, in whicli its children should leave behind them
their wicked animosities, was displayed during the shame-
ful riots of 1844.* Where there was anything like the
semblance of an organisation for defence, the Irish Catho-
hcs displayed a courage worthy of their cause ; but the
means of resistance were not sufficient, nor were they taken
m time, and the result is thus described in the words of •
an excellent EpiscopaHan clergyman, who felt, with poio-
nant shame, the dishonour cast by national prejudice and
brutal fanaticism upon his beautiful city. The author of
the ' Olive Branch ' thus sums up the wicked deeds of the
rioters : —

„th.,'. Kr^'V*""' ''^"''' ^^'"'''' '" "''"" foreigners, yet Irish Orangemen, an.l
ot 1... hitt^vfore.ffn enemies of Catholicity, were among its most conspicuous an.l
a.^t.yP nu.mbers. A dirty Orange flag was placed on the top of the market-hou.o
lunng the Kensmgton (Philadelphia, riots; the viuleut Orange air. "The Boyno
\Nat<.r w:,s played in triumph, while the flames were consuming St Micliacra
Chm-ch : and a notorious Orangeman was actually paraded through the streets
o Philadelphia, mjhe "temple of liberty," which was carried in procession on

plrfv . T, A "kk,7'"'o ^", ""''''*' °'' ''^** PixiladelpVia itiota and naUve American
Party/ by Archbishop Spalding.

THE NATIVE AMEIIICAN PARTY.

43»

entire fnlse-
)iiin^' hatred
I foioigiier'H
dy required
•0 an exjilo-
niiin i)u,SHiou
one of the
edit on its
issociution '
ig its most
ought with
Orangeism,
iir sense of
subsequent
and Know
' foreigner '
ig the riots
rife in the
chind them
the shame-
ig like the
rish Catho-
e ; but the
they taken
e words of •
with poig-
judice and
author of
eds of the

angemen, and
QHpicnous and
market-hoiisQ
"The Boyno
f St. Michacl'a
;h the streeta
procession on
live American

The nntlve American party Ima ex'iHtcil for a period liardly reach.
inc: five moritliH, and in that time of it.s beinp, wljat has been seen?
Two Catholic churches l)urnt, one tiiricc lired and desecniled, a
C'ltliolic Heminary and retreat consumed by tin; torches of an ineeii-
iliary mob. two rectories and a most valuable library destroyed, forty
dwellings in ruins, about foriy human lives sacriliced, and sixty of oui
iMlow citizens wounded; riot, and rebellion, and treason, ranij uit, on
two occasions, in our midst; the laws srt boldly at dellance, and peace
and onler prostrated by rullian violence.

From an article on • Th(> rhiljidelphia lliots and the
Native Ameriean Party,' written by Archbishop Spalding,
tliis extract may be quoted : —

For more than ten years j)r(!viously the ' No-Popery ' cry had l)een
ruis(,l, from one end of the Union to the other; from the cold and
puritanical Norlli, to the warm and chivalrous S(.uth. Tlu- outcry
resounded from the pulpit and the press; its notes were rierc(! and
naf)jj;uinary ; they were worthy of the piilmiost days of Titus Gates
luid Lord George Go Ion, both immortal for the relentless and burn-
ing hatred they bore lo their Christian Itretliren of the liomati
Catholic Church. Can we wondei-, then, that it produced similar
results? When we reflect how long that bitter outcry continued;
how talented, and influential, and untiring were many of tho.sc engaged
in raising it; how many different forms and complexions it assumed
—now boasting of its zeal for the purity of religion, now parading lis
policitude for the preservation of our noble republican institutions
threatened with destruction by an insidious foreign influence ; when
we reflect how very unscrupulous were the moa engaged in this
crusade against Catholicity, how many glaring untruths they boldly
published both from the pulpit and the press, how many base forgeries
— subsequently admitted to be such- they unblushingly perpei rated
in the full light of day, and with the iiaelligence of tho nineteenth
century beaming in their faces ; when we reflect that all this warfare
against Catholics was openly conducted by a well-concerted action and
a regular conspiracy among almost all the rich and powx'rful Protes-
tant ;cts of the country, with the avowed purpose of crushing a par-
ticular denomination ; and that this conspiracy was kept alive by
synodical enactments, by I'rotestant associations, and by the untiring
energy and relentless zeal of perhaps the richest and most powerful
sect in the country, which ever appeared as the leader of the move-
ment :■— when wx> reflect on all these undoubted tacts, can we be any
longer surprised at the fearful scenes which lately set the stigma of
everlasting di.^graee on the second city of the Uuion?*

• Miacdlaiiea : comprising Eeviews, Lectures, and Essays, on Historical,

440

THE IlilSU IN AMKllICA.

A stranrro oommcntftvy on thin ficrco lioHtiliiy and deadly
Btrifo dooH th« poHition of tho Church in Pliiludclphia olltT
to-day. As many as fivo-and-twonty cliurchcH, croNvdcd
with devout (•,ongro<,aitionH ; nol)lo inHtitutionH of every
diHcription, and intended to minister to*overy want; a
Cuthodral of unrivalled gnmdeur and beiuity, reminding
one much of St. Peter's ; a vast and ordc^rly flock, rising
every day in indei)endenco and in wealtli ; and, to crown
all, a learned and jiious Bishoi), who had been a Protestant !
Persecution is not a wise game for those who pliiy it ; for
it almost invariably happens that the pers(!cuted have the
best of it in the long run. So does Providence dispose.

Flushed with their unholy triumphs of church-burning,
conveiii-wrecking, and house-pilliiging, a chosen band of'
tho Philad(!lphi{i rioters were to be welcomed with a public
procession by their sympathisers of New York ; but the
stern attitude of the Catholics, obedient to tho voice and
amenable to the authority of their Bishop, dismayed tho
cowardly portion of their enemies, and taught even the
boldest that discretion was the better part of valour.

It was not the first time that the Catholics of New York
had taken a firm stand against the frenzy of the 'No-
Popery ' faction. Shortly after the burning of the convent
in Boston, there was an attempt made to destroy St.
Patrick's Cathedral. But tho church was put in a state
of defence ; ' the streets leading to it were torn up, and
every window was to be a point whence missiles could be
thrown on tho advancing horde of sacrilegious wretches;
while the wall of the churchyard, rudely constructed,
bristled with tlie muskets of those ready for the last
struggle for the altar of their God and the graves of those
they loved. So fearful a preparation, unknown to the

Thpological, and Miscellaneous Pnbjects. by 51. S. SDalding, D.D , 4.vcLbf=hf!" nt
Ualtimwio, Pubiisiied by John Murphy aud Co., Baltimore. '

TIIR nrSHOP AND THE MAYOR.

441

)• and deadly
Iclpliia oH'or
08, crowded
118 of every
!ry want ; a
', reminding

flock, rising,'
id, to crown

Protestant !

l»lay it ; for
I'd have the

d ispose.

ch-burninp,
en band (>f
ith a public
•k ; but the

voice and
smayed tlio
it even the
lour.

1 New York
f the 'No-
he convent
destroy St.
; in a state
rn up, and
es could be
3 wretches;
ionstructed,
Dr the last
'es of those
iwn to the

Arclibislio^

n£

enemies. of relipion, came upon them like a thunderclap,
when their van had lu^arly reached the street leading,' to
the Cathedral : they thnl in all directions in dismay.* *

A meeting of the Native Americans of New York was
called in the City Hall Park, to give a suitable reception
to their brethren from Phila.hslphia. The thne for action
had thus arrived. Bishoji Hughes had made it known
through the columns of the Frceman'a Journal ;\ then under
his entire control, that the scenes of Philadeli)hia should
not be renewed with impunity in New York ; and he wam
known to have said— in reply to a priest who, having
(escaped from Philadel])hia, advised him to publish an
adcb-ess, urging the Catholi(!s to keep the peace— * If a
single Catholic church were burned in New York, the city
would become a second Moscow.' There was no mistaking
his spirit and that of his Hock— excepting, of course, th.e
^good cautious souls who,' as the Bishop wrote, 'believe
in stealing through the world more su])missively than suits
a freeman.' The churches were guarded by a sufficient
force of men, resolved to die in their defence, but also
resolved to make their assailants feel the weight of their
vengeance. By an extra issue of the Freeman, the Bishop
warned the Irish to keep away from all pubHc mcietings,
especially that to be held in the Park. He then called
11] on the Mayor, and advised him to prevent the proposed
demonstration.

'Are you afraid,' asked the Mayor, ' that some of your
churches will be burned ? ' .

• No, sir ; but I am afraid that some of yours will bo
l)urned. We can protect our own. I come to warn you
fur your own good.'

' Do jou think. Bishop, that your people would attack
the procession ? ' '

Gilm^v^vw^''^^^, ^'^''r}' '" "'° F"'**"^ ^*"*''«' ^y "e^i-y ^^e Courcey and .John
Ui|mar> Shea. Kchvavd I luniKan aiul Brother, New York

!■
■t

442

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

■V'*

* I (To not, but tlie native Americans want to provoke a
Catholic riot, and if they can do it in no other way, I
believe they would not scrui)le to attack the procession
themselves, for the sake of making it appear that the
Catholics had assailed them.'

* What, then, would you have me do ? '

* I did not come to tell you what to do. I am a church-
man, not the Mayor of New York ; but if I w^ere the
Mayor, I wxmld examine the laws of the State, and see if
there were not attached to the police force a battery of ar-
tillery, and a company or so of infantry, and a squacbon of
horse ; and I think I should find that there were ; and if
so, I should call them out. Moreover, I should send to Mr,
Harper, the Mayor-elect, who has been chosen by the votes
of this party. I should remind him, that these men are
his supporters ; I should warn him, that if they carry out
their design, there wiU be a riot ; and I should urge him
to use his influence in preventing this pubHc reception of
the delegates.' *

There was no demonstration. And every right-minded
man, every lover of peace in the city, must have applauded
the course taken by Dr. Hughes, to whose prudent firmness
was mainly attributable the fact that New York was saved
from riot, bloodshed, murder, and sacrilege, and, above all,
from that dreadful feehng of unchristian hate between man
and ma^, citizen and citizen, neighbour and neighbour,
which such collisions are certain for years after to leave
rankling in the breast of a community.

We come now to the year 1852, and witness the gigantic
stride which the Church has made since 1833, when ten
bishops met at the First Council of Baltimore. Irish and
German CathoHcs had been pouring into the United

Ilassard's Life of Archbishop Hughea. D. Appleton aad Co., New York.

PROGRESS OF THE CHURCH.

443

provoke a
ler way, I

procession
: that tho

a churcli-

were the

and see if

tery of ar-

[uadi-on of

L"e ; and if

Dnd to Mr,

J the votes

3 men are

' carry out

urge him

jeption of

lit-mindod
ipplauded
t firmness
was saved
above all,
ween man
leighbour,
L' to leave

States by hundreds of thousands ; and the 200 Catholics of
New York in 1785, and the 35,000 of 1829, had become
200,000 in 1852. Instead of the one archbishop, and ten
bishops, of 1833, there were now six archbishops, and
twenty-six bishoi^s; while the number of priests, which
was about 300 in 1833, had now increased to 1385, with
churches and stations in proportion. We shall see how
this advance, great and hopeful as it was, has been far
exceeded by the i)rogress made in the short space of the
next fourteen years.

Writing of the city of New York of 1853, Bishop
Bayley — then Secretary to Archbishop Hughes — says : —
'No exertions could have kept pace with the tide of
emigration which has been pouring in upon our shores.
The number of priests, churches, and schools, rapidly as
they have increased, are entirely inadequate to the wants
of our Catholic population, and render it imperative that
every exertion shoukl be made to supply the deficiency.'
Something of the same kind might be said of 18G7, though
the means are now proportionately greater than they were
fifteen years before, not in New York alone, but throughout
tho TJnited States. Convents, hospitals, asylums, schools,
were thsn, in 1853, rapi^Uy on the increase, the Rehgioua
Orders spreading their branches and estabhshing their
houses whenever there was a chance of their bare support,
and often, too, braving privations similar to those which
Mrs. Se ton's infant community endured at Emmettsburg
and at Philadelphia in the early days of their existence.

5 gigantic
when ten
Irish and
e United

jw York.

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

CHAPTER XXV.

.«»,

The Know NoUiinp: Movement— Jealousy of the Forcignor—
Kuow Nothings indilfcioiit to Religion— beinocriilic Oratora—
'ten at the Altar and in the Pulpit— Almost Incrediblo—
• le Infeniui Miscreant— A Strange Confession.

THE KNOW NOTHING movement of 1854 and 1855
troubleil the peace of Catholics, and tilled the hearts
of foreign-boiii American citizens with sorrow and indigna-
tion. They were made the victims of rampant bigotry and
furious political partisanship. There was nothing now in
this Know Nothingism. It was as old as the time of the
Revolution, being Native Americanism under another name.
Its animating spirit was hostility to the stranger — insane
jealousy of the foreigner. It manifested itself in the
Convention which formed the Constitution of the United
States, though the right to frame that Constitution had
been largely gained through the valour of adopted citizens,
born in foreign countries, and through the aid and assist-
ance of a foreign nation. It manifested itself in the year
1796, in laws passed during the Administration of President
Adams, a narrow-minded nian, much prejudiced against
foreigners. The Alien Act, which was one of the most
striking results of the illiberal spirit of that day, provided
— ' That the President of the United States shall be, and
is hereby authorised, in any event aforesaid, by his pro-
cJamatioii thereof, or other public act, to direct the con-
duct to be observed, on the part of the United States,
towards Aliens .... the manner and degree of the re-

oignor —
h-iitora —
•edible—

.ind 1855
the hearts
(I iiiclig'na-
igotry and
ng new in
ime of the
ther name,
er — insane
;lf in the
he United
ution had
)d citizens,
md assist-
i the year

President
id against

the most
, jDrovidevl
ill be, and
y his pro-

the con-
ed States,
of the re-

JEALOUSY OF THE FOREIGNER.

415

straint to .vhich they shall be subjected, and in what
cases, and upon what security their residence shall bo
poruiitted, and to provide for the removal of those who,
not being permitted to reside in the United States, shall
refuse or neglect to depart therefrom.' Here was a despo-
tism marvellously inconsistent with the object and purpose
of the struggle which secured freedom and independence
to the revolted colonies of England ! Here also was folly
bordering upon madness, in discouraging that great ex-
ternal resource, through which alone the enormous terri-
tory even then comprehended within the limits of the
Union could be populated and civilised— namely, tlic
foreign element— those impelled, through various '^causef,
and motives, to cross tl. jcean, and make their liome in
America. Eemembering the history of the last fifty
years, during which thousands, hundreds of thousands,
nay milhons of the population of Europe have been spread-
ing themselves over the vast American continent, building
up its cities, penetrating and subduing its forests, re-
claiming its wastes, constructing its great works, develop-
ing its resources, multiplying its population— in a word,
making America what she is at thijs d.ay— one does not
know whether to laugh at the absurdity of those who
imagined that, without injury to the future of the States,
tliey might bar their ports to emigrants from foreign
countries ; or doubt the sanity of those who could delil^e-
rately proclaim, as the Hartford Convention of 1812 did—
'That the stock of population already in these States is
' amply sufficient to render this nation in due time suffi-
' ciently great and powerful, is not a controvertible ques-
' tion.' * Certainly not controvertible to vanity and folly,
which were stimulated l)y absurd jealousy and causeless
apprehension. The generous men who assembled at Hart-
ford were willing to 'offer the rights of hospitality' to the
strangers, under such conditions as those imposed in the

• For the disproof of this absiu'd boast, see Appendix.

446

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

'■'^ i*

Alien Act ; but they took care to rcsirict their munificence
to such fair hmits as would secure nil the honours and
emoluments to themselves. Thus: ' No person who shall
hereafter be naturalised shaU be eligible as a member of
the Senate or House of Kepresentatives of the United
States, nor capable of holding any office unoler the autho-
rity of the United States.' The Alien and Sedition laws
passed m the Administration of Adams, were repealed'
fourteen years afterwards, by the Jefferson Administration.'
These laws were repugnant to the spirit of the American
Constitution ; and in opposing such laws, and confronting
the narrow and ungrateful policy in which they originated
Jefferson and Madison were simply treading in the broad
footprints of the illustrious Washington.

This hostility to the foreigner, intensified by relio-ious
prejudice, exhibited itself on various occasions-notably
m the disgraceful riots of 1844 ; but on no occasion was
the feelmg so universal, or its display so marked, as in
the years 1854 and 1855, when the banner of Know
Nothmgism was made the symbol of political supremacy.
Here was every element necessary to a fierce and relentless
strife. The Constitution of Know Nothingism was anom-
alously adopted on the 17th of June, 1854, the anniversary
of the Battle of Bunker's Hill. Strange, that a day sacred
to the freedom of America should be that on which citizens
of a free repubhc should plot in the dark against the hber-
ties of their feUow men. But so it was. A very few ex-
tracts from authentic documents will declare the motives
and objects of this organisation :— -

Article II.

A person to become a member of any subordinate council musl
be twenty-one years of age ; he must believe in the existence cf a
hupreme Being as the Creator and Preserver of the Universe • he
must be a native-born citizen ; a Protestant, born of ProteJtant
parents^ reared under Protestant influence, and not united in marriaffo
with a Roman Catholic, &c.. «fcc., &c.

THE KNOW NOTHING INDIFFERENT TO RELIGION. 447

aunifieence
'nours and
L who shall
lember of
lie United
;he autho-
ition laws,
repealed,
nistration.
American
^nfronting
)riginated,
the broad

■ religious
' — notably
asion was
i:ed, as in
of Know
ipremacy.
relentless
as anom-
niversary
ay sacred
!i citizens
the hber-
' few ex-
3 motives

ancil must
tence of a
verse ; he
Protestant
I marriage

Article III.

Sec. 1. T! J object of this organisation shall be to resist the In-
sidious policy of the Church of Rome, and other foreign influence
against the institutions of our -ountry, by placing in all oifices in the
gift of the people, or by appointment, none but native-born Protestant
citizens.

The Know Nothing oath— for the society was not only
secret, but bound by oaths — was in accordance with the
spirit of the foregoing. It was comprehensive as well as
precise, as the following will show : —

You furthermore promi.se and declare that you will not vote nor
give your influence for any man for any office in the gift of the people
unless he be an American-born citizen, in favour of Americans ruling
America, nor if he he a Boman Catholic.

You solemnly and sincerely swear, that if it maj L« legally, you
will, when elected to any office, remove all foreigne' s and Roman
Catholics from office; and that you will in no case appoint such to
office.

Many who joined this organisation had not the excuse,
the bad excuse, of fanaticism for their conduct. Lust of
power was their ruling passion ; to trample their oppo-
nents under fcot, and secure everything to themselves,
their animating motive. If they could have attained their
ends through the Catnoi.2 body, they would have emp-loyed
every art of wile and seduction in the hope of securing
their co-operation ; but as they dee-jed it more to their
advantage to assail and blacken tlie Catholicn, they ac-
co Jungly did assail and blacken them to the satisfaction of
their dupes. For rehgion— any form of religion— they
did not care a centr ; probably they regarded it as so much
venerable superstition and priestcraft — a very excellent
ihing f-^- women and persons of weak mind, but not for
men , l any rate, men of their enlightenment. Tvlembers-
of no congregation, these defenders of the faith never
'darkened the door ' of a church or meeting-house, and
save, like the sailor wJio did not know of what rehgion he
was, but was ' d d sure he was not a Papist,' entertain-

v.-^

448

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

mmf

iiig a l)lind prejudice against Catholicity, they were as igno-
rant of Christian behef as any savage of Central Africa.

Happily for the cause of truth and common sense, there
were in those days men bold enough to lash hypocrisy and
humbug. Henry A. AVise, of Virginia, was one of those
bold defenders of the iiuth, and nnmaskers of fraud.
His speeches, when canvassing his State on the Democratic
ticket for the office of Governor, which he won gallantly,
are full of the most stinging rebukes of his opi^nents,
whom he defeated in argument as well as in votes. In
his remarkable speech at Alexandria, he thus hit off
the religious pretensions of many of this class of Know
Nothings, who affected a new-born interest in the
Bible :—

They not only appeal to the religious element, but they raise a cry
about the Pope. These men. many of whom are neither Episcopalians,
Presbyurians, Baptists, :Methodists, Congregationalists, Lutherans, or
what not— who are men of no religion, who have no church, who (lo
not say their prayers, who flo not read their Bible, who live God-
defying lives every day of their existence, are now seen with faces as
long as their dark-lanterns, with the whites of their ejx's turned up
in holy fear lest the Bible should be shut up by the Pope! Men who
were never known before, on the face of God's earth, to show any
interest in religion, to take any part with Christ or His Kingdom,
who were the devil's own, ])elonging to the devil's church, are, all of
a sudden, deeply interested for the word of God, and against the
Pope! It would be well for them that they joined a church which
does beliovo in the Father, and in the Son, and in the Holy Ghost.

As a further specimen of the manner of this famous
Democrat, another passage may be quoted from the same
speech. He now desires to show the religion of the' party,
as defined by their Constitution, according to which one
of the quahiications of membership is mere belief in the
existence of ' a Supreme Being ' : —

No CIrist acknowledged! NcSaviour of mankind! No Holy
Ghost! No heavenly Dove of Grace! Go, go, you Know Nothings,
to the city of Balt'moie, and in a certain street there you will seo
two churches: one is inscribed, 'O Monos Theos'— 'to the one God:'

DEMOCRATIC ORATORS.

449

;re as igno-
Africa,
ense, there
)ocrisy and
le of those

of fraud,
l^emocratic

gallantly,
3pix)nents,
votes. In
IS hit off

of Know
t in the

raise a cry
piscopallans,
nthorans, or
rch, who (lo

live God-
atli faces as

1 turned up
! Men who
3 show any
s Kingdom,
1, are, all of
against the

lurch which
host.

is famous
the same
the' party,
vhich one
ief in the

No Holy

w Nothings,

3U will seo

one God : •

on the other is the inscription. 'As for us, wo preach Christ crucified
— to the Jews a stumbling-block, and to tlie (Jreek;; foolishness.'
Tlie one inscribed, 'O Monos Theos ' is the Unitarian cliurch ; the
other, inscribed, • We preach Christ crucified ' is the Catliolic cliurch !
Is it — I ask of Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Methodists, and Bap-
tists—is it, I ask, for any orthodox Trinitarian Christian Church to
join an association that is inscribed, like the Unitarian church at
Baltimore, -O Monos Theos' — to the one God? Is it for them to
join or countenance an association that «o lays its religion as to catch
men Hive Tiieodoro I'arker an(' James Freeman Clarke? I put it to
all the religious societies — to the Presbyterians, the Ei)iscopalians,
the .Alethodists, and the Baptists— whether they mean to renounce the
divinity of Christ and the operation of the Holy Spirit, when they
give countenance to this secret society, which is inscribed ' to Hie
one God?'

A rebuke, milder in tone, and beautiful as a picture,
may be taken from a speech delivered at Richmond by
Senator E, M. T. Hunter during the Know Notliing cam-
paign : —

But, fellow-citizens. I went a little too far when I said it was pro
posed to proscribe Catholics for all offices in this country. There are
some ofTices which the sous and daughters of that Chnrch are still
considered competent to discharge. I mean the offices of Christian
charity, of ministration to the side. The Sister of Charity may enter
yonder pest-house, from whose dread portals the bravest and strongest
man quails and shrinks; she may breathe there the breath of the
pestilence that walks abroad in that mansion of misery, in order '.o
minister to disease where it is most loathsome, and to relieve suffering
where it is most helpless. T}ifi'e, too, the tones of her voice may bo
heard mingling with the last accents of human despair, to sootlie the
fainting soul, as she points through the gloom of the dark valley of
the shadow of death to the Cro.ss of Christ, which stands transfigured
in celestial light, to bridge the w^ay from earth to heaven. And when
cliolera or yellow fever invades your cities, the Catholic Priest may
refuse to take refuge in flight, holding the place of the true Soldier of
the Cross to be by the sick man's bed, even though death pervades
tlie air, because he may there tender the ministrations of his holy
office lo those who need them most.

It is impossible to describe the frenzy that seemed to
possess a certain portion of the American people, whose
strongest passions and most cherished prejudices were

450

TIIK IRISH IN AMEIirCA.

4>
J!

r^ im

tmr-

slimuliitca by iippeula from tlio press nnd <ho platior
the pii]i)it, iiiul the street tab. It seized

on eoiiiinniiities
insanity.

uiul individuals as a species of anc()ntrollal>lo
Bitten by the madness of the moment, accpiaintance turned
savan-c^y on acquaintance, friend npon friend, even relative
upon relative. The kindly feelings which it took years
to cement were rudely torn asunder and traniphnl under
foot. The Irish Oatliolic was the clii(d" ol)ject of attack.
He was guilty of the double crime of being an Irish-
man and a Catholic ; and, to do him justice, he was as
ready to proclaim his faith as to boast of his nativity.
His enemies were many, his fri(mds few, his defenders less.
Poor Pat had indeed a sad time of it.

That the religious fe(.>lijig added bitterness to the
national pri^judice was nnide manif(\st by the unreasoning
fury of thosQ who combiiKul hoih antipathies in their
hostility. J'^itlier, however, was quite suilicient to swell
the outcry and deepen Uw. hatred against its unoll'endhig
objects. Thus the religious prt>judico was so bitter, and
so violent, that it jirevailed against identity of nation-
ality ; and the national prejudice was so envenomed that
religious synq)athy could scarcely restrain its exhibition,
and could not prevent its existence. It is not to be won-
dered at that the genuine Irish Orangeman sided with the
persecutors of liis Catholic countrymen ; and his conduct
on many occasions w^as a sufficient evidence of his unnatu-
ral ferocity. Many Irish Protestants, not Orangemen,
gave countenance to the Know Nothings, though, accord-
ing to the Know^ Nothing code, none but native-born
Protestants were held to be eligible for any office or
l)osition in tlie gift of the peoj^le, whether by election or
appointment. The shabby conduct of this class of Irish-
men was the result either of sectarian hate, or a sense of
their own helplessness. They were walling to persecute,
or they hoped to propitiate; therefore, they too joined
in the crusade against their countrymen in a foreign

evi:n at thk altau and in tiik pulpit

451

e platform,
ommniiities

iiisiiiiity.
inco turnocl
^'eii relative

took years
pl(Hl iiiuler

of attack.

ail Irisli-
lio wan as
is nativity.
311(10 rs less.

S8 to the
iireasoiiiiifj^
! in their
it to swell
noil en '111 lij
)itter, and
of nation-
onied that
exhibition,
to be w^on-

1 with the
is conduct
is iinnatu-
rangenien,
;li, accord-
ative-born

office or
lection or
I of Irish-
sense of
persecute,
00 joined
a foreign

land. But there were many, many glorious e.Kceptions to
this unwcu'thy conduct. Iiish Protestants— men of strong
religious o[)iiii()ns, wlio opposed Catholicity on principle—
boldly took tluiir stand by the oppressed, and resented the
policy of the Know Nothing party, as if it were directed
exclusively against themselves. Symi)athising with their
Catholic fellow-countrymen, they met the assailants gal-
lantly, and rebuked tluiir insane folly with the ;oui-ago
and the sense of men. And to Irislimeii who thus actted
Catholics felt bound by the strongest ties of gratitude
and respect. It was a time to test the true merit of the
man, and those who -stood it trium])hantly were (((iservedly
honoured.

Strange as it may appear, this anti-foreign insanity
caught hold of the sons of Irish Catholics ; nay, its presence
was detected at the altar and in the pulpit! It was too
base an infirmity to touch a generous mind, and tlioso
who were allected by it were weak and vain and foohsh,
and Americans knew them to be such. Where one is born
is a matter of accident. If this be so under ordinary
circumstances, it is eminently so with the children of
emigrants ; they may have been born at either side of the
Atlantic, or at sea. Absurd instances might be told of
the sons of Irisli Catholic emigrants boasting of their
American birth, and expressing their sympathy with the
Know Nothing's hatred of foreigners. The humble, honest
parents, redolent of the soil, endowed with a brogue rich
and mellifluous enough to betray their origin, were they
met with on the Steppes of Russia or in the desert of
Sahara ; and the unworthy son raiHng, with the choicest
accent of the country in which he was accidentally
'dropped,' against the land of his fathers! Such spec-
tacles have been witnessed, to the infinite shame of the
niiserable creatures whose vanity was too much for a weak
head and a poor heart. But that such melancholy spec-
tacles were witnessed — were possible — is a proof of the

452

THE lULSH IN AMERICA.

I'
Mm I

m B

--a

madness that seized on the publie mind. Tlio lijoli-minded
American Catholic took his ytaud by his Iriwh co-reh-i(.nist,
to wJioso lidehty, liberality, and enthusiasm ho justly
attributtid much of the marvellous j^n-ogress which the
Church had made, and was destined to make, in America.
There were, innong Cuthohcs, a few exceptions to this
generous and wise policy; but, on the whole, the religious
sympathy held aU other feelings in r-ont] ol, or ellectually
neutrahsed the poison of the national infection.

Like fever or cholera, this pohtico-religious epidemic
was milder or more virulent in one place than in another.
Here it seized hold of the entire comnamity ; there it
caught but a few individu ds. Here it signahs^d its
presence by riots ; there by bloodshed. In this cu ■ its
congenial result was a burning, or a cowardly assassi-
nation ; in the other a stand-iip fight, in which the Irish
Cathohc had to encounter enormous odds against him.
That coraparatively little mischief was done to ecclesias-
tical property may be accounted for by the manner with
which, as by one impulse, the Cathohcs raUied round
churches and convents wherever there was a probabihty
of their being assailed. In New York, Know Nothingism
made little external display in mischief and outrage;
which fact may be accounted for in two ways— the one,
that the Irish population had by this time grown too
powerful to be wantonly triHed with ; the other, that
they listened in an obedient spirit to the advice of tlio
Archbishop, who wisely believed that the madness would
speedily die out if left to itself, and if not stimulated
by opposition ; that it was something similar to a confla-
gration of flax, violent for the monifc.it, but without any
enduring power. The Archbishop was .-ight in his judge-
ment. It was a frenzy of the hour, art! idly inflamed by
angry sects, and skilfully directed by unscrupulous poli-
ticians — men wdio would Si.op at nothing whJch could in
any way further the objects of their sellish ambition. The

ALMOST INCIIEDIBLE.

463

if^li-mindod

■reliyl(jiiist,

lie justly

which tho

11 America.

lis to this

religious

effectual Iv

i ei)icleniic
in another.

; there it
lahsf^d its
is cii ,' its
ly assassi-
. tho Irish
aiiist liiiii.

ccclesias-
iimer with
ied round
>robability
[othingism

outrage ;
— the one,
jrown too
ther, that
CO of tlio
ess would
jtimulated

a confia-

thout any

his judg-

tlamed by

lous i^oli-

could in
ion. Tho

fur} of the madness did die out ; but tho feelings to which
it gave rise, or evoked into new life, did not so readily pass
away.

I might possibly bo accused of romancing if I ventured
to des(;ril)o tlie feeling of hostility to which abuse and
misrepresent.'iUon of Catholics — Irish Catholics csppciaJly
— gave rise in the Protestant mind of America. Horrible
as such a confession may sound in the ears of ratioufd
mei' Protestants of good repute have since declared, thiit
at < .,■ lime Ikeij helicced that to liil a (Jatlioiic pn'rsf, or
burn down a Calholic church, imuld he doing the iiio4
acceplaUe service h God! I had hoard this from tho
most reliable sources in more than one State ; yet it was
so monstrous, 'ussitated to give it credence. But while I
wavered between doubt and belief, I myself heard from
the Hps of a Catholic convert — a gentleman of worth and
good social position — the same confession, in (dmost the
very same words. I naturally thought, what must have
been tho sontimont of a low and vulgar mind, when such
was the feehng of a man of good character and so-c-alled
hberal education '? Until I heard him, I did not thoroughly
appreciate the moral blindness and savage frenzy of the

genuine Know Nothing.

An alderman of a certain city in Tennessee informed a
friend of mine that such was his feeling in his youth, that
' he considered it doing an honour to the Deity to take his
doublo-barrelled shot-gun, and shoot any Catholic ho might
meet.' He docs not hold that opinion now ; as he has
been a zealous Catholic since the Christmas of 18G5, when
he was received into the Church.

In another city of Tennessee an Irishman, named
Hefferman, was shot during tho Know Nothing excite-
ment ; but tho th^ee men wlio were the cause of his death
joined the Church which they hated and persecuted in his
person.

Indeed, such was the astounding rampancy of assertion

IMAGE EVALUATION
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1.0

I.I

1.25

|50 "«'^~

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1.4

2.5

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Photographic

Sciences
Corpomtion

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580

(716) 872-4r03

A-:-

C/j

454

THE IRISH IN AjMERICA.

-such the omnivorous swallow of pubhc creclulity-that
when he CathoHc Church of Nashville was in the course
of erection, it was stated in the newspaper which borrowed
IS inspiration from the present Governor Brownlow, that
the vaults, or basement of the building, were intended for
the incarceration of Protestants when the Pope was to
come over and take the country! It was also asserted

T /f i'' l^^^ ^'^^'^'^' ^^''^^ '^^^^^ ^^it^^^U^ ^vho had
started the Citizen newspaper, was an agent of the Jesuits •

m f^ict, a Jesuit in disguise ! I must admit that the cre-
duhty which converted basements of churches into dun-
geons oug^it not to be quoted as a conclusive proof of the
insani y of Know Nothingism ; for I have heard much the
same thing announced in a solemn place, and with o^l-
like gravity, not long since, and not in America

The honest 'No Popery ' zealots were not bad, but only
misguided men ; and when they had the opportunity of
forming a right judgment-of emancipating themselves
farom the leading-strings in which interested bigots had
held their minds-they unhesitatingly made the fullest and
most generous atonement.

One of these furious but honest 'No Popery' zealots was
going on a voyage of some days' duration, and happening
to come on board the steamer at the last moment before
her departure, he found it difficult to procure accommo.
dation. Not a cabin, sir-not a berth-all taken,' said
the clerk. Cant you put me anywhere?' asked the
gentleman ; 'go I must, though I slept on the floor ' The
cleri. glanced over his books to see how, if possible, he
could accommodate the passenger, who awaited the result
with marked anxiety. 'I have discovered a berth, sir-
the top berth-in one cabin ; the lower berth is occupied
by a very quiet person, who won't give you much trouble ;
he s a Catholic priest.' 'A Cathohc priest !-did vou say
a priest? A^hy, damn him ! I would not stay in ii^ same
room with him,' exclaimed the passenger. 'Well, sir,

THE ' INFERNAL MISCREANT.

455

sclulity— that
1 tbe course
3h borrowed
wnlow, that
ntended for
ope vras to
so asserted,
11, who had
the Jesuits ;
lat the cre-
s into dun-
>roof of the
d much the
I with owl-

d, but only
)rtuuity of
themselves
bigots had
fullest and

;ealots was
hapiDening"
ent before
accommo-
iken,' said
asked the
oor.' The
/Ssible, he
the result
srth, sir-
' occuj^ied
L trouble ;
d you say
the same
Well, sir,

that's your affair, not mine,' replied the clerk ; * it is all
I can do for you.' * Look you ! ' said the passenger, 'if one
of us is missed at the end of the voyage, I tell you it won't
be ine ; for if that fellow dares to address one word to me,
out of the wdndow he will go — that I tell you now.' The
clerk took the declaration coolly, not being unused to hear
strong language, and even occasionally witness strange
occurrences. In this happy frame of mind the passenger
took possession of his upper berth at night, and growled
himself to sleep. When ho awoke in the morning, and
remembered where he was, and who was his companion,
he had the curiosity to ascertain what the 'infernal mis-
creant was after.' Peeping from his vantage-ground, he
beheld the miscreant on his knees, apparently absorbed in
prayer. ' Damn you ! there you are,' was the benediction
muttered in the bed-clothes of the upper berth. Its
occupant looked again and again, but the miscreant was
still at 'his humbug.' At length the miscreant rose from
his knees and left the cabin, thus affording the tenant of
the upper berth an opportunity of opening the window,
and getting rid of the odour of brimstone which 'the
devil' had left after him. When the pair happened to
meet during the day, the lower berth courteously bowed,
and said something civil, to which the upper Iberth re-
sponded with something that bore a strange resemblance
to an imprecation. 'Is the fellow really serious, or is it
all a sham?' thought the Know Nothing, as he witnessed
the same piety, the same wrapt devotion, the second morn-
ing. Stranger still, if the upper berth happened to visit
the cabin during the day, it was ten chances to one that
he discovered the ' extraordinary animal ' on his knees, or
deep in a book of devotion. For days the priest was the
object of the most jealous watchfulness, stimulated by
suspicion ard dislike ; but it was ever the same — the same
appearance of genuine piety, and the same courtesy of
manner. The honest gentleman in the upper berth was

456

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

:S«Bf'3

--'H

}

staggered, and did not know what to think of it. 'The
fellow might possibly be a fool, but he certainly was not
. a humbug.' This was a great concession, a gigantic stride
towards liberahty of sentiment. At length he spoke with
his follow-passenger, and found him, what others had long
before found him to be, intelligent and well-informed!
He was not a fool, and not a humbug ; then, what was he?
The conviction rapidly grew upon the tenant of the upper
berth, that his companion was a gentleman and a Christian
minister ; and, ere the voyage was at an end, the heart of
the furious hater of CathoHcity was changed ; more than
that, ere many months had passed, he who threatened to
put the priest out of the window on the first provocation,
became a practical CathoHc, and there is not at this moment
in America a stouter defender of the Church than he is.

As a strikiaig contrast to the furious and unreasoning
hatred which the incident just narrated represents, one of
a different nature may be told. It occurred in the very
height of the Know Nothing excitement, during a journey
made by a priest, who is now Bishop of a Southern
diocese.

The clergyman found himself one of a vei^ miscella-
neous company in a public stage. Next to him, as he sat
m the front part of the vehicle, was a gentleman of grave
and reserved demeanour; while the other passengers ap-
peared to be of the ordinary class to be met with under
such circumstances, who freely discussed all manner of
topics, whether of a personal or a pubhc nature, and
whose language was occasionally sprinkled with pwfanity.
The company had proceeded a considerable way on their
journey, when the gentleman who sat next the future
Bishop enquired of him if he were not a 'minister?' 'Why
do you think so?' asked the priest. 'Well, I don't ex-
actly know; but you say grace before meals, and you
don't ciirse and swear.' 'I am a Catholic priest,' said the
gentleman's neighbour. 'I am glad to hear it,' said the

A STRANG K CONFESSION.

467

3f it. 'The

nlv was not
[•antic stride
spoke with
rs had lonir
11-informed.
hat was he '?
f the upper
a Christian
he heart of
more than
:eatened to
'revocation,
lis moment
a he is.
nreasoning
nts, one of
n the very
C a journey
Southern

r miscella-
, as he sat
a of grave
angers ap-
dth under
nanner of
iture, and
profanity.
' on their
he future
'?' 'Why
don't ex-

and you
,' said the

said the

gentleman, * for I desire to ask you a question ; and beUeve
me I do not think of asking it from an idle motive, as
you will see.' Tlic priest assured him he would be happy
to answer any questions which it was in his power to
answer. * Then I wish to know if a CathoHc clergyman
would hear the confession of a Protestant, if the Protes-
tant wanted to confess ? ' ' Confession,' replied the priest,
'has two benefits— good advice and absolution. Absolu-
tion can only be given to a Catholic, but good advice may
be given to a Protestant : and, therefore, for that purpose
—the giving of good advice— a priest could hear the con-
fession of a Protestant.' ' I told you, ' continued the
gentleman, 'I did not ask the question from an idle
motive. I am a Protestant, and I wish you to hear my
confession, that I may havp the benefit of your advice.'
The priest consented, using the simple words, 'Very well,
begi 1.' At this moment the passengers, \\ Jio had left the
stage, were walking up a long and steep hill: and while
the two men were apparantly sauntering idly up that hill,
one of them was pouring into Lhe ear of the other a story
of the deepest interest to his peace of ^ 3ul ; and when
the passengers again resumed their places in the stage,
and while laugh, and jest, and profane remark were heard
on every side, that strange confession was continued, as the
two men leaned back in the vehicle, and the one Kstened
to the voluntary disclosures of the other. "When the story
had been told, and the promised advice given, the gentle-
man said, ' Well, now, I can't understand it ! These are
matters that I could not tell to my brother— that I would
not for the world my wife should know— that I could not
confide to my minister, or whisper to my friends, for I
would die rather than that the world should know them ;
and here I have freely told them to you, a stranger, whom
I nevei saw before, and whom I may never see again—
and why do I tell all this to you? Because you are a
Catholic priest. And what appears to me so strange is the

468

TUB IRISH IN AMERICA.

■fi*m .

perfect confidence I have in you; for I have not the
Bhghtest fear you will ever reveal one word of what I have
told you to mortal ears. This is what I cannot under-
stand.'

The seeds of sectarian hatred were scattered broadcast
over the land, or wafted, hke the thistle-dowm, on every
breeze ; and if there had been no recent crop of lusty hate
and active frenzy — if there have been no burnings, and
wreckings, and outrages, to record up to this time, not-
withstanding that the usual period for the outbreak of
such semi-religious semi-political epidemics has come and
gone, this apparently strange phenomenon may be ration-
ally accounted for. We should bo glad to attribute it
wholly to the good sense of the American people, who
we should desire to think were no longer to be made the
dupes of monstrous falsehoods and deliberate misrepresen-
tations, or to be led astray by theories which are not only
grossly absurd, but opposed to the progress of the United
States. Making, however, every f.iir allowance for the
growing good sense of the American people, we cannot
but attribute much of the better feeling which now exists
to an event that may be well described as one of the
most memorable in the history of the world — the late
Civil War. Not only has that war exhibited in the most
signal manner the enormous value of the foreign el ;ent
— its strength, its courage, and its fidelity ; but the
Catholic Church has had, during that terrible national
ordeal, an unlooked-for though Providential opportunity
of displaying its true poUcy, at once Christian and patri-
otic, and of convincing even the most prejudiced of its
purity, its hohness, and its charity.

lavG not the

what I have

mnot iindev-

ed broadcast
vn, on every
of lusty hate
urnings, and
is time, not-
outbreak of
as come and
y bo ration-
attribute it
people, who
)e made the
tnisreprescn-
ire not only
f the United
nee for the
, we cannot
I now exists
one of the
Id — the late
in the most
}ign el ;ent
' ; but the
ble national
opportunity
I and patri-
.diced of its

I f

CHAPTER XXVI.

S«^-Tif„?^""\""=i?l«^"T-TJ''».TrueMi^^

Chiirp^ T /o r-V V c. , .. " ^>'ir-iueTrue Mission of th(
the VV^r i?';- '^ ^P'f f '"'■ "^'-^^'If'-the 'Sisters' durinj?

THE Catholic Church of America, regarding war as a great
calamity, and civil war-of State against State, citizen
against citizen, even brother against brother— as the direst
of aU evils, scrupulously abstained from uttering one word
that could have a tendency to inflame or exasperate the
passions which others were doing their utmost to excite to
uncontrollable fury. The mission of the Church was to
proclaim glad tidings of peace to man, not to preach strife
and hatred amongst brethren. Thus those who visited
the Cathohc churches of the United States from the Spring
of 1861 to the Autumn of that year, would never have
supposed, from anything heard within their waUs, that the
tmmpet had sounded through the land ; that armies were
gat^iermg, and camps were forming ; that foundries were
at lull blast, forming implements of death ; that artificers
were hard at work, fashioning the rifle and the revolver
sharpening the sword, and pointing the bayonet ; that
dockyards rang with the clang of hammers, and resounded
with the cries of myriads of busy men-that America was
m the first throes of desperate strife. Nor, as time went
on and all the pent-up passions of years were unloosed
and a deadly war progressed with varying fortunes, and

460

THE IRISH IN aMKUICA.

fury posacHsed the heart of a iiiiglitj people, could the
straiif^'cr who eniored a Catliolic temple scarcely believe in
the existence of the storm that i ged without ; the only
indications of the tremendous conflict bein'' the manv
dark robes, the sad livery of woe, worn by women and
children — the mothers, wives, or orphans of those who hat I
fallen in battle ; for, save in the greater solemnity of the
priest, as he raised the hearts of his congregation to the
throne of God, there to sue for grace and pardon, there was
nothing to iniply the existence of a struggle whose gigantic
pro[)ortions filled the world with amazement. The Catholic
Church was content to preach 'Christ cucified' to its own
followers, as to all who came to listen. It regarded its
pulpit as a sacred chair, from which it was to teach the
knowledge of the truth, how man could best fulfil his
duties to his Creator, his country, and his neighbour. It
deemed — and the judgment of the wise and good will say
it deemed rightly — that if the minister of religion became
a firebrand, instead of a preacher of peace, he misunder-
stood his duty, and prostituted the sanctity of his office :
it held, that it was a gross desecration of a temple erected
to the worship of the Deity, to suffer it to resound with
the language of unholy strife — with eloquent incentives
to massacre and desolation. Others might act as they
l^leased ; they might turn their churches into political as-
semblies, and their pulpits into party platforms — they might
rage, and storm, and fulminate — they might invoke the
fiercest passions of the huraan breast, and appeal to the
lowest instincts of man's nature — they might stimulate
their hearers to a wider destruction of Ufe and property,
to sadder and more terrible havoc ; others might do this,
as others did — but the Catholic Church of America was
neither bewildered by the noise and smoke of battle, nor
made savage by the scent of blood : she simply fulfilled her
mission, the same as that of the Apostles — she preached
the "Word of God in lovingness and peace.

THE CHURCH SPEAKS FOR HERSELF.

461

ie, could the
icly boliovo in
lut ; tliG only
ig tlic 111 any
■ women nnd
[lose who had
iuiiiity of tho
i,^ati()ii to tho
on, there was
hose gi{^aiitic
The Cathohc
d ' to its own
regarded it.s

to teach the
est fulfil his
cighbour. It
good will say
igion became
le misunder-
of his office :
mple erected
resound with
nt incentives

act as they
) jiolitical as-
; — they might
t invoke the
ippeal to the
jht stimulate
md property,
light do this,
America was
of battle, nor
y fulfilled her
slie preached

This was the language and spirit of the Church, as pro-
(!laimed in the Pastoral Letter emanating from the Catholic
Bishops assembled in the Third Provincial Council of
Cincinnati, in May 1801 : —

It ig not for us to enquire into t|;e causes which have let] to the
present unhappy condition of amiirs. Tliis enciiiiry belongs more
appropriately to those who are directly conoerned in managing the
all'airs of the republic. The spirit of the Catholic Church is" emi-
nently conservative, and wliile hisr ministers rightfully feel a deep
and abiding interest in all that concerns the welfare of the coiintrv,
they do not think it their p.-ovinco to enter into the political arena.
They leave to the ministers of the human sects to discuss from
their pulpits and in their ecclesiastical assemblies the exciting ques-
tions which lie at the basis of most of our present and prospect' *e
difficulties. Thus, while many of the sects have divided into hostile
parties on an exciting political issue, the Catholic Chiax-h has care-
fully preserve! her unity of spirit in the bond of peace, literally
knowing no North, no South, no East, no West. AVherever Christ
is to be preached and sinners to be saved, there slie is found with
ministrations of truth and mercy. She leaves the exciting question
referred to previously where the inspired Apostle of the Gentiles left
it, contenting herself, like him, with inculcating on all classes and
grades of society the faithful discharge of the duties belonging to
their respective states of- life, knowing that they will all have to
render a strict account to God for the deeds done; in the flesh, that
this life is short and transitory, and that eternity never ends. Beyond
this point her ministers do not consider it their province to go,
knowing well that they are the ministers of God. who is not a God
of dissension, but of peace and love.

Had this wise and considerate line of conduct been generally fol-
lowed throughout the country, we are convinced that much of the
embittered feeling which now unfortunately exists, would have been
obviated, and the brotherly love, the genuine offspring of true
Christianity, instead of the fratricidal hatred which is opposed to its
essential genius and spirit, would now bless our country, and bind
together all our fellow citizens in one harmonious brotherhood. .May
God. in his abounding mercy, grant that the sect.arianism which divides
and sows dissensions, may gradually yield to the Catholic spirit which
breathes unity and love !

The startling contrast which the Catholic Church thus
presented to most, indeed nearly all, of the other churches

THE IRISH IN AMKRICA.

M
-ft

.1'

(lurinpr this period of national tribuliition, was not without
its inHiKsnco on tho puhho mind of America. It mado
men think and retloet, fuul in numbttrlens instances con-
viction came with thonj,dit and reflefition. Tho fervid and
furious * sermons ' that wore hstened to with Hashing eyes
and quickened pulses by tho majority of those to whom
they were addressed, excited tho sorrow or disgust of not
a few. A Protestant gentleman, speaking to a Catholic;
friend in New York, thus referred to tho prevailing topics
which inspired the ehxpience of his 13oanerges :—

* My wife urged mo yesterday to accompany her to our
church. I refused ; she was rather angry. " Well, my
dear," I said, "you may go if you please; the pew i:^ there
for you— I pay for it. But I shan't go. Whenever I
have gone I liavo never heard but three sermons at tho
most — Popery, Slavery, and War — War, Slavery, and
Popery! These may satisfy you— they don't mo. When
I go to church I wish to oe mado better, not worse. Now
I think a little of the Gospel, that tells us something of
peace and charity, would do me good— your War, and
Slavery, and Popery don't. I repeat, my dear, you may

go if you please ; but I'm blessed if I do." '

If the Catholic Church could do nothing to prevent war,
she could at least do much to mitigate its horrors; and
accordingly she commissioned her noblest representatives
—her consecrated daughters— to minister in the public
hospitals, in the camp, and in the prisons— wherever
wretchedness, and misery, and suffering appealed most
powerfully to their Christian duty and womanly com-
passion.

The events of the war brought out in the most con-
spicuous manner, the merits and usefulness of the Relig-
ious Orders, especially those of Charity and Mercy, and the
Holy Cross, and, spite of prejudice and bigotry, made
the name of 'Sister' honoured throughout the land. Pre-
judice and bigotry are powerful with individuals and oom-

TIIR SISTERS' DURING TIIK WAR.

463

i not without
:a. It mado
HtiUicoH con-
o forvid ami
lashiiij,' 03TS
ise to whom
sgust of not
) a Cathoho
ailing topics

Y hor to our
"Well, my
pew VA thoro
^Vhoiiever I
aons at tlio
lavory, and
mo. When
^orso. Now
imothing of
r War, and
'1', you may

►revent war,
>rrors ; and
resentatives
the public
1 — wherever
ealed most
Qanly coni-

most con-
the Relig--
'cy, and the
Dtry, made
land. Pre-
s and oom-

ijiuiiities, powerful, too, in i)roporti()n to the if>noran('0
which Hhrouds the mind of man. Still, tlicse arc hut
relatively strong, and muHt yuM l)('for(! a force Hupcrior to
their's — trttlh. And aH month followtul montii, and year
KUC(;eeded to year, the priceless value of services havinj*
their motive in religion and their reward in the conscious-
ness of doing good, were more thoroughly ai)preciated l)y a
generous people. At their presence in an hospital, whether
long estabhshed or hastily improvistsd, order, good manage-
ment, and economy, took the i)lace of confusion, la.K ad-
ministration, and reckless expenditure, if not worse. Ob-
stacles, in many instances of a serious nature, were placed
dehberately in their path ; but, with tact, and tcunper,
and firmness, these were encountered by women wh(i
hiid no vanity to wound, no malice to inflame, and whoso
only object was to relieve the suflerings of the sick and
wounded in the most efficacious manner. It is there-
fore not to bo wondered at that difficulties and o])Kta(!l s,
however apparently formidable at first, vanished before
the resistless influence of their sincerity and their goodness,
and the quite as conclusive evidence of their usefulness.
But the greater their success, the greater the strain on
the resources of the principal Orders. Not only did death
and sickness thin their ranks, but the war, by adding
fearfully to the number of helpless orphans, Jidded like-
wise to their cares and responsibilities. What with cease-
less duty in the hospitals, teaching in their schools, visit-
ing the sick, providing for the fatherless whom every
great battle flung upon their protection, administering
the afiairs of institutions perilled by the universal dis-
turbance, bringing relief and consolation to the prisoner
in the crowded building, or wretched camp to which the
chance of war consigned the soldier on either side — the
Sisters were tried to the very uttermost. Nothing but the
spirit of rehgion, together with their womanly compassion
for the sick and the suficring, and their interest in the brave

464

THE IRISn IN AMKIUCA.

■ I

■<-''5MI

follows who, (locilo childndi in their luindH, followed thorn
with wislfiil (-ycH iih, ai)<;('lH of li;;ht and niorcy, thoy
bron<jfht halm to tho heart of tho wounded, — nothinj^ Hhort
of tho Hublinio motives by whieh thewc! ludioH w(U'e animated
could have BUbtained them throughout four long yeara of
ceaseleHH toil and nover-endinj,' anxiety.

You may have seen tho foc^blest bird exhibit unlooked-
for eourago when dan«(er threatencnl its younp. IVIaternal
instinct renders it ahnost unrecognisable — tho glitterin*^
eye, tho milled phuna'^e, and the bold attitude, make it
80 unlike the ordinary timid c«-(!atur(\ So, jj^cmtle, shi'ink-
m<^, timid as the Sister mi<4ht be under ordinary eireuni-
stanees, let the least wrong be done to h(!r patients — let
even incompetency or neglect bo manifested in an hospital
under lujr charge ; Jind that gentle-nnmnered, soft-spoken
Sister would como out instantly in a new character. Many
an oilicial — proud, or insolent, or bigoted, or incompetent,
or corrupt — has had to bond before the quiet determina-
tion expressed in tho voice and manner of tho Sister
inspired by a sense of duty springing alike from humanity
and religion. Throughout tho country, in almost every
State of tho Union, are now to bo seen Sisters — calm,
gentle, soft-voiced women — of whose sturdy energy and
resolute courage in defence of their sick charge, or in
resistance of ab^■lses, numerous instances are narrated ;
never by themselves, but by those who, having witnessed
them, cherish them in their memory. No officer, no
official, ventured to treat the Sister with disresjiect, onco
her value was known ; and it was soon made known. Tho
impediments and embarrassments which were occasionally
thrown in her w\ay were borne with as far as they possibly
might bo ; but when the time for action arrived, even the
youngest Sister was generally equal to the emei'gcncy. As
the war progressed, so did the influenco of tho Sisters, until
at length there was scarcely a corner of the country into
which a knowledge of their services did not penetrate.

lowod iliom
iicivy, they
)tliin},' Hliort
fo fuiiiunted
;ig years of

; iinlookod-
Miiternjil

glittorin^'
lo, iimlco it
lilo, filniiilc-
firy circiuii-
iitiouts — lot

nil ]l()H[)itlll

Koft-Hpokou

tcr. Many

icompetcnt,

dotoriniiia-

tbo Sister

1 liiiinanity
most every
ters — culm,
anergy and
irge, or in
) narrated ;
^ witnessed

officer, no
!Si)ect, once
Lown. The
)Ccasionally
ey possibly
:I, even the
gcncy. As
Lsters, until
Diintry into

penetrate.

THE PATIKNTS COULD NOT MARK THKM OUT. idH

and there were Imt fmv houies in wiiicli their name was not
mentioned with respecrt.

At first, the .soldiers did not know what to niake o*
them, and could not ('(imjtrehend who ihey were, or what
was tJK'ir object. And wlien tlio jjatient learned Ihat Ihe
Sister with the strange dress belonged to the Catholio
Church — that church of wliich so nwmy vile stories had
been told him from his childliood — n^look of dread, even
horror, might be observed in his eyes, as ho instinctively
re(;oiled from her prollVsred services. This aversion rarely
continued long ; it nuilttid awjiy like ice before the sun ;
but, unlike the ice, whit^h the wint((r again brings round,
this feeling never returned to the heart of the l)rave nnm
whom tlu5 fortune of war placed under the care of the
Sister. Once gone, it was gone for evcsr. How the pre-
judice, deep-seated and ingrained, yielded to the infliienco
of the Sisters, may be best excunplilied by h few incidents,
taken at random from a vast innuber of a similar nature
gathered in many parts of the country.

Seven Sisters of Mercy, belonging to the Houston Street
Convent in New York, were sent to an hospital attached
to a Federal corps. When they first entered the wards,
which were crowded with sick and wounded, the soldiers
regarded them with amazement. One of the Sisters, u
genial Irishwoman, referring to this her first visit to the
hospital, told with much humour how the bewildered
patients took the Sisters for seven widows, who were
looking for the dead bodies of their husbands !

Among the patients, there was one mere lad — indeed
almost a child, scarce fit to leave his mother's guardian-
ship — and he lay with Iws face on the inllow, as an hospital
attendant, not eminent for humanity, carelessly sponged a
fearful wound in the back of the poor youth's neck. The
hair had been matted with the clotted blood, and the rude
touch of the heartless assistant was agony to the miserable
patient. 'Let me do it' said the Sister, taking the in-

166

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

strument of torture from the unsympathising hand ; and
then, with tepid water, and soft sponge, and woman's
dehcacy of touch, the hideous sore was tenderly cleansed.
*0h, who is that? — who are you? — you must be an
angel ! ' cried the relieved youth. The hair was gently
separated from the angry flesh, so that the grateful patient
could turn his head and glance at the 'angel;' but no
sooner did he cast one rapid look at the strange garb
and the novel head-dress of the Sister, than he shrieked
with terror, and buried his face in the pillow. 'Do not
fear me,' said a voice full of sympathy; 'I am only
anxious to relieve your sufferings.' The work of mercy
vas proceeded with, to the ineffable comfort of the
wounded boy, who murmured — 'Well, no matter what
you are, you're an angel anyhow.'

At times there were as many as eighty Sisters in or near
Richmond, in active attendance in the hospitals, giving thoh*
services alike to the wounded soldiers of both armies. In
one of the Richmond hospitals the following took place :

A sick man, looking steadily from his pillow at the
Sister, who was busy in her attentions to him, abrawtly
asked —

'Who pays you? — what do you get a month? '

' We are not paid ; we do not receive salaries,' replied
the Sister.

'Then why do you work as you do? — you never cease
working '

' What we do, we do for the love of Grod — to Him we only
look for our reward — we hope He will pay us hereafter.'

The wounded man seemed as if he could not entirely
comprehend a devotion so repugnant to the S2^irit of the
A-lmighty Dollar ; but he made no further remark at the
time. When he became more confidential with the Sister,
the following dialogue was held —

Patient. Well, Sister, there is only ono class of people
.in this world that I hate.

and ; and

I woman's
'■ cleansed.
St be an
vas gently
fill patient
[ ; ' but no
ango garb
3 shrieked
'Do not
'. am only
of mercy
rt of the
itter what

in or near
iving their
nuies. In
place :
)w at the
, abriiutly

s,' replied

3ver cease

m we only
3after.'
)t entirely
irit of the
irk at the
the Sister,

of people

THE FORGIVEN INSULT.

467

Sister. L'^d who may those be?

Patient. The Catholics.

Sifter. The Oathohcs ! Why do you hate them ?

Patient. "Well, they are a detestable peo])le.

Sister. Did you ever meet with a Catholic that you say
that of them ?

Patievt. No, never ; I never came near jne.

Sister. Then how can you think so hiirdly of persons of
whom you don't know anything ?

Patient. All my neighbours tell me they arc a vile and
wicked people.

Sister. Now, what would you think and say of me, if I
were one of tliose Catholics ?

Patient, (indignantly). Oh, Sister! you! — you who are
so good ! Impossible !

Sister. Then, indeed, I am a Catliolic — a Roman Cath-
olic.

The poor fellow, whose nerves were not yet well strung,
rose in his bed as with a bound, looked the picture of
amazement and sorrow, and burst into tears. He had so
lately written to his wife in his distant home, telling her
of the unceasing kindness of the Sister to him, and attri-
buting his recovery to her care ; and he was now to dis-
close the awful fact that the Sister was, after all, one of
those wicked people of whom he and she had heard such
evil things. This was, at first, a great trouble to his
mind ; but the trouble did not last long, for that man left
the hospital a Catholic, of his own free choice, and could
then understand, not only that his ne-ighbours had been,
like himself, the dupes of monstrous fables, but how the
Sister could work and toil for no earthly reward.

A Sister was passing through the streets of Boston with
downcast eyes and noiseless step, reciting a prayer or
thinking of the poor family she was about to visit. As
she was passing on her errand of mercy, she was suddenly
addressed, in language that made her -paXe cheek flush, hj

468

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

t'-Kf:;

'■mik,

a young man of remarkable appearance and free swagger-
ing gait. The Sister, tlioiigli grievously outraged, uttered
no word, but raised lier eyes, and looked at the offender
with calm steady gaze, in which volumes of rebuke were
expressed. Time passed on ; the war intervened ; and
when next they met it was in a ward of a military hospital
m Missouri. The once powerful man was now feeble as
an infant, and had not many days to hve. The Sister,
seeing his condition, asked him if he belonged to any
church ; and on his replying in the negative, she asked if
he would be a Catholic. ' No-not a Catholic— I always
hated Catholics,' he rephed. ' At any rate, you should ask
the pardon of God for your sins, and be sorry for what-
ever evil you have done in your life,' urged the Sister.

'I have committed many sins in my life, Sister, and I
am sorry for them, and hope to be forgiven ; but there is
one thipg that weighs heavy on my mind at this moment
—I once insulted a Sister in Boston, and her glance
haunted me ever after: it made me ashamed of myself.
I knew nothing then of what Sisters were, for I had not
known you. But now that I know how good and disin-
terested you are, and how mean I was, I am disgusted
with myself. Oh, if that Sister were here, I could go down
on my knees to her and ask her pardon ! '

•You have asked it, and received it,' said the Sister,
looking full at him, but with a sweet expression of tender-
ness and compassion.

'What ! Are you the sister 1 met in Boston? Oh, yes!
you are— I know you now. And how could you have
attended on me witli greater care than on any of the other
patients ?— I who insulted you so ! '

'I did it for our Lord's sake, because He loved His ene-
mies, and blessed those who persecuted Him. I knew you
fi-om the first moment you were brought into the hospital,
and I have prayed unceasingly for your conversion, '%aid
the Sister.

WHAT THE SISTER BELIEVES I BELIEVE.'

ie swagger-
■ed, uttered
he offender
3buke were
eiied ; and
iry hospital
V feeble aa
Che Sister,
ed to any
he asked if
— I always
should ask
' for what-
ister.

iter, and I
ut there is
is moment
ler glance
of myself.
I had not
and disin-
disgusted
d go down

he Sister,
of tender-
Oil, yes!
you have
the other

i His ene-
knew you
) hosDital,
sion,' said

469

the

' Send for the priest ! ' exclaimed the dying soldier ;
religion that leaches such charity must be from God.'

And he did die in the Sister's faith, holding in his
failing grasp ihe emblem of man's redemption, and mur-
muring prayei-a taught him by her whose glance of mild
rebuke had long haunted him like a remorse through every
scene of revelry or of peril.

'Do you believe that, Sister? If you believe it, I be-
lieve it, too.' There was scarcely an hospital at either side
of the line. North or South, of which the Sisters had the
care, in which these apparently strange but most significant
words were not uttered by the sick and the dying. Many
of the poor fellows had not the vaguest notion of religious
teaching, never having troubled themselves with such
matters in the days of their youth and health ; and when
the experienced eye of the Sister discerned the approach
of death, the patient would be asked if he wished to see a
clergyman. Frequently the answer would be that he did
not belong to any religion. 'Then will you become a
Catholic,' would follow as a fair question to one who pro-
claimed himself not to belong to any church, or to be-
lieve in any form of Christianity. From hundreds, nay
thousands of sick beds, this reply was made to that ques-
tion : ' I don't know much about religion, b.ut I wish to
die in the religion of the Sisters.' AVhen asked, for
example, if he believed in the Trinity, the dying man
would turn to the Sisters who stood by his bedside, and
enquire, — ' Do you. Sister ? ' and on the Sister answering,
' Yes, I do,' he would say, ' Then I do — whatever the
Sister beUeves in, I do.' And thus he would make his
confession of faith.

A soldier from Georgia, who was tended by the Sisters
in an hospital in St. Louis, declared that 'he had never
heard of Jesus Christ, and knew nothing about him.' He
was asked if he would become a Catholic. ' I have heard
of them,' he said ; * I would not be one of them at all —

■
9

476

^■''

.^f^r^t :;

;it^

'-.^^1

'■-HI-

THE IRISH L^I AMERICA.

same as you.

they are wi-ked people. But I'll bo the
Sister ; whatever that is, it must be good.'

At the battle of Gettysburg, a number of Sisters joined
the camp hospital, bringing with them a considcrrblo
quantity of provisions and comforts, procured at their OAvn
cost. They even went on the field, bravely conquering
the natural reluctance of dehcate women to witness scenes
of horror such as every inch of a hard-fought battle-field
discloses. What services these tender v/omen — some of
them young creaturtvs not long professed— rendered to the
mangled victims of that furious contest, it were impos-
sible to tell. But so signal was the devotion which they
displayed in an emergency of so pressing a nature, that
they ehcited from a pre richer the following strange tribute,
pubhshed in the newspapers: — 'Although I hate their
religion, an^ despise their sectarianism, I must do justice
to the self-sacrificing devotion of those pale unmated
flowers, that never ripen with fruit.' One, not a preacher,
might imagine that the blessings and prayers — the purest
offerings of the heart — that sprang up in their path wher-
ever they turned, were fruit the most acceptable to these
* pale unmated flowers ; ' but the idea would appear fan-
tastical and far-fetched to the material nature -of their
enlightened panegyrist.

It really matters little, when referring to the services
of the Sisters during the war, which army, which State,
or which hospital is mentioned as the scene of their
labours. Their charity, like their Order, was universal;
and whether they ministered to the sick in a Union or
Confederate army, or in a Northern or Southern State, it
was the same in motive and in object. Next to the side
in the hospital, the prisoner was the dearest object of their
solicitude.

The Sisters in Charleston did glorious service during the
war — to the sick, the dying, the prisoner, and the needy.
At certain times immense numbei-s of prisoners were camped

me as you,

iters joined
onsidcrr.blo
t their own
conquering
ncss scenes
battle-field
— some of
3red to the
3re impos-
^^liich they
ature, that
ge tribute,
hate their
do justice
J unmated
. preacher,
the purest
^ath wher-
e to these
ppear fan-
B -of their

e services
lich State,
of their
universal ;
Union or
1 State, it
) the sicl:
3t of their

hiring the
he needy.
;e camped

THE CHARIOT OF MERCY.

471

outside the city. They were in a miserable state. Charles-
ton, partly consumed by the tremendous fire- of 1861, by
w'hicii an enormous amount of property was dtistroy^d,
and further assailed by a bombardment scarcely paralleled
in modern history, could not afford much accommodation
to the captured of the enemy. Penned up together, and
scantily fed, the condition of the prisoner was far from
enviable ; it was indeed deplorable. To these poor fellows'
the Sisters were in reality what they were styled — ' angels
of mercy.' Presented with a universal pass by General
Beauregard, the Sisters went everywhere unquestioned, as
if they were so many staff officers. The General had
likewise presented them with an ambulance and a pair of
splendid white horses, remarkable for their beauty, and,
on account of their colour, conspicuous at a considerable
distance. Many a lime has the gight of these horses
brought gladness to the heart of the prisoner, as he beheld
them turning the corner of the highway leading to the
camp. When the white specks were seen some three-
quarters of a mile on the road, the word was given, ' The
Sisters are coming ! ' As that announcement was made,
the drooping spirit revived, and the fainting heart was
stirred with hope; for with the Sisters came food, com-
forts, presents, perhaps a letter, or at least a message —
and always sweet smiles, gentle words, sympathy and con-
solation. The ambulance, drawn by the gallant white
steeds, was usually filled with hundreds of white loaves —
in fact, with everything which active charity could pro-
cure or generosity contribute. The rations given to the
prisoners were about as good as the Confederate soldiers
had for themselves; but to the depressed, pent-up pri-
soner, these were coarse and scanty indeed. •' Sister !
Sister of Charity! Sister of Mercy !— put something in
this hand !'—' Sister, Sister, do._, \ forget me !'—' Sister,
Sister, for the love of God ! '—Oh, Sister, for God's sake ! *
—such were the cries that too often tortured the tender

1
t

ijji"!
9

47S

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

hearts of the Sisters as they found fheir stock of provisions
fast ruiiniiig out, and knew that hundreds of hungry ap-
plicants were still unsatisfied. Many a time did they turn
away on their homeward journey with whitened lips and
streaming eyes, as they beheld those outstretched hands,
and heard those cries of gaunt and famished men ringing
in then- ears. To the uttermost that they could do, the
Sisters lid, and this the prisoners knew in their grateful
hearts. These horses shed light in their path ; the clatter
of their feet was as music to the ear of the anxious hstener ;
and the blessings of gaUant suffering men followed that
chariot of mercy wherever it was borne by its snowy steeds
in those terrible days of trial.

Such was the effect produced by the Sisters on the
minds of the patients in their charge, that when wounded
or sick a second time, they would make every possible
effort to go back to the same hospital in which the^ had
been previously cared for, or, if that were not possible, to
one under the management of these good women. In-
stances have been told of wounded, men who travelled
se\^ral hundred miles to come again under the charge of
the Sisters; and one, in particular, of two men from
Kentucky, who had contrived to make their way to the
large hospital at White Sulphur Springs in Virginia, a
distance of 200 miles from where they had been wounded.
They had been under the care of the Sisters on a former
occasion, and had then agreed that should they ever be
wounded or fall sick again, they would return to the same
hospital, and if they were to die, that they should die in
the faith of the Sisters who had been so good to them.
Both these men were American Protestants, and had
never seen a Cathohc priest before they bebeld the clergy-
man who received them into the Church in the Virginian
hospital. One of the two men was past cure, and was

of provisions
f linhgry ap-
id they turn
;ied lips and
x'lied hands,
m(3n rinffinn-
)uld do, the
beir grateful
; the clatter
3US listener ;
)llo-wed that
nowy steeds

ters on the
en wounded
3ry possible
!h the^ had
possible, to
^omen. In-
to travelled
3 charge of
men from
way to the
Virginia, a
1 wounded.
Dn a former
ley ever be
the same
3uld die in
i to them,
and had
the clcrgy-
i Virginian
i, and was

•AM I TO FORGIVE THE YANKEES?'

473

conscious of his approaching death. 'Ben,' said the dying
man to his comrade, 'all is right with me — I am happy;
but before I die, let me have the satisfaction of seeing you
become a Catholic' Ben willingly consented to what ho
had before resolved on doing, and he was received into
the Church in the presence of his dying friend, over whose
features there stole a sweet smile, that did not depart even
ill death.

'Oh, my God! what's that! what's that!' shrieked a poor
Southern boy, when he first saw a Sister, as she loaned over
his hospital pallet. His terror was equalled only by his
genuine horror when he discovered she was a Catholic.
Soon, however, his eyes would wander round the ward in
search of the nurse with the sweet smile, the gentle voice,
and the gentler word. Like many of his class he was
utterly ignorant of religion of any description ; he disliked
'Papists,' and he thought that sufficed for every spiritual
purpose. At length he wished to be baptised in the
Sister's faith, and his instruction was commenced. He
was told he should forgive his enemies. ' Am I to forgive
the Yankees ? ' he asked, with indignant eagerness. ' Cer-
tainly,' replied the ^Sister, 'you must forgive everybody.'
'Ma'am, no — not the Yankees! — no, ma'am — not the Yan-
kees! — I can't.' 'But you must forgive your enemies,
or you can't be a Christian. God forgave those who put
him to death,' persisted the Sister. 'Well, Sister, as you
ask me lo do it, I will forgive the Yankees ; but 'tis hard
to do it though, I tell you.'

'Before we left Vicksburg to attend the hospitals,' says
a Sister, 'many of the Irish soldiers returned dreadfully
wounded from the battle of Shiloli, where our pastor, who
had gone to assist their dying moments, said they had
fought, "not Hke men, but like indomitable lions." Wo
had many brave Irish patients, but our principal expe-
rience in hospital Inv nrnnnfi'st Creoles ov soldiers from
the country parts of the South, whose horror of Sisters at

474

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

■•i

first (grounded on tlioir ignorance), formed a strange con-
trast to tlioir sul)seqnont grateful allbction.'

•They Bhrank from us with looks of horror and loathing
as if we were something full of evil,' remarked a Sister,'
whose name was famous for skill, and an energy that ex-
cited the amazement of those who beheld her in the
management of a groat hospital. Many a letter, replete
with gratitude and veneration, came to that Sister from all
parts of the States, North and South, and not a few from
those who at first regarded her 'with looks of horror and
loathing, as if she were full of evil.'

The doctors were not one whit behind the humblest
soldiers in ignorant dislike of the Sisters.

A Federal doctor was at first inclined to be rude and
uncivil to the Sisters in the crowded Southern hospital,
then in possession of the forces of the Union, and occasioned
them no little anxiety by his manner, it was so full of
evident disHko and suspicion. They wisely took no notice
of it, but devoted themselves the more sedulously to their
arduous duties. At the end of a few weeks, by which time
his manner had become kind and respectful, the doctor
candidly confessed to one of the Sisters what his feelings
had been, and how completely they were changed. 'I
had such an aversion to Catholics,' said he, 'that I would
rot tolerate one of them in an hospital with me. I had
heard of the Sisters, but I was resolved not to have any-
thing to do with them in any place in which 1 had control.
I confess to you my mind is entirely changed ; and so far
from not wishing to have Sisters in nn hospital where I
am, I never want to be in an hospital where they are not.'
The officials were, if possible, still more suspicious, still
more jDrejudiced.

'I used to be up at night watching you, when I should
have been in my bed. I wanted to see what mischief you
were after, for I thought you had some bad motive or
object, and I was determined "to know what it was. I

jtrange con-

nd loathing,

ed a Sister,

rgy that ex-

her in tho

bter, replete

ster from all

a few from

horror and

e humblest

B rude and
•n hospital,
[ occasioned
1 so full of
k no notice
sly to their
which time
the doctor
bis feelings
langed. 'I
lat I would
ne. I had
' have any-
ad control,
and so far
al where I
3y are not.'
icious, still

in I should
Lschief you
motive or
it was. I

PIIEJUDICKS CONQUEliED.

475

could find nothing wrong, but it was a long time before I
could believe in you, my prejudice against you was so
strong. Now I can laugh at my absurd suspicions, and I
don't care tolling you of my nonsense.' Tliis speech was
made by the steward of an hospital to Sisters to whom he
had given much trouble by his manner, which seemed *to
imply — 'You are humbugs, and I'll find you out, my
ladies ! clever as you think you are.' He was a good but
prejudiced man ; and once that he was convinced how
groundless were his suspicions, he not only treated the
Sisters with marked respect, but became one of their
most strenuous and valuable supporters.

A doctor of the Federal service, who was captured at
the battle of Shiloh, said to a Catholic bishop, — 'Bishop,
I was a great bigot, and I hated the Catholics ; but my
opinions are changed since this war. I have seen no
animosity, but fraternal love, in the conduct of the priests
of both sides. I have seen the same kind offices rendered
without distinction to Catholic soldiers of the North and
South. The very opposite with Protestant chaplains and
soldiers.'

' What conclusion did you draw from this ? — these Cath-
olics are not Freemasons/ said the Bishop.

'Well,' replied the doctor, 'I drew this from it — that
there must be some wonderful unity in Catholicity which
nothing can destroy, not even the passions of war.'

'A very right inference,' was the Bishop's rejoinder.

An officer who was brought in wounded to an hospital
at Obanninville, near Pensacola, which was under the care
of Sisters, asked a friend in the same hospital what he
would call 'those women' — how address them? 'Call
them " Sisters," replied his friend. ' Sisters ! They are
no sisters of mine ; I should be sorry they were.' ' I tell
you, you will find them as good as sisters in the hour of
need.' 'I don't believe it,' muttered the surly patient.
Owing, in a great measure, to the care of his good nurses.

)

• ti

< 'i

476

THE IRISH IN AMEUIUA.

the officer was Honn able to leave the hospital htvong in
body as well as iinprovod in mind. IJcforo he was well
enouj^h to leave, he said to his friend, — ' Look here ! I was
always an enemy to the Catholic Chnrch. I wjih led to
believe by the preachers that these Sisters — both nnns
and priests — were all bad. But when I get out of this,
I be Ct(u1 darned, if I don't knock the first man head over
heels who dares say a word against the Sisters in my pres-
ence ! ' He was rough, but thoroughly honest.

During the war, a number of the Sisters wcsre on their
way to an hospital, to the care of which they had been
urgently called, and, as the train remained stationary at
one of the stopping-places on the route, their dress excited
the wonder and ridicule of some thoughtless idlers, who
entered the car and seated themselves opposite to, but
near, the olyjects of their curiosity, at whom they looked
and spoke in a manner far fi'om complimentary. The
Sisters bore the annoyonce unflinchingly. But there was
assistance nearer than they or their cowardly tormentors
supposed. A stout man, bronzed and bearded, who had
been sitting at one end of the car, quietly advanced, and
placing himself in front of the ill-mannered offenders,
said, 'Look here, my lads! You don't know who these
ladies are ; I do. And if you had been, like me, lying
sick and wounded on an hospital bed, and been tended
night and day by those ladies, as I was, you'd then know
them and respect them as well as I do. They are holy
women. And now, if you don't, every one of you, at once
quit this car, I'll call the conductor, and have you turned
out ; and if you say one word more, I'll whip you all when
I have you outside,' The young fellows shrank away
abashed, as much perhaps at the justice of the rebuke as
at the evident power by which, if necessary, it would
have been rendered still more impressive.

It was a touching sight to witness the manner in which
soldiers who had experienced flie devotedness of the Sisters

AN EMrilATlU REBUKE.

477

fitrong ill
I wiiH well
ro ! I wiiH
v'JiH lod to
Dotli iiniiH
it of this,

lioiid over
1 my pros-

3 on their

luul been
tionary at
3SS excited
Hers, who
to to, but
ley looked
iry. The
there was
ormentors

who had
meed, and

offenders,
svho these
me, lying
en tended
hen know
■ are holy
u, at once
oil turned
I all when
ank away
rebuke as

it would

in which
;he Sisters

to the sad duties of the hospital, exhibited their veneration
for these 'holy women.' Did the Siste'rs happen to bo in
the same car with the gallant fellows, there was not one of
them who did not proller his place to the Sister, and who
did not feel honoured by her acceptance of it. Maimed,
lopped of limb, scarcely convalescent, still there was not a
crippled brave of them who would not eagerly solicit the
Sister to occupy the place he so much recpiircd for himself,
* Sister, do take my seat ; it is the most comfortable.'
' Oh, Sister, tnko mine ; do oblige me.' * No, Sister ! mine.'
Sweet was the- Sister's reward as, in their feeble but earnest
tones of entreaty, and the smiles lighting up pale wan
faces, she read the deep gratitude of the men who had bled
for what each deemed to be the sacred cause of country.
Wherever the Sister went, she brought with her an atmo-
sphere of holiness. At the first sight of the little glazed
cap, or the Hupping cornet, or the dark robe, or at the
whisper that the Sister was coming or present, even the
profane and the ribald were hushed into decent silence.

As a company of Confederate prisoners were marched
through Washington, a Sister of Mercy who was passing
was arrested by the exclamation, ' There she is ! That's
she ! I owe my life to her. She attended me in the hos-
pital. Oh, Sister ! ' The Sister approached, and as the
prisoners were passing, the one who used these words rap-
idly dropped something into her hand. It was less than
the widow's mite — it was a regimental button ! But it was
accepted in the spirit in which it was otYered. as a memo-
rial ; and as such, I know, it is cherished.

A Baptist preacher was rather unexpectedly rebuked in
the midst of his congregation by one of its members who
had experience of the Sisters in the hospital. Addressing
his audience, ho thought to enliven his discourse with the
customary spice — vigorous abuse of the Catholic Church,
and a lively description of the badness of nuns and priests ;
in fact, takincf the Awful Disclosures of Maria Monk as hie

^M^r I

1.,

178

TIIK IRISH IN AMERICA.

.•}

text and inspiration. But juHt as Iho i)rca('lior, wannirif,'
with luH own oltxiuonco, was hoi^'litoniiif^ his picturo witli
colourH borrowod from a rathor pniii(!nt imagination. thoHo
8tranf]^o words wero thundered forth by a Htnrdy Wostorn
farmer, who wprang to his leg's in an inii)nlHe of uncon-
trollable indignation, — * Sir, that's a dimned lie I ' The
consternation of the audience was great, the excitement
intense. The preacher solemnly reminded his erring
brother that that was *tho lumso of God.' 'Well, sir,'
rei)lied the farmer, ' as it is tlio house of God, it is a lie
without the damned.' Then looking round boldly at the
meeting, which contained many to whom he was well
known, he thus continued : ' I thought and behoved the
same as you thought and believed, because I was told so,
as you were ; but I have lived to learn the ditference— to
know that what we were told, Sunday after Sunday, is not
true. I was in the prison at M'Dowall's College; I was
there for six months ; and I saw the Sisters waiting on the
prisoners, and nursing the sick — unpaid and disinterested.
I saw them giving up their whole time to doing good, and
doing it without fee or reward. I saw the priests, too,
constant in their attendance — yes, shaming other ministers
by the manner in which they did their duty. That six
months cured me of my folly; and I tell you, you know
me to be a man of truth, that the Cathohc Church is not
the thing it is represented to be, and that Sisters and
Priests are not what our minister says they are ; and tluit
I'll stand to.'

The sympathies of the audience went with the rprr ..^1
ness of the speaker, whose manner carried conviction to
their minds; and so strongly did the tide of feeling flow
against the preacher, that he dexterously returned to what,
in Parliamentarv phrase, may be described as * the previous
question.'

Not very li 'j^, before I visited a place in Tennessee, a
delegation from u district in which there w^as not a single

'WK WANT TO BKCOME CATHOLICS.'

479

e : and that

the ^;i',!M\jbt

Catholic waited on an IhhIi priont of my acquaintance;
thtiir object bcinj: to consult with him an to the tVasihihty
of buiUlinf,' a Catholic church in the place. 'A CathoUc
clinrch!' exclaimed the priest, 'what can you want of a
Catholic church, and not a Catholic in the i)lace?' The
answer was remarkable : *We here are all ex-soldiers, and
have been in the war; and when we returned, the preachers
— Methodists, Presbyterians, and others — asked us to join
their clnirchca, as before. We said nothing at the time, but
held a meetings, and sent this reply : " Before the war,
you told us that Catholics were capable of comniitting
every crime ; that priests and nuns were all bad alike.
We went to the war ; we were in hosj)itals, and we met
members of our own society there ; but the only persons
who did anything for us, or cared anything about us, were
these same Catholics, the Priests and Sisters that you so
represented to us. Wo were in the prisons of the North,
and it was the same. Now what you told us about Cath-
olics was not true. ^ Wo can't have any further confidence
in you, and we will have nothing more to do with you. If
we be anything, we will be Catholics." That was our
reply ; and we now come to consult a Catholic priest, to
see how best we may carry out our intentions, and become
Catholics.

The above I give, not because it is the most remarkable
of such applications, which are very numerous, and are
constantly made in many dioceses throughout the States.
The majority of another such 'delegation' told the bishop
on whom they waited that they had been strong Know
Nothings before the war ; and one of them declared that
he had assisted to ' tar and feather ' a priest, and that in
so doing he thought he was doing a service to God ! * W^e
don't know what the doctrines of your Church are ; these
we desire to learn ; but thougli we don't know its doc-
trines, wx' have seen its conduct during the war, and that
conduct we admired.

480

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

ff9

I'-.i

-■^itm

;is«i

TLat tho Histers— those truost expoiientR of Catliolio
charity —will tho respect of ProtoF^aiits at other timen
tliau (Inrijij^. ^yar, aiul in tho ordinary dischar^^o of their
duty, wo have a proof in tho following,' incident : —

Tlio Archbishop of San Francisco and other Cathohc
bishops were on their way to tho Council of Baltimore ;
and as the bishops and the cler<,'y by whom they were
accompanied desired to have the use of an apartment or
cabin, in which IMass could be daily v>ffered up, th($
Archbishop made a request to that elTect to the Captain
of the vessel, who thus replied : * Archbishop, tliers arc
twenty preachers on board who asked ine to allow them
to preach, and I have refused them, because they would
create nothing but confusion. But, Archbishop, thouo-li
I am an Episcopalian, I am much obliged to you. Tho
yellow fever broke out in my crew, and my ministers de-
serted me ; but you sent the Sisters, and they came and
nursed my men all through their sickness. I never can
forgot it ; and whatever I can do for a Catholic bishop or
for the Sisters, I will do most gladl}^ You shall have the
room, Archbishop.'

And as these words are written, the same terrible scourge
is thinning the ranks of the Sisters in Ngw Orleans, many
of whom luive fallen martyrs to their zeal and duty.

A Southern General said to me, 'The war has worn
away many a prejudice against Catholics, such was the
exemplary conduct of the priests in the camp and tho
hospital, and the Christian attitude of the Church during
the whole of the struggle. Many kind and generous acts
were done by tho priests to persecuted ladies, who now
tell with gratitude of their services. Wherever an asyliun
was required, they found it for them. I wish all ministers
had been like tho priests, and we might never have had
this war, or it would not have been so bitter as it was.'

I elsewhere mentioned the munificent mii made bv two
Protestant gentlemen to a Sister in Cincinnati ; and us

SISTER ANTHONY.

481

=! of CatlioHo
i othor times
lar^o of thoir
it:—

tlior Catholic
3f Baltimore ;
•m they were
apartment or
n-ed up, tho
» the Caj)tai]i
op, tlioro arc
o allow them
3 they would
shop, thouo-h
o you. Tho
ministers de-
ey came and
I never can
lie bishop or
liall have the

rible scourge
'rleans, many
hity.

ar has worn
ich was the
mp and tho
Lurcli during
onerous acts
3s, who now
3r an asylum
all ministers
er have had
it was.'
nado bv two
lati ; and aa

that munificent gift— of a splendid hospital— is Imt one,
though a striking proof of the influence Avhich the work
of the Sisters has had on the enlightened Prot(>stant min<l
of America, something may be said of the o])ject of that
donation. There is nothing remarkable in tlio personal
appearance of Sister Anthony— nothing of the stately or
the majestic— nothing that harmonises with the romantic
or the poetical. Sister Anthony is sallow in complexion,
worn in feature, but with a bright intelligent look, and an
air of genuine goodness. Though tlioroughly unaffected
in manner, and without the faintest trace of shov.% every
word she utters betrays an animating spirit of piety, an
ever-present consciousness of her mission— which is, to do
good. One feels better in her presence, Hfted up, as it were,
into a purer and brighter atmosphere. In accent and man-
ner she is strongly American ; and had I not been assured
by herself that she was born in Ireland— somewhere, I be-
lieve, between Limerick and Tipperary— I should have taken
her for a 'full-blooded American,' that is, if Sister Anthony
could be taken for a 'full-blooded' anything. For a con-
siderable time Sister Anthony held a subordinate position,
to which she thoroughly adapted herself ; but it was im-
possible she could continue to conceal her great natural
ability and talents for organisation and management. Her
first important work was the establishment of the Hospital
of St. John, which became so famous and so popular under
her management, that the most distinguished physicians of
Cincinnati sent their patients to her care. In this hospital
Sister Anthony made herself perfect in the science of nursing
the sick. When the war broke out, she, with twelve Sisters,
took charge of the Field Hospital of the Armies of tho
Cumberland and the Tennessee, and nursed tho wounded
and the sick in the South and South-West during its con-
tinuance. Such was tl^ estimate formed of tho services
of these and other Sisters of the same institution, as well
as of the Catholic Chaplains, that the Generals in com-

.482

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

V^>x^

mand frequently wrote to Arclibisliop Purcell, asking for
• more Priests and more Sisters, they were so full of devo-
tion to their duty.' Nearly aU of those Sisters were, like
Sister Anthony, Irish. Her influence was immense. Even
the surliest official or stiffest martinet could not resist
Sister Anthony. There was a contagion in her goodness.
Some years before, when in a subordinate capacity in the
Orphan Asylum under the care of her Order, Sister An-
thony was in the market, bargaining for chickens to make
broth for some sick children, when the salesman, perhaps
wearied of her importunity, said— 'If you were a pretty
woman, I'd talk to you longer ; but you are so darnd
"gly, you may go your ways, and take the chickens at your
own price.' Sister Anthony, who never gave a thought to
her personal appearance, good-humouredly accepted the
comphment which ensured her a profitable bargain for her
poor httle chicks in the asylum. But the wounded sol-
dier on the hospital pallet was not of the fowl -merchant's
opinion ; the sick man saw everything good and beautiful
in the countenance of the nurse who smoothed his pillow
with hand light as a feather's weight, and, with voice
attuned to the tenderest compassion, won him to hope and
resignation. At the mere whisper of the name of Sister
Anthony, the eye of the invahd brightened, and a pale
flush stole over his wasted cheek ; and when it was men-
tioned in the presence of strong men, it was received with
a hearty blessing or a vigorous cheer. Protestant and
Catholic alike reverenced Sister Anthony. There was no
eulogium too exaggerated for her praise, or for their grati-
tude. She was stylea ' the Ministering Angel of the Army
of the Tennessee,' and Protestants hailed her as 'an angel
of goodness.' And at a grand re-union, in November 1800,
of the generals and ofiicers of the army in whose hospitals
Sister Anthony had served, her name was greeted with en-
thusiastic applause by gallant and grateful men.
The United States Marine Hospital, constructed at a

I, asking for
full of devo-
irs were, like
lense. Even
d not resist
er goodness,
pacity in the
', Sister An-
iens to make
aan, perliajis
3re a pretty
'e so darnd
iens at your
. thought to
ccepted the
jain for her
ounded soi-
l-merchant's
ad beautiful
d his pillow
with voice
to hope and
le of Sister
and a pale
t was men-
iceived with
testant and
ere was no
their grati-
f the Army
J *an angel
inber 1800,
3e hospitals
3d with en-

icted at a

SISTER ANTHONY. ^gg

70,000 doUars, at which price it was purchased by two
Protestant gentlemen, and by them ' donated ' to Sister
Anthony, and is known by the beautiful and fehcitous title
the Hospital of the Good Samaritan.' This fine institu-
tion is now at the service of the sick and suffering of
Cmcmnati. These generous Protestant gentlemen were
known to Sister Anthony, and she to them. Some time
before, It was her intention to build, and in the course of
a few months she obtained 30,000 dollars to aid her in
her task. But, changing her mind, from not wishing to
undertake so great a work as she at first contemplated, she
determmcd to refund every dollar of the money. When
she came to those two gentlemen, she tendered to them
their hberal subscription ; but they refused to accept it
saying: 'No; we gave at to God. We cannot take it

Sister Anthony is not insensible to the influence she
exercises, as the foUowing brief dialogue will show •-

Szster Anthony (to a friend J. I guess I want this hospital
pam ed. I guess Mr. -^ (mentioning the name of a
worthy citizen) will paint it.

Friend. Why. sister! he is not a painter; he is a

grocer. ' "

Siller Anlhomj. I tnow that, child ; but he is a rich man
and he will have to paint it.

And it was just as Sister Anthony said. He had to paint
it,^and he felt honoured by the distinction conferred upon

One day Sister Anthony was transacting some business
m the city with the prosperous owner of a large store.
\Vhen the busmess was concluded, the owner said : 'Sister
whore IS your conveyance-your horse and buggy_to take

«. -store-4- ^Tfe 1:fn^e- fHr X tt

484

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

■rsm

last fifty yecars is still very good, but the horses want
shoeing,' answered Sister Anthony, pointing to her shoes,
which were in the very last stage in which that {irticl^ of
dress could possa)ly exist. A box of the best shoes was at
once supplied to Sister Anthony's well-employed ' horses.'

I present Sister Anthony only as a type, not of her ovv-n
noble Order, but of all idndred Orders ; for, throughout
the United States, there are hundreds of Sister Anthonys,
who, like her, have been styled 'ministering angels,' and
' angels of goodness ; ' at the mention of whose honoured
names blessings rise from the hearts to the lips of grateful
men, and mothers in distant homes pray at night for those
who nursed their wounded sons in the hospital, or minis-
tered to them in the prison.

Whether in the hospital and the prison, qy on the field
of battle, the Catholic Chaplain won the respect of all
classes and ranks of men. I have heard soldiers of world-
wide fame speak with enthusiasm of the gallantry and
devotion of the Cathohc Mihtary Chaplains, who calmly
performed their duty amidst the fury of conflict, and while
bullets whistled by them, and shells shrieked as they
passed over their heads. The idea of danger may cross
the mind of the Catholic priest, but it never deters him
from the diy^harge of his duty, which is performed as
coolly on the battle-field as in the wards of an hospital.
Soldier of the Cross, he encounters danger in every form
and under every aspect. AVithout departing in the least
from his ordinary course, or making the slightest attempt
at display, the Catholic Priest— so long the object of the
foulest calumny and the most disgusting ribaldry— found
in the events of the war daily opportunities of exhibiting
himself in his true hght ; and soon was suspicion changed
into confidence, and prejudice into respect. Unswerving
attention to duty is the grand characteristic of the Cathohc
priest ! and when the non-Catholic officer or private found
the priest always at his post, attending on the siek, raising

THE CATHOLIC CHAPLAIN.

485

horses want
o her shoes,
at article of
shoes was at
(1 ' horses.'
of her ovv'ii
throuijfhout
3r Anthonys,
angels,' and
se honoured
i of grateful
ht for those
il, or niinis-

on the field
spect of all
rs of world-
illantry and
who calmly
it, and while
:ed as they
r may cross

deters him
3rformed as
an hospital.

every form
in the least
best attempt
bject of the
Idry — found
•f exhibiting
ion changed
Unswerving
the CathoHc
■ivate found
siek, raising

the drooping spirits of the patient, preparing the dying
for their last hour, he could not help contrasting the un-
tiring devotion of the Catholic Chaplain with the lax zeal
—if zeal it could be called— of too many of those who
assumed that office, or that distinctive title, durixig the
war. When men are stretched on a sick bed, and they
depend so entirely for assistance or rehef on the attention
and kindness of those around them, they form rapid and
unerring estimates of merit ; and if they cannot be deceived
by the sham nurse or the worthless physician, neither
can they be hoodwinked by pharisaical cant or religion. s
pretension. The genuine metal was tested in the fire of
the crucible, and was admitted to be sterling.

Throughout the war the Catholic priest acted in the
spirit of his Church. The Church was a peace-maker,
not a partisan. So were her ministers. It little mattered
to the priest at which side the wounded soldier had
fought, or in what cause the prisoner had been made
captive; it was sufficient for him to know that the sick
and the imprisoned stood in need of his assistance, which
he never failed to afford. The Church deplored the out-
break of war, mourned over its horrors, and prayed for its
cessation. As with the Church, so with the priest. It is
not in human nature to suppose that the Catholic priests
did not feel a sympathy^ with one side or the other ; but
no weakness common to humanity could deaden the feel-
ing of charity, which is the living principle of Catho-
licity; and while the Federr' Chaplain ministered to the
Confederate soldier or prisoner, the Confederate Chaplain
ministered with equal care and sohcitude to the soldier
who fought under the banner of the Union. This CathoHo
cnarity — this spiritual bridging over of the yawning gulf
of raging passions— produced a deep impression on the
minds of thoughtful men. Many instances might be told
of the manner in which this feeling operated on the minds
of individuals ; one will suffice :

486

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

*R?

•J

■m

A lawyer of Louisiana was practising in Missouri at the
opening of the war; and being known as a Confederate
sympathiser, was arrested, and sent as a prisoner to Fort
Warren, in E ^ston Harbor. He had studied law in
Boston, where he imagined he had made several lasting
friends of members of his profession. Taking means to
communicate with some of those on whom he most relied
for sympathy, if not for assistance, he informed them of
his position, and besought their aid, in the name of
friendship and the memory of the pleasant days of the
past ; but he appealed in vain — fear of being compromised
by a suspected rebel, or the bitter prejudice born of the
hour, was too strong to be overcome by a momentary im-
pulse ; and the prisoner languished in captivity. They —
the friends of his youth — came not; but an Irish priest
did. Attracted to the prisoner by feelings of compassion,
he comforted and consoled him, and assisted him to the
utmost of his means and influence. That lawyer learned
to love the Church of which that priest was a worthy
minister ; and his own words may throw light on his con-
version, which took place soon after : — 'Looking back
upon the war, I see that the Protestants of the North
were charitable to their own side, and that the Protestants
of the South were very charitable to their side; but the
Catholics are the only body of Christians who practised
charity ybr its own sake, irrespective of politics, and who
did so even when it was unpopular, if not dangerous for
them to do so.'

The lawyer who languished in the prison of Boston
Harbor was not the only one who experienced the value
of a charity which has neither sect nor party, and knew no
difference between cause or banner in that hour of national
convulsion.

There was one other influence, potent in dispelling the
dark preiudices imbibed in infancv, and fostered bv fana-
tical teachers ; this was the faith, the piety, the resignation

souri at the
Confederate
)ncr to Fort
;lied law in
ieral lasting
ig means to
most relied
ed tliem of
e name of
days of the
omj)romised
born of the
iientary im-
ty. They—
Irish priest
compassion,

him to the
yev learned
s a worthy

on his con-
oking back
' the North
Protestants
le ; but the
lo practised
!S, and who
ngerous for

. of Boston

d the value

nd knew no

of national

spelling the
ed bv fana-
resignation

THE IRISH SOLDIER IN THE HOSPITAL.

487

of the Irish Cathohc soldier, of whatever rank, as he lay
wounded or dying in the hospital. In the devotedness of
the Sister and the Priest there was a beautiful exemplifi-
cation of the spirit of Christian Charity ; in the unmur-
muring resignation of the Catholic Soldier there was the
irresistible evidence of Christian Faith. Many a proud
scoffer, to whom the very name of Catholic had been
odious, received his first impression of the truth from the
edifying demeanour of some Irish soldier who lay in
anguish by his side, and who, before he rushed into the
thickest of the fight, had not been ashamed to crave the
blessing of his priest. It was the same in the hospitals of
the States as in tJ>p hospitals of the Crimea.

488

THE IRISH IN AMKUICA.

CHArTER XXVII.

Ciitholic Education -Tho Ciitlwolic Church in Advance of the
Age— Catholic Tcacliiiig favoiir;il)l« (o Parenlal AuUiorily—

riotostiint coiilldence in truo CuthoiicH The Lihcrul Amciican

Trotestant --Catholie SchooIs-^-Tlie Sister in the Scliool and the
Asylum - ProteHtant Conlidence in (^>i)v.'iit Scliools The Cliris-
tian Hrolliers— Other Teaching Orders Fioin tlie Camp to tlio
School.

FROM the earliest moment that a Catholic commuiuty
was gathered tooether in the United States, it songlit
to train its youth in the principles of religion. The history
of Catholic education in America would form a story of tlio
deepest interest to tliose wlio reverence steadfastness and
courage. It w<juld record privations clieerfully endured,
poverty and want heroically disregarded. But the grand
object — the moral training of the young — successfully
advanced. Tho efforts of the clergy to promote this
essential object have been almost marvellous, considering
the difficulties of their position and the smallness of their
means, as well as the influences which opposed them ; but
the result would have been scanty and partial, were there
not the devotedness and self-sacrifice of holy women to
appeal to. The same spirit that inipelled the Sister to
brave the perils of the fever shed and cholera ward gave
her fortitude to endure the drudgery of teaching in tho
crowded school ; and, thanks alike to the energy of the
religious communities throughout the United States, and
the respect in which they and their work are held, femalQ
education for Catholic youth is now provided for to a very
large extent. There is much more to be done, but vast
things have been ali'eady accomplished.

CATHOLIC EDUCATION.

489

ice of the
iithorily —
AiiiciiiNin
)1 and Did
riic Clii-isi-
n\p to flio

conniiuiuty

S, it ROll^llt

The history
story of t]iG
istness and
ly endured,

the grand
successfully
3mote this
considering
ess of their
them ; but
were there

women to
e Sister to
ward gave
ling in the
rgy of the
States, and
leld, femalQ
)r to a very
Q, but vast

The Catholic Church holds that religious education is
necessary for the children of its (iomnuiuion. ()tli(u-s may
hold diilV'rent notions ; but this is its (IxcmT and unalterable
belief. N<n' is it singular in this n^siieet. If it be a grave
error to consider that it is well to form and mould the
moral nature of youth, while you develop and strengtlKUi
its intellectual fa(rulti(3S, that error is shared in common
with the most advanced nations of Europe, — Protestant
Prussia ami Protestant England — Catholic Austria and
Catholic France. Fortunately for the future of the Irish

* AcconUnR to tlio Prussian Oonatitiition, aloptoil tlio Hist of Januiiry, lHr)i),
it is pi'uvlilod that 'in tlio iuaii;i;,'(!ini;iit of tiio I'ublic Sdiool.s tlio amfrssioiKtl
relations muHt bo kept lu view im mucli as poHHiblo.' IJy 'conf'tiHHioiial nlatioim'
ore incaiit rdinioiiH tlciiomiiiiitionH. 'J'lin'o (-laHscs of schools aro Htriftly do-
uomiiiational,— KUsmcutiiry Schooln, Normal ScIiooIh, and {jryiunaHiiims.

ELEMKNTAttX SCHOOLS. 'IlitTo irt iio niixeil school, HaVn only in a locality
In which, from tiio nniullni'sH of the poimlatioii, two schools cainiot bo niain-
taiiuHl ; and in such case the faith of ttie children is rif^idly i)r(>teetud. Each
Elementary School has a Local Inspector and a School Committee. The Local
Inspector of the Catholii! school is invariably the I'ai'i.sh I'riest. Tho Head
Inspector is tho Caiholic Dean, tho district being cotermiuous with the ecclc-
Biastical division.

NoBMAL Schools. These schools aro for tlio teaching and trainin;^ of
Teachers. There are, in Protestant Prussia, as in Protestant England, Catholic
Normal Schools for Catholics, as well as Protestant Normal Schouls for Protes-
tants. Ill tho Catholic School tho President is a priest, and all tho toachera
aro Catholics. The President is appointed by tho King ; but, before recora-
mending h'.i appoiniinent, the Minister is bound to consult the Catholic liiahop of
the dio'"''' and to recommend a person fiiUy appioved by him.

Tb' '>ooks in tho Catholic Normal School aro prescribed by th*

Bishop ; class boo'-s in which matter dangerous to faith or morals

may pcssi"* •• are submitted to the Bishop, who has a veto on their

S'lectiou.

Tho pupil of uiO Catholic Xormal School, though successful in examination,
cannot receive his or her ' patent,' or diploma, without the concnrrent approbation
cf tho Government Commissioner and Ih't Bishop.

Tho Gymnasiums aro as strictly denominational as tho Elementary and Normal
Schools.

Catholics are represented on tlio Education Board by a special member of tho
Privy Council of the Minister of Public Instruction, who is the oflicial organ of
tho Catliolics. The Collegiate system is, as yet, only approximating to tho
same principle of strict and rigitl impartiality ; but it is to bo hoped tho higher
chicational institutions will, ere long, assimilate to those of the primary and
secondary classes.

So much for Protestant Prussia, whose National Education in its main
features, is very similaj to that of Protestanf England. We may nfw see in

490

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

iii America, tliis is the l)elief of tbo best find pfreatest
poitioii of tlic Catholic population tlirouyhout tlio United
8tatc8. To obtain the advanta^jos of strictly rciligiou.s
traininjLj for their children, Catholics musit of necessity
make lar<^c sacriiices. They have no option but to pay
the tax for the maintenance of the Public Schools, to
which all cla!-;::^s have free access, and in which all receive
a gratuitous and liberal education ; but while Catholics
pay their quota of the public rate, they assess themselves
voluntarily for the support of the schools of which their
Church approves. There have been unavoidable defects
in the Catholic schools in some districts, and under certain
circumstances ; it being difficult for a poor congregation,
that has everything to provide, everything to accompHsh,
to vie with the State in the character and material of its

^hat manner a Catholic nation respects the conscientious convictions of the
tuinoriiy of its poptilation.

Of Catholic Austria, Mr. Kay, a recognised authority on matters of education,
ftnd a Protestant, thus writes :—

'The most interesting and satisfactory feature of the Austrian system is the
great libiralitij with wliicli the Government, although so stauncli an adherent
and supporter of the llomanist priesthood, has treated the religious parties who
differ from themselves in their re-ligious dogmas. It has been entirely owing to
this lilieraliij/, that neithcsr tlie great number of the sects in Austria, uor the great
difler.ni'es of their religious tc^nets, have hindered the work of the education of the
poor throughout the empire. Here, as elsewhere, it has been demonstrated tliat
such ilifficuliivs may be eadly overcome, when a Government understands bow to
raise a nation in civilisation, and wishes earnestly to do so.

'Intliose parislies of the Austrian empire where there are any dissenters from
the llomanist Church, the education of their children is not directed l)y the
priests, bu' is commuted to the care of th-. dissenlin^ miniscrs. Those latter are
empowered and i-i-quind by Government to provide for, to watch over,- and to
promote the education of the children if their oum. sects, In the same manner as the
priests are required to do for the education of their children.'

Tlie same writer thus disposes of the alleged ditHculty — some will say im-
possll)ilitv— of dealing with this great question on principles of strict and im-
partial justice to all. It is of Catholic J^tates he now writes :—

'.And yet in these countries— .\ustria, Bavaria, and the Rhino Provinces, and
the Catholic Swiss Can'ous — the difficulties arising from religious diiTcnnieiis
hare be^n overrmne, and nil ti.eir children have b'cn brought under the inflneua; of
religious education withoi.i any religious iwty having been offended.'— Kay, vol. ii.,
page 3.

May not Young America learn a lesson, in this respect, from tJie modcru
talixhtcunaeut of venerable but progrorisive Europe 7

.11(1 f^rentest
tlio United
\y religious
)f iiGccHsity
but to i)!iy
Schools, LO
li all roceivo
CutliolicH
tboiiiHclvcs
which their
ible defects
ider certain
►ngregation,
accomi)lish,
-terial of its

victione of the

rs of I'diication,

. system Is the
ch an adherent
oua parties wlio
•nlirely owing to
a, uor the great
iducation of the
monstratod tliat
rstaudu how to

dissenters from
lirccted by the
hoso latter are
kh over,- and to
manner as tho

le -will say im-
strict and im-

Provinces, and
ons diffcnuuMis
llu! wfineno'. of
'—Kay, vol. ii.,

n the modcru

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN ADVANCR OP TUE AGE. 191

schools. Defects there have boon, and thoro must bo for
a time ; but these have been wisely borne with, so long as
they were unavoidable ; for whatever inferiority there may
have been, or may still bo, in one respect, it has been
more than comp'msated by immeasurably greater ad-
vantages. But these defects belong rather to the past,
and to parishes still in their first difhc;ulties of church
building and other costly undertakings of a hiiidrcd
nature — not to parishes in which tho main wants have
been provided for, or where the schools have been any
time estaf)lislied. On tho >H>»ntravy, there are numerous
instances in which the Catholic school is greatly su^xirior
to the Public School, and where the Catholic college puts
to shame the most advanced of thfe, educational institutions
of the State. Notwithstanding tho stupid assertions of tho
bigoted oiN^p ignorant, tho Church never did lag behind in
the march oiitutellect ; it has ever put itself in the van of
the intellectual movement in every country.* It thoroughly
comprehends its position, its responsibility, and its duty ;
and while it is solicitous for the spiritual welfare of its
flock, it never disdains tho task of fitting youth f(3r tho
practical business of daily life, and the varied pursuits and
duties of citizenshij).

* Mr. Kay, whose anti-Catholic prejudieo breathes in every page of his work,
thus refutes the old calumny against tlio Church: —

' In Catholic Germany, in Krance, and even in Italy, tho education of the
coTnraon people in reading, ' riting, arithmetic, music, manners, and morals, is
at least as generally dilVuseci .md as faiilifiilly promoted by tho clerical body as
in S(;citland. /; is bn ilvir own wlvanci; and not bij hepiiig liafk the advance of the
]>i'ni-lc, that the l'o]ii!th iiric^lhood of the jiresenl day frcks tn ki'i-p ahnid of the in-
ti'lle/iital proircsn of the. communily in Calh'dic lawls ; and they miglit perliaps
retort on our Prcsbyt(!rian clergy, and ask if (hnj too are, in their countries, at
tho head of the intellectual movement of the age? Edura'ion is in reality not
only vol suppressed, tiid is eneoii aged, by the I'opish Chwch, and is a mighty
instrument in its hands, and ably used. In every street of Home, for instance,
there are, at short distances, public piiniiiry schools for the education of the
children of the lower and middle classes in the neighbourhood Home, with a
p()l)ulation (if 158,000 souls, has 372 put/lie prin n-y schools, with 48'2 ^■ t'/ier-,
jinil 14,000 childrm attending them. Has Edinburgh so manv schools for the
instruction of these classes? I doubt it. IJerlin, with a population alunit
double that of Homo, has only 2(i4 schools. Rome lias also her I niversity, with
an average atteiidince of (500 studems ; and the Papal States, witli a population
of 2,r)00,000, contains 7 uuiv(;rsities. Prussia, with a population of 14,000,000, has
but 7 •

This was written beforw the dismemberment of the Papal States by the Pope'.<
ally, the King of t^ardinia

492

THE iniSII IN AMEIIICA.

ill?" M

: -I

■m

itiM

How ominoiiUy i)rrictu*iil is tho truiiiin^- ^i\cn iu Amoricfi
under tlio uuHpiocs of (he Catliolic Clmicli, iniiy bo uiulor-
Rtood fi'uiu the folio wiii;L4- doHcriptioii of tlio HyHteiu luloptod
in tlio schools of tlio Sisters of Mort'y. The siuno system,
I niiiy romiirk, is common to the rolij^ious communities of
the United Stiit(!s. The writer is a Sister of the Order of
Mercy, who thus writes to a friend, from a convent in
Missouri. The letter is dated the iid of June 1807 : —

'Two pointH of (lilli'i-cMico butwecn our hcIiooIh and tlio riiblio
'SchoolH I will noto : with m, children of every class Isam to work,
•devoting nearly two hours a day to it; drawing is als/b taught in
'coniu'ction with fancy work. We believo it of the greatest import
'anco to bring up our childniu to industrious iiablts. especially in a

* country like this, where reverses arc ho common, and where people
•ttre often so Hu<ld(;nly thrown upon their own resources. The public
'common schools never teach manual work of any kind— hence their
'rapilsgrow up with a sort of contempt for it. and, in case of family
'reverses, find it dillicult to hit upon any honest way of earning a live-
'lihood. They are willing to take professions, but dislike much to

• apply to trades. Many i'rotestants of the more sensible classes een<l
'their children to us on this account. In some places the school
'authorities huve given several public schools to the Sisters of Mercy,
'who now teach them iu theso '— the places mentioned— ' and other
'places.'

The writer explains the other feature of interest, which
is of scarcely less importance : —

'Wo develop in our pupils a taste for useful and elegant reading,
'not always or necessarily ndigious, but in all cases perfectly unex-
'ceptionable. By thus cultivating their tastes, we hope to give them
'rational occupation for their leisure, and to hinder them from con-
'tracting a liking for foolish or pernicious reading. I need not tell
'you thut the other schools do not take this precaution, and the
' consequence may be seen in the immense circulation of works of a
'deleterious character, which are eagerly read, even by children, and
' to which much of the crime so prevalent may be traced. Circulating
' libraries are established in common with our schools, sodalities, &c.'

* It is hard to bring up youth, especially boys, iu thi .;
country,' has been the grave complaint of Irish fathers to
whom I spoke on tins Buliiecl', or who themselves mado

FAVOURABLE TO I'AUKNTAL AUTIIOUITV.

•103

I ill Amoricft
y l)o uudor-
,em adopted
luno Hy.stoin,
imuuiticH of
10 Order of
conveiit in
()7 :—

(1 the Piiblio
Isarn to work,
),\ifb tauj^ht in
■L'iitcst i 111 port
specially in a
whero pcoplo
^. Tilt' public
i — liL'iice thoir
caso of liimily
eaniinif a livo-
lilvo much to
I clasac'H send
L'S tlie Hchool
;t'rs ol" Jforcy,
I — * and otliei'

)rest, which

jfiint reading,
.'rlbctly unex-
to give tliera
era from con-
need not tell
tion, and the
)f works of a
children, and
. Clrciilatiug
lities, &c.'

yys, in thi ;
L fathers to
o1vp« inn do

it ono of aiixiotiH roinark. TliiH is felt moro kcciilv by
parentH who liavo reared eliildren in tho old country an
well as in America. In Ireland tho family ties aro wtrouj,'
and enduring', while respect for parents and defereiu^e to
parental authority is tho characteristic of tho country
—of all but tho vicious and tho worthless. Tho mind
of Ireland tends to moral conservatism,— it reverences
authority, eminently that of the parent or tho pastor.
It is otherwiso in America, whose institutions, no less
than tho circumstances of a country yet in its early youth,
aro favourable to tho most complete personal independence.
When guided by reason, and controlled by the reli<,nous
princiiile, nobility of cluiracter and dignity of bearing
aro tho natural result of this consciousness of personal as
well as public freedom; but without such controlling in-
fluences, this inde]K)nd(mco too often degenerates into a
manner jind tone of thought which is neither admirable nor
attractive. Tho youth of the country rapidly catch the
prevailing spirit, and thus become impatient of restraint
at a period of life when restraint is indispensable to their
future well-being. This is peculiarly observiiblo in tho
youth who are educated in the Public Schools. Tho boy
who is trained in these institutions is too apt to disregard,
if not altogether despise, that authority which is held so
sacred in Ireland ; and once this first and holiest of all
influences is lost, on goes the headlong youth, recldess of
consequences, and the slave of every impnlse. There is
nothing more graceful than modesty in youth, and that
proper respect which it manifests towards ago and worth.
Self-esteem, not reverence, is the bump which the Pubhc
School system of America — a system purely secular —
develops ; and of all the pupils gathered within the walls
of these schools, none arc so quick to catch and reflect
the prevailing influence as the children of tho Irish. The
young urchin of eight or ten is not a littlo proud of the
distinction of beinf*" a free and indenondent citizen of tho

494

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

■11

■'■m

Great Reimblic ; and it may bo doubtod if tho pity wliich
ho occa.sioiiiiUy feols for his liomcly and nuaffoctc'd Irisli
fatlior i.s not nncorsoioiiHly tiiictiUHHl with Native Aniericiiii
contt'ni])t for tho 'foreigner,' and tho 'Pat.'

Tho Catliohc Schools, on tlio (contrary, inculcate obedi-
ence to parental authority— respect for the head of tlu^
family— r(>verencc for holy ihinos,— for Avhat is great and
good and noble ; Avhile at the same time they carefully
l)repare their pupils for the ordinary pursuits of hfe, and
fit them to make their way in tho world, by honesty,
industry, and intelligence. They send the youth better
armed into the world to fight his way against difficulty
and temptation, and they give him a resource on which he
may fall back at every jicriod of his future career. A
sound Catholic education affords the best protection against
the blight of indifferentism, which is a dangerous evil to
tho Irish in America — to that portion of tho population
whose conduct is most severely scrutinised, or who are
regarded, at least by some, and those not a few, with sus-
picion or dislike.

This system of education extends, while it secures, the
legitimate influence of the Church ; and that influence is
beneficial in a worldly and temporal point of view, as well
as in the inner life of the Catholic. Whatever the preju-
dice of a class of Americans, they are, on the whole, a
just and generous people, thoroughly alive to real merit,
and ready to appreciate and confide in it. They may not
admire the Cathohc religion in the abstract ; they may
object to its tenets, or they may attribute to tho Church
principles and a poHcy which have been, times without
number, repudiated and disproved ; but they instinctively
admire and respect a Cathohc who is not ashamed to admit
his loyalty to his creed, and who exhibits in his life and
conduct the influence of its teaching. There are in New
York, as in the other cities of America, merchants and
bankers and men of business who listen with grave atten-

PROTESTANT CONFIDENCE IN TRUE CATHOLICS. 495

pity which
Lictcd Irish
3 Amcric'iii

3atG obt'di-
JtuI of tho
groiit jiiid
y carefully
)f life, and
Y honesty,
nth better
t difficulty
n which he
career. A
^on against
•us evil to
population
r who are
, with sus-

Dcures, the
ifluence is
;w, as well
the preju-
i whole, a
real merit,
iy may not
they may
ho Churcli
;s without
stinctively
d to admit
is life and
re in New
iianta and
ave atten-

tion, if not warm approval, to inflammatory harangues

one cannot call tliom sermons, for a sermon suggests tho
idea of a i-eligious discourse — against 'Popery and its
abominations ; ' who will even join in a crusade against
Catholic fran(!hises and freedom— who will contribute
largely, and even munificently, to tho funds of some
aggressive organisation or hostile in8titution~wlio will
countenance a wrong done, if not to parental authority,
at least to religious hberty and Christian charity, in tho
persons of miserable children, the victims of poverty or
neglect ; — but the same merchants, l^ankers, and men of
business will pLu^e implicit confideiice in the honesty and
fidelity of Catholics— Irish Catholics too— whom they know
to bo devoted to their Church, and constant in the perform-
ance of their religious duties. Nay, tho very men who do
not hesitate to indulge in the common cant about priests
and confession, will privately enquire whether the Catholic
whom they employ attends his churcli, and complies with
its spiritual obligations. These men will place their banks,
their warehouses, their offices, their concerns, in tho cus-
tody of humble Irishmen of the class who consider that
true fidelity to their native country includes unswerving
devotion to its ancient faith. In New York there are few
places of business which are not confided to the vigilant
custody of Irishmen of this stamp ; and rarely has this
confidence been violated. Money, documents, goods, valu-
able effects of all kinds, are constiintly under their hands,
and at their mercy ; but no doubt arises as to the trust-
worthiness of the guardian or the safety of the i^roperty.
Probably, if the proprietor learned that the guardian of
his property had ceased to be a practical Cathcjlic, his
confidence would not remain long unshaken ; and thus the
same man of experience and intellect who allowed himself
to be deluded by all nnmner of anti-Catholic nonsense,
would be the first to recognise, in his own interest, how
salutary was the influence of the Church over the con-

49G

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

scionoos of tlioso who ^vcr(! faitlil'ul to iIh in-ccopts. Aiul,
in their qiiii^i, liiuublo unobtrusive way, tho Irish CuthoHcs
who hvo in uccordjinco -svith i\\o toiirhin^-s of thoir Church
— who, steady, sober, dih^oiit, fiiitlifiil, are as soh(utous for
tlu) welfare of tlieir eiuployerH as for th(Mr own lulvance-
nieut, — Irishmen of this class not only maintain tho lionour
of their country and the truth of thoir relij^ioii, but do
much to r(>move prejudice, and brin^- about conversions.

Tho aamo applies to Irish Catholics of dilVerent classes,
and to women as well as men. Even bifjfoted mistresses
and employers will pre; for the testimony of tho Priest or
tho Sister to all other testimonies as to the character and
conduct of a Catholic girl or woman, and will al'tbrd her
faxulities to 'go to her duty ' — will evcji reproach her if
she appear to bo lax or indillerent; which, however, is not
connnon with Irish Catholic fcnuales, Tlius, in a nuu'o
worldly or temporal point of view, practical adh(!ren(!e to
their Church is benelicial to Catholics in America ; and to
Catholic teaching alone is this adherence- this noble yet
unobtrusive loyalty — to bo looked for in the rising gcaie-
ration of that race whoso fidelity to their faith has been
tested by centuries of persecution.

To provide wlrnt they rightly consider to bo tho best
education for their children, Catholics fr<!(!ly tax them-
selves ; but among the generous contributors to Catholic
schools are American Protestants, who desire to promote
education wherever they can, and who recognise in Catho-
lic teaching a benefit to the connnunity as well aa to
the individual. They are specially pleased to witncs/j tho
attention bestowed by the clergy on the schools of i'leir
parish, tho pride they manifest in tlieir improvement, and
tlie cfibrts they make to induce cleaidiness of ])ersou, de-
cency of dress, and propriety of demeanour. It is cu)3toni-
ary for the priest to refuse admittance to the child unloj^^is it
is clean and properly clad, the priest knowing well thai L'lo
vice, not the poverty of the i^arent, is the cause of the

'copis. And,
■isli (lii( holies
llKiir Cluu-ch
S()li(nl,()iis for
wn :ulv;ui(H!-
II iho honour
^ioii, but do
ivorwious.
3rent chisscs,
d mistresses
lie Pri(>st or
liiracter and
11 iil'tbrd hov
oach her if
vover, is not
in ii mere
Ldh(!r(!n(!e to
I'iea ; and to
is noble yet
rising j^cuic-
tli has beou

be the best
/■ tax theni-
to Catholic
to promote
Lse in Catho-
well aa to
witness the
)()ls of t'ieir
vement, and
person, de-
ft is cuotoni-
lild nnJobs it
ivell thai Jiio
sauso of Iho

Tin-: LiinoiiAb amkrican i'uotkstant.

497

rondiiion of Ihe child; and very often th(! ])areiit is thus
Bluuued into a s(Mise of deecnuty by the rcibuke inii)lied iu
iliis i-ei'iisal, and the (^liild is soon Jit to [>ass niustcir, juid
to be received among the othrr childi-(!U of the scliool.
The pri«!st also tries to reach the parents tlirough their
c^hildren, ami fre(piently with signal success; the growing
iiitellig(Mice and modest piety of the tihild acts as a check
on the folly of th(5 parciut, aiul brings the indiHerent or
tlie obdurate witliin the salutary inlhu^nce of tlie Church.
"Wliat most impresses the liberal Prot(!stant in his ()l)ser-
vati(m of Cathohc schools is tlio ])aternal soli(Mtndft of tho
pastor for the welfare of his young Ilo(!k. And not only
will a really enlightened non-Catholic; of any (hiiiominatiori
rarely refuse an ai)plication for assistance towards the cx-
hiusiou of Catholic (uliication, should smih be made to him,
but most fr(Mpi(!ntly are voluntary od'erings — and to a con-
siderable amount — made by Protestants who ajjpreciate
the conscientious opposition of the Catholic; chsrgy to any
pystou of training of youth which is not based upon
religion, and who witnciss tho strenuous ell'orts they make
to raise tho standard of teaching in their schools.

.\n unprejudic(id observer — and there are p(u-haps more
of that class in Anuu-ica than in any (;ountry in the world —
will naturally say: 'TJio Catholic Church is responsible
'for tho conduct and charactcir of its flock — rcjsponsiblo
' to the world, as well as to Clod ; it must know what
'description of education is most suited to its youth —
'which system will make them better Christians, iKitter
' mon and women, l)ctter citizens. It is the old(;st Church
'in the world, therefore Lhe ripest in the wisdom of ex-
' perience ; and that experience convinces it that educa-
'lion based on religion — education which comprcshends the
' :;piritual and moral as well as tho inkillectual nature of
'the human being — that which strengthens and purilic.'S
'the heart and moulds tho e /uscicnce, while it develops
'the mind and stores the memory of tho pupil — is that

498

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

Svbich iH t,l)G best pi-eparation for the battle of life. If
llu'ii, tlic Catholic Cliurcli is held re.sj)on.siblc — as iin-
'doiihtedly ?7 is— for the character and conduct of those
' who call thonisolves Catholics, or are recoj^nised as
'Catholics, why should it not adopt and insist upon hav-
ing that system of instruction which it knows to be most
• cojiducivc to the useful end at which it aims ? If we are
•not yet wise enough, or liberal enough, to assist them
'through the State, at least we should do so as indi-
'viduals.'

The educational resources of the Catholic Church of
America— moaning thereby the teachers, the buildings,
and the pecuniary means—are not as yet equal to the
daily-increasing requirements of the country; but thoiigh
they do not and cannot keep pace with the demand made
upon them, they are being steadily and even wondrously
developed. The teaching staff is deficient alone in num-
bers ; its energy, its zeal, and its efficiency are equal to
every legitimate effort. What can be done under the
circumstances is done, and admirably done ; but more
teachers and more schools and larger means are in many,
indeed most instances indispensable. For female schools,
and infant schools for both sexes, tho American Church
can boast of a noble array of the Eeligious Orders, who
are carrying true civilisation into every quarter. Even
while an infant city is struggling into existence, beginning
to dot itself here and there with an odd building in red
brick, you see a convent ; and in the school attached you
hear the grateful hum of youthful voices. The religious
communities in America are numerous, but all are devoted
to works of active, practical usefulness, which even the most
sceptical must appreciate. Among this glorious army of
human benefactors — the most successful civihsers whom
tlie world knows- are the Orders of Charity and Mercy,
of Notre Dnrno, the Saored Hearty tlie Ursulinos, the
Presentation, Benedictines, Dominicans, Franciscans, the

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS.

499

3 of life. If
Iblc — as lin-
net of tlioso
cofvniscd as
t upon liav-
j to be most
? If we are
assist them
so as indi-

Chiircli of
3 buildings,
qual to the
but tlioiigli
iinand made
wondrously
)ne in num-
re equal to

under the
; but more
re in many,
lale schools,
can Church
Orders, who
rter. Even
3, beginning
:ling in red
ttached you
he religious
are devoted
en the most
us army of
isers whom
and Mercy,
>iilinos, the
ciscans, the

Holy Cross, ( •* St. Joseph, of Providence, of the Visitation,
of Nazareth, of Loretto, of the PrcciouH Blood, of the
Holy name of Jesus, and others known to tin* Catholics
of America. For male schools, of every class, the Chui-ch
enjoys the invaluable services of the world-famous Order
of Jesus, whose colleges, academies and schools cannot bo
excelled by any educational establishments in the United
States. To these are added Sulpitians, Franciscans, Vin-
centians, lledemptorists, the Congregation of the Holy
Cross, and the Brothers of the Christian Schools. But
these, and others not particularised, though numerous and
zealous in the cause of Christian education, bear still but a
small proportion to the increasing demand for their teaching.
It is not necessary to give a detailed account oi the
progress of CathoHc education in America. Such is that
progress, that the description of to-day would not sufHce
for to-morrow. Thus in the city of New York there are
now about 30,000 children receiving education in Catholic
schools ; but in all probabihty 40,000 would not fully
represent the number that may be in attendance at the
close of 18G8. SomeA\ liere about 1833, a single priest was
' attending Brooldin,' then regarded as a suburb of New
York ; now there are not fewer than 12,000 Catholic
children in Catholic training in that populous city. In
places which have grown up within the last twenty years,
I found from 12,000 to 15,000 children under various
Religous Orders, notwithstanding that the Public Schools
were likewise in full and successful activity. And even in
small cities there were such numbers as 4,000 and 5,000
and 6,000, while the most strenuous efforts were made by
bishops and priests to extend their school accommodation
and increase the number of their pupils ; and in all cases
the majority of the children were Irish — either Irish born
or the offspring of Irish j)arents. The school that com-
mences with 300 soon expands into 500, and the 500
rapidly grow into 1,000 — and so on. In New York thera

500

TniO IlJIsri IN AMKIUCA.

aro parislios in wliich iho iiittMidiinco in tliclv Oalliolic
rcIiooIh is l)(>hv('(Mi 2,()()() mid .'{,()0(); juul in tlit'sc pjiriHlicH
elloi-ts '.u-o .slill iM!i(l(« lo oxliMid ilio l)l<'s.sin«,'H of ilu* hont
system of ('(liicjilion io lliosc* avIio, ix'rliaps of nil oilier
cliildroii in iho Morld, aro dc'slincd to bo iri(!d by ilio most
dan^-oroiis t(>mplationH. I saw ihroiio;]iout i\w, Hbitos lar«^o
and spacious schools f^iowin^- up in every direction undcsr
the auspices of the Church; and T . ^ vemember Ijow,
wlieu visiting- a Scmtheru ciiy, mIik ' .*« slowly risin<>-

111 ' •' ^

above the aslu\s of its desolation, T was inqiressed with th(»
zeal of the Catholics — mostly Irish — who were croctin«^^ a
line ftMnale school for 500 pupils, which was to bo phic.ed
under tlu> care of Sist(»ra.

AVitluuita conuuunity of Sisters, uo parish, uo Catholic
connnunity is properly provided for; with Sisters the
work of rt'forniation is really hc^nn. Th(nns(4veH examples
of overythiuo- o-ood and holy, o-onllo and relined, tliey soon
exorcise a salutary inlhuuice over adults as well as child-
ren. And what can oipial tlio patience of the Sist(!r in
the daily drud^-ery of the crowded school? It is soiiKithin^'
wonderful, and can only bo accounted for by the lioht in
wliich she reo-ards her work— as a duty acceptable to (rod.
"Whatever she does, her heart is in it ; the motive, object,
feehno-— all exalt and render it sacred in her eyes. It is
the consciousness of the sacredncss of the un's vocation
tliat enables her to go through her laborious duties with
such unfailing regularity and such matchhiss cheerfulness
and patience. Entering any of the free schools of America,
one may see young Sisters, with the bh)om of youth's
freshness on their cheek, as calm and unmoved amidst tho
clatter and clamour of a school of some hundred girls or httle
Voys, as if that cheek had grown pale and worn with ago.
I remember coming into a crowded school in a remote and
not over rich district; the teaching stafif was miserably
small, and each of tho two Sisters had to instruct and
manage a disproportionately large number of young people.

ir Oiilliolic
H(^ pjirislicH
:)!' ih(i best
r all nihvv

>tiit(^H liir;^()
iioii under
inbcr liow,
wly ri,siii<^
(1 with tlu<
ci'0(;tinfif a
bo placed

() Catliolio
>ister8 tlio
3 examples
they KO»)u
I aw cbild-
I Sist(!r in
soiiieihin^
10 li<^-lit in
Lo to God.
vo, object,
yea. It iw
8 vocation
aties with
eerfulness
: America,
)i youth's
,niidst tlio
via or little
with ago.
5mote and
miserably
truct and
ig people.

TlIK SISTKU IN TlIK SCHOOL AND THE ASVbUM.

no I

Ah T raised the latcli of tlio door of tho boys' school - in
which lliere nuist have been seve!ity or eighty hlth; rejjown
of all ages, from foui' oi- live to twelve — tluj <-latler was
jirodigious. But as tho door o])ened, and tho stranger
((Jitered. tlm spell of silonco — unwonlod silence — fell ui)on
th(5 youthful siud(;nts. Tho Sister was a young Irish-
woman; and notwithstanding tho calm scironity of her
countenance, and Iho (rheei-fulness of lusr manner, tJKiro
was sonu'thing of vve-ariness about her eyes - what on<! may
occvisionally remark in the face of a fond mother of a
family on whom slui doats, Init who nra i.ev(irtlieless ' t<^()

«■' '

nuich for hvv.' 'I am afraid, Sistm-,' I I'emai'ked, 'these
young genthiUH^n are a little diirKUilt to manage at timosV*
'Well, certainly, tlmy are a little troublesonni — occrasion-
ally,' she r(![)ru!d ; ' but,' she addcsd, as lu^r ghmco roamed
round the school, and it r(!sted on tlu; familiar features of
HO many h)V(;d ones, and luir voic(i softciuod into tho
sweetest tcmes, 'i)oor little fellows, they are very good on
the whole — inde(!d very good.' I did not remain long;
and as the door closed after me, I knew, by tin; splendid
clatter which was almost instantaneously ren(!wed, that
the trials of the Sister had again begun.

If the patience of tho Sister in the scho(jl-room is
admirable, what can be said of her devotion to the orphan
in the asylum? It is the compensation which religion
malces to the bereaved one for the loss of a mother's love.
The waifs and strays of society are cared f(jr, watched
over with a solicitude which the natural love of a parent
can alone excel, I have seen many such asylums in
America — in tho British Provinces as in the States.
Among those heli^less little Ijoings there is always one
who is sure to be, not better cared for or more beloved,
but the ' pet ' — a tiny toddler, who will cling in the Sister's
robe, or cry itself to sleep in her arms; or the 'prodigy'
of the riper age of three or four — a young gentleman who,
after conquering his bashfulness, will dance an Irish ]ig, or

=,*«*»* *

A02

THE, IllISlI IN AMEillCA.

St*"

■4

:. .ft*

.if

1
3

■■4
<

a nef,'ro brculvdcnvii, or recite a pretty pioiiH verso, or siiif,'
Romothiiifj;' comic (niouj^li to set all the (^liildreii in a roar
of innocent tleli«^lit, in vvhicli the Sister is sure to join. In
one of these asylums I remember to have seem, in the
centre of a large apartment, occupied as a day room by
the youngest children, a coiich, on which lay a helpless
and hopeless infant cripple ; and how the poor little thing,
whose feeble tide of life was slowly ebbing, followed with
a look of i)leasure and a faint sickly smile, the performance
of the infant prodigy. And no mother could have spoken
to that stri(;ken child with a gentler voice, or watched over
it with a fonder solicitude, than the Sister, whom the in-
spiration of Faith had given to it as a second parent.

While passing through various institutions under the
management of religious connuunitics, the thought has
often struck me — that if those who entertain strange
notions as to the real character of these communities, had
the same opportunities as I have had, in Europe as in
America, of witnessing the daily drudgery of the Sisters
engaged in the laborious and wearisome task of education
— the services of the Sisters in tiie orphan asylum, the
prison, the penitentiary' the hospital — in visiting the sick,
protecting the unprotected female, teaching habits of in-
dustry and neatness, bringing back the erring and the
fallen to safety and penitence — in their daily life, in which
they exemplify the beauty and holiness of their mission —
how jjrejudice would vanish ! And how the good and the
enlightened would understand that if society loses the
advantage of the presence and influence of these holy
women in the ordinary paths of life, as sisters, wives, and
mothers, it is compensated a thousandfold by their services
in the training of youth, in the care of the orphan, in the
reclamation of the sinner, in the relief of the suffering —
nay, in the formation of the female mind on the solid
basis of piety, and preparing the young girl, wli(ither tho
daughter of affluence or the child of the people, for thq

PROTESTANT CONFIDENCE IN CONVENT SCHOOLS. 503

\Gr.so, or sin;,'
Iron in a roar
I'G to join. In
I BC(ui, in tliu

(lay room by
lay a lielploris
^r little thin;,^
folio wod wiMi
5 perfornianco
I have spoken
watched over
wlioni the in-

parent.
as under the

thought has
I'tain strange
imunities, had
Europe as in
di the Sisters
: of education
L asylum, the
ting the sick,

habits of in-
ring and the

life, in which
eir mission —
good and the
ety loses the
'f these holy
rs, wives, and
their services
•rplian, in the
le suffering —
on the solid
, whether the
Gople, for thq

fiilfihnent of her ^ituro diitioH, as wife and motlior, as com-
panion or as guide.*

Bat whatever the prejiidicies of the ignorant or tlio
fanati(!al may be, the enh'ghtened of America recognise
the value of the training which young girls receive in
schools conducted by members of religious connnunities —
by women who are accomplished, gentle, graceful, and
refined — who combine the highest intellectual (uiltivation
with g(uuiiuo goodness. Protestants of all denominations,
and of strong religious convictions too, send their daugh-
ters to convent schools ; and, strange as it may appear to
one who visits America for the first time, more, than half of
all the pupils educated in such institutions are the children
of non-Catholics ! Parents know that while under the care
of th ) Sisters their children are not exi)osed to risk or
danger — that they are morally safe ; and one may hear it
constantly remarked by Protestants that there is an inde-
finable 'something' in the manner of girls trained by
nuns which is immeasurably superior to the artificial fin-

* As au illustration of the great work done for society by the l^oligioua
Orders in America, the good deeds of the conununity of a single institution—
that of the SiHters of Mercy, \ew York,— may be referred to. They visit the
sick in tlioir homes as well as in the hospitals ; they instruct the criminal in the
prison, and prepare the condc^mnod to meet their fate in penitence and re-
signation ; they minister to the necessities of the poor and the destitute ; and,
by care and instruction, they protect girls of good character from the dangers
which, in largo cities, lie in the path of youth and inexperienced. They provide
servants with situations, and they teach the young. Though but eighteen
years in existence to the year 1864, they, up to that date, visited and relieved
7,083 sick poor, and paid 23,471 visits to the sick ; they visited at the City
Prison and Sing Sing 19,500 prisoners, and prepared 22 for the scaffold— that ia
every Catholic who suffered the penalty of death during twenty years ; they
relieved 92,120 cases of distress ; they received into their House of Protection
9,504 young girls of good character, and they provided 16,869 with situations,
including those sent from the House of Protection ; they prepared 38,024 for
the Sacraments ; and they did a number of other good works, including noble
service in the military hospitals. Is not this a splendid record of work done for
society? And is it possible that it could have been as effectually done by a
hundred times the numb-jr of ladies having domestic engagements and worldly
ties? Then it is well f'>r society that there are those wlio will sacrifice for the
public good, though for their own spiritual advantage, what others prize— in a word,
that there are ' Sisters ' of various orders and duuominatiuus.

604

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

ihIi of the best socular acatlomy or collefjc. If tlio ycurifr
ProtoHtaiit pupil iiiiwilliiifjfly ciitorH tho convent scrhool,
hIu) leaves it reluctantly ; and the inllucnco of the ini))r(\s-
sion it has left upon her mind is never lo.st in after life--
she knows how false are the accusations made af^ainst
convents and Catholics, and when others are prejudiced
or fanatical, she is tolerant and liberal. And for society
at larjj^e this conversion to common sense is a great gain.

Wliat is true of convent schools, is equally true of
stihools and colleges under the care of the great educational
Orders — Jesuits, Sulpitians, Vinccntians, lledemptorists,
Brothers of the Holy Cross, Christian Brothers, Francis-
cans, and others. Such indeed is the liberality of some
parents, that they formally declare their willingness to have
their children brought up in the Catholic faith. This has
more generally occurred since the war, which, as I have
already shown, triumphantly tested the wisdom of tho
Church, as well as the nature and results of its teaching.

As the Brothers of tho Christian Schools are amongst
the most successful promoters of Catholic education in
America, something may be said as to their progress.
They were first established some thirty years since in
Montreal, to which city they were invited by tho Suli)i-
tians ; and last year, 180(3, they had in Canada 10 houses,
170 Brothers, and 0,000 pupils. The first establishment
of the Order in the United States was in 1845, the next
in 1848 ; and in 18GG they were to be found in successful
operation in the chief cities of the Union — in which there
were, that year, 35 houses, 370 Brothers, and more than
20,000 pupils. This year, 18G7, there is a considerable
increase of houses, brothers, and pupils. The Brothers
now exceed 400, and the pupils are fast rising to 30,000.

Besides parochial schools, which they teach with signal
success, the Brothers conduct several colleges, including
that at Manhattan, in New York ; St. Louis, Missouri ;
Rock Hill, Maryland ; and Bass, Mississippi. Of the 370

THE CllUISTIAN DUOTUliUS..

005

' the ycunpr
ont school,
tlu! im])r('.s-
. after hfe —
idc iif^iiinst
prejudiced
for Hoeiety
:'eat {^'ain.
Uy true of
educational
lemptorists,
rs, FraiiciH-
ity of some
less to have
L. This has
, as I have
lorn of the
teaching,
re amongst
ilucation in
T progress,
rs since in
the Suli)i-
10 houses,
tablishment
tS, the next
1 successful
which there
more than
jonsiderable
le Brothers
) 30,000.
with signal
3, including
:, Missouri ;
Of the 370

Brothers who constitutod in 18GfJ the stri-ngth of tlio
Order in the United States, 300 were eitlujr Irish, or of
Irish parents. And of the English-Hpeaking Brothers in
Canada, the great majority are of the same race. Probably
in 1808 the niunber of Brothers in the States may be at
least 500; but were there 5,000, that nuni1)er wnuld not
be too many for the work to be done. There is in America
no lack of api)reciation of the educational labours of the
Ohristian Brothers. With bish()i)s and clergy the cry is,
'Give us more Brothers' — 'Oh, if we had more brothers!'
These men are the inheritcn-s of one of the best educational
systems in the world ; and devoting themselves exclusively
to their self-imposed task, their success is necessarily great.
Their parochial schools vie Avitli the Public Schools m the
excellence of their teaching — that is, in mere secular know-
ledge ; and their high schools, academies and colleges
rival any corresponding institutions supported hy the State.
The proficiency of their pupils in the highest branches of
polite learning is the theme of admiration in journals of
the most marked Protestant character ; and enlightened
Americans of various denominations admit the services
which these men render to society through the influence
of their teaching on the rising youth of the country. The
Brothers are eminently practical; they thoroughly com-
prehend the spirit and genius of the American mind ; and
they so t(\ach their pupils, of whatever class, rich or poor,
as to suit them to the position they are to occupy in life.

Perhaps the truest proof of the religious influence wdiich
they exercise over their pupils is this — that wherever they
are any time established the Bishop of the diocese has less
difficulty in procuring candidates for the ministry. They
themselves are examples of self-denial and dcvotedness.
All men of intelligence, many full of energy and genius
— all capable of pushing their way in some one walk of
life or other — not a fcvf certain to have risen to eminence

in the higher departments, had they dedicated themselves

60(1

TUK llilSII IN AMHUICA.

-.41

)

J
•<«

to tbo world and its imrHiiitH ; llviiif,' a lifr ulnjoHt, of
privation, ronivui, with llu, l)ni-0Ht luitanco— wluii will, in
fact, aOord Ihcm llu< merest nieaiiH of existon<;o--llie
JJrolherH labour in their ^'loriouH voeal ion with a zeiil and
cntlniHiasni whieh reli^'ion can alono inspire or alon«! e.v-
pliiin. To tho mind of ^'«>ncrouH youth fln^ ambition cf
risiu},' in tho world is natural and laudahh*, and in a new
unci vast cinmtry hko AnuMica, and under a constitution
which throws open the path of distinction to merit or to
ooura^^e, tho world oilers too many tomptin-,' attractions
to 1)0 ri^sisted by tho yonu}:; and tho ardent. Hence thoro
is a constant comphiint on the part of Bishops of tho want
of 'vocations' for tho priesthood. Indeed tho latest nt-
toraiico on this subject, at once tho j;ravost and most
authoritative, proc(-eUs from tho Second lM(>nary Council of
Baltimore. Tho Bishops say : —

'Wo coiitiiiuo (() Icfl the want of zeiiloiis prii'sts, in Huniciciit
uuiuIkt (o supply tli(' (liiily iiuMViisinjj; neoossitles of onr dioct'scs.
Wliik> wo iiro KiiUilio.l to know that in somo parts of our conntry
tiiu nunibor of youths who olfoi- thonisolvo.s jbr tiio Ecclosiusticul
s^tato is rapidly ineroasiii};, wo aro oblijrcd to roinarit that in oiIut
piu-ts, nolwithstandiiij,' all tho olforts and saoiillcos which havo boon
made for this objoet. and tho oxtraordihary onoourasoinontH whicli
havo boon hold out lo youthful aspirants to tho ministry in (.nr
Proparatory and Thoolooical Soniinarios, tho nnnibor of Huoh as liavo
prosontod thonisolvos and porsovorod in thoir vocations has hitherto
boon laniontably small. AVhatovor may bo tho causo of this uii-
williuirnoss to oiitor tho saorod ministry on tho part of our youlh, il
cannot bo attribulod to any dolicioncy of ours in such offorts as oir-
cuinstancos havo onablod us to mako. Wo fear that tho fault lios, in
great part, with many parents, who, instead of fostering tho dosiro.
so natural to the youthful heart, of dedicating itself to the service ul'
God's sanctuary, but too often impart to thoir children their own
worldly-mindodnoss. aiul seek to influence their choice of a state of
life by unduly exaggerating the dinicultios and dangers of tho priestly
calling, and painting in too glowing colours the advantage of a scculai
life.

The ' some parts ' referred to in the Pastoral Letter,
^nay signify those pla-.-es in whicli the best provision has

Iv ulnioHt/ of
Nvliiii will, ill
xistoin!(! — illd
h a zoiil iiiid
or jildiuj ex-

iinibitioii i.i
lud ill H now

coiiHiitiitioii
) morit or U)
^ iittractionH

Hciico tbtsro

i of UlO Willlt

ho latest lit-
st and most
•y Council c^f

1, in Hutticiciil
our dloccsi's.
)i' our country
I EccU'siiiHticiil
: that in oihor
lich hivvo bt't'ii

gOIIUMltS wliicli

iiiiiistry in (nir

f such ilH IlilVl'

ns liiis liitliiTlo
iso of lliis un-
f our youlli, it
1 cirort.s as cir-
lie fault lies, in
ing the desire,

tlie service (rl'
ren tlieir own

of a state of
of the priestly
?e of a sccu'.ai

oral Lett<>.r,
L'ovisioii has

OTHiCU TRAOIFIN'ti ORDKUH.

&0i

boon mado for r<ili<^nouH t<wu*]iin^% iri('liidiii«,' tlioHo in which
the Christian Urothors havo cstahlishcjl their schools, and
havo had tinm to exorcise tluiir iiilliicnce on tln! mind and
heart of youth. It has Ikmmi remarked that the intliiencAj
of tJKur teachin<jf is not alono manifesttul in their own im-
iiicdiiile pupils ; but that many youn<jf men who have never
lV(;<in(niteil their schools, havo felt tUemstilves im[)eUed to
a icliHioiiH life by the example of a fri(!nd or companion
educated by the Jiiotlusrs. Mcjre then are f^'rand results of
tiio siiccossful labours of this Order: youth littcd to mako
its w»v ill i\iQ world, and fortified by the b»!st iiiduences,
if not >vholly to resist, at hunt not to bo a willing' victim
to its temptations ; and youn<^ of hi^dier and nobler pur-
pose induced to sacrilico tho ^ditterinj,' attractions (jf the
world, for tho self-denying and laborious life of tho mis-
sionary j)riest.

Tho Third Order of St. Francis is rapidly ^riovvin",' in
Ktrcngth and usofuluess in tho United Statcfs. It comprisea
Priests, Brotluu-s, Sisters, whose ordinary avocation is tliG
training of youth of both sexes, and ministering to the
sick and poor in hospitals. To tho Archdiocese of Tuam,
Ireland, tho Catholic ch.urch of America is inde-bted for
tho Brothers of this Ord(3r, who havo esttiblished several
communities, and conduct with gl-oat advantage academies
and parochial schools in various dioceses. In 1847, Bishop
O'Connor, of Pittsburg,* obtained six brothers, who founded
some communities of tho Order in his diocese, tho principal
of which is Loretto, containing about forty l>rothers, who
conduct an exteusive college in that city. This was the
origin of this Order in the United States. In 1858, Bishop
Loughlin of Brooklyn applied to tho Archbishop of Tuam
for Brothers, and obtained two ; and in the diocese of

* ('no of tho most accompliabed aucl zealous of tho Catliolic bishops of
..lUfiua. who did great things for tho Church, but who-compellod by ill-hoalth
t.) Hu^i-ndfr his ( locesu to other hand.s-is now a simple Jesuit. I'lo is loved

.or« Hn„H^f. ,"'""'«•'' "* '^o**o who regard this good man with sentiments of

508

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

Brooklyn there are now ohoni thirty of the brotherhood,
conducting academics and parochial schools which are
largely attended. They have opened a mission in Los
Angelos, California, for the last four years; they have
founded another in Elizabeth Port, New Jersey ; and this
year they have established a branch in Erie, Pennsylvania.
Thus has the good seed from the old Catholic country
fructified in this new domain of the Church.

As the educational necessities of Catholics increase, so in
the same or a greater proportion does the Church display
greater zeal and greater energy to supply the want. New
Orders are constantly springing up for new fields of spii'it-
ual and intellectual labour. Thus the Congregation of the
Holy Cross, founded in France in 185G, and approved by
the Holy See in 1857, has established several flourishing
oducationiil institutions in the United States ; its teaching
ranging from the simplest elementary histruction, up to
the very highest standard of collegiate requirements. The
Priestsi^ who are called Salvatorists, from being specially
consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, devote themselves
exclusively to missions and the education of youth. The
Brothers are devoted to the great work of religious in-
struction, with which, according to the circumstances and
the necessities of their pufiils, is combined practical training
in various branches of industry. The Sisters, who are con-
secrated to the Sacred Heart of Mary, educate female youth
.of all classes of society, and are also employed iu hospitals
and asylums. The Sisters already number more than 2'A)

in the States.

Among the most prominent structures in New Orleans
are the great schools conducted by the Redemptorisl
Fathers of that city; and among these good men is one-
all zeal, all energy, all ardour— whose name is venerated
in the South. Father Sheeran was one of the most do-
voted, not to say one of the bravest, of the Chaplains of
the Southern army. As cool under fire as the oldest cniu-

rotlierliood,
■vvliicli are

ion ill Los
they have

f ; and this

jniisylvaniii.

3hc country

n'ease, so in
irch clisphxy
want. New
ds of spirit-
atioii of the
,pproved by
. flourishing
its teaching
;tion, up to
nents. The
:;ig specially
3 themselves
^outli. The
relia'ious in-

FROM THE CAMP TO THE SCHOOL.

509

paigner, one glance from Father Sheeran's eye would send
the waverer dashing to the front. And now that, happily,
the sword is returned to the scabbard, and the generous
of North and South can meet again as brethren, if not as
friends, Father Sheeran is, with his fellow-priests, actively
engaged, indeed almost wholly engrossed, in the noble
work of Christian education ; which he and they promote
with such success, that 1,400 children— the children chiefly
of Irish parents — are educated in such a manner as to elicit
the warmest and most elaborate praise from Protestant
purnahsts. New Orleans possesses several important
educational institutions, academical and parochial ; but
that of the Redemptorists is remarkable because of the
well-known career of the famous Chaplain of the 14th
Louisiana Regiment.

istances and

ical training

vho are coii-

xunale youth

in hospitals

■

re than 2.')(l

•^ew Orleans

lodemptovisl

nen is one

is venerated

he most de-

Ohaplains of

oldest cnau-

a, I

ill',

610

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

Juvenile Reformation — Opposition to Catholic Reformatories —
The two Systems Illustrated — Christianity Meek and Loving —
The Work of the Enemy — Solemn Appeals to Catholic Duty.

•^"^1

/«»

IN their various institutions for the protection and re-
formation of juveniles, the Americans are keeping
pace with^ the enhyhtened spirit of European progress.
They wisely believe that prevention is less expensive than
cure — that, whatever their apparent costliness, precaution
and prevention are certain to be in the end more econo-
mical and more useful than punishment. They hold, wdth
all sensible men from the days of Solomon to our own,
that it is easier to incline the twdg than bend the tree-
to direct the small stream into the right channel, than
to deal with the swollen torrent ; that if vice is to bo
effectually suppressed or diminished, you must begin with
the beginning. This is the belief and the policy of every
really enlightened man or woman of the Old World or the
New. In this spirit was founded the Colony of Mettray,
in France, and the juvenile reformatory of the Vigna Pia
in Rome, which, some ten years since, I beheld in active
and successful operation. It is in the same spirit that the
Catholic Church, now as in former ages, in America as in
Europe, gathers under her sheltering wing the orphan,
and the ' half-orphan,' or the child in danger of ruin. The
calendar of the Church is resplendant with the names of
men and women whose lives have been devoted to the

JUVENILE REFORMATION.

511

utories-
Loving-
Duty.

m and re-
[■e keeping
L progress,
nisive tlian
precaution
ore econo-

liold, witli
1 our own,

the tree—
.nnel, than
e is to bo
begin with
ly of every
a-ld or the
'f Mettray,
Vigna Pin
I in active
it that the
3rica as in
e orphan,
ruin. The

names of
ed to the

sacred duty which modern philanthropists and social
reformers are imitating at a long distance.

Unfortunately for the success of the Catholics of
America in this gi'eat work of juvenile reformation, thcii
resources, at least hitherto, have not been equal to meet
the evils arising from orphanage, or i'rom the poverty, the
neglect, or the viciousness of parents. Thus a wide field
was left of necessity to those of a different communion •
but it is much to be deplored that the opportunity of doing
good was not always availed of in the right spirit, and
that the gratification of achieving an unworthy triumph
over a rival sect was preferred to the purer delight of
discharging a holy duty in the spirit of Christian charity.
In some few cases the work of reformation was taken up
in the right spirit — in a spirit of noble charity, and in the
loftiest sense of justice to one's neighbour*; but, alas for
poor fallible human nature ! in too many instances it was
entered ujion as much from a motive of active hostility, as
from a desire to grapple with a social evil of admitted mag-
nitude and danger. No Cathohc — especially no Irish
CathoHc — could be insensible to the scandalous nature of
the war which, under the mask of benevolence and philan-
thropy, was waged against the children of poverty and the
victims of neglect. But, until lately, whether from want of
organisation, lack of means, or the urgency of other claims,
little was done, save through rehgious institutions, to
resist the fierce assault or the insidious approach of the
proselytiser. In the Pastoral Letter of the Second Plena^-^'
Council of Baltimore, the Bishops of the American Churcli
thus refer to this question of vital moment : —

It is a melancholy ftict, and a very humiliating avowal for us to
make, that a very large proportion of the idle and vicious youth ol'
our principal cities are the children of Catholic parents. Whether
from poverty or neglect, the ignorance in which so many parents are
involved as to the true nature of education, and of their duties aa
Christian parents, or the associations which our youth so easily form
with those who encourage them to disregard parental admonition:

612

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

^fw

certain it is, that a large nural)er of Catholic parent- "ithcr appear to
have no idea of the sanctity of the Christian fiimil). and of the re-
pponsibility imposed on them of providing for the moral training of
their otl'spriiig, or fulfil this duty in a very imporlect manner. Day
after day, tliese unhappy children are caught in the commission of
])etty crimes, wliicli render tliem amenable to the p\iblic authorities ;
and, day after day, arc they transferred by luindreds from tlia
Hectarian reformatories in which they have been placed by the courts,
to distant localities, where they are brought up in ignorance of, and
most commonly in hostility to, the Religion in wJiich they have been
baptised. The only remedy for this great and daily augmenting evil
is to provide Catholic Protectories or Industrial Schools, to which
such ciiildren may be sent ; and where, under the only influence that is
known to have really reached the roots of vice, the youthful culprit may
cease to do evil and learn to do good.

Practical efforts have been made to meet the evil ; and
In the cities of. New York, Boston, and Baltimore, institu-
tions for the protection and reformation of criminal or
destitute children have been formed, and, though buL a
short time in existence, are working with marked success,
with the approval of every liberal-minded Protestant of
those great centres of American civilisation. The dignified
and praiseworthy attitude taken by Catholics, in their
efforts to protect the faith of helpless little ones of their
own communion, and relieve themselves from a cause of
the gravest reproval, excited a storm of opposition from
those who had much rather know that Catholics deserted
their duty, and thus afforded their enemies the continued
power of injuring the right of despising them.

' In obtaining our charter,' say the conductors of the
New York institution, of which the late Dr. Ives, a distin-
guished convert, was president, ' we had to struggle against
tAvo objections, urged with surprising zeal and pertinacity.
The first, that ample provision for vicious and destitute
children had already been made by the State, and that an
increase would only tend to injure the existing institutions.
The second, that these institutions were organised on the
fairest and most liberal basis, by excluding all distinctive

OPPOSITION TO CATHOLIC REFORMATORIES. 513

Iicr appear to
nd oF tbe re*
111 training of
nanner. Day
oinmission of
c authorities ;
(Is from the
by the courts,
ranee of, and
ey have been
^uienting evil
ols, to which
fluence that is
1 culprit may

e evil ; and
•re, institu-
3riminal or
ugh buu a
:ed success,
otestant of
le dignified
3, in their
es of their
a cause of
dtion from
js deserted
! continued

ors of the
s, a distin-
gle against
pertinacity.
1 destitute
nd that an
tistitutions.
jed on the
distinctive

religion ; while the one whose incorporation wo sought was
professedly sectarian in its character, being placed under
the exclusive control of Catholicjs.' To the first objection
they pleaded, what has since been fully admitted, the
enormous magnitude of the evil, and the iiiadecpiacy of
existing means to meet it ; and to the second, that if the
State had shown its fairness and liberality only by ex-
cluding, in fact, all distinctive religion from its institutions,
it was high time that one institution, at least, should
be organised on a different basis ; should professedly and
really make distinctive religion its actuating and control-
ling power, as nothing short of this could so sway the hearts
of children as to make them, in the end, good Christians
and good men. The absolute falsehood, in fact, of the
second objection is thus torn to shreds in the Eeport :—

But the question was jynt:—' Has the State succeeded in exclud-
ing from its institutions all distinctive religion, and all sectarian
ieachbig and influence ? Inquire at " The Juvc/dle Auylum,^^ " The
House of Iiefuge,''''The Children's Aid Society,'' ''The Five Points
House of Industry." Is not the Protestant roligion inculcated in those
institutions, and only the Catholic religion excluded? Where, among
the managers of all these institutions, is a Catholic to be found?
Where, among their superintendents, their teachers, their preachers,
do you find a Catholic? Where among their acts of worship is a
Catholic act tolerated? While, on the other hand, who does nok
know, that Protestant worship, in all its various forms, is, wlthoul
opposition, introduced? And Protestant doctrine, in all its shades
and contradictions, is inculcated? Indeed, we did not find it necessary
to debate this question. Protestant periodicals not only admitted but
gloried in the facts. They boasted that the State is Protestant in all
her institutions, and that it is an act of great indulgence on her part,
that Catholicity is allowed to exist at all; that we, as Catholic^,
should be grateful that the power of the State hi.s not been invoked
to arrest our progress and put an end to our institutions. Can it,
tlierefore, we enquired, be thought unreasonable, while such a spirit
actuates the Protestant community, that Catholic jiarents should be
averse to give up their children to Protestant iiisiiiulions ; to iiiotirutiuns,
where Protestant dogmas and practices are enforced upon them ; and
where they are compelled to study books and listen to addresses in which
the religion of their fathers ia reviled? We pressed the inquiry further,

• «
H

^31

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

anfl asked : Whothor it was wise and statesman-liko to inti educe u Rystem
Of compulsion. wluTo tlio rights of conscicnco are coucerntMn Whuro
tlie fuitli of Cutliolic i)art'nts is outraged by forcing Catliolic cliildren
into Protestant asylums? Whether peace and contentment in the
community are likely to be the result, of such a system?' This was
the lino of argument addressed to the lA'gislature, which, against
violent opposition, granted our charter.

One passage from the Report deserves special approval ;
and were the example which it offers generally adopted,
there would remain but little cause for anger or contention :
'A few children belonging to parents not Catholics have
been sent to us by the Courts. In such cases the children
are received, if the parents or guardians so request. If
they object, the children arc returned to the magistrate. No
interference is allowed with the religious tenets of non-
Catholics employed at the Protectory.'

One of tlie institutions referred to in the foregoing Re-
port is the 'New York Juvenile Society.' In its Report
for 18G3, there is a table stating the 'Religious instruc-
tion previous to commitment ;' and the result for ten
years, from 1853 to the date of publication, is as follows :
'Roman Cathohcs, 5,210 ; Protestants, 3,933 ; Jewish, 67 ;
Unknown, 256— Total, 9,467.' So that the Cathohcs were
in a considerable majority of the whole. Now, what be-
came of these 5,210 Catholic children, in an institution in
which, as the Cathohcs of New York stated before the
Legislature, no CathoHc manager, superintendent, teacher,
or preacher, is tolerated, and from which the Catholic
religion is the only one excluded ? lu page 9 of the same
Report, we find these words : —

' The benelits of the course of training and education pursued in tlie
in-;tiluti()n is seen, not only in the improved character of the chiklnii
relurned to their parents, but also in ih/d of those sent to the West. Td
how many children has been open"d ihere a bright and prosperous
future! Scattered among the farm-houses of Illinois, they are mem-
bers of co:nlofl;ibl" households, many of them adopted as sons and
da.\ighters. and all in a land where competence is within the reach of
all. especially of those who begin there with an education fully c(jua!
to that of the averiige of the farmer's children among whom tliey
dwell, and with whom they are prepared to keep pnce.'^

THE TWO SYSTEMS ILLUSTRATED.

615

ace i, system
led? Where
)lic children
ment in the
" This Wiis
liich, against

approval ;
Y adopted,
ontention :
Lolics have
e children
equeat. If
strate. No
;s of non-

egoing Ke-
lts Kcport
IS mstruc-
ilt for ten
as follows :
ewish, 67 ;
liolics were
, what be-
ititntion in
before the
at, teacher,
le Catholic
f the same

irsned in tlie

the cliildrcii

he West. To

d prosperdiis

ley are niem-

as sons luid

tlie reach of

)n fully ecjua!

? whom tiiey

It is scarcely necessary to enquire how many of the
5,210 Catholic children were 'returned to their parents,'
and how many wore 'sent to the West.' It may be re-
marked that the ' Juvenile Asylum ' is only one of many
similar institutions. Another extract from the Eeport is
most suggestive :—

' But not the least valual)l(5 and interesting proofs of
success are the letters received from our young Emigrants
in their new spheres. These letters are often full of fihal
love and gratitude to the tcacher,% who have been to them
as parents, and under whose kind care and guid.'incc they
had their first experience of a happy life.'

There is no word here of the parent, possibly the widow
of an Irish soldier who died fighting in defence of the
Union, and whose boy got beyond her maternal control.
But in a letter published in the transactions of another
Association — the 'Children's Aid Society' of Baltimore — '
the following production of a poor perverted child is
strangely published. It is here given as it appears in the
twenty-sixth page of the Report for 18G6 : —

' TKANSFKRHKD.'

' When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take

me up.''

•Mr. Pat.mer July 22nd, 18(J6.

'■Respected Friend.

' I have been thinking of writing too yon for some time, i am well

and 1 hope you are the same i like my home very much i went to

school four months last winter and had lots of fun, i had two slay

rides i would not be back to Mr. V.'s for any money the country is

beautiful up hear we have plenty of black berries, like the country

better than the city, idont care to know of my parents for i am better

off without knowing, philip and george are well they are both happy

and enjoy themselves very mutch in the country we wold all of ua

like to see you very mutch come see us soon as you can. Philip livei

in the same house that i do and George lives right across the road

Mrs. C has a nice little boy only two years old i love him very mutcb

i beleave I have told you all at present.

616

THE lUISn IN AMERICA.

•••Hi

Aft a contrast to the teaching' which, whatever the inten-
tion, had the (;l/'('d of indiicin<,' a wretched chikl to write
that odious sentence — H dont cure to know of my ^yarents
for i am hetlcr oj)' lo'dhout Inowing/ — may be quoted an
extract from the first year's Report of the Association
established in 13t)ston for the protection of Cathohc child-
ren. It will conmiend itself to the mind of the Christian
and the heart of the parent : —

Next to tlieir duty to Almighty God, tho children are taught to
Lave regard to that which tiiey owe to their parents. Even under
the old Law, God not only commanded, as a duty of eternal obliga-
tion, that children • honour and succour tlieir father and mother,' but
pronounced a fearful ciirHo upon such as refused to comply! Whih;
•it is a notorioi'.s fact, that in His providence, all those countries which
are characterised by a neglect of this command are sunk to the lowest
degradation J and that just in proportion as a nation becomes truly
civilised, on the basis of Christianity, are the domestic relations ele-
vated and strenijlhened.

It has, therefore, been a matter of deep solicitude with the Mana-
gers, so to discharge their duty as that children may not he alienated
from their parents, or led to forget or disreijurd their obliijaiions to
them. Hence in all those cases where children of parents able to
support them have buen committed for the minor offences, we insist
upon relurnimj them so soon as, in our jialijnienf, it can safely he done.
In regard to many of this class of young delinquents, a few weeks
of strict but kind discipline is found as effectual in subduing their
tempers and restoring a spirit of filial obedience, as a ranch longer
period.

This will account for the number which have already been dis-
charged and sent home to their family.

The benefit of this policy is two-fold : it tends to strengthen the
family hond, and to promot^'^ the essential virtues of industry and
economy. For we have not only to avoid the serious evil of weaken-
ing the tamily tie by unnecessarily separating children from their
piirents, but also to guard ag-ainst, what is hardly less pernicious, the
mischief of taking away from these parents that main stimulus to
exertion, the necessity of providing for their own households.

From a serial, entitled ' The LUtle Wanderer's Friend,'
much information may de derived ; valuable as indicating
the spirit in which not a, few of the so-called benevolent

tlio iriteu-
Id to write
)ni/ ])arcnts

(luoted an
Association
liolic cliild-
3 Christian

ire taught to

Even under
Lernal obliga-

rnotlior,' but
iply! Whilo
luntries which

to tho lowest
)ecomo9 truly

relations ele-

th the Mana-
t he aUenaled
ol>li(jallo7is to
•onts able to
cos, toe insist
tafelij be done.

a lew weeks
lb lining their

mucli longer

idy been dis-

strengthen the
industry and
'il of weaken-
in from their
lernicious, tlie
1 stimulus to
ds.

r's Friend,'

3 indicating'

benevolent

CHRISTIANITY MEEK AND LOVING.

517

institutions are conducted, and tlio nnmoncal extent of
their operations. From the nnnibor for IVFay, 18(15, an
interestinf,^ paragraph or two may be quoted, in ilhistration
of the hberal and tolerant spirit of those institutions of
which that agreeal)le little publication is the accredited
organ. A pleasant article, entitled ' The Heathen of New
York,' afl'ords the writer a happy theme for the display
of his national feehngs and religious convictions. * Tho
mass of the population,' the writer says, 'consists of the
most ignorant, bigoted, degraded foreign Catlnjlics, who
know no higher law than the word of their priests. Their
Christianity is mere baptised heathenism.' Considering
the miserable condition in which the mass of the popu-
lation are found by the writer, it is fortunate that spiritual
succour is so near ; for we have this consolatory assurance
in the same article : — ' AVe are in the midst of it. Our

* mission is in front of one of their large churches — under

* the shadow of their cross. They listen to our songs,

* ivhile we witness their idolalry. They curse ivhile we

* gather in the children, teach them the truth, feed, clothe,
'and send them to kind Chridian homes' The mission-
aries, of whom the writer is the faithful organ and elo-
quent mouthpiece, are not content with their limited
sphere of action in front of one of the large churches of
the ' baptised heathen ' of New York : they must even
meet them on the shore, or on the ship's deck ; and thus,
if they cannot arrest the in-flowing tide of emigration, at
least, by extending the hand of brotherly love and tho
word of God to their poor misguided brethren who cross
the ocean, convert it into a deluge of enriching blessedness.
'Last year 155,223 persons landed here from Europe, of
' whom 92,8G1 were from poor, ignorant, bigoted, Catholic-
' cursed Ireland.' In this manner these unhappy heatheng
are to be spiritually regenerated : ' Let us meet them ere

* they leave, the ship, and extend to them the kind hand
' and the word of God. They are our misguided brothers,

618

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

'Let us bo kind and tcacli them tlio truth. Lot us holp

* tho needy and teach them the truth. Let u« gather the

* children in.' The chihh-en are always the objects of
the jiious soheitude of tlioHo apostoHc miHsionarics ; they
firKt feather tliem in, and they then send them to 'kind
Christian homes,' in whicsh all memory of their former
'heathenism' is lost. The success of their operations is
thus detailed in their own words : —

The Home for the FriendlenH

Led ofr in this work, niul for about thirty years has opened ita arms
and embraced perishing infancy and neglected cliildhood ! But how
little has it done compared with the work yet remaining! Encouraged
by its success, a few warm-hearted Methodist ladies organised the

Five Points Ifission.

They entered tho ' gates of hell ' to save tho perishing ; and a
glorious monument to Christianity has been erected Steadily,
earnestly, and successfully do they labour, but want, sin, and woe
increase around them.

The Five Points House of Industry.

Was originated in 1851 by Rev. Mr. Pease, and 'its fame has gone
throughout the country.' After years of struggling he was compelU-d
to seek quiet and rest. Mr. Barlow took his place, and. with an
earnestru'ss which sought to imitate Ilim, concerning whom it was
said ' the zeal of thine house hath eaten me tip,' he laboured until
called to exchange — 'sowing in tears' for 'reaping in joy'— to give
up his abode in ' Cow Bay ' for the 'place ' which Jesus said 'I go to
prep&re for you.' Each year the work increases, and, aUli.iigh since
1851 over 11,000 have come tinder their care, many of whom have bei»n
saved, yet, to a stranger, ii seems as if Christianity had done nothing.

•

The Children's Aid Society,

Under the direction of Mr. Brace, with its Industrial Schools-
lodging rooms— boys' meet\ng^~-has gathered in and sent to homes mori
children than any other msiitution in the world during the last dght or
rdneyear;-;, yet a stranger could not perceive a ripple upon the Burfact*
of this sea of sin and want.

iet us help
( gather the
ol)jc!cts of
irics ; thoj
ti to 'kind
L'ir former
eratioiiH is

mod its arms
1! But how
Encouraged
!(1 the

ling ; and a

Steadily,

■n, and woe

tie has gone
s coinpelk'd
tid. with an
horn it was
(ourcd until
)y'— to give
aid 'I go to
bi.iigh since

1 llitVP bL'i»M

lothing.

1 Schools—
homes mart

last tiijht or
the BiuTactt

TUE WORK OF TLB ENEMY. 619

Our Own Work.

Has been so constantly kept before the i>\iblic that it sofins almost
uselees to speak of It. F»>ur years ago this Ilmiir for Lillle Wandirers
was opened, and nearly 1,000 childreu galh»>ic(l in the tlrst >H-ar. The
next year 1,221, and the hint year 1,54a.

With such success attending their efforts, the reader
will learn without astcmishmont that thoKC modern Apostles
to the Gentiles are not discouraged; they only want more
faithful praying Sunday School teachers, and four more
earnest Christian men as Missionaries. 'Our hands aro
•tied,' cries the figurative yet eminently practical organ
of the Mission. 'Four hundred and Jiffy amU hind
« M.S. Reader will you cut one of them ? We mean, will
' you be one of the 450 whb will give or collect from your
' Sunday School or friends, and send us $1 per week until
'May 18GG, and thus leave us free from all pecuniary
'anxiety, and with nothing to do hut to yalher the
' children in.'

It hJis been computed that, at a low calculation, 30,000
children of Catholic parents, mostly Irish, have been sent
to 'kind Christian homes,' through 'Sectarian Reform-
atories,' and institutions of a kindred spirit. I have
hoard -50,000 given as a possible average ; and considering
that one institution lately boasted of having sent 10,000
Catholic children to the West, the number, though great,
is not altogether improbable. Children are at a premium
in the West, especially if healthy and robust ; and dealing
in this description of 'Hve stock' is not by any means a
losing speculation. I was confidently informed that thirty
children— one a plump infant of a year and-a-half— had
been sold, in Michigan, to the highest bidder, not two
yem-s previous to the time at which the circumstance was
mentioned to me. The children must be disp(3sod of in
one way or other ; and if a profit can be made for the
institution, or for the individual, through the keen rivalry

620

TIIK IRISH IN AMKIIICA.

)
I

•m
<

of Western fiinoers, wlio look ai)provinf.(ly nt the fiturdy
thews unci sinews luid stionn: liiuhs of a brawny youn^^'
'heatlion' of Iri^li birth or blood, who can bo uikuju"^
scionablo enonj^di to object to an opcM-ation so lc;^atiniato,
or so strictly in accordance with the entire system of— kid-
iia])pinf,' may be too rudo a term to apply to such institu-
tions and such men,— so we shall say, of j,'athering little
children in '?

Whatever this system may bo to those engaged in it — a
system, wo may remark, totally repugnant to the spirit of
modern legislation in this country, where there are indus-
trial and reformatory institutions purposely denomin-
ational in character, with the view of protecting the faith
of the most helpless class of the comnninity — its longer
tolerance by the Catholics of America, and in a special
manner by those of Irish birth or descent, would be in the
last degree shameful and discreditable. Allowance must
be made for the difficulties of their position hitherto, owing
to the many claims upon their means, and the various
works which it was the duty of the Catholic Church to
undertake ; but they are now too numerous, too powerful,
and too influential, to submit to the continuance of that
wliich is degrading to them as Catholics, and deeply dis-
honouring to them as Inshmen. There can be no mincing
terms as to what is their manifest duty. The past, with
all its bitterness and shame, is irrevocable ; but there is
the present as well as the future, and if they cannot restore
the faith to those who have lost it — not through the
worthiest or most honourable means — they should at least
take care themselves to gather in, under the shelter of the
Church, the miserable victims of poverty, neglect, and
vice, and restore them to society as good Christians and
useful citizens. The wide influence of CathoKc Schools
will do much to counteract the evil ; but the general
imitation of the good work so auspiciously commenced in
New York, and Boston, and Baltimore, will prove the

fit the sturdy
(I'HWiiy youn«^'
111 1)0 uiioou-
Ho lcjL,dtiuiHto,
Btoju of — kid-
Hut'h iiiHtitu-
Ltlieriiig littlo

^Rf^ed in it — a
the spirit of
t'G are indiis-
ily donomin-
iiig the faith
y — its longer

in a special
Lild be in the
3\vance must
:herto, owing

the various
c Church to
.00 i30werfu],
ance of that
[ deeply dis-

no mincing
le i^ast, with
but there is
mnot restore
through the
)uld at least
lieltor of the
neglect, and
iristians and
olic Schools
the general
)ninienced in
1 prove the

SOLEMN AITKALS TO CATHOLIC DUTY.

621

readiest and most direct moans of redooming tlio honour
of tlio Catholics of America ; at tlio same time afVordiiig
benevolent people of other communities an undisturbed
opportunity of attending to their own criminal or destitute
children.

The Pastoral Letter of the Plenary Council of 18(>G,
thus refers to this subject : —

Wo rejoice that in somo of our dioccsfis — would that wo couhl siiy
ill all! — a bt'<?lnnlng haH boen mado in this good work, and wo cannot
too oarnfrttly exhort our Vonerablo Brethren of the Clergy to bring
lli'w matter before their respectivo flocka, to endeavour to impress on
Cluistian parents tho duty of guarding their children from the evils
above referred to, and to Invito them to make porsovcring and etfoctiial
elforts for tho establishmout of institutions wlun'oin. under tho Influ-
enco of religious teachers, tho waywardness of youth may bo corrected
an<l good seed planted in the soil in which, while men slept, tho enemy
had sowed tares.

These solemn and hopeful words, addressed to a Catholic
audience at New York, in 1864, by the late Dr. Ives — one
of the most illustrious converts to tho Church in America,
and the master-spirit of the reformatory movement — may
be listened to as to a voice from tho tomb : ' But, whatever
the State may do, the duty of Catholics is plain, and will
be done. The probability of failure in this great under-
taking cannot be admitted. Dark as the day is, and heavy
as are its burdens. Catholics will be found ecpial to them.
The work in our hands will succeed ; it is God's work-
dictated by His spirit, demanded by His Drovidence,
undertaken in His name, carried on in His strength and
for His glory. I feel that it is no presumption to affirm
that it will not fail'

522

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

CHM-TF.R XXIX.

The Second Plenary Council of Baltiniore -Protestant Tribute
to tlic Catholic Church— Projjross of Catholicity — IiiHtances of
its Proo;ress~The Past and the i'resent— The Church in Chicap;o
and New York— Catholicity in Boston -Anticipations not Real-
ised— Xuinher of Catholics in th(^ States — Circumstances of
Protestant and Catholic Emigrant Dillerent— Loss of Faith and
Indilferentisui.

IN tlio Socoiul Plenary Council of Baltinioro the Ciitliolic
Clmrcli of America presontecl a aing-ularly grand and
imposing spectacle. Rarely has Rome herself witnessed
a more august assembly, and, more rarely still, one so re-
markable in its character. Even in numbers — according to
Archbishop Spalding, its venerable President — it was the
largest ever held in Christendom since the Council of Trent,
with the exception of two or three held at Rome under the
Sovereign Pontiff. But though this asseml)lage of the
Spiritual Chiefs of this young and vigorous branch of the
Universal Church consisted of seven Archbishops, thirty-
eight Bishops, and three Mitred Abbots^in all, forty-nine
Mitred Prelates — it was more remarkable for the wisdom
and dignity, and weight of character, of the learned and
able men of whom it was composed; and still more so for the
unbroken unity which it presented in so brief a period after
the termination of the deadliest struggle that ever con-
vulsed a country or rent a people asunder. The wonderful
progress of the Church, which this majestic assembly made
manifest even to the dull or the unbelieving, was a subject
of surprise to friends as to enemies ; but its unbroken unity,
while a cause of confusion to some, who contrasted with it
the several branches of their own distracted churches, was

THE SECOND I'I.ENAUV COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE. 523

lit Tribute
istivnces of
ill Cliiciififo
not Jioal-
sttiricos of
Faith and

the Ciitliolic
' grand and
f witnessed
, one so re-
icoording to
-it was the
cil of Trent,
le under the
iage of tlie
•ancli of the
lops, thirty-
.1, forty-nine
the wisdom
Learned and
•re so for the
j)eriod after
it ever con-
e wonderful
embly made
vas a subject
L'oken unity,
,sted wath it
Lurches, was

regarded without astoni.shniont by those who eith(!r under-
stood the principles of Catholicuty, or watched the conduct
of the Church during the war.

Fourteon years l)(ifore, the First Plenary Council of Bal-
timore was held ; since then there had been added to the
Catholic hierarchy one Archbishop and fourteen Bishops ;
and now, from the Hecond Plenary Council, there goes
f(3rth an appeal to Home for the creation of fourteen addi-
tional Bish()i)S ! In the Pastoral Letter they say : ' We
have also recommen(h^d to the Holy See the erection of
several additional Episcopal Sees, and Vicariates Apostolic,
which are made necessary by our rapidly increasing Catho-
lic pojiulation, and the great territorial extent of many of
our present Dioceses.'

In the same Pastcu'al, the progress of the Church is
thus indicated : ' We continue to have great consolation in
witnessing the Jidvance of lleligion througliout the various
dioceses, as shown in the multiplication and improved
architectural character of our churches, the increase of
piety in the various congregations, and the numerous con-
versions of so many who have sacrificed early ]irejudices
and every consideration of their temporal interests and
human feelings at tho shrine of Catholic Truth.'

The constitution of this august assembly of wise and
/ learned men is not without interest, even as affordiuir
a further illustration of the universality of the Ca 1 olic
Church. In the division into nationalities we find the
Irish element stronger than would at first appear. Of tho
forty-nine Mitred Prelates who, with the clergy, composed
the Council, sixteen are set down as American, nine Irisli,
twelve French, two Flemish, three Spanish, two Swiss, one
Austrian, and two German. But of the sixteen American
Prelates, about one-half are of Irisli blood — nearly all
of these the sons of Irisli-l)orn parents. Thus fully two-
thirds of the Enghsh-speaking Bishops of the Ameiicm
Church owe their origin to that country which is now, cs

624

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

ii was in ronioto ng'os, tlio most snocossfnl ]>i'0])!i{j^an(li.st of
(Jatholiciiy.* Snnmj^ IVoiu (lilVcront braiu-lios oi tli(i hii-
iiiaii family, ropr(>s(>Mtii\i»' dillc'roiit races, sjx'akin^' in dilVcr-
(Mit toiij^uos, i^-allicnul toj^otlu!!' from Sial(>,H and i(vrrit()ri(!s
soparatcd by tliousaiids of milos, ilioy wero animated bnt,
by one motive and foeliiijj;. AVlicn roplyiii<,^ to the addrcsn
pi'oscntod to him by Archbishop rnrccll in the name of
tho assembled Prc^lates and Clergy, Archl)ishop Spalding
puts tliis point prominently forward : —

,^'4

'ITcvowo liiivo vononvliU' PrclatoH fi-oiii all piirls of tliis groat and
vast ivpiiblio, soino of whom Iiiivtt eoino live or six thousand iiiiloH ;
have come at my voice, because in my voic(^ lliey reco^iiilscd the voic(!
of I'eter and ol Ciiiist. . . . We came logetlier to devise ways and meaUvS

...id

* Thoro was luisscil from Iho asaoTnbly this loiif^'-familiar fac(! of oiio wlio,
mcok ami inild and K''i>tli'. liail for thrcoaiiil-tliirty years slicd llii! steady liglit
of liis wisdom on Ihe eoiiiieils of his venerable hretliren of the American epis-
oopaey. ■ihre(> years before, Francis I'alrick Kenrick departed this UU', after li
Iohh; and lionoiired career A jjreat li'ishman, Arclibishop Keni'ick was not so
famous in tlu> world as liis countrymen. lUsliop MnKlaiid and Ai'chliishop l[u^'h(\s ;
but if ho lacked their shininf^ (pialilit'S, their stirrin;: elo(iuenc(>, and tin! bold-
iiess and enerj^y by which they wi're distinnuislu'd, he was eminent not only
for tho swtctest and ;;entlest nature, (he most modest and hnmblo disposition,
but for a scholarshi]) as rare as it was profound. When lio was consecrated, in
181!;), the American Church was in its infaui'y, its followin-' Hcaiecly amounting;
io tlie onetwentielh of ds pres.'ut ma;;nitude. As IJisliop of I'hiladelphia hii
had his full shai'e of ti'ial an(l ti'ibulation durin;; (he lonj,' years ( f early strujj^ile,
of active hostility and oicasional persi'cution, a^;,'ravared by (he I'vil of in-
ternal dissen^aon ; but he did not close his eyes to this world until he beheld tho
wonderful prof^ress of the Clnirch which he so signally served, and so sIriliiuKly
adorned by his virtues. Notwith.-itandiUfT his unceasin),' devoion to tlu! didies
of his exalted ollice, whether as liishop of IMidadelphia or Arclibishop of JJatti-
iniu'o. he found time (o enrich Catholic literature with many of thi! most
wihiablo works that could lind a iilac<! in Uu\ libi'ai'y of a lavnian or an ecele-
siastii'. ISesides an exhaustive '.freatise on tlu; I'i'iniacy, and .a Course of 1'lie-
olofjty, hi!,'hly estimated by professors as well as stuilenis, he translated and
aniiiitated the Sacred ."-'eripturcs ; and (he most competent jud^'es .-idnnt this
bis {,'reatest work io be a model of the most varieil and profouml erudition.
I'.ut, th'iufjh as simple and unprctcndiut,' as a. child, though modest ami j^cnde,
he could bo as stern as brass when duly required, and priucijile was at slake.
Hisliiip Hughes himself eo\dil not have niiu'e bold y fiued (Ik; eontuuuu'ious
of liis liock tluin did lUshop Ki'urick beard and conquer Dio prosumiituous
trustees of Pittsburg.

'Thocbur-li is yours,' he said to them, horn the pul[>it of St. Patrick's. 'You
have :i perfect right to do what you jdeaso with it. I claim no right to inter-
fere with any apjiropriation of it von wish to make. You may make of it, if you
will, a factory, and I will not interfere. ]5ut (hero is one (hing which I do tell
you. and it is tins : if you wish it to bo a (!atholic church, you must omnply
wi.'h tho requirement of tlie law which 1 have laid before you. Now, do as you
please.'

To th(> zeal, energy, and wisdom of Pr. Kenrick are (he Irish of the diocc-^e
Of Philadelphia to a considerable e.\tont indebted for tho .siiiritual advautagoa
Uiey now so abundantly enjoy.

rROTI'LSTANT TiUDlJTI-: TO THE CAl'IIOLIC CHURCH. 525

ifj^andi.st of
(jf tlu^ liu-
)J4' ill dilVcr-
t(vrrit()ri(!H
inijitcd Imt
ho JiddrcsH
G iiiinio of
.> 8p<'ildiii{^

Ills groat and
uhiuhI miles ;
iscd tlio voict;
ys und meuiiH

(( of OHO WllO,

111! stciidy liglit
Amciican opis-
lis liCi', al'U!!' a
ick wiis not BO
isliop l[ll),'ll(^s ;
, 1111(1 tilt! liold-
iiiciit not only
bl() tlispoHitioii,
coiiscinilc'd, in
I'i'ly aiiioiintin).;
'Iiiliulclpliiii ho

early stiii^j^ilc,
u' I'vil of in-
il 111" bi-lii'ld tlio
1(1 so Hli'ikiiij^ly
1 to tlio (liitit'S
lishop of J?alti-
*• of tlii^ most
;iii or an ccclc-
lloiirso of 'J'Ih>-
traiislatcd and
,'is .•idiiiit this
mild cnidilioii.
est anil i^ciillc,
,1 was at sialic.
! (•oiitiiiiiacioiis

pi'i'sniiiptnons

'atrick'a. 'Yon
rif^lit to intcr-
kc of it, if vou
which I do 'tell
I luiust coinply
Sow, do as yon

of tlu! diocese
iial iulvautagoa

to carry ouL \\w. pmposi' for wliidi ('liri.st, diod on Ui<* Ciosh. to sav«
liicii. lo liiiid tliciri (djictlHT in nnily and charily, and to make llicin
lead lioiy livrs. Absoilicd in tliis {rrt-at object. \v<? liavo Hoarod Inr
above I lie re.!j;i(ins oC wtornis and clonds into the |)iire atinospiiere ol"
(Jod, where there is no controversy or contention Vitirriid up by iiiunan
jiassion ; and men sprunjjr IVom varions nations, in tills (Jonn(;iI, liave
lost sijrlit of all di(I"erences of nationality and temperameni, and have
})h'nded in that beautil'nl unity and harmony which Hit; (Jalholic
Chnrch can alone e.vhlblt.

Tlio }iss(!iiil)liii^' of iho CoiiiKril (!lici1(>d from uu Jible
iunvsi);ip(U' of IJ.iltinioro,* a tcsthuony to tlio ooiiduot of tlio
j^/jitliolic, (jlmr(;li, whioli tlioroiij^lily rojji'csoiits wliat I have
JKMird oxpressod in moro than aliundrod iiistancos throii^h-
ont tlio Stat(>,s. I find it quot(!d, anioii}^" other artiolos
h'om tlio public proH.s, in tlio volume coni.'iiniii;^ the; olUcial
record of this momorablo manifoHtation of the progress
of the Church. I know it roproHonts tin; idmost universal
f(!olin<4' of the South, and of all but the o.Ktrcmo or violent
of tho North : —

15nt while we do not j)ropose to entiir ujion a themo so nearly
boniidless, and involving? so many considerations which divide the
minds ol' men, it is Jnit api)ropriate to the occasion, and it certainly
is a pIcMisnre to us to say. that th(^ conrsi* of tin; (Jl(;r<j^y ol' the Jtonian
Catholic Church, during our late civil dissensions, vnW make this
demonstration ol" its vitality and vigour very welcome to multitudes,
who, but a little while ago. would have witnessed it with jealous
ciuicern. With but lew exci'ptions — and those chiefly noted for their
I'arity — the pri(!sthood of the Roman Catholic Comnumioii have k(.'iit
their hands cltnm of brothers' blood. Tln^y have ])reached only the
Gospel, and tho great doctrines of peace and good wiH on which it
rests, and have not sullied their altars with fratricidal emblems, or
turned their anthems of jjraise into songs of hate and war. In the
camps of both armies they were ministers of (Jod only, and faithful
to their high calling amid the terrors of the battle-fndd and tho
dangers of the pest house and the hospital; they dedicated them-
selves exclusively to tho alleviation of bodily sulfering and the gentle
and holy ministerings of religious consolation. It is for this that men

•■" The a ize/h- of the Kill of Octi«l)er, 180(1 Tlio arficio, with otluT.-;, is imhli:-.hi:d
vvitli tho'iTi'ocoedint,'H of tho Council, in a neat volnuie b} Kflly Ar Piet of Ualtimore,
with tho aiiiiroval of the Archbishop.

626

THE IRISH IN AMElilCA.

rovoreiico flicm to-day, who, t(Mi yoars ago. would havo boen prornpled
by prcjudico to revilo tlieni. It is for lliis (hat tlio Cliui-cli, wIiohh
iniuistcrs tlicy aw, is recognised now l)y (hou.saiKls who dispute its
creed as a wortiiy depository and teacher of the sacred truths which,
in making nieu Christians, make tlieni love ono anotiier. In all liio
jiroud annals of the Church of liomo there is no prouder page than
Mial which records her purity and steadfastness and itidependence— her
indill'erence alike to tho threats and seductions of power during the
Confederate Revolution.

Seduction cotild not betray the Cliurcli from tlie straight
path of hor duty ; and to threats, thoii<^h backed by thd
poAver of armed legions, she opposed that same su1)Hi«g
'Non 2)0f^mmns' by which the Sovereign Pontiff has so
persistently l)alHed the wiles of political intriguers, and
resisted the fiercest rage of the enemies of the Papacy.
' AVe cannot do tliis evil thing— we cannot prostitute our
'pulpits to the worst passions of man — wo, ministers of
'peace, cannot preach havoc and slaughter — avo cannot
' desecrate God's temple by substituting for tlio Cross the
' baiuier of human strife.' This was the Non Possumus of
the American Church. Two Prelates— one of them of the
most eminent rank— Avere called on during the great
struggle to exhibit this courage, in Avhich the Catholic
Church has ever excolled. To the order of a general, hii-h
in command, that a flag should be displayed on his cathe-
dral, the Archbishop, a meek and saintly man, replied, in
the spirit of the old Koman— had that old Pioman been a
Christian— 'My banner is there already; that banner is
the Cross of Christ— none other shall be there, Avith my
consent.' Coarse threats AA^n-e used in the second instance,
and ev^en personal violence Avas not altogether improbable ;
but the undismayed Prelate, a man of lofty stature, drcAV
himself up to his full height, and, as he seemed to fill the
entrance to his cathedral Avith his sAvelling form, he ex-
claimed to those Avho were rudely pushing on — 'Then, if
you attempt to pass, it must be over my dead body ; for
80 long as I live, no war flag shall desecrate the he use of

PllOGIlESS OF CATHOLICITY.

627

boon prom pled
Cliurcli, wli()H«
ho (lisputo ile
I trulliH wliicli,
or. In all tlio
idor pii<;i) than
'pcmlcuct^ — luT
iVor during tlio

-'kc(l by tli<|
iiino KuMiirte
iitiff lias so
ingucrs, and
Oio Papacy,
ostituto our
niiiistcrs of
-wo cannot
10 Cross the
'ossmmis of
thoni of tlie
f the great
he Catholic
cncral, hi£>h
n his catho-
1, replied, in
man been a
banner is
re, with my
tid instance,
niprobablc ;
ature, drew
:1 to fiU the
)rm, he ex-
-'Thon, if
])ody ; for
le he use of

God.' The Clergy caught the spirit of their bishoi)H, and
displayed a quiet resistance to the rcMpiirements of vehe-
ment i)artisans which was little short of heroic. Thus, in
a moment of the severest trial did the Catholic Church of
Anu^rica maintain a strict neutrality, increase and extend
lior means of uscifulness, and secure tlie respect of those
wh<3 admire consistency, or who deplored the disastrous
consecpience of a war which they were powerless to prevent.

Those who loolc, as I do, to the present and continuous
progress of the Catholic Church as that which most inti-
mately concerns and most di^eply involves the future of
the Irish in vVmerica, cannot but regard that progi-ess with
feelings of the keenest satisfaction. Though not yet equal
to the unparalleled increase of the Catholic population, it
is su{h(uently so to prevent that loss of faitli of which so
much has been said, too often in a spirit of exaggera-
.tion, and to counteract that tendency to indiiJtV;rentism
which is unhappily to be met with in the States. Since
18(51 the progress of the Church has been literally mar-
vellous. Thus, while in 18G1 the number of Priests was
2,317, and the churches 2,519, the number of Priests in
1807 is 3,252, and the number of churches 3,500— an
increase of nearly 1,000 priests and 1,000 churches in
these few years. In the course of the following year there
will be about GO dioceses in the United States ; prol)ably
in ten years after there will be a necessity for 20 additional
sees ; and those who live to the year 1900 may behold
100 Mitred Prelates of the Cathrlic Church of America
assembled, if not in the Cathedral of Baltimore, possibly
in one of those gorgeous temples which are now rising in
the centres of vast Catholic populations, and for rivals to
which one must look to France or Germany, or Italy — to
some of those majestic monuments of piety erected by a
Prince or a People, a Monarch or a Pope.

A few examples illustrative of individual Dioceses or
States will afford a better idea of the general progress of

.. *

l'i«!

628

THE IRISH IN AMKRICA.

tlio Clmrcli iliiin a Ruinmary of ilio r(>siilt couvtiycd in a
more 'total ' Talco, hn' instance, tlio ])i()ceHc of Milwau-
koo, ('t)nipvisin<jf the Stato of "\ViHiH)nsin.

Up to tlio yiy.ir 18IM IVIilwaula^o was the excliiHivo. homo
of tlu! ll(ul Indian ; when in that year a Fronch. Canadian,
■who is now about ton years dead, Kottled there, as a trad('r
in fiu'H. This first white settlor was jnstly called the
father of the city that soon after rose on the shore of Lake
]\Iicliio-iin, and the founder of th(5 Church of which ho was
the earliest and most liberal bonefactor. It was not until
towards the year IHIiT that the Catholics of Milwaukee had
the services of a priest permanently settled in that city.
The Ilov. Patrick Kelly then became the pastor of some
thirty souls. In 1880 the first church was erected in
INtilwaukee, and was the only church in the entire of tiu;
Territory, since the State, of Wisconsin. In 1840 the
population of the rising city was about 2,000, the Catholics
being thfui one-third of the whole. In March 1814 the
diocese of Milwaukee was erected, the Eight Ilev. John
Martin Heiiiii being appointed 35ishop. The Bishop found
in his vast diocese a Catholic Hock of 20,000, scattered in
every direction, twenty churches, most or them of the
rudest construction, and two priests — the Rev. Martin
Kundig and the Rev. Thomas Morissey. But behold the
wonderful change elVected in a few years, the result of
European emigration. Where there were 20 so-called
churches in 1844, there are now 322 churches, IG chapels,
and 75 stations ; and where there were but 2 priests, thero
are now 103 — besides 2 ecclesiastical seminaries, 2 malo
academies, female academies, 8 religious communities,
and 5 charitable institutions, with a Catholic poimlatioii,
mostlv Irish and German, of 400,000. As an illustration
of the amazing growth of religious institutions in the
fruitful soil of the West, the development of a single one,—
tliat of the (3rder oi' ' Notre Dame,' — might bo cited. It is
not more than sixteen years since four Sisters of this famous

INSTANCES OF Tllli) PROGRESS OF CATHOLICITY. 620

ariea, 2 iiialo

order fouiul(Hl a Iiouko in IVTilwaulcoe, — tlio first, liouso in tlio
8tat('H ; and now tlio Order is rcprcsonicd ])y 58 convents
in dillbront parts of the Union, and nearly 500 SisterH,
wlio eda(!at(! and train more than 20,000 ehildnai. In the
month of Au^nist, 18(17, 00 ladies received the white Y<iil
and IJ8 received the black veil, in the iJKjther lioiiHo
of Milwaukee. Besidew the Order of Notre Dame, the
diocese enjoys the services of Sisters of the Dominican
and Franciscan Orders. For this wond(!rfnl pr()«,a'ess of
the Chun^h and {growth of rtsli^n'ous instituticms, ' wo are,
luider th(! blessinj,^ of (lod, indebted to the zeal, untiring
cnerf^y, and good jiidj^mont of our vcnera]>le and beloved
bishop,' writes an excels 'lit Irishman, who has risen to
high honour in the city of his ado])tion. As a finish to
this picture, it may be added, that the aHS<!m])led bishops
of the Council of Baltimore recommended the division of
the State of AVisconsin into three dioceses, witli Milwaukee
as an Archiepiscoi)al see.

Brooklyn, which in 1834 was attended by a single priest,
has now twenty-four or twenty-five churches in the city
alone, with at least 12,000 children educated under the
care of religious Orders — of Mercy, Charity, St. Dominic,
the Visitation, St. Joseph, Sisters of the Poor, Christian
Brothers, and Brothers of St. Francis. New churches are
now being erected throughout the diocese, as well as in
the city ; and in the latter an entire square is devoted to
the site of a magnificent cathedral, which will be a model
of architectural si)lendour. The Irish mainly constitute
the Catholic population of Brooklyn, as of New York, and
most of the Eastern cities. Still in this, as in other dioceses
— indeed, in all dioceses — more priests are required. Of
the thirty other churches, besides those of the city, we find
that some are attended every two weeks, several once a
month, and one only every six weeks. Nevertheless, it is
progress — progress — progress — in all directions.

In 1847 Bishop Timon took possession of the see of

630

Till-: IRISH IN AMERICA.

^^^"'

BnlViilo, wlioro, to use Iuh own woihIh, • in tho now diocoHo
tlioro Avoro tlioii sixteen |)riostH and sixtiHin clmrcluss ;
thoiiyli most of tlioso cliurclicH nii^hi rather bo called huts
or shanties.' That venerali)Ui prelate -whom I liad the
salisfaction of meetinj^^ towards tho (doso of 18()G — has
sineo j^on(» to reeeivo tho r(>ward of a lifo glorious to
religion. That liishop has left behind him a noble logaey
lo th(^ Ohnrch, — 1<)5 chnrelies, including one of tho most
l)(>aut iful cathedrals now in tho country ; 12(5 priests ; 4
colleges and seminari(>s ; 1) male and 18 feraalo institu-
tions, to which are attached colleges and academies; IG
charitable institutions, 1 being hospitals, and 12 asylums ;
with 32 parocliial schools. And hard work liad Bishop
Tinion for the lirst years of his mission, in meeting tho
wants of a fast iniu-easing lloclc, and rc^sisting tho evil
spirit of ill-r(>gulated 'trusteeship.' But if his labour was
great, so is its result.

AVhen Bishop England terminated his apostolic career,
there were in the whole of his diocese, which comprised
the States of North and South Carolina and Georgia, but
8,000 Catholics ; and now in Charleston alone there are
12,000 Catholics, 8,000 of whom are Irish-born, or tho
descendants of Irish. And in tho city of Mobile, which
bounded the vast diocese of that great prelate, there is
now a Catholic population of some 12,000, mostly Irish —
a thriving, orderly, prosperous community — presided over
by a good and zealous Irish bishop.

Talce a Northern city, Manche ,i.er, in New Hampshire ;
and we shall see how the good work proceeds. The case
of Manchester is more important, as we may contrast the
past — of a few years since — with the present. The existing
Catholic church being too small for its growing Catholic
congregation, uonv numbering 8,000, a similar edifice is in
the course of erection. Shortly after the existing churcli
had been erected, which it w-as in evil days, and under
circumstances of the greatest discouragement — in fact, of
iusult and actual outrage — a baud of riotous Know Nothings

3 labour was

THE PAST AND TIIR PRKSKNT. ^si

RflHoinhlo,! on flu, FonH,], of July, mul (.on.ni<.,H.(..I its
doHtrucii.m. TlH,y Im.l hu(..(.o<1.,1 in a.siroyiu^ itn wimlo. s
ot .slain(.lj.],iss, wlum a purly c,f Irish CailmlicH -allai.dy
ci.countenHl and disixa-Noci ilu, nu,l), and Hav(,d horn invilu'v
injury the chnrch winch had CM.Ht thcin ho ninch Hacrilloo
lo tho crodit of the local auUiorificH, thoy not only vx-
j.roHSod their n^frn-t at tho outrage, but oilcrod, aH a (.,ni-
l)(>nsation, to repair all danuiges. ThiH tins ]lev Mr
McDonald de(;lin(ul on behalf of his Work, sinijily rc(.uivM„^
protcK.tion from • future violence. The utttmipt „n tho
chun.h was not the only one made against the Ciitholics
m Manchester. The Convent of Menry, which is adjacent
to the church, was n(,ar being destroyed by iire at tho
hands of a fanatical worknnin who was (engaged in its
erection. Ko remained ono evening aftcsr the^'other work-
men had left, and deliberately set fire to son)(, shavings
that ho brought with him to the cupola for Lis nefarious
purpose. Fortunat(!ly, no sooner had the flames broken
out than they were discovered, and the fire was extinguished
before any serious injury was done. But since then both
church and convent have remained unmolested, and there
are few cities in which religious and clergy are now more
respected than in Manchester. Since the arrival of the
Sisters, in 1858, there have been over 250 converts in-
structed by them in the faith, and mostly from the wealthier
class of society. In the free schools under the charge of
the Sisters, there are more than 800 children, all of whom
are either Irish-born, or of Irish extraction. Besides the
free schools, there are also, under the same management,
two pay schools, and a select boarding school.

Twenty-five years since, a room of very moderate size
contained all the CathoHcs that assembled to worship God
in the city of Newark. In this temporary chapel the
women alone were accommodated with seats, which were
formed of rude planks laid across empty boxes. "What a
change in 18G6! A cathedral, with other churches a

632

TlIK IRISH IN AMIililCA.

'•ismM

■m

«m

clmicli of f^nmd proporlioiiH in (!c)ntt'ni[)l!itit)n, Rovorul
vulnaMn iii.slituiioiiH, an ('iTK'iimi stall' ol' pi-icstH, and
l.'{,5()() ('oniinmiicantH at (Mirisliiias!*

Tiioii, if wo invn onr >^\mu-o AVosiwanl, and rest it for a
inoinciit on that if ' marv(!ll(»ns of all iiiodcrii ritids
Clii(!a<j;o — ^wliat do wo kims? A fow y(3ars a^'o and (Miica^o
was not heard of ; it had no cxiHUincc. Sinco then it Inis
riHon literally from tlie Hwainp, a city of niajj^ical fjfrowth,
yot of full nialiirity, perhaps the iii(>^i extraordinary in-
staiu'o of the eiier^^y of a people which tlio world has ev(!r
seen. But yesterday a si)rinldin'jf of shanties on the ilat
shore of Lake jMichij,'an ; to-day one of the most famous
centres of industry in the States, and known on every
public chan{^»'e in Kurope. In this nuirvellouH City of tlu*
West, in which pro^^ress assmnos dimensions almost gi^'^antic;
— with its grain elevators (;ai)al)le of storing twelve million
Inishels of grain, and loading the largest shi]) in little moni
than an hour- its abattoirs, that each slaughter from 1,01)0

* III tho followinf:. from a SistiT of Morcy in Litllo Koclt, wrifiriK to a lady
fWoiid, to whom 1 am imlolituil for tlio letter, wo have a gliiiipsc! of the pro^'resn
of the eliureli in Arliaiisas : —

'We eimut here from ''olil Krin " in IH.')!, at the earnest 8olieitatio!i and iic-
compaiiied l)y our late lamented lUshoi) and Fatlier, Hi'^ht Itev. A. li\rne, and
lound an ample field for our exertions, his z<'alciiis efforts not havin;.; yielded
a dne return, for ilu* want of sulliiieni labourers in (tie vineyard. I he name i.t
Catholie, and still more (lie praetiee, was scarcely iinderslood by the majority
of the people. .\ priest was a person on whom every eye rested for eeiisiuN',
niul a reli^;ious cominnnit) a retreat for ii<i:i!i'S. or soniethiiif,' worse. Mich wa.s
the sail vision that met our view upon our first enfram'c into tlii- ii;stiint eounirv
of our adoption, so thai we fre(iuentiy needed to cast a j^laiieo iicaveinvard, iii
order to rous(< our siidunj; spirits aloii;,' the weary road.

'It has pleased Almif,'hty do \ to bless (Uir etforts with miicli sueeess. For
months after our arrival we liad but lhir<' Cathoiie child i a to instruct in :\\(\
faith ; now we have an immense numlier, many of whom Mre the eonsecraicd
children of Mary. For many weeks past we have been busily en^afjed pri'-
parin;^ a<liilts for Baptism, most of whom ;n-e ladies of the tirst rank and fortune
I i^lit received liaptism since Faster. So that we have threat reason to rejuicc
in havin;-; been chosen as liumble inslrnments in the h:mds of Clod in tiic
promotimi of Ills fjlory in this vast and scattered diocese.

'Our present lUshop, Kij,'ht Kev. Fdward l-'it/.^ierald is an Irishman by birlli,
but an American by education, youthful in years but mature in virtue His
advent amongst ns was a source of uiispeakalile happine.s.-- to ns all. Our priests
are all Irish tco and both ^ood and zealous.

• Of the Irish laity, few of them were above a very humble f,'i"'<lc of life ; vet
they are ;ill ii L (tie Itock, in comfortable circiniistames, and in the onjoymciit
of snu^ little hoiiiestead.s.

' 'fher(> ;ire thi'ee instiliite.-! of our Oi'iler in. this diocese. — at Little K"ck. l'"rt
r'liiitli. and Heieiia, and ii aiibeiiiiu' in toial thirtv-livo members — all, with thres
exceptions, thorout'h Irish, body, soul, juind, and heart.

THE (JIlLMfCn IN CHICAGO AND NKW YORK.

633

ion, wu'cnil
[)ri('.stH, and

iTst it for ii
crii cilics
Linl (!hi('ii<^fo
ilicn it liiiH
ical fjfrowth,
ndiiiiiry in-
lid has ('V(!V

on tlio Hat
aost t'anioiiH
11 on ovory

City of tlio
lost f^'ifj^antii}
nAyia million
11 little Tuoro

from 1,{)(){)

vrifiiiK to II ladj'
of tlic progress

icitutioii luul ac-
.'. A. l\\ rue, aiul
t liiiviiif.; yiclilid

I. 'I)l(* llItlllH (it

liy thu niiijority
ted for fcnsurc,
voi'.Mi'. Midi was
■ (distant coiililry

I liuavt'nwanl, in

h BiH'ccsH. For

instruct in iIk;

till! coiisriratcil

ly ••iif^aKi'<l l>i't'-

raiik ami loitiiiic

cason to n',joi((i

of Ciod ill tliL-

slinian hy liirlli,
ill virtue His
all. Our iiricsts

rade of life ; yet

II tlu' eiijoyiiuiit

Littlo !?■ ck. Y'n-t
I— all, with thre«

to 2,000 liofjfH in a tsinj^^lo day—ilH ntit work of railwayH
couiioain^^ it with cvoiy State in the; Union its tunnel
ninnin^r isvo milcH into tlu! lak((, to Kiipply pure water for
its inhal)itantH~its nmehinery for lit'tin;,' wholtj hloek.s of
hoiiseH, and l)uildin<j^ additional storieH under thorn without
int(U'ferinf,' with tin) biiwineHH or tho comfort of n tenant !—
in this niarvcillous Chica<,'o, Ihe very emhodinuiiit of tho
Nl)irit of ^'o-aheadism, tho Catholie Church ih not a whit
behind hand. It Htrives, and with eh(!(!rin{^^ sueeess, to
keep paee with a progress ahnost without exainph; in the
world. In tho city there aro about 20 Catholic ehniche,s,
for a (Catholic population of (JO.OOO, of whom .10,000 aro
Irish; and other chiirehos, ineladin;L,' ono of considerable
grandeur, aro cither in ('ourHo of crfietion or in active
ctmtemplation. It has oven nc r 12,000 Catholic childn^n,
of all classes and (conditions of life, receivin<^' a sound
(Jathohc toachin<:f in academies and i)ar(K;hi;il school ;, And,
a not less sif,qiificant indictition of prof^ress, it is receivino-
daily within its fold converts of tho (jducatcMl classes
of society. In one church, in the year IHOO, tiie Jiishop—
a most accomplished ^^(;ntleman and ze.alous ecclesiastic-
administered Contirniiition to 500 i)crsf)ns ; jind of that
number over 100 were converts, principally from the middle
and upper classes. I mot more than ono of those converts ;
and for intellinrence, information, and quiet dio-nity of'
manner, I have rarely, if ever, seen their supciiors. Tho
building of clmr(;hcs and schools is a visible ;tnd tangible
evidfinco of progress, and there is abundant evidence of
this kind in Chicago; but conversit^ns, and from tho
educated and en lightened portion of the community, aro
evidences more important and more conclusive. Even in
Chicago, tho centre of unceasing movement and constant
('hange, the majestic conservatism of tho Catholic Church,
its tranquil serenity in the hour of civil strife, its un-
broken unity in the midst of dissension and disorder— is
a subject of wonder and admiration: and thoughtful

031

THE lUrSH IN AMERICA.

enrnost inon rarihot iivoitl lu'ljokliiif,' in it uii additional
proof of its divine nu's.sion.

Happily for the intcrostH of rc^li-^aon, Jmppily for tlie
welfiuo of its onornious Irish i)opulaiit)n, Now York i.s not
dovoting all its om;r{,nt!H to tlio construction of a cidhoilral
Avhi(!li will cost throo niilHons of dollars, and will bo tho
prido and glory of the Irish Catholic hoart.* ^Mio Ai'ch-
bishop, ono of the ablest of tho Prolatos of tho Amoricau
Church, is fully alivo to tho iiecossity of providing ample
accommodation as woU for those who have already como, as
for those who are certain to come; and by the dose of
1808 tho churches of tho city of New York will have
reached tho number of forty. But 'more, more, morol'
is the cry one hears on ever;, side ; and ore tho golden cross
Hashes from tho loftiest pinnacle of tho Cathedral of St.
Patrick, uiRny new churches will have gathered in new
congregations, additional thousands and tens of thousands
of worsl uppers. The progress of tho church in this greatest
of American cities is hopeful and cheering in the highest
degree, and in no city are institutions of all kinds more
numerous or more olKcient ; but the necessity for fiulher
efforts is perhaps nure pressing, more urgent, and tho
field for tho disi)lay of all the resources of zc d and
liberality wider and vaster, than in any city within tho
circle of the Union. Though there is uo little poverty and
distress in New York, there is also a rich and powerful
Catholic community; and though great things have been
done, and are every day in progress, still the CathoUcs of
New York are well aware that they must make, and con-
tinue to make largo sacrifices, in order to meet a state of
things which, while exceptional in its character, is tlio
natural and inevitable result of the position of their city—

* Tliis magnificent structure, which ia being constructed of white marble, will h«
one of the Kriui.lr.st churches in tho world. Its diuienbions are these : I,eu"th,
330 feet ; breadth of body of church, 130 ; of transept, 172 ; height of iuteWor',
from floor to crown of arched ceiling, 110 ; height of aisles. 64 ; elevatioh of its
two towers and spires, 320 feet each. And this all in white marble !

ti ndditional

[)ily for tlio
York is not
a cuthotlnil
will bo tho
The Ai-ch-
10 Aiuoricau
idiiig ainplo
x\y coino, aH
-ho cloHo of
k will have
uro, iiioro 1 '
joldon croHS
tulral of St.
l'(hI in now
f ihouHands
:his grcatost
tho highest
kinds nioro
for further
it, and the
f zc d and
within the
poverty and
id powerful
I have been
catholics of
:e, and con-
t a state of
iter, is tlio
their city—

I niiirblt', will lio
tht'Mo : I,eu;,'tli,
it,'ht of iutoi'ior,

elovatio!i of its

CATIIOLICITV IN iJO.STON.

536

virtually the gate throu^di whi(;h tho advonturons of llw
Old "NVoi'ld rea(!h the New. And so long- as tju! slieani of
Kurojx'an eniiomtion IIowh into and through New Yorlr,
HO \oiiir must the spiritual wants of the Church inipoH(> an'
onerous but necessary burden on tho generosity of the
faithful. From what I have seen of the pastors and the
tlock, I have no fear as to th<* result.

But turn to Boston— Boston, the stronghold of the
Puritan— Boston, tho nursing-mother of all the 'isms'
which in tho past proclaimed hostility to the strang(;r and
the Catholie— Boston, whieh has not to this day obirtcrulcd
the l)la(rkened traces of the lire that, amidst' tl»o yells of
!in infuriated mob, shot up its fierce blaze to the lu>aveiia
fi'om tho burning' timbers of the dwelling in which lioly
women divided their lives between tin; education of thci
young and the worship of the Deity.-Boston, whose lead-
ing citizens informed Arcldjishop Carroll that had they,
some time before his visit, met a Catholic in the streciti
they would have crossed to the other side, su(!h was their
horror of, or such their aversion to, one of that detested
creed. In this same Boston, on Sunday, the 15th of
September 18G7, Bishop Williams, attended by several
other Prelates, and in the presence of an immense multi-
tude, laid the foundation stone of a Cathedral which will
be one of tlio most imposing' structures in the country.
The vastness of its dimensions fitly ty pities the progress of
Catholicity in Massachusetts. These are they, at least tlio
principal, given in the words of the architect: 'The ex-
treme length, from the front of the larg-e tower to the rear
of the large chapel in East Union Park Street, is 864 fe(>t,
while the distance from the front entrance to the rear of'
tli(3 chancel is 295 feet. The breadth of the nave and aisles
at the buttresses is 1)8 feet, the transept is 140 feet.
The ridge of the nave roof will be 118 feet above the street,
while the nave ceiling will be 87 feet high.' And at an
altitn.de of HOO feet tlie great tower wiU rise, crowiied with

33G

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

■ a golden cross. Such are tlie main dimensions of the
Cathedral of the Holy Cross, in whoso adornment the best
efforts of Christian art and Cathohc piety will be enhsted
and employed.

Archbishop M'Closkey addressed the assembled multitude
who witnessed the ceremonial ; and his words are at once
so authoritative and so descriptive, as well of the progress
of the Catholic Church in Massachusetts and the New
England States, as of the material and social advance of
the ' old world immigrants ' — who in these States are prin-
cipally Irish — that an extract or two from his admirable
di<^:course may fittingly occupy a place in these pages.

Contrasting the past with the present, the Archbishop
says :—

•There are those most probably now witliiii sound of iny voice, who
can ronieniber when there Avas but one Catholic church in Boston, cud
when that sufficed, or had to suffice, not alone for this city, but for all
New England; and how is it now? Churches and institutions multi-
plied, and daily continuing to multiply, on every side, in this city,
throughout this State, in all, or nearly all, the cities and States ot
New England ; so that, at this day, no portion of our country is en-
riched with them in greater proportionate numbers, none where they
have grown up to a more flourishing condition, none where finished
with more artistic skill, or presenting monuments of more architec-
tural taste and beauty.'

To God's blessing — not overlooking what may to some
appear the natural and obvious reason, namely, 'the never
ceasing tide of immigration that has been and still con-
tinues to be setting towards the American shores' the

Archbishop attributes this astonishing progress. He ac-
curately represents the anticipations of those, and they
were many, who held that the Catholic religion would
never take root in the free soil of America — that it would
wither and shrivel up in the pure atmosphere of New
England enlightenment.

But with regard to the Catholic portion of these immigrants, must
wo not bear in mind that their religion was looked ou with much dls-

ANTICIPATIONS NOT REALISED.

537

msions of the
^meut tlie best
ill be enlisted

bled multitude
Is are at once
I the progress
and the New
al advance of
bates are prin-
liis admirable
e Images.
le ArchbishoiD

f iny voice, who
ill in Boston, oiid
i city, but for all
istitiitions mulli-
ide, in ti)is city,
s and States of
ir conntry is en-
lone wliere they
3 where finishet]
t' more arch' tec-
may to some
ly, 'the never
and still con-
shores ' — tho
ress. He ac-
3se, and they
shgion would
-that it would
)here of New

inmigrants, must
i with much Cth-

favour, by some, oven with bitter prejudice and inveterate dislike? It
was held and rei)re3ented to be a reli,!,Mon of ijrnorance and siiperHtllion.
lull of the grossest absurdities and palpable errors. The prediction
was confidently made that it could not long endure when once brought
lace to face with the light and intelligence of this free country — that,
at best, it could never make any headway, except in its first migratory
character, that it might spread along the surface, but could never take
root in the soil ; that, in process of lime, as it would be brought more
in contact with the teachings, as was said, of a purer gospel, it would
be subjected more fully to the action of our republican institutions, it
would lose its hold on the minds, even of its own followers, and be
forced gradually to give way before the progress-ive and irresistible
spirit of the age; and if this would not be true of the old world immi-
grants, it would be found so, at least, of their descendants. Their
children, possessing here the advantages of better education, growing
up more intelligent, more inquisitive, more independent, partaking
more fully of American life and character, would be too sensible and
too shrewd to cling to such an unpopular form of faith ; unsuited to
the country and the times, that would bring them neither worldly
honour nor worldly gain,, but, on the contrary, would stand in the way
of their temporal interests, would hinder them from rising in the
social scale — in a word, would confound them with the vulgar and
ignorant horde that still blindly persisted in believing Transubstantia-
tion, and adhering to the Pope of Rome.

The Archbishop eloquently describes the utter falsifi-
cation of all these hopes and anticipations : —

Well, Beloved Brethren, have these predictions been fulfilled?
Certainly there is nothing here that would lead me to think so ; and,
if not in the past or present, I see less sign of their being so in the
future Many, perhaps most of you, are from a I'oreign land. W(.'ll,
do you love the old laith now less than you did when you first landed
on these free shores? Is it less dear to you here, in this home of
your adoption, than it was on your native soil in the home oi' your
childhood? Do you cherish it less warmly? do you cling to it less
firmly? would you die for it less freely? I think that, with one
accord, you will ansAver No. So, throughout every portion of this
great Republic, which you love as ardently as do its own sons, for
which you would lay down your lives as generously, to the same
question your ))rethren would give the sunii* response — Xo ! a thou-
sand times No! But your children, how lias it beeu with them?
In their case, assuredly, the test has been a severe, and more dan«
gerous, because a more insidious one. Owing to the causes at which

•m

638

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

I have already hinted, uiid to oUut inlliionccs wliicli I need not novt
eniiinti-ate, many indeed liave been lost to tlie household of the failli
—more so in times past llian in the present -yet nowhere, I v.-nhire
to allicm, will staunclier or lirmer, or more consistent Catliolics he
found than among these Amerieaa nativt; l)orn ; and while' they thus
cherish their holy faith, do they not, at the same time, vie in Immhif/,
in iyitellujcnce, in spirited enterprise, in patriotism and honest worth, with
their fellow citizens in all the various professions and other pursnits of
life? If I needed proof or illnstration, I should have- only to point (o
many who aro hero now before me or at my side, to your own honoured
Bishop at their head. IJut why do I say this? Not surely in any
boastful or invidious snirit,— but simply to show tliat prophecy con-
cerning us has fail'. ( — that our holy Caiholic faith can take, has
taken, root in ;-• ; ee soil; nowhere indeed does it seem to find
another more c .gonial— nowhere does it spread its roots more widely
or sink theni more deei»ly— nowhere does it put forth more rajjid
growth, or flourish with more health and vigour, or give promise of
more abundant fruit,— and tliis, we contend, has come to pass only by
God's blessing.

Nor was the Archbishop without referring to the impor-
tant acquisition to the Churcli whicli every day records

of couv(>rts of thoughtful and searching minds, blameless
lives, and good, social position, who liave no worldly
object to gain, and who perhnps may have much to lose,
by embracing a faitli against which the passions and
prejudi(;es of the world are as yet arrayed.

AVhat may be the number of Catholics in the United
States, is a question of much interest, resi)ccting which
there is considerable difference of opinion — some setting it
down as very niuch less than it really is, others estimating
it beyond what it possibly can be. There is little difficulty
in i)roving the number of churches or ecclesiastics to be
what is stated ; but dealing with a vast proportion of the
population, the computation is not so simple a matter.
Avoiding anything like an extreme estimate, and taking
into account not only the enormous emigration of the last
half century, cliieHy consisting of Catholics from Ireland
and the continent of Europe ; considering also that the
Insh element is, if not the most, certainly one of the most,

[ need not nov?
old of lli.> fiiitli
Ik-to, I vciiluru
it Ciitliolicrf 1)(>
vliiln tlu-y thus
vie in leami/Kj,
lest worth, witJi
her pursnits of
Illy to point to
• own lionourt'd
surely in any
prophecy con-
can take, liuH
t seem to find
ts more widely
th luore rajiid
ive promise of
pass only by

► the impor-
ly records —
Is, blameless
i]o worldly
leh to lose,
assioiis iiiid

the United
ctiiig wliieli
ne setting it
! esiiniating
tie difficulty
istics to be
•tion of the
i a matter,
and taking

of the last
om Ireland
so that the
f the most,

NUMBER OF CATHOLICS IN THE STATES.

639

fruitful in the world ; an(i not forgetting this fact, that in
several parts of tlus Union, and notably in the New England
States, the annual in(;rcase of the population is entirely
owing to the foreign element* — and in most of these
KStates the foreign element is fully live-sixths Irish and
Catholic — I am inclined to agree with those who regard
from nine to len imlliom^ of (laDioIlc^ as a fair and mode-
rate estimate. They may be more, but it is not j)ropablo
that there are less than {),()0(),0()0 ; which is more than
one-fourth of the entire j^opulation of the United States.

And now, what more need be said of the progress of that
Church which has in its charge the spiritual welfare and
moral worth of the Irish in America? , j has her enemies,
and will continue to have them, as she has ever had ; and
these have be(ni her glory rather than her shame. Sects
will assail her, and even parties may league against her ;
but she will pursue the even tenor of her way, licither
looking to the right nor to the left, as indifferent to threat
as io seduction — preaching peace and love to all men —
lifting up her children, by her holy inlluenee, to a truer
appreciation and a more practical fulfilment of their
duties as Christians and as citizens — teaching them to love
and lionour and serve the great country in which, not-
withstanding the idle rage of the fanatic and the folly of
the shortsighted, she has full freedom of develojomcnt, of
active and noble usefulness.

For this glorious Church of America many nations have
done their part. The sacred seed first planted by the hand
of the chivalrous Spaniard has been M'atered l)y the blood
of the generous Gaul ; to the infant mission the English-
man brought his steadfastness and his resolution, the
Scotchman his quiet firmness, the Frencnman his en-
lightonnKuit, tlie Irishman, fhe ardour of his faith ; and as
time rolled on, and wave after wave of emigration brought

* For some iuteresting iuformaUou on this subject the reader is referred iv< the
Appendix

fi'lO

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

■a

with it more and more of the precious hfcvblood of Europe,
from no country was there a richer contribution of piety
and zeal, of devotion and self-sacrifice, than from that
advanced out-post of the Old World, whose western shores
lirst breast the fury of the Atlantic ; to whose people
Providence appears to have assigned a destiny grand and
heroic — of carrying the civilisation of the Cross to remote
lands and distant nations. What Ireland has done for the
American Clnirch every bishop, every priest can tell.
Throughout the vast extent of the Union, there is scarcely
a church, a college, an academy, a school, a religious or
charitable institution, an asylum, an hospital, or a refuge,
in which the piety, the learning, the zeal, the self-sa(!rilice
of the Irish — of the priest or the professor — of the Sisters
of every Order and denomination — are not to be traced ;
there is scarcely an ecclesiastical seminary for EngHsh-
spealdng students in which the great majority of those
now preparing for the service of the sanctuary do not
belong, if not by birth, at least by blood, to thiit historic
land to which the grateful Ohurcli of past ages accorded
the proud title— Insula Sanctorum.

A writer who is not remarkable for enthusiasm, and who
judges with wisdom and praises with reserve, thus describes
to what extent the American Church is indebted for its
progress to the Irish population of the United States* :—

In ivcordin<? this consoling advancomont of Catholicity throughout
4be United States, ei^pecially in the North and West, justice requires
us to state, that it is owing in a groat measure to the faith, zeal, and
generosity of the Irish people, who have emigrated to these shores,
and their descendants. We are far from wishing to detract from the
merit of other nationalities ; but the vast influence which the Irish
population have exerted in extending the domain of the Church is
well deserving of notice, because it conveys a very instructive lesson.
The wonderful history of the Iri.sh nation has always forced upon us
the conviction, that, like the chosen generation of Abraham, they were

* Sketch of tlio Origin .and ProRross of t)io Cutliolic Chun-)! in tho I'nitod
States uf Ainoric.'i, by liev. ('. G. WliiU". ]>.!)., given us an Appendix to
I'arra's Geuoral History of tlio Catholic Church. rnbh.s)iGd by 1', O'.^hea.
i;;u'clay Straet, New York.

THE PROTESTANT AND CATHOLIC EMIGRANT.

[ of Europe,
ion of picity
I from that
stern whores
bose people
y grand and
iS to remote
done for the
it can tell.
1 is scarcely
religious or
or a refuge,
self-sa(!rilico
the Sisters
be traced ;
br English-
ty of those
lary do not
thiit historic
OS accorded

im, and who
us describes
bted for its
States* : —

ity tlirotigliout
istico requires
[aith, zeal, and
these shores,
ract from the
hich the Irish
the Church in
rnctive lesson,
irced upon us
lain, tliey wero

I in tho rnitod

.n Appi^iulix to

by P. U'f^hea.

(lentinod in Uk- denii^nH of Providence; to a special mission for Uw. pre-
servation and propa^'ation of llu; true faith. Tiiis faith, so |)nre, so
lively, so ;j;en(!rous, displays its-dfin every region of the glolic;. 'I'o its
vitality and energy must we atUibute, l'> a very great extent, the
rapid increase in the number of churclies and o.her institutions wiiich
have sprung up and a.-e sti'.l sjjriiiging up in the United States, and to
tlie same source are thci clergy mainly indebted for their support in
the exercise of tiieir ])astoral ministry. It cannoi be denied, and v )
bear a cheerful testimony to tho fact, that hundreds of clergymen who
are labouring for the salvation of souls, would starve, and tlieir efforl.i
for the cause of religion would be in vain, but for tho generous aid
which they receive from the cliildren of Erin, who know, for the most
part, how to a])preciate the beiudits of religion, and who thertdore
joyfully contvil)ut(^ of their worldly means, to purchase tho spiritual
blessings which the Church dispenses.*

In concluding this sketch of the progress of the Catholic
Church in America, I may refer again, though in a
passing manner, to the alleged loss of faith on the part of
the Irish. The reader who has gone through the foregoing
pages must have found in them suffi(;ient to account,
easily and rationally, for whatever loss of faith did occur
from the migration of a people without priests, flocks
without pastors; while he laust have scon no liitlo to
admire in the fidelity — the miraculous fidelity — with v»"hicli
the same people kept the faith laiC^ r circumstances the
most unfavourable, and in the face of discouragements
of the most formidable nature.

Let it be distinctly borne in mind, that the Irish Cath-
olic had everytL'.ig against him, nothing in his favour.
With the Irish Protestant, of whatever denomination, tho
case was totally different. The Irish Protestant practically

* Ono out of a thousand instances will suflice to exhibit tlie zeal and {gene-
rosity of the humbler clashes of the Irish in ATUorica. A Sister of >!( rcy thus
tells wluit the Irish woriri.i. people have done for tlic Order in Cineiiinati ;
'The Convent, Sclioola, ^-nd .'Touse of Mercy, in which the t^ood works of our
Institute are protjressiug, Tcre purchased in 1801, at a considerable, outlay.
This, together with tlio repairs, alterations, furnishing, &c., were tief/ayed hi/ the
vnrking vlasf rf Irish people, who have been and ai'o to us mot-t devoted, and by
tlveir generosity havo enabled us, up to the present time, to carry out successfully
our works of mercy and charity.'

642

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

''S3

. -A

■:«
Jl

4«

knew nothing of the diHicnlties by which the Irish Catholic
wa3 surromuled, nothing of the triiils nnd temptations to
which the CathoHc and the family of the Catholic wore
subjected or exposed. Wlierever the Irish Protestant
turned his face, there he found a congregation and a
church, nay even the people and the very atmosphere to
suit him. If he had not, convenient to his dwelHng, a
church or a congregation of his immediate denomination,
there was some kindred church which opened its doors to
welcome him, some sect to sympathise with his behef, and
receive him in the spirit of religious fraternity. Not so
with the Catholic. The multitude of denominations was
to him of httle avail. ThoV(3 was no friendly sect or kin-
dred communion to receive or sympathise with him. He
had to stand alone and aloof, for with none could he amal-
gamate, or, as Piotestant sects might, fuse down in one
grand accord every >.„anor difference. Thus, alone and
aloof, the Irish Catholic, without church or pastor, had to
keep the faith ahve in his own breast, and foster it by
every parental inliuonce in the breasts of his children ;
who were exposed to the perilous seductions of associatioJ
with tho.o young as themselves, but who, unlike them, had
a church, a pastor, or a congregation. The wonder is, not
that some lost the faith ; but the miracle is, that it was so
amazingly preserved.

Any speculation as to the number of those who lost the
faith would be as idle as profitless. It would require the
labour of one of our Royal CommissioDS, powers well nigh
inquisitorial, and a dozen years spent in journeying to and
fro, to arrive at anything like an approach to the real
number of those who yielded to the force of circumstances,
and of those who resisted their influences. The belief of'
every thoughtful Catholic in the United States with whoin
I conversed on this subject is, that the loss has been
monstrously exaggerated, the statements to that eit'oct
partaking more of the nature of an oratorical flourish than

LOSS OF FAITH AND INDIFFERENl ISM.

543

isli Catholic
iptatioiis to
itliolic were

Protostant
tioii and a
no8i)liorc to
dwelling, a
nomination,
ts doors to
I belief, and
tj. Not so
lations was
ect or kin-
1 him. Ho
Id he amal-
•wn in one

alone and
^tor, had to
jster it by
1 children ;
association
! them, had
ider is, not
t it was so

io lost the
•equire the
3 well nigh
ing to and
;o the real
umstances,
6 belief of
with whoin
has been
that eil'oct
)urisli than

of the remotest approach to statistical accuracy — resting
upon nothing more solid than a paragraph in a well-meant
letter of warning, or a full-swelling passage in a terror-
striking discourse. The motive in which these statements
had tlieir origin was good, but the language has been sadly
reckless. From individual localities, or exceptional cir-
cumstances, results sweeping and general have been de-
duced. AVhatever the loss— and it is altogether a thing
of the past rather than of the present — there can be no
delusion more monstrous, or indeed more unjust to a peo-
ple or a Church, than that the Irish become, if not actual
infidels, at least indifferent, the moment they land in
America. Now were not the character of the Irish — the
most retentive and tenacious of all races of the world — a
sufficient answer to this absurdity, the proof to the contrary
is the present position of the Catholic Church of America.
On this head nothing need be added to the force and
authority of the passage I have just quoted from a writer
so careful and cautious as Dr. White.

Neither is it true that indiffercntism, though the all-
pervading religious disease of America, is one of the char-
acteristics of Catholicity in that country. The magnitude
of the work done, of the vast and splendid things ac-
complished, is altogether inconsistent with indiffercntism.
There is as much active zeal, as eniln^.siastic fervour, as
profound i)iety, in America as even in Ireland; and in
many places the organisation for all church purposes and
every spiritual object is more complete than it is in the
old country. The ceremonies are conducted with solemnity
and dignity, and the congregations are collected and devo-
tional in air and manner ; and whenever the Chnrch makes
a special appeal to the piety of her children, the religious
enthusiasm is fervent and intense. There is one, and that
a marked dift'eronce between congregations in Citholic
churches in America and in Ireland or England ; and the
difference is too honouring to the American character to

^.jBHAR

644

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

•;«
J

nil

bo overlooked. In America tlicro is most frequently in
Catholic clinrcbcs a conHiderablo proportion of Protestants
— who do not either idly {,'apo about, or exhibit weari-
ness or impatience ; but Avho liKten gravely, and conduct
themselves Avith scrupulous decorum. I have been in
many of the Cathohc churches of America, and I never
witnessed on the part of Protestants anything which was
not respectful to the place and creditable to them.

Now, at any rate, there is no fear of loss. The day for
that is gone. Wherever the axe of the pioneer clears the
path in the forest, or the plough of the settler turns up
the virgin soil of the prairie, the Church soon follows and
erects the Cross ; and no sooner does the village begin to
assume the outlines of the city than the Religious Orders,
those noble standard-bearers and soldiers of the Faith,
push on to protect and defend the rising youth of the race
and religion of Catholic Ireland. The losses of the past
.are to be dejjlored, though they have been exaggerated ;
but the America of the past is not the America of to-day.

frequently in
f Protcstiints
xliibit wcari-

and ccnicluct
avo boon in

and I never
ig which was
cm.

The clay for
er clears the
Icr turns up
I follows and
igo begin to
ious Orders,
f the Faith,
1 of the race

of the past
exaggerated j

of to-day.

CHAPTEE XXX.

Tho Irish in the Win"— Irish faithl'iil to eilhor Side Thomas
Francis Moaphor — Wiiy tlio Irish joinod distinct Orifanisations
—Irish Chivalry— Mori! Irish Cliivalry— Tho ii-ligious IiitliKitico
— Not kiiowinji^ wliat ho prcacliod on — Ch'anlinoss of th(; Irish
Soldier— Uospcct for tho Laws of War —A Non-coinbatant do-
f(Miding his Castlo— Dofondod with Briuivbats — • Noblosso Ob-
lipre'-lpat's Littlo (Jamo— Irish Dovot<'(..iess— Tiio Lovo of
Fif,'ht— Tostlinonics to tli(! Irish Soldier -Tho Handsomest
Thing of tho War— ratrlck Uoiiayno Clebnrno— General CAe-
biirne and his Opinions— In Meniorlam — After the Wai'^ — Tho
grandest of all Spectacles.

FROM the very circumstances of their position, it wag
almost a matter of inevitable necessity that the Irish
citizens of America should ally themselves with that
political party which, with respect to the foreigner and tho
stranger, adopted the liberal and enlightened policy of
Jefferson and Madison. The Irish, then, being Demo-
crats, naturally sympathised with tho prevailing sentiment
of the Southern States, which was strongly Democratic.
And yet, notwithstanding this sympathy, th(3 result of a
general concurrence of opinion with that of the South, the
Irish of the Northern States not merely remained faithful to
the flag of the Union, but were amongst the foremost and
the most enthusiastic of those who rallied in its defence,
and the most steadfast in their support of the Federal
cause, from tho moment that the first gun, fired in Charles-
ton Harbor, echoed through the land, to the hour when
Lee surrendered, and the war was at an end. "Whatever
their opinions or feelings as to the conduct of those who,
justly or unjustly, were held responsible for bringing about
or precipitating the contest, and deeply as they felt the
injury which war was certain to inflict on the country of
their adoption, the Irish-born citizens never wavered in
their duty. None more bitt<u-ly deplored than they did

6i6

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

Sf^

tlio sad consoquencos of civil strife -a conflict whioli would
biiiin. into (loiidly coLli.sion idndroa racf.s even of tlieir own
people; but onco the rupture was irrevocable, they calm i-
accepted their position. From the first nioment to the
last, they were animated by a high sense of duty, and an
earnest feeling of patriotisu' Fortunately for the honour
and fame of the Irish, there was iii their motives an utter
absence of the baneful i)assions of hatred and r( venge or
the least desire to crush or liumilialo their opi)onents.
\\'ar with all its tremendous consequences tfiey laced as a
stern and terrible necessity ; but they entered into it ^v•ith
a chivalrous and Christian spirit, which never deserted
them throughout the prolonged struggle. Tluy did not
stop to argue or split hairs as to the constitutional rin-lits
alleged to be involved ; they acted, as they felt, with^thc
community amid whom they lived, and with whom their
fortunes were identified. The feeling was the same at
both sides of the hne. The Irish in the South stood with
the State to which, as they believed, they owed their first
allegiance, and, as was the case in the North, they caught
the spirit of the community of whom they formed part.
They also were profouncUy grieved at the necessity for war
and would have gladly avoided the calamity of an open
rupture. Southern Irishmen have told me that they shed
tears of bitter anguish when, in vindication of wliat they
held to be the outraged independence of their State, whicli
to them was the immediate homo of their adoption they
first fired on thr flag of that glorious country which had
been an asylum to millions of their people. The Northern
Irishman went into the war for the preservation of the
Union—the Southern Irishman for the independence of
his State. And each, in his own mind, was as thoroughly
justified, both as to right and duty, principle and patriotism
as the other. With the political or constitutional questioi'
involved at either side I have no busint ss whate ver ; and
wore I competent to disentangle it from the maze into

IRI!^n FAITHFUL TO EITHER SIDE.

047

whioli would
of their own
, tliey calmly
ueiit H) tho
luty, and an

the liouour
vos an utter

rovenj^c, or

oii])onnnts.
;y faced as a

into it with
er deserted
ley did not
ional riglits
It, with the
whom their
10 same at

stood with
[ their first
:hey caught
rmed part,
ity for war,
)f an open
t they shed

what they
tate, which
2)tion, they
which had
Northern
ion of tho
sndcnce of
thoroii.rhly
jiatriotisni,
al questioi.
tever; and
maze into

whidi confluiting opinions jind subtle diwquiHitions have
brought ill hould still, from a feeling of dehcacy, decline
dealing wi-i a subject which may not, as yet, be freely
handler without exciting anger and irritation. T have
heard iii ■ uidisguised sentiments of Irishmen at l)oth
sides of Liie line — ovi:ry nnin of them loving America with
a feeling of profound attaduiu ut ; and I, who stand, as it
were, on neutral ground, have as full faith in the patriotism
and purity of motive of the Northern as the Southern, tho
Confederate as the deral.

In their zeal for the cause which Irishmen on each side
nuitually and of necessity esjioused, they did not at all
times, perhaps could not, make due alhnvancci for the
feelings and convictions of their countrymen wlio fought
under or posing banners, or fairly consider the position in
which they were placed, and the influences by \vhieh they
were suri'ounded. Thus, while the Northern Tiishman
could not comprehend how it was that the Southern Irish-
man, though sympathising with every passionate throb
of the community in which he Hved, and whose every
feeling or prejudice he thoroughly shared, could possibly
take up arms against the Union — against the Stars and
Stripes — that 'terror of tyrants and hope of the op-
pressed ; ' in the same way, the Southern Irishman covdd
not reconcile it to his notions of consistency, that the very
men who sought to liberate their native land from British
thraldom should join with those who were doing their
utmost to subjugate and trami^le under foot the liberties
of a people fighting for their independence. But, were the
struggle to be fought over agrdn, bc-tli — Irishmen of the
North and Irishmen of the South — would fall inevitably
into the same ranks, and fight under the same banner ; !ind
though each could not, at least for a time, do justice to the
motives of the other, every dispassionate observer, who took
their mutual positions into account, should do so. An
American general, one of the most thoughtful and intelligent

.%.

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PhotograpJiic

Sciences

Corporation

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. 14S80

(716) 872-4503

A-V:

518

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

men whom I have ever met, remarked to me one day :—

* Nothing during the war was more admirable than the
'fidehty of your countrymen, at both sides, to ihe State
' m which they hvcd. North or South, they wel'e equally

* devoted, equally faithful, sharing in every emotion of the
'community of which they formed part. I know that
'some of your countrymen at our side could not make
' allowance for those on the other side, and in fact would
I hear nothing said in their defence; but I always held

* the conviction that not only could they not have done
'otherwise, consistently with their duty, but that the

* manner in which they did it redounds to their lasting

* honour. The var has tried the Irish, and they stood the

* test well, as good citizens and gallant soldiers. This has
' been my opinion from the first ; and it is the same now,

* that the ;war is happily at an end.'

Perhaps to no other man of Irish bjood was the Federal
government more indebted than to that gifted and gallant
Irishman over whom, in the mystery and darkness of the
night, the turbid waters of the Missouri rolled in death-
Thomas Francis Meagher. Passionately attached to the
land which for so many years had been the asylum and
the hope of millions of the Irish people, he infused into
his brilliant oratory all the ardour of his soul, and the
strong fidelity of his heart. The Union was the object of
his veneration ; its flag the emblem of its greatness and
its glory. Meagher ' of the Sword ' was in his element
at last ; and as his fiery words rang tlu^ough the land, they
roused the enthusiasm of a race wdiose instincts are essen-
tially wvarlike, and whose fondest aspirations are for mili^
tary renown. Animated no less by a sense of their duties
as citizens, than thrilled by accents that stimulated their
national pride, the very flower of the Irish youth of the
Northern States rallied under the flag of the Union.

Writers foi and in certain journals of the United
Kingdom frequently impugned the character and the

THOMAS FRANCIS MEAGHER.

549

one (lay : —
)le than the
to tlie State
vvel-e equally
otion of the

know that
i not make
1 fact would
always held
b have done
it that the
heir lasting
}y stood the
!. This has

same now,

the Federal
and gallant
mess of the
in death —
3hed to the
asylum and
nfused into
il, and the
^e object of
3atness and
lis element
3 land, they
1 are essen-
ce for mili-
their duties
ilated their
)uth of the
ion.

;he United
L* and the

motives of the Irish who joined the Federal army during
the war ; and * mercenary ' and ' rowdy ' and ' rough,' havu
been the terms too freely employed to express dishke of
those who formed so powerful an element of the strcngtli
and valour of the Northern army. But never was slander
more malignant, or description more entirely inapt. Hero,
in the words of Thomas Francis Meagher, traced but a
few months before his lamentable death, is the simple
explanation of the motives and vindication of the cha-
racter of the men who took up arms for a principle, and
who fought with the valour and the chivalry of true
soldiers. From a letter dated the 4th of March, 1867,
from Virginia City, IMontana, I take this sentence : ' A
'chivalrous — and I may with perfect truth assert a re-
'hgious — sense of duty, and spirit of fidelity to the
Government and Flag of the naiion of which they were
' citizens, alone inspired them to take wp arms against the

* South — and this I well know, that many of my gallant
'fellows left comfortable homes, and rehnquislied good
' wages, and resigned profitable and most promising

* situations, to face the poor pittance, the coarse rations,
' the privations, rigours, and savage dangers of a soldier's

* life in the field.' *

* How little we know what lies in the future! When General Meagher wrote
the letter from which the above extract is tsiken, he was full of licalth and hopo,
with visions of a trilliant and a joyous future before him. Here ai-c his own
words : ' All I can say— all I have time to say— is this, that I am in the very
•best health— so is Mrs. Meagher— and tliat I'm resolved not to turn my back

* upon the Rocky Mountains until I liave the means to whip my carriage-and-foiir
'through the New York Central Park, and sail my own yacht, with the Green
•Flag at the Mizenpeak, within thi'ce miles of tlie Irisli coast'

T have met with many men— American and Irish— who have seen Meagher
in the very thick of the fight, and who spoke with admiration of the intrepid
gallantry witli Which ho bore himself on every occasion ; and who described
how on more than one memorable field his noble Brigade, skilfully and daringly
leil by him, turned the tide of battle, and changed the fortiines of the day. Ere
this, I believe, more tlian one volume has been published in America, doing
justice to the brilliant Irishman who is now no more, and chronicling the heroic
deeds of one of the most splendid military organisations of modern times.

I have seen Thomas Francis Jleagher, not, it is true, in the thick of the fight,

660

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

The Irish citizens did not enter the army nt citlier sido
as a matter of calculation and prudence, but as a matter
of duty, and from an impulse of patriotism. Yet if thoy
hiid acted on deli])eration, they could not liave done more
wisely than they did. ' Foreigners [ind aliens ' they would
indeed have proved themselves to be, had they stood
coldly aloof, or shown themselves insensible to the cause
which stirred the heart of the nation to its depths, and, -is
it were in a moment, made gallant soldiers of peaceful
civilians. They vindicated their citizenship not alone by
their services, but by their sympathies; and in their
terrible sacrifices— en every bloody field and in every
desperate assault— in every danger, toil, and suffering-
they made manifest their value to the State, no less by
their devotion than their valour.

From every State ; from every city, town, and village •
from the forest and the prairie, the hill and the plain •
from the worksliop, the factory, and the foundry ; from'
the counter and the desk ; from the steam-boat, the wharf
and the river bank— wherever the Irish were, or what-
ever their occupation, they obeyed. the summons of their
adopted country, and rushed to the defence of its banner.
They either formed organisations of their own, or they
fell into the ranks with their fellow-citizens of other
nationalities. But special organisations, distinctive and
national, had for them peculiar attractions ; and once the

with the gi^oi, flas glancing anud the smoke of battle, but in a position not loss
tijing to he physical and moral courage of man-in the dock of the courthouse
Of Clonmel. listening to the sentence of death solemnly pronounced upon him in
the measured accents, and almost dramatic uttcraiK^e, of a Judge since gone to
his account It ,s now nearly twenty years since those awe-inspiring words f-ll
Pou the hushed audience in that crowded court; and I weU remember, as

thunoZr 7 '' """'' ''^' ^'"'"'* ^'^'^^■'"^ °^ ''""' --•>"« '^'^^l fearless

vh^r; 1 r, "'« convinced, would have met death calnJy in the cause to

TmSL- ;l^'f r , "^ '""'^'''' ''''^ ""^'^ °' ^"^ 5'outh and dream of his
mibit oa. Had he been allowed to enter the House of Comn:^ns, when he made

quite other than ,t was ; but the spirit of faction was too strong in fboso davs •
^t „'!;,/'';"' T ""ff ' l"-li»"'ent lost a brilliant orator, and Ireland "an
•loquont advocate and faithful representative. America gainod a devoted citizen.

WHY THE IRISH JOINKD DISTIXCT ORGANISATIONS. 551

at eitlier sido
lit as a matter
1. Yot if th(;y
ive clone more
IS ' they would
d tliey stood
B to the cause
-lepths, aud, 'is
rs of peaceful
not alone by
and in their
and in every
id sufForing— ^
e, no less by

, and village ;
lid the plain ;
)undry ; from
)at, the wharf,
ore, or what-
tiions of their
3f its banner,
own, or they
ens of other
stinctive and
and once the

I position not loss
of the courtliouse
need upon liini in
dgo since gone to
spiring words f-.-ll
eU remember, as
JiHig and /earless

in tlio cause to
nd drciiin of his
IS, when he niada
nii^'ht have been
!ig in tb.ose days ;

and Ireland an
a devoted citizen.

green flag was unfurled, it acted with niagiietic influence,
drawing to it the hardy c)iildr<;u of J^li'iii. There were,
in both armies, companies, regiments, brigad(^s, exclusivcily
Iri.sli ; but whether tluiro was a special organisation or not,
there was scarc(ily a regiment in either service wlii(;h did
not contain a smaller or greater number of Irish citizens.
I cannot venture to particularise or enumerate. The
attempt would bo idle, if not invidious. But I have
spoken to galLint men who led them in action, and were
with them amid all the trials and vicissitudes of a soldier's
life; and whether they fought under a dis'inct organisation,
or without distinction of national badge or banner, there
was only one opinion expressed of their lighting qualities,
and their amazing powers of endurance — and that ecpially
in South as in North, in North^as well as South. Why
the Irish were attracted by distinct organisations was
well explained by General Meagher. It was prior >■ he
formation of his famous Brigade that he used the words
I am about to quote ; but when once the war was m full
s^ving, and the hard work had really commenced, the
chief inducenn nt of the Irishman to join either company,
regiment, or brigade, was the reputation it had earned,
and the glory it had achieved. In the course of his
oration on McManus, he referred to the desire ever then
expressed by the Irish citizen to join a purely Ii'ish regi-
ment or brigade, and said : —

'It is a pardonable prejudice, for the Irishman never
' fights so well as when ho has an Irishman for his comrade.
'An Irishman going into the field in this cause, has this
' as the strongest impulse and his richest reward, that his
' conduct in the field will reflect honour on the old land he
' will see no more. He therefore wishes that if he falls, it
' will be into the arms of one of the same nativity, that all
'may hear that he died in a manner worthy of the cause
'in which he fell, and the country which gave him birth.
'This is the explanation why Irishmen desire to be together

I 'a

fi62

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

■ m

*in the figlit for the Stars and Stripes, and I am sure there
•is not a native-born citizen here who will not confess that
* it is a pardonable, a generous, and a useful prejudice.'

This tendency of the Irish to join distinct organisations,
whetlier of regiment or brigade, imposed on them more of
hard work, more of risk and danger, than fell to the ordi-
nary lot of the soldier. It seemed as if they themselves
should do more than others, to sustain the reputation which
they had often, in times when civil war was undreamt of,
claimed for their race — a reputation that others had freely
admitted to be estabhshcd beyond question. Not only had
the Irishman to maintain the honour of his regiment, but
he had also to maintain the honour of his country; for if
he fought as an American citizen, he also fought as an
Irish exile. AVc have thus, independently altogether of
the natural love of fight that seems inherent in the Irish
blood, the explanation of the desperate courage displayed
on every occasion in which they were engaged, in whatever
operation of war, whether as assailants or defenders, steadily
resisting or daringly attacking. The character which they
soon acquired for courage and devotion, endurance as well
as dash, added to their fame; but it was likewise the
cause of many a wife being made a widow, many a child
an orphan, many a home desolate — of mourning and sorrow
at boih sides of the Atlantic. When the General had work
to do which should be , ne, he required soldiers on whom
he could rely ; and whatever other soldiers were selected,
there was sure to be an Irish regiment among the rest.
And though Irishmen may possibly, at the time, have
grumbled at not being given enough to do, they must
new, as they calmly recur to the past, admit that they
had, to say the very least, their full share of the fight as
of the hardship, of the sacrifice as, f th:) glory.

The Irish displayed a still nobler quality than courage,
though theirs was of the most exalted nature; they dis-
f)layed mcgnanimity, generosity — Christian chivalry. From

IRISH CHIVALRY.

653

'. am sure there
ot confess tliat
prejudice.'
organisations,
them more of
ill to the ordi-
ley themselves
pntation which
I undreamt of,
lers had freely
Not only had
regiment, but
country; for if
fought as an
altogether of
it in the Irish
•age displayed
d, in whatever
nders, steadily
ber which they
urance as well
I likewise the
many a child
iig and sorrow
leral had work
iers on whom
were selected,
long the rest.
le time, have
io, they must
nit that they
f the fight as

than courage,
ire ; they dis-
ivalry. From

"SI

MiKr

one end of the South to the other, even where the feeling
was yet sore, and the wound of defeat stiU rankled in the
breast, there was no anger against the Irish soldiers of the
Union. Whenever the feeble or the defenceless required
a protector, or woman a champion, or an endangered
church a defender, the protector, the champion, and the
defender were to be found in the Irishman, who fought for
a principle, not for vengeance or desolation. The evil
deeds, the nameless horrors, perpetrated in the fury of
passion and in the hcence of victory — whatever these
were, they are not laid at the door of the Irish. On the
contrary, from every quarter are to be heard praises of the
Irish for their forbearance, their gallantry, and their
chivahy— than which no word more fitly represents their
bearing at a time when wanton outrages and the most
horrible cruelties were too frequently excused or palhated
on the absolving plea of stern necessity.

I could fiU many pages with incidents illustrative of this
noble conduct,, did space admit of my doing so. I met, in
New Orleans, with a dignitary of the EpiscopaHan Church,
who made the conduct of the Irish in the Northern army
the subject of warm eulogium ; and in his own words,
afterwards written at my request, I shall allow him to tell
in what manner the chivalrous Irishman won the respect
of the people against whom he fought, but whom he did
not hate, and would not willingly humiliate.

It was a cause of real grief to the Southern people when they beheld
the Irish nation, in the midst of their great straggle for independence,
furnishing soldiers to fight a people who were engaged in a deadly
contest for the same boon, and who had never given them cause of
offence. This feeling was, however, softened in the progress of the
war, when they discovered the generous sympathy yet lurking in the
hreasts of these misguided men, and which was never invoked in vain.
In every assault made upon a defenceless household the Irish soldier
was among the first to interpose for the defence of the helpless, to
Blneld them from insult and wrong.

In the march of Sheridan's cavalry through Albemarle county,
Virginia, the house of a worthy clergyman was about to be entered

664

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

fhn-m

I ■*'

by a rude and tumultuous hand, when an Irishman rushed forward to
protect the family, assumed the place of sentinel and guard, drove llio
invade s from the threshold, drajj-ed from his hidden retreat. un.i..r
the portico, a burglar who was brealvMig into the cellar, and with
Bword in hand deiied any one to violate the sanctity of that home
None dared to resist him, until a company of stragglers following upon
the heels of the main body advanced in force, and demanded to know
his authority for tarrying there when the troops had left. « To defend
this house from thieves and burglars,' .v^as his reply. Brandishing their
weapons, they attempted to drive him from the place, when he looked
them quietly in the face and asked, ' How tall are you when you are
fat? ' The imperturbable coolness of the Irishman was too much for
them, and they left him to enjoy the satisftvction of his heroism, and
the grateful attentions of the family he had so noblv defended. His
mission did i.at end there, but taking from his knapsack his ration of
coffee and sugar, which had not been consumed, ho insisted that the
good ramister and his lUniily should accept it for their own use. The
nature of this man's service was the more appreciated vhen the ad-
^ jacent 'plantation was soon after consumed by fire. The husband and
father died suddenly from the shock, and the widow and children
were left homeless and foodlcss in the negro cabin, to lament that no
Irish soldier was there to shield them from the cruel wrath of their
countrymen.

Again, upon the visit of Sherman's array to Mecklenbur* co after
the surrender, the estate of Mr. S., the brother of the minister referred
to, fell a prey to the same species of violence. His mansion, one of
the most magnificent in the State, was despoiled. His wife, being ill,
was confined to her chamber, when it was suddenly threatened by an'
excited group of soldiers maddened with liquor. Ii vain did the
physician who was in attendance remonstrate with the ruffians, who
insisted upon forcing the door in search of plunder. At this moment
an Irish soldier came to the rescue, took his place as sentinel at the
door, hurled back the crowd, and remained there for several hours
the faithful guardian of that sick chamber, until the house was freed
from its invaders. Every nook and corner was searched, everything
plundered thr,t could be taken away, every apartment rifled save thai
sheltered under the xgis of the brave-hearted Irish soldier.

The 9tli Connecticut,* an exclusively Irish regijnent, was
quartered in New Orleans during its occupation by the
force under General Butler. Its officers maintained the
chivalrous character of the Irish soldier, who fought for a
principle, not for plunder or oppression. They remained

* I am uot certain as to the regiment, but I am as to the natlonalitj.

MORE IRISH CniVALRT.

665

rushed frjrward to
giiiinl. drove llu'
en retroat. undtr
cellar, and with
Uy of that home,
rs Ibllovving upon
emandod to know
left. ' To defend
Brandishing their
e, when he looked
iTOu when you are
i^as too much for
his heroism, and
y defended. His
ick his ration of
insisted that the
ir own use. The
;ed vhen the ad-
The husband and
ow and children
lament that no
si wrath of their

enburg co. after
minister referred
mansion, one of
8 wife, being ill,
hreatened by an
In vain did the
he ruffians, who
At this moment
s sentinel at tbo
)r several hours
house was freed
3hed, everything
t rifled save that
er.

regiment, was
)ation by the
aintained the
) fought for a
hey remained

ionalltj.

in their marquees, and would not take poRsession of the
houses of the wealthy citizens, which, according to the laws
of war, they might have done. ' We canio to fight men
said they, ' not to rob women.' They soon won the con-
fidence and respect of the inhabitants.

A soldier of this regiment was placed as sentinel before
one of the finest houses in the town, which General Butler
nitended for his headquarters ; and his orders were that
he should allow nothing to be taken out— nothing to pass
through that door. The sentinel was suddenly disturbed
m his monotonous pacing to and fro before the door of the
mansion by tJ^e appearance of a smart young girl, who, with
an air half timid and hp\ coaxing, said— 'Sir, I suppose
you will permit me to take these few toys in my apron ?
surely General Butler has no children who require Sach
thmgs as these ? '

'Young woman ! ' rephed the sentry, in a sternly abrupt
tone, that quite awed his petitioner, ' my orders are per-
emptory—not a toy, or thing of any kind, can pass this
door while I am here. But, miss,' added the inflexible
guardian, in quite a ,di£ferent tone, 'if there is such a
thing as another door, or a back window, you may take
away as many toys as you can find, or whatever else you
wish— I have no orders against it ; and the more you take
the better I'll be pleased, God knows.' The palpable hint
was adopted, and it is to be hoped that something more
than the toys was saved to the owners of the mansion.

Even 'Billy AVilson's Zouaves,' a few of whom were
admitted to be of the class known to pohee definition as
'dangerous,' sustained the honourable fame of the Irish
soldier, though coming to the South as 'invaders.' These
lambs consisted almost exclusively of Irish, and the de-
scendants of Irish, and had the reputation of being amongst
the roughest of the population of New York. ' They were
a hard lot— many a hard case among them lads,' said an
Irishman, describing them. StiU, such was their good con-

056

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

•4
.1

J {.

2 •'J

I li

duct in fliG South, especially in Louisiana, that the planters
rejj^ardcd thoni rather as protectorn than cnemiey. A Creole
lady from Toche county in that State lately wrote to her
nephew, who had been on General Dick Taylor's Btiifl',
requesting him to hunt up Colonel Wilson, and thank him
in her name and liis, and to assure him of their continued
remembrance of his kindness, and the generous conduct of
his men.

I myself heard from the lips of Southerners praises of
the gallantry and generosity of these teriible lighters.

The First Division of the Second Corps of the Army of
the Potomac was marching, in November, 18G2, through
Loudon Valley, passing the house of General Ashby, a
Confederate officer who had been recently killed. The
Irish Brigade was at the head of the column. Orders
had been given that property should be respected, that
nothing should be touched. As the Brigade was passing
the house, a number of chickens, scared by the unusual
disf)lay, fluttered right into the ranks, and between the
feet of the men. The hungry Irishmen looked at each
other with a comical expression, iis the foolish birds ap-
peared to rush into the very jaws of danger — or the opening
of the haversack ; and many a poor fellow mentally specu-
lated on the vulue of each of the flutterers in a stew. The
sense of the humorous was speedily dispelled. In the
piazza, down on her knees, her hands tossed wildly above
her head, was an old woman, thin, stern, white-haired ;
and as the Brigade was passing she poured — literally
shrieked out — curses on all those who fought for the
* murderers of her son.' To Irishmen the curse of the
widow or the childless carries with it an awful sound and
a terrible import. With averted eyes the gallant men of
the Brigade marched past the white-haired mother wlu>,
frantic in her bereavement, knew not what she said.

Very fiequently the most injurious accounts of the Iris'i
heralded their arrival in a locality ; but it invariably

k tho planters
3.S. A Creole
wrote to her
'uylor's Ktiili",
id thank him
sir continued
18 conduct of

rs praises of
iyhters.
the Army of
802, through
^al Ashby, a

killed. The
nm. Orders
>pected, that

was passing

the unusual
between the
>ked at each
sh birds ap-
L' the opening
11 tally specu-
a stew. The
ed. In the
wildly above
^^hite-haired ;
fed — literally
ght for the
:3urse of the
il sound and
lant men of
mother who,

said.

of the Iris'i
it invariably

THE RELIGIOUS INFLUENCE.

fi67

happened, wliorover tlioy wore quartered, that those who
regarded their coming with apprehension d(^)lored their
departure as a calamity ; and numerous instances might
bo told of communities nKnuorialising the authorities for
their continued stay — the peoi)le justly considering them
as their best protectors amid the insecurity and licence of
tho moment.

There is a passage in a diary kept by Father Sheeran,
which exemplifi(!s the conduct of tho Irish soldier better
than any description could do. Father Sheeran was one
day rebuking a simple Irishman, who with others had been
taken prisoner by a surprise attack ui on tho Federals, for
having taken part, as he alleged he had, in the plunder
and oppression of the South. The Irishman's reply, while
bearing the impress of truth, represents accurately what
was the feeling and conduct of hia countrymen during the
war.

'Well father,' said ho, 'I know they done them things,
'but I never took part with them. Many a day I went
'hungry before I would take anything from the people.
'Even when we had to fall back from Lynchburg under
' Hunter thro' AVestern Virginia, and our men were drop-
' ping by the roadside with hunger, and some were eating
'the bark off the trees, I never took a meal of victuals
'without paying for it.*

The truth is, not only was the Irishman free from the
angry passions by which others were animated, but he was
constantly inapressed by the strongest religious influence ;
and to this cause may be ascribed much of tho chivalrous
bearing which he displayed in the midst of the most try-
ing temptation to licence and excess. The war had in it
nothing more remarkable than the religious devotion of
tho Irish soldier whenever he was within the reach of a
chaplain. The practice of their faith, whether before battle
or in retreat, in camp or in bivouac, exalted them into
heroes. The regiment that, in some hoUow of the field,

TlIK lUI.SlI IN AMKUICA.

tt
I' I

4«

knelt down to rocoivo. baro.lH.ul...!. ll.o l,(.nc,clid,i„n of
t u'lr i.neHt. noxt mon.out nislu..! into Iho lVu.y with a wilder
clKMT ,i,nl a moro in.,,..tu„„H (IuhI,. That l,on<.lic(iou
nerved, not unnuiMn..(l. thoso ..ullHnt nici,, uh the ononiy
diHcovcrea to thoir coHt. Even in the depth of wintcy^
wlicn the Hnow lay thick on the eurtli. the Irish CuthoUc-!
lederal or Confederate, it niatterc-d not vhich-wonld hear
inaH8 devoutly on the hh.tk plain or the wild hiil-side
standin^r ,„.h, ,,],,,, ^j^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^.^ ^^,^^^ cnstoniary. and

Whn^Mn the Hnow and hIuhK durin^^he ^a-eater portion
of the time. The same Father Sheeran to whom I have
referred, told me how ho wan impressed with the piety of
His poor fe.\ow8 on one deHp(,rate Christmas morninrr
when, so heavy was the snow-storm, that he quite lost
bis way, and did not for a considerable time reach the ap-
pointed, place where he was to celebrate mass. But thoi^
wh(«n he arrived, mis a f,a-eat crowd .f whitened figures
clus eixx round the httle tent, in which an altar had been
erected by the soldiers-the only cleared place being the
Hpot on which the tent was placed. And there, while the
storm raged, and sky and earth were enveloped in the
whirling snow, the gallant Irishmen prayed with a fervour
tliat was proof against every discouragement.

Before battle, it was not unusual for the Catholic
soldiers to go to confession in great numbers, and prepare
by a worthy communion to meet whatever fate God mi^^ht
send them in the coming fight. This practice excited
the ridicule-the quiet ridicule-of some, but it also
excited the respect of others. A distinguished colonel of
genuine American ra^e, who bore on his body the marks of
many wounds, hfe memorials of desperate fights, was speak-
mg to me of the gallantry of the Irish ; and he thus wound
up: 'Their chaplain-a plucky fellow, sir, I can tell you
-had extraordinary influence over them ; indeed he wasi
better, sir, I do beUeve, than any provost-marshal. They
would go to mass regularly, and frequeutlj- to confession.

*?T'

NOT KNOWING WHAT UK rUEACIIKD ON.

55'J

onodiction of
with ji wil(l<»r
L Ix.'iK'tliction
iH till! onomy
-h of vviiittir,
.sli Catholic —
. — would hoar
k^iU hiJl-Hi(h),
stonmry, and
L'ut(!r i)()rtiou
vhoin I hjivo
tho pioty of
us inoniin^r^
10 quite loHt
L'cach tlic ap-
But thoro,
cnod figures
ar Imd been
ce being the
I'e, while the
)l)ed ill tlie
itli u fervour

iic Catholic
iiid pre^iare

God might
tico excited
3ut it also
. colonel, of
bo marks of
, was speak-
thus wound
!an tell you
eed he_was
shal. They

confession.

'Tis rather a curious thing I'm going to tell you ; but it's
true, sir. When I saw those Irislimen going to confession,
and kneeling down to receive tho priest's blessing, I used
to laugh in my sleeve at tho whole thing. The fact is —
you will pardon mo — I thought it all so much danuied
tomfoolery and humbug. That was at first, sir. But I
found tho most pious of them tho very l)ravest — and that
astonished mo more than anything. Sir, I saw these
men tried in every way that men could be tried, and I
never saw anytliing superior to them. Why, sir, if I
wanted to storm the gates of hell, I didn't want any
liner or braver follows than those Irishmen. I tell you,
sir, I hated tho " blarney " before the war ; but now I feel
lik(5 meeting a brother when I meet an Irishman. I saw
ilunn in battle, sir; but I also saw them sick and dying
in tlie hospital, and how their religion gave tluun courage
to moot death with cheerful resignation. Well, sir,' —
and tho great grim war-beaten soldier softly laughed as
he added — 'I am a Catholic now, and I no longer scoif at
a priest's blessing, or consider confession a humbug. I can
understand the difference now, I assure you.'

There were other converts of the battle-field and the hos-
pital, besides my friend the (!ok)nel — and of higher rank,
too — who, like him, caught their first impression of the
truth from the men whom religion made more daring in
the fight, more resigned in sickness, more courageous in
death.

Archbishop Purcell, the oldest of the bishops of the
American Church, was invited to preach in one of the
camps of the Army of tho Cumberland ; and he delivered
on that occasion an admirable discourse, which elicited tho
warm approval of non-Catholics, and excited the enthu-
siastic admiration of the Irish soldiers ; one of wliom said
to his comrade — ' Did you bear that, Mick ? ' ' To be sure
I did,' replied Mick. ' Yes, man ; but what did you think
of it? — wasn't it the real touch?' ' WoU, in my opinion.

.'•1

-I

160

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

if I'm to gi^o one— and mind 'twas you asked for it-tlie
Arclibisliop didn't know what lie was preachmg on.'
* Why, what the d— 1 do you mean ?— what's come over
you ? ' 'I tell you again— and it's only my opinion— the
opinion of a poor gommal, if yor hke— the Archbishop
didn't know what he was preaching on. Look, man, what
he ims standing on ! ' Sure enough, the Archbishop did
not know wliat he was preaching on ; for there was suffi-
cient in the boxes under his feet to blow up the Vatican
and the College of Cardinals.

An Irish soldier, wounded badly, was lying on a hard-
fought field in Upper Georgia, towards Chattanooga. He
was found by a chaplain attached to his corps in a helpless
condition, leaning against a tree. The priest seeing the
case to be one of imminent danger, proposed to hear his
confession, but was surprised to hear him say— 'Father,
111 wait a httle. There's a man over there worse wounded
than I am ; he is a Protestant, and he's calhng for the
priest-go to him first.' The priest found the wounded
Protestant, received him into the Church, and remained
with him till he expired ; he then returned to hear the
confession of the Irish Catholic, whose first words were
-; WeU, Father, didn't I tell you true ? I knew the poor
fehow wanted you more than I did.' The priest and the
penitent are still alive to tell the story.

Here is one of a thousand instances of the fact that the
rehgious influence did not impair the martial ardour of the
Irish soldier. The colours of a Ten^iessee regiment were
carried Jiito action at Murfreesboro' by a youno- Irishman
named Charles Quinn, of the famous Jackson Guard.'
In the charge Quinn received a musket wound in the
body ; but instead of going to the rear, for his injurv
was desperate, he placed his left hand on his wound, abso-
lutely refusing to give up the colours, until in the thick
of the melee ho was pierced through the head, and foil
htelcss. The sole effects of this gallant Irishman cama

CLEANLINESS OF THE IRISH SOLDIER.

5G1

3d for it— tliG
reachmg- on.'
;'s como over
■ opinion — the
e Archbishop
)k, man, what
rchbishop did
3re was suffi-

the Vatican

? on a hard-
banooga. He

1 in a helpless
st seeing the
I to hear hia
ay — ' Father,
•rse wounded
.Ihng for the
he wounded
nd remained

to hear the

words were

ew the poor

lest and the

'act that the
rdour of the
giment were
g Irishman,
son Guard,
und in the
his injury
ound, abso-
n the tliick
id, and foil
inian cama

into possession of his heroic capti^in, afterwards one of the
finest colonels in the service ; and these were an ' Agnus
Dei' and a set of beads!

The fact is incontestable, that the extraordinary health
enjoyed by the Irish who fought at either side was owing
in a great degree to their remarkable attention to cleanli-
ness. There are obvious reasons- to explain why in the
old CDuntry the constant practice of this homely virtue is
not a striking characteristic of the race. Poverty is de-
pressing in its influence, and somewhat neutralises that
pride wLich manifests itself in outward appearance ; and,
besides, where, as is too often the case in Ireland, the
grand battle of life is for a bare subsistence — just as much
as keeps body and soul together — cleanliness is too apt to
be lost sight of, or regarded as a luxury beyond the pos-
session of the poor. But were one to draw a national
inference from the habit of the Irish soldiers in the war,
one might fairly assert that cleanliness was one of the
marked and special peculiarities of the Irish race. So
universal has been the testimony on this point, that doubt
would be like wanton scepticism. Whether in barrack, iu
camp, or on the march, the Irish soldier maintained a repu-
tation for personal cleanliness. "When the war commenced,
and while the troops were yet in all the newness of their
uniforms, others may have been smarter, or more dandified,
than the Irish ; but Avhen the stern work commenced in
earnest, and uniforms were faded from exposure and
hardship, or torn by lead and steel, and when the dandy
of the barrack-yard or the garrison town had degenerated
into a confirmed sloven, the Irishman was at once neat
and jaunty in his war-worn rags. Whatever the length of
the day's march, or the severity of the fatigue, if the
troops came to a river, or brook, or pond, or even the
tiniest trickling rivulet, the Irishman was sure to bo at the
water, as if with the instinct of a duck. He plunged into
the river to enjoy the grand refreshment of a swim, or if

662

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

it were not deep enough to afford that healthful luxury,
he washed himself thoroughly in its shallow stream ; and
even though his shirt were in ribands, as was too often
the lot of the campaigner, it should at least be clean, if
water could make it so. I was amused to hear a pro-
fessor of Georgetown College, himself an Irishman, describe
the comical terror of the authorities of that noble insti-
tution, when they were informed that the three wells which
supphed the establishment were in danger of runnino-
dry, owing to the incessant ablutions of a famous Irish
regiment— the 69th— quartered there previous to the
battle of Bull Run. No cat that pver poHshed her fur
into velvetty softness was more careful of her coat than
the Irish soldiers— Federal or Confederate— were of the
cleanliness of their persons and their clothing, such as it
was. In fact, the fiercer the conflict became, the more fully
were the soldierly qualities of the Irish developed : and when
repeated disasters and reverses produced their demorahsing
influences on others, the irrepressible buoyancy of the
Celtic temperament sustained the spirit and invigorated
the frame of the hardy Irishman. But, from first to last,
cleanHness was one of their prominent characteristics.
And this I state on the highest authority at both sides
of the line.

The following may show the value which Irish soldiers
attached to their fighting quahties : —

After the famous battle of Manassas, won by the Con-
federates, the victors were gathering the wounded to con-
vey them to the nearest hospitals. The Confederates were
generally the first attended to. But an Irish soldier hap-
pening to recognise in a wounded Federal an old acquain-
tance from his own pariKli 'in the ould country,' at once
raised him from the ground, and placing him tenderly on
his shoulder carried his helpless friend to a camp hospital
which had been just improvised, and attended to him as
well as he could. Next morning, at an early hour, he

Ithful luxury,
stream ; and
viis too often
; be clean, if

hear a pro-
nan, describe
i noble insti-
B wells wliicli

of running
famous Irish
ous to the
;hed her fur
3r coat than
were of the
J, such as it
le more fully
d : and when
:iemoralising
xncy of the

invigorated
first to last,
aracteristics.
i both sides

rish soldiers

3y the Con-
ded to con-
leratos were
soldier hap-
)ld acqnaiii-
ry,' at onco
tenderly on
mp hospital
I to him as
ly hour, he

EESPECT FOR THE LAWS OF WAR.

5GS

proceeded to the hospital, to enquire after the patient,
and learn how he had got through the night. He found a
sentinel at the door, who barred the passage with his
ba\ onet. ' You won't lave me pass, won't ye ! — not to soo
the poor lad fi'om my ow^n parish ! ' ' Faith, I can't ; 'tia
again orders,' lyas the reluctant reply of the Irishman on
guard, as he still presented the weapon. 'Yerra, man,
stand out of the way with you, and don't bother me ! —
hav'n't we done the height of the fighting on both sides ? '
The boastful query, coupled with the good-humoured
violence with which the bayonet was shoved aside, were
too much for the Hibernian, who, shouldering his rifle,
consoled himself with the remark — ' Look at that ! Faith,
one can see that fellow doesn't know much of the laws
of war, or he'd respect a sintry. "Well, no matter ; his
intention is good, any way.'

Here is a case where an Irishman emphatically rebuked
an adversary on the field of battle, because of his violation
of that law of war which prescribes fair fighting as essential.
Early in Juno, 1863, the Federals were advancing to the
attack of Secessionville battery, on James's Island, in
Charleston Harbor. Their pickets occupied some negro
houses and barns at Legree Point. Captain Klyne, of the
100th Pennsylvania, was in command of the picket. The
Charleston battalion and other troops were sent to meet
the enemy ; and so furious was the dash made by a com-
pany of the Old Irish Volunteers, under Captain Ryan,
who led his men with characteristic gallantry, that the
commdnder of the Federal picket surrendered as a prisoner
of war. As Captain Klyne was in the act of surrender-
ing, a German sergeant w^as bringing his rifle into posi-
tion to shoot the Captain of the VohintGors, when one
of the Irishmen — Jerry Hurley — who witnessed the mo-
tion, flung down his rifle, rushed at the German, caught
liini by the neck, and, putting his leg dexterously under
hiui, brought him to the ground in the most scientiiiu

•vaai

<-*

664

THE J

AMERICA.

manner, and then commenced to pummel him unmerci-
fully with his fists, at the same time shouting— ' Blast
your sowl, you infernal Dutchman ! didn't you hear your
Captam surrender? Is that what you caU fighting in
your country? Faith, 111 teach you a lesson that you
won t forget m a hurry, my bould boy. Bad luck to you I
IS it murder you wanted to commit this fine morning?
Come along with me, and FU learn you better manners the
next time.' The poor German, who howled tremendously
beneath the shower of blows rained on him by the in-
furiated Irishman, accepted the position, and followed his
conqueror, as he and his company rapidly retired after
their successful dash.

In the case just mentioned, it was Irishman against
German, Confederate against Federal ; but here is an in-
stance m which, under rather extraordinary circumstances
it was 'Irishman against Irishman. During one of the
famous battles of the war, a young Irishman named Peter
Hughes was wounded in the thigh by a musket ball and
fell helpless on the field. At the same moment, a comrade
of his, Michael M'Fadden, received a shot in the groin
and feU prostrate on poor Hughes. Hughes had two in-
firmities—an irritable temper, and a deplorable stutter;
and neither of these was improved by the pain of his
wound and the weight of his comrade. He could not
shake M'Fadden off, nor could M'Fadden help remaining
as he feU; so Hughes remonstrated with the superin^
cumbent mass in this fashion—' Da— a— a— m—n yo— u
-u! isn't this fie-1— Id la-a— rge en-n-o— ough to
-to fall in, withe -o— out tum— um— urn- bling on
m_m— e ? ' M'Fadden protested his innocence, declaring
he was not a free agent in the matter, and that if he had
his choice, he would prefer not falhng at all ; but Hughes
would take no excuse, and insisted on M'Fadden turn--
um-um-bling off a-a-gain-where, "he didn't care
M'Fadden could not stir, but Hughes would not believe m

iiim unmerci-
uting— ' Blast
ou hear your
1 fighting in
!on that you
luck to you !
ae morning?
manners the
tremendously
I by the in-
followed his
retired after

tnon against
5re is an in-
rcumstances,
one of the
lamed Peter
£et ball, and
t, a comrade
1 the groin,
tiad two in-
ble stutter;
pain of his
s could not
p remaining
lie superin-
1— n yo— u
— ough to
— bling on
e, declaring
' if he had
3ut Hughes
Id en turn —
lidn't care,
t believe in

A NON-COMBATANT DEFENDING HIS CASTLE. 306

his protestations or his inabihty to move ; so from words
they came to blows, and it was in the midst of a regular
'mill' that they were found by the Infirmary corps, by
whom the combatants were separated and carried to hos-
pital, where Hughes recovered from his wound, and
somewhat improved his temper ; but for his stutter thero
was no hope whatever — that was beyond cure.

The indignation of an Irishman at the injury done to
his property by an artillery duel in Charleston Harbor
was narrated to me with great rehsh by a countryman of
his. The property cohsisted of a house and lot for which
the owner had paid $1,500 in 'hard cash.' The house
was within 150 yards of Fort Moultrie, on Sullivan's
Island, and almost in the line of fire from Fort Sumter.
The firing was brisk, and many a ball whisked by, one
occasionally passing through the tenement, or taking a
fragment off a chimney, which seemed to be a favourite
target for practice. The owner, who would remain to
' watch his property,' was remonstrated with, and advised
to leave the place, and not risk his life. ' Eisk my hfe !
I care more about my house ; and the devil a one of me
will leave it while them blackguards are battering at it this
way.' For a day and a night he walked up and down,
'protecting his property,' and occasionally .eheving his
mind by cursing Major Anderson, to w^hom he attributed
personal spite and malignity of the blackest dye. As a tile
or a bit of the chimney was carried away, he would exclaim,
' Oh blood! isn't this a mighty hard case ? Why then, Major
Anderson, may ould Nick fly away with you, and that you
may never come back— that's my prayer, sure enough.'—
'There again!— there's more of your purty tricks! The
devil run buck-huniing with you. Major Anderson.' ' My
curse on you, hoi and heavy, Major Anderson, that wouldn't
Iea\' ^.. decent man's little property alone.' At length,
one imlucky shot tore away five feet of the chimney, which,
came clattering to the ground in a shower of bricks and

l»'l.'

666

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

mortar. 'There now! I said he'd do it, and he's done it
without doubt. Why then, Major Anderson, may I never
be father over iny children if I won't make you pay for
this work, if there's law to be had for love or money.
You're in for it now, my line joker— and I'm the lad to salt
you— see if I don't!'

Fortunately no amount of cannonading could destroy
the 'lot,' and the injury to the chimney, with an odd
ventilator or two in the shape of shot-holes, were the
entu-e results of Major Anderson's 'mean spite' against
the owner of this critically circumstanced property; so,
when the chimney was rebuilt, and the holes were fiUed
up, the temper of the proprietor was restored to its ac-
customed serenity. And the time even came when he
could tell with much humour how sturdily he defended
his castle from the guns of Fort Sumter.

I was much amused at hearing a crusty American over-
seer of the genuine old school tell an anecdote of an Irish-
man with whom he was well acquainted. At the battle of
Manassas, this Irishman, whose name was Morriss, of the
18th Mississippi, when the order was given to his company
to lie down and reload, and thus allow the storm of shell
nnd balls to pass over their heads, retained his erect posi-
tion, crying out— 'By japers! I didn't come here to lie
down and fight ; I came here to stand up and fight hke a
man.' His clothes were riddled with bullets, and his flesh
was torn in a few places, but he escaped all serious injury,
as if by a miracle. After a hard chuckle at the fun of the
thing, the Southerner added—' From now on, that Irish-
man could get along without ever doing another lick of
work; but Morriss is an industrious man, and a good
gardener, and he can help himself quite enough.'

Of the various conflicts of which the harbour of Charles-
ton was the scene, that which took place on the 9th of
October, 18G3, when an attack was made on Fort Sumter,
then in the possession of the Confederates, may by men-

DEFENDED WITH BRICTKBATS.

567

1 he's done it
1, may I never
3 you pay for
ve or money,
the lad to salt

could destroy
with an odd
les, were the
spite' against
property ; so,
es were filled
red to its ac-
ime when he
he defended

merican over-
3 of an Irish-
; the battle of
[orriss, of the
' his company
jtorm of shell
is erect posi-
) here to lie
d fight hke a

and his flesh
prions injury,
he fun of the
I, that Irish-
other lick of

and a good
ti.'

r of Charles-
1 the 9th of
?'ort Sumter,
Qay by men-

tioned, on account of the rather novel mode of defence
successfully adopted by a portion of the garrison. The
United States troops, under Gilmore, were at Morris
Island, and the celebrated Dahlgren had command of the
fleet. Fort Sumter was defended by Major Elliot; the
garrison consisting of the Charleston battalion — which
was 'pretty much Irish' — with two companies of Artillery,
The Old Irish Volunteers, the representatives of an organi-
sation dating back more than seventy years, were entrusted
with the defence of the east wall or rampart. About one
o'clock at night the Captain in command of the Irish VoU
unteers discovered a small boat evidently reconnoitering,
and at once gave the alarm. In a few moments after, a
large body of Federals, aided by GOO men from the fleet,
commenced a vigorous assault. The fort was not taken
by surprise, owing to the vigilance of the Irish Captain,
whose command faced the channel ; and the enemy were
fired upon before they could effect a landing. In a short
time a brisk attack was made on the southern and eastern
face. The southern face was opposite to Morris Island,
and was attacked by the land force. In little more thcin a
quarter of an hour the Federal fire on the east side slack-
ened, while it was sustained with Avarmth on the south.
This cessation of fire on the eastern side excited the
renewed suspicion of the Captain in command ; and on re-
connoitering, it was found that a number of the attacking
force had effected a lodgment on, or rather in, the face of
the rampart, which in this place had been hollowed out
by previous and repeated bombardments. The assailants,
who were thus out of the range of fire, and who believed
that the fort was almost in their possession, laughed with
derisive scorn when called on from above to surrender.
Lodged in the very face of the wall or rampart, not only
were they thus out of the reach of the guns, but not even
a rifle could be conveniently brought to bear against them.
What were the defenders to do, in this case? 'Why, pelt

668

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

m0t

•mi

.ft

M-'

them out of tlmt, to bo sure.' ^he men were ordorod to
lay down their arms, for the moment valueless, and make
the best use they could of the fra^nnonts of brickwork
with which the ramparts were abundantly supplied. ' The
Old Irish Volunteers entered into the fun of the thing
amazinnrlj ; it was quite an unexpected source of diversion,
and so they vigorously proceeded to roll masses of masonry
down the face of the rampart, and pelt brickbats at the
partly-hidden foe from every possible vantage-ground,
while joke and jibe, most galling to the assailants, ran
along the line, like a brisk fire of small arms. The
amusement was pleasant enough for the gentlemen on
the rampart, but not at all so agreeable to their un-
expected visitors beloAv; and after enduring the novel
species of artiUery as long as they possibly could, the
latter surrendered. 103 of the enemy, including 10 or 12
officers, yielded to the gentle influence of the brickbats,
not being desirous of any longer keeping up the game of
* cock-throw,' of which the fan was altogether one-sided,
and against them.

AU apprehension of further danger being at an end, the
Irishmen made the Federal officers welcome to the best
entertainment in their power to afford. But the rough
fare did not ^eem to please the captives, one of who'm
rather supercUiourJy remarked, that he understood the
Southerners had the character of being a hospitable
people ; but if they treated their guests on other occasions *
no better than they treated them then, they might possibly
forfeit their character for that virtue.

The Irish Captain, after making a punctilious bow,
worthy of a Ohesterfield, thus replied:—

'Well, Sir, I would bo sorry that, through me, the
State should lose its well-earned reputation for hospitality;
but it is usual, even in the South, when visitors, especially
a considerable number, as in your case, ir.tend to honour
a gentleruan by taking up their quarters at his housfl

NOBLESSE OBLIGE.'

6C9

that thoy should give somo intimiition of tlieir intention ;
or if thoy were resolved on making a "surprise party" of
it, as was evidently the intention in the present instance,
they should provide for themselves.'

The joke was once more against the assailants ; but as it
was not so bad as the brickbats, it was received in good
humour, and captors and captives were soon on the best
terms.

The same officer who indulged his men in the exciting
game of brickbats on the eastern rampart of Fort Sumter,
was in command of a sand-bank battery of three guns,
situate between two narrow marshes, the solid land being
about eighty yards in front. It was one of the most
important positions in the defence of Charleston, and was
not taken until the evacuation of the city. On the 16th
of June, 18G2, the Federals made a desperate attempt to
take this battery, but were foiled by the pluck with which
the Irishmen defended it against overwhelming odds until
they were reinforced ; the body of the Confederates being
800 yards distant when the attack commenced. And never
was pluck more called for than on this occasion, owing to
the panic which seized the commander of the picket in front
of the fort. That officer suddenly rushed in, right over the
battery, having made no resistance to the advancing enemy,
whose numbers scared away his wits for the moment.

• What means this conduct ? ' sternly enquired the Irish-
man.

'Oil, you can do nothing — it's impossible — you must
retire — the enemy are in overwhelming strength — it's no
use — it's madness to resist them — you can do nothing
against such desperate odds.'

' You can retire if you please, and nobody will be any-
thing the wiser ; but if / left my post, the whole world
would know of it ; and sooner than do anything that would
affect the honour and reputation of Irishmen, or of Ireland,
I'd stay here till Doomsday.'

670

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

sIB^

■ ■■*

This was no vain boast ; for, after expending their am-
munition, the IriHhnien foufrht with chihbod nuiHkota and
with Hiich Kavago energy, that the enemy were kept at bay,
and the important position heUl until the body of the
Confederates had time to come up. Then commenced
a batth) which fiercely raged from the early dawn of that
summer's morning to half-past 8 o'clock, when the Fede-
rals were compelled to retire. It was known as the Battle
of Secessionville, and was admitted to be one of the se-
verest of the war in the South.*

At one of the battles in Virginia a company of Con
federates charged a company of Federals. The latter
yielded to the impetuosity of the charge, gave way, and
fled, all save one man alone, who said—* You may kill mo
if you plaze, but not all the rebel army will make me run.'
The cool courage of the soldier at once disarmed hostility.
'Then will you surrender?' he was asked. 'Oh, yes, there
is no disgrace in that,' he repHcd; 'I surrender.'*^ So long

* In one of the enRascmonta which have made Charhiston momorablo lu the
hiBtory of the worhl, there fell one of the in«*t proniiHing young soldiers of the
war.-Captain John Mitdiell, bou of the famous Irisliman of tliat name; who
lost two of his sons ia battle, while a third was repeatedly iind desperately
wounded. Capfciiu John Mitehell was the idol of his men, for his gay and

gallant spirit, )iis wit, his i.-.: Lis playfulness and gentleness of disposition,

couibnied with the courage of a lion. How ho fell, and what was the estimate
formed of him, will bo best told in the words of General Beauregard, tho iUus-
trlous defender of Charleston :—

'Near Peteubburo, Va., August 6, 1864.

'Dear Plr,-I trust tlie condition of aflairs here will be my excuse for not
having addressed you sooner relative to the irreparable loss you sustained lately
In the death of your gallant son, Capt. John Mitchell. He served under my
or.lers during the most trying periods of the siege of Charleston. At Fort Sumter,
Battery Simkins, and on Morris Island, he displayed such coolness, energy, and
intelligence, that I selected him, from many aspirants ambitious of the honour,
to re])lacc Col. lUiott in tho command of Fort Sumter whenever circumstanee.s
compelled (hat gallant officer to absent himself from tliat important post.

'In A our bereavement you should derive consolation from tho thought, th;it
your sou fell at his post, gloriously battling for the independence of his country,
carrying with him the regret of his friends and the respect of his enemies.

♦ I remain, with respect, j our most obedient servant,

'G. T. Beauheqabd,
'John Mitchell, Esq,'

ng their am-
inuskotH, and
kei)t at bay,
body of tlio
comiaenoed
lawn of that
m tho Fedo-
as tho Battlo

of tho BO-

iny of Con
The latter
vo way, and
may kill mo
iko me run.'
icd hostility,
h, yes, there
r.' So long

icmorablo iii the
3; soldiers of tho
;liat name ; wlio
unci doRi)erat(!ly
for his gay and
a of disposition,
vas the estimate
•cgard, tho illus-

ugustO, 1864.

excuse for not
sustained lately

Tved under my
At Fort Sumter,

ess, energy, and

1 of the honour,
r circumstauoe.i
post.

e thought, that
! of his country,
lemies.

lent servant,
Beauhegabd,

PAT'S LITTLE GAME.

671

as he remained a prisoner, ho was a great favourite with his
captors — oiu! of wliom I hoard narrate tho circumstaiioo.

To tho (luick-wittodnoHs and cooluoss of an Irishman the
Federals wore indebted for their preservation from no
Kinall disaster, and the Confederates for serious loss and
<,aeat discouragement. Some time after Fort Pulaski, at
the mouth of tho Savannah river, had been tidccni from tho
Confederates, a small picket boat, steered by a midshipman,
and rowed by f(Hir sailors — two Georgians and two Irish-
men — was making its way cautiously in the direction of
the fort, *to see how tho land lay.' Tho Irishmen were
Federalists, who had been pressed into tho Confederate
navy, and were then, against their inclination, serving on
board the ' Atlantic,' a blockade-runner, which had been
converted into an iron-clad, and still preserved her fast-
fjtoaming cpialities. The reconnoissance had been made,
and the boat was on her way back, when the officer, taking
oil" his pea-jacket, called out to the bowman — ' Here, Pat !
catch hold of this, and stow it under the bow;' and ho
added — ' Take care how you handle it, you Irish son of a
bitch ; there are revolvers in it.' Quick as thought, the
pistols were taken from the coat by Pat, who handed one
of them to his countryman, and pointed the other at the
midshipman, exclaiming in a voice expressive of merriment
and triumph — 'Now, you son of a bitch, steer us straight
for Fort Pulaski, and' — turning to the Georgians — 'you
sons of bitches, pull us there, or we'll blow the tops off
your bloody heads!' The gallant young fellow had no
option but to do what he was ordered by the possessors of
his revolvers, and the boat was rowed right into the
liinding-place of the enemy. Pat was brought before the
otficer in command, to whom he imparted the important
intelhgenco that the ' Atlantic,' for which the Federals had
been constantly on the look-out, was next morning to pass
through St. Augustine's Creek, into Warsaw Sound, thus
avoiding the fort, and getting into the open sea, where she

87S

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

^ '

was certain to inflict onorniouH dania^'o on the commGroe
of tho Union, and Hink any vesHol that did not oqual \w,y in
speed or in power. Tliis was startHn^,' inteliif^'once indeed,
for there was but a Hin<>fle f,nm-bottt at the Cnuik, and this
tho 'Atlantic' might disregard, or couhl destroy. Acting
npon the information, an Irish officer of high rank, wlio
liappcned to be at the time in the fort, at once started on
horseback, and never spared whip or spnr till he arrived
at Port Royal Bay, where a Federal fleet was stationed.
In a short iinio two iron-clads and two h.avy transports
were steaming for the Creek, where the 'Atlantic' was
caught as if iir a trap. The 'Irish son of a bitch' had the
best of the 'Httle game.'

I heard an admirable description given by an Irishman
in tho Confederate service — an officer who had served with
great distinction — of his countrymen as soldiers. Tho
portrait is true to the life, and as faithfully represents tho
soldier of the Union as the champion of tho 'Lost Cause.'
I heard tho same, though not in the same words, from
Americans at both sides of the line. My friend thus hits
ofT his compatriots as belligerents : —

'My experience of the Irish in our army was this—
that they could endure more than any men on the face of
the earth. They would march all day, and tho officer in
charge would have trouble enough to keep them from
playing tricks on one another ; and when all others, tired
by bodily fatigue, would lie down, indifferent to what
would happen, they would be as lively as ever; and if
there were a chance oi uuy devilment up, they were bound
to be in the midst c^ [, '}'. Is is the universal opinion of
the officers of the Confederate army with respect to the
Irish under their command. They were sometimes difficult
to manage, but the fault did not generally lie with them.
Theii- officer should be worthy of their respect. The first
condition of their confidence is, that he must bo worthy of
it—that he is brave and daring— that ho can be trusted—

IRISH DEVOTEDNESS.

573

tlie commeroe
t equal hor in
|,'oiu'(; iiidotHl,
r()(;k, and this
<troy. Acting
igh rank, who
CO started on
ill lie arrived
vas fitationed.
ivy transports
Atlantic' was
)itch ' had the

r an Irishman
d served with
jldiers. The
opresents the
Lost Cause.'
words, from
nd thus hits

Y was this —
)n the face of
;he officer in
) them from

others, tired
ent to what
3ver; and if

were bound
al opinion of
spect to the
inies difficult
with them,
t. The first
)e worthy of
be trusted —

that ho won't shirk his duty— that he is ready himself
to do what ))o asks them to do. Satisfy them on ihis
essential point, and there is nothing tludr hiader cannot
do with them, or that they won't do for him. Thtjy would
reu lily die for him ; and if there be a bit of fresh meat,
or a chicken, or other delicacy to bo had by foraging ~
and they aro first-rato at that— ho is bound to have his
share of it. There are no keener judges of an officer than
they are; and wee to the officer who excites their con-
tempt.'

What wonderful devotion to a brave officer l)y a bravo
Irish soldier does not the follo^ving present ! I give it in
the words it was told to me : —

My brother, Brevet Lieut.-Col. James F. M'Kllione, Regnlur Anuy,
at Gaines' MIIIh, Va., while commiUKling the colour company, 14 Inf.
U.S.A., then l.st Lieut,, 17 years of age, waa wounded lute in the oay
with a Minie ball in the side, at the time supjjosed to be niortiil. His
'striker,' Michael M-Grath by name, who had brought to the 'lef-
(inint ' a pot of hot tea during a warm (iro from the enemy, had no
liarsher expression, when a bullet s[)illed the regretted beverage upon
the ground, tlian ' Damn ye! ye didn't know what a divil's own time I
had to get (he hot watlier, or ye wouldn't have done it.' This noble
fellow remained wilii his officer upon the field, went with liim to
Savage's Station hospital, was a faithful attendant during the battle that
raged there during the ensuing Sunday, accompanied him us jirisoner
to Richmond, feigning to be wouiuled so as to prevent separation,
built a covering of blankets in the railroad dep6t to save him from
rain, successfully e.verted in every way a fertile ingenuity to get the
best in a town crowded to suH'ocation with wounded of both armies
after the seven days' battles ; and finally, when my brother was brought
on parole to Baltimore by sea, and located in a private house used as a
hospital, this Irish soldier I found sitting by his bedside, fanning his
fevered brow, and as gentle a nurse almost as any woman could be.

Late in the afternoon of Sunday, 29th June, 18()2, as I have already
said, the battle raged fiercely around the hospital, some being killed
and wounded near the building. My brother and M'Grath saw with
anxiety the increasing chances of their falling into the hands of the
enemy. Up came the OUlh New York (an Irish Regiment), to the
last charge. My brother, now no more, has related often that, for the
time, he forgot his own sad plight and acute suffering. Tl)oro was a

674

TUE IIllSH IN AMlililUA.

■ t

1 %
1

■^

K una a„. ,n-c.on Ha,, c.r I.vlund an, ho,m> to pulsulo .ua.lly Ibrwar.l •

au, a^ „,„,„, and sw,..,, o.nvanl (ill Uu-^ „,a,k a position .hIm..;
' a |a <lo won. ...t a« tho n-Ki-uont was ,oin, into'tl.o v./- ,;'
•' ^l^"'' 1'. ono man .n ti.o rear rank cric.l out to tl.o otl...- ' LnJ,
-,« '^>;';> -;1 .l.>n-t l>o alVaid/to ...ioh instantly cann'tli 1^

Immiuoral :o stories arc \M of ilic IrisLman's irropres-
siblo lovo of iiolit. There i.s not a town that has not its
liero of a Juinarod tales ilhistrativc of this ^rancl passion
of the race lh(>re was a soldier in the South who, <lurin.^
u lull, wo.tld be 'detailed' to make shoes for the n.en •
but, whenever there was a eertai.ity of Terry Nolan's
leunno. Hhe nuisie '-of the whistlino- rifle-bullets and
the Hn)^.n^. slu>lls-then he was seen trotting, towards his
hue wdh his rule on his shoulder, ready to take his part
in the concert. Terry's appearance was (piite as conclu-
sive as an order of the day, for with infahible scent ho
sni led the battle from afar ; and as the valliant Crispin
took his place in his company he was invariably hailed
^^;ith a cheer. The men knew they were in for it wh<m
lorry showed his Celtic visage, with the liyht of battle
gleanuno- m his eyes.

^AVhy then Captain,' said a ft-reat strapping. Irishman to
the commander ol Ins company, ns he scratcluul his head
AVI h a kmd ot basld'ulness that sat rather iU on him -
why then, Captahi, could you tell us when we're .^oino'to
have something, to do ? The boys want a lio-ht bad ; tley
bacn t one now for a long time, and sure they can't b'e
always without a scrimmage of some kind or another, just
to keep their hand in, as one may say.'

;i tell you, my man,' replied the Captain, 'you'll have
quite enough of it soon.' i ' )

Taitli, Captain, Tin thinking it's you d^^n't care Ixu- it
yourself, and that's the raison the poor boys don't get it/

Tin<: LOVK OF KIGIIT.

675

• Now llic Union
o Miiidly rorwiiid ;
■■>PI'<''i'". wooii Ihi-y
ii poMiliou gained
ilo llu! vvvy 'jawH
I) oUicr, ' 'I'ooincy,
Y ciinit} tlio nu<r\-y
I'll Bumsh your

nan's irroiireH-
lilt lias not its
{^'raiul pjissioii
■h who, <luriii<^^
for tlio men ;
TcuTj Nolan's
le-bullcts and
^ (o wards liis
tako his 2)art
to as conclii-
liblo scent ho
lliant Crisi)iii
iriably hailcnl
I for it when

ht of battlo

■ Irishman to
lied his head
U on hinj,-—
e'ro ^'oin<^- to
bt bad ; tlicy
hey can't b(3
another, ju,st

'you'll have

t care for it
don't get it,'

replied the disa])i)ointed aml)assador, with a look of un-
ci isj^-iiised (ront(!in[)t.

That captain did not remain lon;»' witli his company.

A. colonel told me that, prtivioiis to one of the famous
battl(\s of the war, he had }^nveu liis second horse in care
ol' his orderly, an Irishman, nauKnl Mohmey, with positive
instructions to keep it for him in reserve; but that scarce-
ly had tlie firing well commencjod than he saw Mcjloney
spurrin<,' his, the colonel's, horse, brandishin<,' his sword,
and rushinj^' into the thick of the li^^dit. The colonel c(ju1<1
not sacrifice his li,;}-se, even to ^a-atify his orderly's warlike
ardour; so jxjor Moloney was cai)tured, and in^doriously
led back. 'How dare you, sir, disobcsy my ord(irsV' asked
the indif^niant colon(jl. 'Why, colonel, I felt I'd l)e dis-
graced if I hadn't a dash at them with the boys. Yes,
faith, colonel, I could never hold up my head again.' 'It
was a bare-faced excuse, sir,' said the colonel, when telling
the story, — 'it was nothing but sheer love of fight; for
Moloney hadn't to make his character then — he had a good
record long before.'

Even wIkju wounded and sick in hospital, the 'music'
was too attrtictive to be resisted, if they could contrive to
get on their legs at all. An American oflicor mentioning
instances of the kind, said : —

'At the Battle of Shilcjh an Irishman of this company
received a very severe llesli wound in the shoulder, and
was carried back to the Infirmary depot, as all supposed,
disabled for several months. We became hotly engaged
soon after, and to my surprise I saw this man in the ranks
of his company, fighting like a tiger, the blood running
fi-eely from his arm. As soon as I could, I enquired of him
why he was not at the hospital. 'Oh, colonel,' he said,
' when I heard the guns going I was afraid the boys would
be lonesome without me, so you see I came to keep them
company; besides, my arm is not so bad, after all.'

It would be difficult to say fit which side of the line

676

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

■I
.1

IS!'

tlio fi-htiii- qualities of tho Irish wore hold in hi-hest
caioeiu l)j thoHo who were opposed to them ; for while
tho Southern has often said 'Send away your damned
Irish, and we'll wliip you well,' tho Northern as fre-
quently said, 'If all in the South fought like the Irish
Secession would long since bo an accomplislied fact/
General Patrick Cleburne, confessedly one of the best men
of the war, used to say that he never had tougher work
than when he met tho Northern Irish-that Sweeney gave
him tho hardest lighting he over had.

A general who commanded a Soutliorn brigade, in which
half-that is 6,000 out of tho 10,000 who from time to
tnne recruited its ranks as volunteers— were Irish, thus
spoke of them to mo : —

'If to-morrow I wanted to win a reputation, I would
have I^-ish soldiers in preference to any others ; and I tell
you why. First, they have more dash, more Man than
any other troops that I know of; then they are more
cheerful and enduring— nothing can depress them. Next
they are more cleanly. The Irishman never failed to wash
himself and his clothes. Not only wore they cheerful, but
they were submissive to discipline when once broken in—
and where they had good officers that was easily done ; but
once they had conlidenco in their officers, their attachment
to them was unbounded. And confidence was estabhshed
the moment they saw their general in the fight with them
Afterwards they would say-" You keep back. General-
tell us where to go, and we'U be sure to go ; but we don't
want you to bo killed ; for, faith, we don't know what
would become of us then." They required strict discipline;
but they always admitted the justice of their punishment
when they believed their commander was impartial ; and
they never were sullen, or bore maHce. There was one
great element of strength in these men— they were volun-
teers, every man of them. Many could have been excused
on the ground of their not being American citizens, as not

TESTIMONIES TO THE IRISH SOLDIER.

577

3l(l in hifi^hest
!in; for while
your (lamiicd
liorn as fro-
iko tlio Irish,
iphshod fact.'
the best men
tougher work
Sweeney gave

ido, in which
Prom time to
Irish, thus

iion, I would
s; and I tell
re 4lan than
ey are more
them. Next,
liled to wash
cheerful, but
broken in —
y done ; but
L' attachment
3 estabhshed
: with them.
r, General —
Jut we don't
know what
it discipline;
l^unishment
•artial; and
re was one
were volun-
)en excused
zens, as not

more than one-third of them had a right to vote at the
time ; but they joined of their own free will— no Irishman
was conscripted. I repeat, if I hjid to take from one to
10,000 men to make a reputation with, I'd take the same
men as I had in the war— Irishmen from the city, the
levees, the river, the railroads, the canals, or from ditching
and fencing on the plantations. They make the finest
soldiers that ever shouldered a musket.' And this was the
testimony of one of the fiercest fighters of the war.

Another officer of rank says what he thinks of the Irish:

' My opinion of the Irish is partial. I commanded many
of. them, and I can appreciate their value. None were
more gallant, or none more faithful to our cause ; and it
was owing to there being ho many of them at the other
side that we failed. Those I commanded were some of
the best soldiers I ever saw ; but I think they arc better
when they are by themselves, in companies or regiments.
Good soldiers indeed! they worked, and fought, and
starved, just as required of them. The feeHng of the
South is of the warmest character to them. If the war
started afresh, I'd raise an entirely Irish regiment, in
preference to any other. They would be more under
discipline, and could be controlled better than a mixed
regiment. I admit that when they are in the camp, and
there is nothing for them to do, they may get into mischief ;
but in the field they are thoroughly reliable.'

Here is the testimony of one who knew the Irish well.
It is a chaplain who speaks : and though he saw them in
battle, he knew more of them when the fight was over :

'Commanders prefer them, not only for their bravery,
but their cheerfulness, and for their cleanliness and neat-
ness as soldiers. When others would be resting, the Irish-
men would be washing their clothes, and would then play
games in their buff till they were dried. They were true
Holdiers — tigers in battle, lambs after. It was beautiful

to ^ifne^s their conduct to the enemy ; they were kind as

578

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

•

women to tliem, assisting the wounded, dividing their raticns
with them— losing every feeHng of anger and hostiHty.'

Testimonies without number might be quoted ; but one
from a soldier whose fame is European, may well stand in
the place of many. It is General Beauregard who thus
gravely records his deliberate and weighty judgment of the
Irish : ' Kelative to the soldierly quahties of the Irish who
* took a part in our late war, I beg to state, that they dis-
' played the sturdy and manly courage of the English, com-
' bined with the impetuous and buoyant character of the
' French. They required, at times, only discipHne, which is
' always attained under good officers, to be equal to the
'best soldiers of any country. They always exhibited on
'the field of battle great gallantry, and during the opera-
' tions of a campaign showed much patience and fortitude.
' They joined the Confederate ranks at the first caU of the
' country for volunteers, and remained to the last, devoted
' and true to the cause they had zealously espoused. They
' were found to be always the worthy companions of the
'gallant Confederate soldiers with whom they fought, side
' by side, during over four years of an internecine struggle '
'Whichever way,' says a Northern general with a
splendid 'record,' 'we turn for the history of Irish Ameri-
cans, the case is the same ; we meet with nothing but cause
for honest pride-they are true patriots, good citizens, and
splendid soldiers.'

' Ah, Sir ! ' said General Longstreet, whom I met in New
Orleans, 'that was one of the handsomest things in the
whole war ! ' What was this handsomest thing of the war ^
The manner in which the Irish Brigade breasted the death
storm fi-om St. Mary's Heights of Fredericksburg. Six
times in the face of a withering fire, before which whole
ranks were mowed down as corn before the sickle, did the
Irish Brigade rush up that hill—rush to inevitable death. ' I
looked with my field-glass,' said the Adjutant-General of
General Hancocks staff, 'and I looked for a long time

THE HANDSOMEST THING OF THE WAR. 57J*

•

before I was certain of what I saw. I at first thou^lit
that the men of the Brigade had lain down to allow the
showers of shot and shell to pass over them, for they lav
m regular lines. I looked for some movement, some stir-
a hand or a foot in motion ; but no-they were dead-dead
every man of them-ciit down Hke grass.' In these six
desperate charges that Brigade was almost annihilated.
But there was no flinching for a second. Again and again
they braved that heU-storm, and would have done so a^ain
and again ; but of the 1,200 that bore a green badge in their
caps that mornmg, nearly a thousand of them lay on the
bloody field, literally mown down in ranks. Little more
than 200 rations were that night issued to the remnant of
that heroic band. 'It was the admiration of the whole
army.' 'Never was there anything superior to it.' But
General Longstreet's eulogium-'It was the handsomest
thmg of the war,' leaves nothing unexpressed. Behind •
the stone wall, from which rained the deadliest fire
dehvered within range, and with terrible precision, were
men of the same blood and race as those who were thus
wasting their hves in unavaihng devotion. The Georgian
regiment which lined that fatal barrier was mostly Iri«h •
and from one of those who took part in that day's ter-
rific strife, I heard some particulars of painful interest
Colonel Robert M'MiUan was in command ; and though
death was in his family, he would not quit his post on that
eventful day. When the Brigade was seen advancing
trom the town, they were at once recognised by their
^reen badge, that sent a thrill to many a brave but sor-
rowful heart behind that rampart. ' God ! what a pity ' '
said some. ' We're in for it,' said others. ' By heavens '
here are Meagher's fellows,' said more. The voice of the
Colonel rang clear and shrill-' It's Greek to Greek to-day
boys-give them hell ! ' And they did. For that deadly
fusiiade was the genuine feu d'enfer.. Well mio-ht one of
the most brilliant ol the military historians of the'day assert

580

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

that * never at Fontenoy, at Albuera, or at Waterloo, wag
more undoubted courage displayed by the sons of Erin, thfui "
during those six frantic dashes which they directed against
the ahnost impregnable position of the foe.' * It was a sad
but glorious day for our country ; it made us weep, but it
made us proud,' said an Irishman, who helped to lay tJiose
thousand dead in their bloody grave.

A German Staff Officer of the Confederates says of the
Irish Brigade, how they fought in the memorable seven
days' fight in front of Kichmond : —

The attack was opened by the columns of Ilill (1st). Anderson, and
rickett. These gallant masses rushed forward with thundering hurrahs
upon the musketry of the foe, as though it were a joy to them*. Whole
ranks went down under that terrible hail, but nothing could restrain
their courage. The billows of battle raged fiercely onward; the
struggle was man to man, eye to eye, bayonet to bayonet. The hostile
Meagher's Brigade, composed chiefly of Irishmen, offered heroic resis-
tance. After a fierce struggle our people began to give way, and at
length all orders and encouragements were vain— they were falling
back in the greatest confusion. Infuriate, foaming at the mouth,
bare-headed, sabre in hand, at this critical moment General Cobb
appeared upon the field, at the head of his legion, and wiih the 19th
North Carolina and 14th Virginia regiments. At once these troops
renewed the attack ; but all their devotion and self-sacrifice were
in vain. The Irish held their position with a determination and
lerocity that called forth the admiration of our officers. Broken to
pieces and disorganised, the fragments of that fine legion (Cobb's)
came rolling back from the charge.

Almost while I write these words, I read of the death of
one who made his name famous in the military annals of
America. Stricken by the Yellow Fever,— that grisly king
which has slain more victims by many times than fell at
Fredericksburg,— now lies in his grave a gallant Irishman,
Eichard Dowling, of Houston, Texas, who at Sabine Pass
performed one of the most extraordinary feats of the whole
war. This Lieutenant Richard Dowling, — 'Major Dick
Dowling,' as he has since then been famiharly styled,~do-
fendiijg this Pass in an earthen fort, protected by a couple

PATRICK RONAYNE CLEBURNE.

681

SVaterloo, was

s of Erin, tlifni
rected against
' It was a sad
8 weep, but it
id to lay tliobe

BS says of the
Qorable seven

.). Anderson, and
indering hurraba
to them: ■\VJiole
g could restrain
ily onward ; tlio
net. The hostile
red heroic resis-
sive way, and at
ley wore falling
: at the mouth,
t General Cobb
d wiih the 19th
nee these troops
ilf-saci'ifice were
termination and
ers. Broken to
legion (Cobb's)

: the death of
tary annals of
lat grisly tmg
3 than fell at
ant Irishman,
; Sabine Pass
? of the whole
-'Major Dick
y styled, — do-
■d by a couple

of serviceable guns, and manned by 42 Irishmen, cripfled
an attacking fleet, baffled an important expedition, and
actually captured of the enemy more than ten times the
number of his gallant band ! From the despatches of the
Federal commanders the world might have imagined that
a legion fought behind that rampart : but the astounding
victory was entirely owing to the accurate aim., sheer pluck,
and matchless audacity of Dick Dowling and his forty-two
Irishmen — to whom the Confederate Congress, as well they
might, passed a solemn vote of the nation's thanks.
Light rest the earth on the breast of all that remains of
gallant Dick Dowling !

As I cannot attempt an enumeration of the various
Irish organisations that won distinction in the war, neither
can I venture on a hst of the gallant Irish officers, even
of the highest rank, who signalised themselves by their
achievements in that memorable struggle. I have before
me a long Hst of men who commanded regiments, brigades,
divisions, and corps ; but fearing that, from my imperfect
knowledge, I should necessarily fall into error, and be
guilty perhaps of very serious injustice if I relied upon it,
I must adopt the only course left open to me, and deal in
generalities. Then, leaving the praises of men hke Shiel
or Sheridan, the Murat of the Union — Irish by blood,
American through birth — to other pens, I shall simply
say that the gallantry and skill of the Irish officer, of
whatever rank, was quite as conspicuous as the dash and
endurance of the rank and file.

But there is a grave amidst the countless graves that
mark the scene of one of the deadliest conflicts of the war,
on which I would drop a kindly tribute — that is the grave
of Patrick Ronayne Cleburne, one of the noblest of the
soldiers of the Confederacy.

Patrick Ronayne Cleburne was born within a few mile&
of the city of Cork. His father — the son of a country
gentleman in Tipperary — was for many years physician of

5S8

THE IRISn IN AMERICA.

tbo dispensary districts of Ovens and BaUincoUig ; his
mother, Miss Ronayne, was a lady from (^lecnstown.
I atrick, the youngest of three sons, was partly educated
for the medical profession ; but his tastes, from his carhest
youth, tending to a military career, and, owing to his
father's second marriage, which resulted in a second and
numerous family, not being able to purchase a commission
as an officer i^. the British Army, he in his eighteenth
year enhsted iti the 41st regiment as a private soldier
He remained in the service until he was twenty-one, when
he was purchased out by his friends. But these three
years of military training in one of the most thoroughly
disciplmed armies of Europe was of incalculable advantage
to hmi m after hfe. He emigrated to America when the
war broke out ; and it found the young Cork man prac-
tising with success as a lawyer in Helena, Arkansas.

I have been favoured with an admirable biographical
sketch of General Cleburne by his attached friend and
distmguished commander, General W. T. Hardee, one of
the most thoroughly accomplished soldiers of either army •
and referring the reader to that sketch, which wiU bo
found in the Appendix, I shall here simply indicate what
manner of man was this Patrick Ronayne Cleburne who
learned his knowledge of miHtary driU and discipline in
the ranks of the 41st British regiment r . • ^y. To

begin, then ; this heroic Irishman, who was j.. . as a

wall of granite to the foe, was as simple as a ,, and

as modest as a gii^l ; and that voice that rang like a
trumpet when cannon roared, and balls whistled about his
head, was low and gentle and hesitating when he wa.s
exposed to the most formidable of aU batteries to him, a
pair of eyes in the head of any woman of moderate youth
or ordinary attractions. His personnel is thus sketched by
a worthy countryman of his, whom he visited in Mobile, on
the occasion of the marriage of his friend General Hardee
whose 'best man ' ho was on that interesting occasion: ' ij

GENERAL CLEBURNE AND HIS OPINIONS.

68:;

illincollig ; hia
1 Queeustown.
artly educated
om his earliest
owing to his
a second and
a commission
lis eighteenth
rivate soldier,
nty-one, when
t these three
st thoroughly
ble advantage
'ica when the
rk man prac-
ansas.

biograj5hicaI
i friend and
irdee, one of
either army ;
Inch will bo
indicate what
leburne, who
discipline in
v. To
r as a
a 1, and

rang like a
id about his
hen he was
es to him, a
ierate youth
sketched by
1 Mobile, on
iral Hardee,
iSasion : ' la

person he was about five feet nine or ten inches liigK
slender in form, with a wiry active look. His foroliead
was high and broad, with high check bones, cheeks rather
hollow, and face diminishing in width towards the chin,
the upper features being more massive than the lower.
The general expression of his countenance in repo.se was
serious and thoughtful; but in conversation he was ani-
mated and impressive, while his whole air and manner
were remarkably unpretending.'

General Cleburne dining one day with the good Irish-
man whose words I have quoted, informed him that he
had made up his mind during the war to be a total
abstainer, because he found that in his pistol practice and
in playing chess, of which game he was remarkably fond,
oven one glass of wine affected his aim, or interfered with
his calculation. He determined, therefore, while the war
lasted, and he was responsible for the lives of others, and
the results consequent on the manner in which he should
discharge his duties, that he would abstain altogether from
the use of all kinds of liquor.

Cleburne was in favour of arming the negroes as sol-
diers, conferring upon them and their families freedom as
a bounty. He, with several distinguished generals, signed
a petition to President Davis to that effect, and he per-
sonally offered to take command of a division of &uch
troops, when raised. But the movement failed on account
of the opposition which it met with. In private conversa-
tion he said that the general sentiment of the world waa
against the Confederacy on the question of slavery, and
that Southerners could look nowhere for active sympathy
unless they made some such arrangement as he mentioned :
and he unhesitatingly expressed his belief, that the suceerss
of the cause depended upon its adoption. He did not
pronounce a decided opinion against slavery in the abstract,
but he regarded the system in the South as
glaring defect^ and evils, especially the utter d

having

68i

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

of the married rights of tho slaves, which, he said, waa
enough to deprive tho States in which this evil existed
of the aid of Providence in the war. The opinions held
by General Cleburne were those emphatically expressed
in writing and from the pulpit by the Catholic BishoDs
of Richmond and Savannah*

The opinions of a man of Cleburne's stamp, as to the
character of the Irish as soldiers I give in the words of
the friend who heard them expressed by that groat General :
I In reference to the relative merits, as soldiers, of tho
'different kind of men in the service, he said he preferred
I the Irish, not on the ground of their courage, for of that
•there was no lack in the Confederate service, but for
'other qualities, highly useful in war. After a long day's
'march they generaUy had their tents up first; they were
I more, cleanly in their persons ; under the fatigue of hard
•work, or a heavy march, they showed more endurance,
•and recovered sooner; they were more cheerful under
•privation; and above aU, they were more amenable to
•discipline. These, he said, were highly useful qualities
•m war; and from actual observation he was persuaded
-'the Irish soldiers possessed them in a higher degree than
•any other people that came under his eye.'

Cleburne was one of those Irishmen who never could
understand how it was that his countrymen of the North
could join with the 'Yankee' to oppress and crush the
South ; but had he been a lawyer in a Northern or North-
western State, he might have been equally surprised if
any one had accused him of turning his mihtary knowledge
to the same purpose. His countrymen throughout the
Northern States were proud of his splendid reputation;
while in the South it was not considered second to that of
the very greatest of its commanders. And when he died
—struck by a storm of bullets, as the fore feet of his horse
were planted on the Federal ramparts— a wail of sorrow

_* See Appendix.

IN MEMORIAM.

6S5

and a slmcltlcr of despair pasHed tbrougli the land. A
tower of strenfrth had fallen. Tlio dauntless soldier sleeps
in peace in the cemetery v^iose solemn beauty ehcited
the strange remark, as he gazed on it a few days before ho
gloriously fell, * It is almost worth dying to rest in so sweet
a spot.'

I heard the heroic Irishman thus spoken of by two brave
men— General Buckner and General Hood— who had been
with him in many a memorable fight, and many a bril-
Uant victory. Referring to his name, the first-named
goneral said : —

And particularly did I recall the virtues of the Irish character, when
a few short months ago, I stood, in tht; twilight hour, over the grave of
one of the noblest sons of Ireland. As I looked upon the plain board
inscribed with his name in pencil lines, and upon the withered flowers
which the fair handa of some of our countrywomen had strewn upon
his grave, I wept silent tears to the glorious memory of General Patrick
Cleburne. He commanded a brigade in my division, and afterwards
succeeded me in the command of troops whom I cannot more highly
praise than to say he was one of the few who was worthy to (jommand
such men. And conspicuous amongst such gallant men, and worthy
soldiers of such a glorious leader, were Irishmen, who illustrated their
high military virtues on so many fields, and displayed on so many
occasions their fidelity to the cause they had espoused.

And thus spoke General Hood, who bears in many a
scar and wound eloquent testimonies to his desperate but
unavailing gallantry : —

During the late war it was ray fortune to have in my command
organisations composed of your countrymen, and it gives me pleasure
to assert that they were always at their post. And among these brave
men was to be found the gallant Cleburne. His name carries me to
the heights near Franklin. And his last remarks, just before moving
forward, I shall ever remember. He said : ' General, I have uiy division
in two lines, and am ready. General, I am more hopeful of the success
of our cause than I have ever been since the war commenced.' Within
twenty-five minutes this brave soldier was no more. Withiu an hour
an army was in mourning over the great loss. Thus ended the career
of this distinguished man— hopeful even at the last hour, but doomed
to disappointment as all other mea.

A8<

THE lUISH IN AMEIIICA.

Araonca is a country of wonders, where things nro to be
seen of which tlio old world mind ctiu have no concep-
tion. But nothing that I bchckl impressed mo with the
same admiration, and indotut with the same astonishment,
as the manner in which a people, whoso tremendous
struggle of four long years' duration enchained the atten-
tion of every civilised nation, returned to the peaceful
pursuits of civil life. To my mind, there was something
great beyond description in this unrivalled spectacle. A
few months before, and the earth resounded with the
clash of armed legions, mightier and more numerous than
any which Europe had assembled for centuries ; and where
is the trace of this colossal conflict in the bearing and de-
portment of the people ? You may behold its marks and
traces, in the desolated track of the conqueror ; in the
sedge-broom now usurping the once fruitful soil ; in rifled
and ruined dwellings abandoned to decay ; in burned cities
rising anew from their ashes : in crumbUng embankments
and road-side ramparts, which cost so much blood and so
many gallant lives to take or to defend, — but in the calm
dignified attitude of the great American people, who have
sheathed the sword and laid aside the rifle, you cannot
perceive them.

Where, you unconsciously ask, are the soldiers, the
fighting men, the heroes, who bore a distinguished part in
that protracted contest ? Have the brigades, the divisions,
the corps, the armies, of which we read in bulletin and
report — have they sunk into the earth, or have they
vanished in the air? If not, how are these men of war
employed ? — can they settle down to the ordinary pursuits
of life ; or have they been fatally intoxicated by the smoke
and excitement of battle, and utterly demoralised by the
licence of the camp ? You shall see,'

"Who is that remarkable-looking man, with something
of the clanking sabre in his carriage, yet with nothing

igfl nro to be
I no coiiccp-
no with tho
stoiiiHhniont,

trcuioiidoua
1(1 tho attou-
the pojiccful
IS somethnig
ipcctttde. A
ed with tho
merous than

; and where
ring and do-
;s marks and
ror ; in the
)il ; in rifled
burned cities
nibankments
>lood and so

in tho calm
le, who have

you cannot

sokliers, tho
shed part in
;he divisions,
bulletin and
r have they
men of war
lary pursuits
by the smoke
alised by tho

h something
vith nothing

AFTER TUE WAR.

687

more warlike iu his hand than or memorandum book, with
a bundle of harndess papers protruding from the bnjast-
pocket of a coat that seems to cling to his broad chost us
if it were a uniform? A commercial ag(!nt. Yes, now;
' but what was he a few months since? One at whoso mere
mention wives and mothers paled, and with the in(!antati<jn

of whose name nurses hushed their fractions charge a

daring leader of cavalry, whoso swoop was as lierce and
sudden as the eagle's.

Here, down in this new city, in the midst of the tall
pines, you see that coach factory, full of waggons, and
buggies of all kinds; and what is that bearded man em-
ployed at? A sewing-machine? Impossible; it can't be
—and yet it is. Yes, it is. That tall l^earded man held
high rank in his corps; but, the war over, and hatinir
idleness, he established this thriving factory; and with his
own hands he is now sewing and embroidering the curtains
of that carriage which is to be sent for in a day or two by
its purchaser.

At yon lawyer's desk, covered with open or tape-bound
documents, an anxious client awaiting his opinion of that
knotty case, sits one, now immersed in the intricjicy of a
legal problem, whose natural element seemed to be umid
the thickest press of battle, where squadrons rushed on
serried bayonets, or dashed at belching batteries.
. Calmly giving some minute instruction to a deferential
clerk, respecting a delayed train, or dictating an answer
to some impatient enquiry concerning a missing parcel or
a bale of dry-goods left behind, is a man whoso wisdom
and whose courage were the hope of a cause ; prudent
in council, skilful in strategy, calm and cool in conflict.

Behind that counter, in that store, or perched on that
office desk, is he who has done so many brilliant feats, to
the wonder of the' foe, and the rapture of his friends.

Rushing headlong through the street, in his eagerness

CSS

THE IIIISII IN AMKIirCA.

• i
I

to keep some nppointmcnt,, in which fhero ifl to be much
talk of bales of cotton, va\y<;oq.h of corn, or hogsheads oi'
strong Avino, is the soldi(>r whoN movements were of
li-htnin- celerity, who, by right of In's lavished blood, had
established a kind of vested interest in every desperate
undertaking.

And here, at this editor's table, with ink, and paste, and
scissors at his elbow, up to his eyes in 'proofs,' and young
'devils' clamorous for 'copy,' you have a dashing colonel
a fortunate general, a famous artillery officer— now as
trancpiilly engaged in the drudgery of his 'daily' as if ho
had never led his regiment at the charge, never handled
a division or a corps, or never decided a victory with his
guns; as if, in fact, he had only learned of war in the pages
of Grecian or Eoman history, or read of it in one of his
European 'exchanges.'

Hush! yon are in a scat of learning, in which the hope-
fiil youth of a great country is being trained for its future
citizenship. You perceive that quiet-looking elderly gen-
tleman smiling kindly on that bright eager lad, as he
speaks to him with gentle voice. That quiet-looking gen-
tleman is the man of men, whose very name was worth an
army to the side he espoused. Every home in America,
every village in Europe, has heard of that quiet-looking
gentleman.

And look again: here is a learned professor instructing
his class— not at all a wonderful sight, you may say; but on
the wide ocean, in every mart of commerce, on every ex-
change, in every nook and corner in which the risks of sea,
enhanced by the casualties of war, are keenly calculated,'
there were those who thought by day and dreamed by
night of that learned professor.

Go where you wiU, in field or mine, in workshop, iu
factory, in store, in counting house, in hotel— at either
side of the Huq — whether on land or watfir Av*ivxrwh«vp^

THE GRANDF]ST OF ALL SPECTACLES.

588

ifl to be much
hogsheads of
Jilts wore of
Dd blood, had
ory dospcrato

ad paste, and
a,' and young
ihing- colonel,
iccr — now as
ally' as if ho
ever handled
itory with his
* in the pages
in one of his

you behold, now absorl)ed in honest toil and patient in-
dustry, the men, high and low, of every rank and grade,
and of every nationality too, who, a few months hUw.o., wore
engaged in desperate strife! This spectacle, wliicth ilio
Old World has never seen surpassed, is more wonderful
than Niagara, more majestic than the Mississippi, more
siibhme than the snow-clad pinnacles of the loftiest of the
Sierras.

ch the hope-
for its future

elderly gen-
r lad, as he
-looking gen-
ivas worth an

in America,
c[uiet-looking

•r instructinsr
'■ say; but on
on every ex-
risks of sea,
y calculated,
dreamed by

vorkshop, iu
1 — at either
very where ^

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

•a

'mm

..1

■«B

CHAPTER XXXI.

Itlll^ t /^c ^"'''^ ^" America towards Enfflan<l-A F-ifd
Mistake-Not Scamps and Row<lies-Wl,o tl ey -eillv •ir^

TT is a matter of more importance to iinderstand what m
± tlie iocil fe^^linc. entertained by the Irish in Americ
towards England, or the British Government, than to
ascert^un the nature or the details of any organisation to
winch that feehng may give rise. If the feeling be ephe-
meral or factitious, the organisation, however formidable
Its aspect, resembles a- torrent caused by a summer storm
or a tree with wide branches yet having no hold in the soil.'
And, on the other hand, though an organisation may be
ill-designed or even ridiculous, or, on account of the folly
or violence, or treachery, of those who are responsible for
Its management, may come to a speedy dissolution, if it
Have Its origm in an earnest and enduring feeling it is
sigmhcant of danger-it represents more than is seen-
and die down as it may, it is sure to spring up again in'
some new form. Here the abiding life is, as it were, in
1 16 soil whose vital energy throws these its creations to
the surface. The question, then, should rather be, rchat i.
the feehng in which an organisation-^ onmm^m, or air.
other 'ism'-/m. it, origin, than what is the organisation
whicli springs from the feehng? With the special organi-
Bation, much less with its details, I have no concern what-
ever; while with the feehng I cannot, in duty or in honesty,
rofuso to deal. ^

A FATAL MISTAKE.

591

1(1— A Fatal
•oally are—
Igor— Down
li Feeling —
and Quiet
rieviince re-
'lief in Fng-
ions to i']ng-
bltiliemetly.

stand what is
L in Americ
mt, than to
^•auisation to
^ng- be ej^hc-
r formidable
nmcr storm,
d in the soil,
fcion may be
of the folly,
ponsible for
>lution, if it
feeling, it is
m is seen;
up again in
it were, in
creations to
' be, ichat /.s
sni, or any
)rganisati(^n
3ial or<.>-ani-
icern what-
in honesty,

Of the leaders, the real or ostensible leaders of the
existing organisjition various opinions are entertained and
freely expressed ; and far stronger language has been used
by different sections of the same nominal body with respect
to the merits or demerits of rival chiefs than has been
employed by the most indignant and out-spoken Crown
Prosecutor, or the most enthusiastic advocate of British
connection. It is only just, however, to state, that against
the personal character, the honour and integrity, of the
present most prominent member* of the Fenian organisa-
tion I have never heard a word. Personal ambition, or
a desire for display, may have been urged against him by
those who did not agree with his policy, or were opposed
to the movement ; but no one, not even a partisan of a
rival leader, accuses him of dishonesty or of treachery.

There cannot be a more fatal mistake, whether fallen
into in England or in Ireland, than that which has its
origin in the desire to make light of the feeling existing
among the Irish in America — namely, of depreciating the
position, character, and motives of those who have either
joined or aided the present movement, or who sympathise
with its objects, whether special or general. It has been
frequently asserted that the Fenian organisation embraces
within its ranks none but the looser portion of the popu-
lation — in fact, ' the scum of the great cities,' and that it
depends altogether for its support on the contributions
extorted from day labourers and servant-girls. That the
organisation embraces many young men of loose habits or
irregular lives must of necessity be the case — it must be
so with every movement or organisation of a similar nature ;
yet, though such supporters of an organisation may not be
the steadiest supporters of the community, or the most
remarkable for self-restraint, they bring to it physical
force, courage, and a reckless desperation which no obstacle
can daunt or deter. Men of this class, however, do not

♦ Mr. RobertB.

693

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

;1
•I

t
m

cons fafcnte its strength ; they certainly .aro not its g„iai„„
Bp.nts, nor do thoy form more than a section » per"
cen*.ge of the whole body-they are, in fact, but IIZ

That an mdmdual who takes the lead in a certain locality
may be actuated by the lowest motives-vanity elf
o T V", f' '""' of obtaining influence to be employ d
Zt^luT": "' P"^"""' <"'i'^<='^-'« probably h^e
tj^e body, meamng thereby the thousands or the tens of

vrrrthel: T^^^'^^, ^'--^th of tl. organtLn
e.en m the locality in which there may happen to be a
worthle,3 leader, are neither 'roughs' nor 'rowdi I' 1

which lieT^ "" '"""P"'^'' ''"''"^' •™'i «"=*-""= by

-thai T w >^r ^'^ ^' "' impracticable as mischievous
-that t would rather aggravate and intensify the evils
waieh they desire to remedy by sweeping revolution 4hs

harteen^I^ /' ' ""' ^''""S? Then, so far as I

Fein, f ^ '"'™' "^ ''^'^«* ^^' '^'^^ ^o^g the

Femans in almost every State of the Union there are

Indeed, in several places in which I have been I have
earned, on unquestionable authority-very frequently of
those who regarded Fenianism with positie Xhke\n1
Its leaders with marked mistrust-that the most re;^"
steady and self-respecting of the Irish youth or tt^

rfittgi'r-^^"^ '' "^'^ ~^- '— ^"«^

the^rtrJr*''^ ™'; «'"'°"' "''''°''- ^^ "^o^* i"»^trate

ation 1ml ?W r ^u™' ''^° ''^' P'"'' '° «"^ o^gaiii-
sation, and the feehng* by which they are animated.

J„^?f.!r.*,'°J^« '" '^"fi''"« i° "^ few months after the
f-m„u. .aid mio ua^ada; and the impression produced by

NOT SCAMPS AND ROWDIES.

59t

not its guiding
section or per-
ict, but a mere
!an Fenianism.
certain locality
5— vanity, self-
to be employed
probably true,
the case ; but
)r the tens of
) organisation,
ippen to be a
'rowdies,' nor
the feeliny by
it is unselfish,
eir immediate
s mischievous
isify the evils
olution,~this
t is their true
n, so far as I
t among the
m there are
h population,
been I have
requeutly of
dishke, and
aost regular,
>uth, or the
tistituted its

3st illustrate

this orgaui-

fited.

lis after the

)roduced by

whai I then learned was not weakened, but rather con-
firmed, by every day's additional experience in the United
States. I was then brought into contact with persons
holding the most opposite opinions as to the character of
this raid— those who condemned or those who applauded
it; but from the very persons who denounced it, as wanton
and wicked, I received as strong testimony in favour of
the conduct of the Fenians who took part in it, or who had
come to take part in it, as from those who gloried in the
attempt, and deplored its failure. It is not necessary to
repeat the oft-told story of the Canadian raid, or the part
taken by the American Government, under the solemn
obligations of internaticnal law, to ensure its defeat. Not
calculating on the active interference of the authorities,
an immense body of Fenians, several thousands in number,'
concentrated in Buffalo, with the intention of crossing
the frontier; and though they were badly provided, if not
utterly unprovided, with commissariat, and though, not-
withstanding the generosity or the efforts of their Viends,
they had to subsist on the simplest and even scantiest
fare ; and though hundreds of these young men were to be
seen lying on the side-walks, their only sleeping-places at
night (it was in the midst of the summer)— there was not
committed by any one of that vast body during the time,
fuUy a fortnight, that they remained in that large and popu-
lous city, a single offence against person, or property, or
decency, or pubhc order ! This fact, so creditable to the
Irish character, was admitted, however reluctantly, by the
opponents of the Fenians, and was proudly proclaimed by
their sympathisers.

In this raid, or ready to take part in it, were men of
the best character and the steadiest conduct. Instances
were numerous of those who had abandoned well-paid

offices, lucrative situations, and valuable appointments

who had given up happy h<>meB and quiet eniovmcnts to
risk hberty and life in this expedition. Fathers were not

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

shan.0,1 from j.H.nnff i„ it hy fo.nily ob%ation.s • an<]
those who wore boyon,! the period of active service r.lhor
eucouvagea than checkocl the ar.lour of their L" A

man, whom I 1 ad tnown many years before in Ireland
^i...c..ung ot tiio Canadian raid, in the iwo^

r;,,:; 'ttr' """"'■'^" »'"' °- - *- ^^■^^

gio uped .and tli. r,tove at the far e-ad of Jus nbioe J

bn.,ne.s« he pointed to a handsome fresl,-eoI ^ e Won. !

Uow ot twenty, and said_'TI,at boy joined them o^r

he way, and with nry fnU consent. His mother h'ewa
ma ternole state abont him, like all women I snm,oso
»nd w.»tod not to let him ,o on any aeeonnt ; \ni ST'

1 saj I wd 8<>, no power on earth wiU stop me." It was
only then she eonsented-she will tell you so herself h!

thanl. God ! A deep, heart-felt ■ Amen ! ' was the moth"^
only response, as she earessed the soft eheek of her

iSo; i:!"'"' ^""'« »* '- ^-' --' «-'-

ri:mU^/s:;'TiLTen::rri^^^^^^^^^ f f
:TtbaTiin; °"^ ^^'T^- °^ «- «"-*^^^^

n^d that Ihad no speejal cnnosity to see one on that oec,;
mon Ah, said he, 'but he was one of the raiders into
Canada, and was seyerely wounded. This case may be i„-

Xt't : ""\ '"• "1: '■^"^°"-«"" '' »«-'^ ^>'^^
o dter 1 °'-nr""™' ^™''' ^"-^ '^■'°-' " p"-i- ■»«

to ai as infidels and eyerything bad. This young man, who

WHO THEY REALLY ARE.

605

l>%ation,s; and
I service rather
their sons. A
Dcliiito observa-
■ a res])ectable
n-e in Ireland,
been strongly
I, in tlie i)res-
;wo friends, all
f bis 25lacc of
oloured young
led tlicm over
iber there was
3n, I suppose,
; but I said to
place ; and if
me." It was
► herself. He
ther and me,
3 the mother's
;heek of her
sted its head

lo, which was

rs, when the

ked me if I

L that I had

Bnian before,

)n that occii-

raiders into

3 may be iii-

^•ds the best

down a so-

puzzles ]iio

who belong

ig man, who

was wounded at Limestone Ridge, is, to my personal
knowledge, one of the best-conducted men in this city.
• He wan and is a monthly communicant, and, I can answer
for it, he is exemplfiry in every relation of life. He is,
besides, a man of superior intelligence. Now I am, if
anything, an anti-Fenian ; yet I tell you it is absurd to
.suppose that the organisation is what it has been described
by your Enghsh newspaper correspondents.' The appear-
ance, manner, and bearing of the wounded man, who was
sitting on the side of his bed, and who laid down a prayer-
book as soon as he saw the visitor approaching, evidently
justified the description given of him by my compani(jn.

A distinguished Irish clergyman of the Cathohc diocese
of Cincinnati, who publicly and privately discouraged the
movement, remarked to me :— ' It is idle to say that this
feeling— call it infatuation if you like — has not a strong
hold on our Irish population, or that the organisation does
not embrace within it many men of the best character and
the purest motives. I have every day ample experience
(5f the fact that this is so. I will give you a case in point.
I was sitting at this desk one evening, busily writing, when
a visitor was announced. He was a penitent of my own,
and I assure you I was very proud of him, for there could
not be a more respectable young man, or one who was in
every way better conducted. He was likewise singularly
thoughtful and inteUigent, and held an excellent position.
" Father," he said, " I want you to do me a great favour."
I told him, what was quite true, that I should be happy to
do anything in my power t^ oblige or serve him. "Well,
Father," said he, " I want you to take charge -of this little
parcel for me— it contains $G00. I am going at once on a
very important journey, on which much depends. I am
not at present at liberty to say anything more, but you
shall soon know all about it ; but if you don't hear of me
in six months, send this money to my parents in Ireland,
with this letter." I received the money and the letter from

fi98

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

• i
J

him, and promised strict ooniplijmco with his roquefi. 1
did not prosH liim as to tlio nature of his journey, for ho
was studiously reserved on that point ; and wlien he took
leave, it was with a disjilay of emotion not very common
M'ith him, for he was almost invarial)ly cool and colle(;ted
in manner. In less than ten days after we parted at that
door, I was 'shocked to read in the morninj^ paper the
account of his death, — he was one of the raiders, and he
was killed in the fio-ht at Fort Erie.'

From the Southern States — Alabama, Louisiana, the
Carolinas, Florida, Texas — young men had come up to the
extreme North on this expedition ; and had it been even
momentarily successful, or had there been the least con-
nivance with the movement on the part of the Government
of the United States, — had, in fact, those who first crossed
the frontier but the opportunity of making a stand, and
holding their own even for c few days, vast numbers
would have flocked to the g:'een standard from every
State in the Union. That Southern men, or Confederates,
should take any active part in the movement w^as extra-
ordinary, considering the feeling of exasperation that still
lingered in the Southern mind, the result of the late war.
This feeling was quite as strongly felt by Irishmen in the
Confederacy as by Americans ; and though there was, of
necessity, a sj'mpathy between Irishmen at both sides of
the line, still there was a lurking sentiment of irritation
not a little aggravated by the policy of the extreme Eadical
party, as proclaimed through their press, and sought to bo
enforced by legislation. An incident, which reached me
through more than one source, will indicate, better than any
description, the feeling of the Irish in the South as to the
part taken by their compatriots of the North in the war.

While the contending armies lay in front of each other

in the neighbourhood of Chattanooga, a

flag

of truce

brought together

several distinguished officers on both

sides ; amongst them, General Cleburne and General

SYMPATHY CONQUERING IRRITATION.

697

lis roqnef t. t
jonrney, for ho
when he took
■very common
i and collected
parted at that
mg paper the
aiders, and he

Jonisiana, the
3ome np to the
1 it been even

the least con-
ic Government
lo first crossed
J a stand, and
vast numbers
'd from every

Confederates,
ant was extra-
ition that still
' the late war.
ishmen in the

there was, of

both sides of
it of irritation
itreme Eadical
i sought to bo
li reached me
ctter than any
:)uth as to the

in the war.
of each other

flag of trace
Lcers on both

and General

Sweeney— the former fittingly representing the g;dlantry of
the Southern Irish, the latter as fittingly represenling the
gallantry of the Northern Irish. Friendly greetings and
compliments were interchanged; flasks were emptied, and
healths were drunk with great cordiahty Ijy those who in
a few hours aft(!r were to meet in deadly strife. On that,
occasion General Sweeney, addnvssing himself to General
Cleburne, expressed his regret that his countrymen should
be found oi)posed to each other, and fighting on both sides
during the war ; but he hoped the time wcnild come when
they would all be found united, and standing side by side
in the efiort to recover the independence of their native
land. To this Cleburne replied, that to assist in destroying
the independence of one people was rjither a poor prepa-
ration for the work of restoring the independence of
another. ,

This lingering feeling of irritatioji is, however, rapidly
passing away, owing in a great measure not only to the
generous bearing of the Federal Irish while as combatants
or conquerors in the South, but to the policy generally
held by the Irish in the Northern States as to the re-ad-
mission of the seceding States into the Union. But, were
that sentiment of irritation stronger than it is, it would
be absorbed by one far stronger and more intense— ' hatred
of the common enemy, love of the common country.' I
had rather a strange exhibition of the intensity of this feel-
ing in a city in Alabama.

From this city, in which there is a ^onsiderr.ble Irish
population, there had gone forth, besides other Irish organ-
isations, several companies, all of which distinguished them-
selves by the most extraordinary daring and intrepidity.
In the very thickest of the deadliest struggle these men
fought with a desperation that elicited universal admi-
ration. One of these companies lost four out of every
five ; either they were killed on the field of battle, or they
died in the hospital of their wounds. Of 130 men who

698

THE lUISII IN AMERICA.

■M
«

3
*)

from time to timo joined that company, but 20 survived ;
and that f,^allant remnant of that heroic band limped back
to their homes, riddled with shot and shell, and Inuiked
by steel— cripples for life. Those who commanded these
heroic men were in every way wortliy of those they com-
manded. Three times this company lost its captain in
front of the enemy; and the successor to their honours
and responsibilities— an Irishman from Waterford— the
fourth who led it into battle— bears on his person terrible
evidences of the work in which he had been engaged.
He caUcd on mo at my hotel; and the conversation
turning on the late civil war, he informed me of many
interesting particulars with respect to the part taken in it
by Irishmen at both sides. I happened to express a hope
that his many wounds, of which I had heard so much from
others, did not cause him pain or inconvenience, and my
surprise that he survived such grievous injuries in vital
parts ; when, rather unexpectedly, he said, ' I would like
to show you my wounds, if you have no objection ; you can
then see what narrow escapes I had.' I replied that I
could have no objection whatever to behold the marks of
a brave man's valour ; on which, though not without some
difficulty, owing to the helpless condition of one arm, ho
stripped to the waist. And, poor fellow, he had been
riddled and torn indeed. He had been shot through the
neck, the ball entering at one side, and going out at the
other. Within an inch or two of his spine was a great
mark where a rifle bullet had torn through ; that bullet,
turned by one of those strange eccentric motions which
bullets occasionally take, passed out through his side, and
shattered his arm. A third had more than grazed the
lower stomach— it had literally passed through, leaving its
mark of entrance and departure. Then there were scars
of minor importance, still eloquent mementos of iierco
fights in which he and his noble Irish 'Guard 'had taken
BO conspicuous a part. One arm, as I have mentioned. hun<'

INDIFFEllENOIi: TO DANGER.

.199

it 20 survived ;
1(1 linipod buck
ill, luid lifurlcod
iiiriaiidod tlieso
Jioso tlioy coin-
its caiitain in
their honours
Waterford — the
person terribk)
been engaged.
3 conversation
[i me of many
)art taken in it
express a hope
I so much from
ionce, and my
ijuries in vital
'I would like
ction ; you can
replied that I
the marks of
. without some
)f one arm, he
ho had been
't through the
Ing out at the
e was a great
1 ; that bullet,
notions which
I his side, and
m grazed th(3
igh, leaving its
3re were scars
itos of liereo
rd ' had taken
3ntioned, hung

helpless by his side ; but I well remember how his eyoe
sparkled, and his face became sufl'used with enthusiasm,
as, suddenly Hinging aloft his other arm, lean and sinewy,
ho exclaimed in a voice of concentrated passion — ' This is
the only arm I have left, and, so help me God ! I'd give it
and every drop of my heart's blood, if I could only strike
one blow for Irehmd! I'd be satisfied to die of my wounds
then, for I'd die happy in her cause.'

I have heard declarations as ardent from Irishmen in
other parts of the South — by men who had borne them-
selves brav(!ly during the war ; and though many of them
declared their mistrust of certain of the Fenian leaders, and
even a dislike to the movement itself, still all expressed
themselves in this fashion, ' If I could see my way clearly—
if I could only trust the men in New York — if I thought I
could do Ireland any good, or give her a chance, I would
go in for it at every risk.' Others boasted that they wero
members of the organisation — that they were ready, at any
moment, to unsheathe the sword again — that they did not
care who or what the leaders were ; they were for any
organisation that kept alive the national feeling, and 2)re-
pared Irishmen to avail themselves of the first opiior.'unity
for a practical movement in her favour.

So startling and extraordinary were the events in wliich
these men — Northerns and Southerns — were actors, that
revolution had become a familiar idea to their minds ; and
such were the privations and hardshi2)s they had endured,
such the sacrifices they had made, such the dangers they
had gone through almost daily during a protracted war,
in sustainment of the cause to which they had been
devoted on either side, that the risk of Hfe in the attain-
ment of a great object, or in furtherance of a cherished
purpose, is regarded by them as a light matter, if, indeed, it
is regarded by them at all. They have been too familiar
with Death — have looked the King of Terrors too manv
times in the face — not to contemplate the possible loss of

600

TOR IRFSII IN AMERICA.

life with tho utmoHt iudifToi'onco ; added to wliich, Buch is
th(f ontlniHi.'i.sm by wliich th(^y arc aniiuaiod— an oiitlmsiaHwi
at oiKio fioroo and (ixultcd, Hi)ringiii^' from tho iwo-fold
passion of lovo and hato, dovotion and rcvonj,'o--fchat it
renders tho i(h>a of tho saoritieo of lifo olovatin^^ a»id oa-
iiobling rathor than diaconra'j^in'jf or i-epollin^.

Down in tho dopths of a niino hi Illinois, tho workers
in which wore Irish to a man, I fonnd tho same foolinij of
passionato love, tho same foolinj,' of passionate hate. It
was a stran^^o scone, and not without its attraction. In
one of the central passages of tho mine, nc* T'oro than five
feet in hei^rht, its prevaihnj? murkiness piurcod here and
there by tho red hght of a small lamp, was a truck, in
which were four men — two recumbent, as if on a couch ; tho
other two sittin-if one on each side of that mort uncomfort-
able carriage. Tho group consisted of the two visitors—
n)vsclf and a substantinl friend, who did not much admiro
the dark shadows, the low ceiling, and tho strange sounds
of this und(;rground world ; together with one of tho
* bosses,' and a remarkably intelligent and younger man.
The miners had each their lamp fastened in front of their
caps, while the visitors held theirs in their hands. Tho gal-
loping mule had been arrested in his course by a stoppage
occasioned by something ahead; and for a considerable
time— it seemed an age to my stout friend by my side-
conversation was the only resource of tho party of four.
In a company consisting of four Irishmen, it would bo
strange if the conversation did not fall on Irish affairs,
especially at a timo when the State-trials in Canada were
tlien going on. My excellent friend, who shared with
me the couch of straw, though an ardent Irishman, thought
only of how soon ho should get out of the mine, and up
into the bright world above ; and for the moment the Irish
Question lost all attraction for his ears. I must confess to
having taken the 'legal and constitutional, side in the argu-
ment wliich sprang up ; bnt it found little fj^vour either

UOWN IN THE MINE.

601

which, Biioh is
-an (nithiiHiiiH.ui
m tho iwo-fold
ivouf^o — that it
vatiujf and ca-

is, the workers
mine feoHiii^ of
3iiato hate. It
attraction. In

T»oro than five
jrcod hero and
vas a truck, in
)n a couch ; tho
Lort uncomfort-

tvvo visitors —
•t much admire
strange wounds
Ai one of tho
younger man.
L front of their
nds. Tho gal-

by a stoppage
a considerable

by my side —
party of four.
I, it would bo
1 Irish affairs,
Canada were
) shared with
liman, thought

mine, and up
ment the Irish
aust confess to
le in the argu-

fj'Your either

with the fiLM'y yonngfu* man, or with the morti sedato
boss.' Only through courtoHy, and that not a little
Ktrai>5ed either, would they tohn'ato tho mention of modera-
tion, or oven admit that an Irishman could love his country
Bincofoly, and even ardently, and yet oppose those
who should secik to biing ab(»Mt chang<'S by vioh'nco
and bloodshed. Ami as I reclin(Ml in my triumphal car, I
was harangued in fiery accents by the younger miner, on
'the wrongs of In^land, and the ini([uiti(!S .)f tlui British
Government.' He had the liistory of the Union and
the story of the Irish llebollion by heart ; and as he re-
ferred to some thrilling event, or mentioned some famous
name, there was a deep murmur of satisfaction from the
* boss,' whose ' Thrue for you, boy ! ' seemed to impart an
additional swing to the oratory of his companion. They
would not believe in tho naval or military power of Eng-
land — that, according to them, as to most others whom I
subsequently met, was a thing of the past. ' And, after all,
what was it to tho power of America ? — where were armies
like hers ? — where iron -clads, and monitors, and turret-
ships, such as she could turn out at a moment's notice,
as she did during the llebollion ? No ; England was to
go down, and Ireland was, under Providence, to be the
instrument of her ruin.' Some of the miners had gone
before, and others would go again, when the occasion arose,
to strike a blow at ' the ojjpressor of their country ; ' and
there was scarcely a man in the mine who did not joj'fuUy
subscribe to the Fenian fund, and would not continue to do
so ; for though they might not succeed one time, they
would another. Tho * boss' bad not much to say, but that
was to the point. ' He didn't care about the money — he
could spare that ; but lie'd give his life if necessary, and
gladly too, for the country that he was ever thinking of,
and that was dear to his heart.' And the 'boss' looked
to be an earnest man, who said what he meant, and ^vould

do what ho said. The young man made a boast of a fact

it6

602

THE IIIISII IN AMERICA.

-««

1
3

of which h(3 iniahfc woll bo proucl-that, althcu-li thoro
were between 200 und IJOO Irishmen in the niin(>, th(>ro
were not .six drunkards anion- the entire number TJi(>y
were hard-workino-, luborious, and zealouH, proud of tlio
success of the niin<s and not less so of tlieir own well-
earned reputation for .sobriety and honesty. True these
^vore Inimble toilers ; but they were the very opposite of
the scamps and rowdies who are supposed to constitute the
strenfjth of the anti-Enjvli„li organisation in America. Nor
Iiad they the remotest intention or hope of over deriviuL^
any personal advantao-e from the sacrifices they made or
were prepared to n.ake, for Hlie cause; '-love of tlieir
native land, and they desire to see her 'happy and inde-
pendent were all-sullicient motives with them

According to a system of logic, with the force and justice
of which they are thoroughly satisfied, certain classes of
he Irish 111 America-indeed, the majority of them-hold
tlio Jiritish Government resi,onsible for all the evils of
Ireland ; and at the door of Government and Parliament
are also laid the responsibihty of the wrongs done by
individmils with the sanction of the law, and the passive
assent of the legislature. After all, it is not to be wondered
at that Irishmen in America should adopt the logic of En-
lishmen in Parliament. If a people are discontented, me
fault must lie tcith those who govern them /has been more
than once heard of late years in the British House of
Commons ; and though the axiom may have been applied
.0 a foreign people and a foreign government, an Irishman
might be excused for holding it of equal force when applied
:iearer home. I can answer for it, that in this rough and
■^cady manner even the humblest men instinctively reason,
in lact, the logic is there ready for their use.

Visiting a farm-house in a Western State, I found the
owner, a man verging on sixty, in the midst of his family
>uins and daughters, Hue specimens of the Irish race, with
-he glow of health -on their cheeks, and vigour and life in

ONE OF THE CAUSES OF ANTI-ENGLISH FEELING. C03

nltlionn^li thoro
Am ijiiiio, tlu3ro
number. TJioy
I, proud of tlio
^lioir own wcll-
y. Truo, iheso
3ry oi)i)OHit(3 of
3 constitute tlio
Amorica. Nor
f over deriving

they made, or
— lovo of tlieir
ippy and inde-
sm.

rco and justice
tain classes of
of them— hold
1 the evils of
id Parliament
3ngs done by
d the i^assive
3 bo wondered

logic of Eug-
scontcnted, the
as been more
ish House of

been applied
;, an Irishman
when ajjplicd
lis rough and
itively reason.

, I found the
)f his family,
ish race, with
V and life in

every movement. A quarter of a century bfsfore, the
owner of that house and farm was evicted under circimi-
stances of si.igularly painful severity,— his (!ottiig(j hiid
been assaikul by the ' (tvowbar brigade,' and he and his wile
had barely time to snatch tlnur children from the crash-
ing ruin of what had been their home ; and in his heart
he cherished a feeling of hatred and vengeance, not so
much against the individual by whom the wrong was
perpetrated, as against the Government by which it was
sanctioned, and under whoso authority it was inllicted.
He had not the least objeetion lo tell of his diihculties in
the new country, for he had every reason to be proud of
his sturdy energy, and his hard struggl(%s for the iii-st few
years; but, whatever the subject of wliieh he spoke, he
would invariably contrive to wander back to the mem(jral)]e
day of his eviction, when, i)»s he said, 'he and his were
turned out Hkc dogs — worse than dogs — on the road-side.'
'See, sir! he exclaimed, 'I tell you what it is, and you
may believe fno when I say it, though I love the old
country — and God knows I do that same— I would not
take a present of 200 acres of the finest land in my own
county, and have to live under the British Governm(!nt.'
' Not if the British Government had anything to do with
it, I sui^pose,' said the wife, as if exi)laining her husl)and's
assertit)n, which she s(!cmed to regard as reasonaljle and
natural. 'I'll never forgivfi that Government the longest
day I live.' ' Why then, indeed, Daniel, it's time to for-
give them and everybody now,' put in the wife, ' for sure,
if that same didn't happen, you would not be here this
blessed day, with your 400 acres of fine land, and plenty
for all of us, and the schooling for the children, and no
one to say " boo " to us, and all our own ! May the Lord
make us thankful for his mercies!' 'Well, Mary, no
thanks to the British Government for that,— 'twasn't
for my good the blackguards done it— and if you and the
children didn't perish that day, 'twas the Lord's will, not

604

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

theirs.' 'Why then, Daniel, I can't say again that '--ajid
the wife gave in. The sons, one of whom had fought for
the Union, synii^athised more with the vengeful feeling of
. their father than with the Christian si)irit of their mother.

A similar instance of this holding the British Govern-
ment responsible for an act of individual cruelty was
related to me by an eminent Irisli ecclesiastic in one of
the Eastern States. In the course of his peiiodical visi-
tation he became acquainted with a respectable and
thriving Irisli farmer, who appeared to be in great comfort,
his land in line condition, and his stock of cattle of a good
description and abundant. This man was always glad to
see the priest coming round, and thought ' he could never
make enough of him.' A widower with several children,
liis house was managed by his wife's sister, who had
altogether devoted herself to their welfare. He was a man
of abstemious habits, regular life, and inclined to reserve,
as if, as the clergyman said, there was some hind of cloud
always over his mind. Nothing could exceed his care in
the religious training of his young people, in which task he
was well seconded by their excellent aunt. But there was
this singularity about him,— that, whatever his desire to
have his family grow up in the practice of their faith, he
never would go to confession. The priest, as was his duty,
spoke to him more than once on the subject ; but he was
answered evasively, and put off on one plea or another.
At length, determmed to push the matter home, he said
to him— 'Now I must speak to you seriously, and you
must hsten to me as your pastor, who is answerable before
God for the welfare of his flock. Your children are now
growmg up about you, and they will be men and women
in a short time, and you should show them an example in
your own person of a Catholic father. You are aware how
important it is that they should be strong in their faith
bciore tliey become men and women, and go into the
world, where they will no longer be subject to your

MORE OF THE CAUSES OF BAD FEELING.

605

ain that* — ajid
had fought for
g-eful foohn^- of
their mother.
British Govern-
il cruelty was
siic ill one of
l)eriodical visi-
spectable and

great comfort,
attle of a good
ilwajs glad to
lie could never
!veral children,
iter, who had
He was a man
led to reserve,

hind of cloud
ed his care in

which task he
But there was

his desire to
their faith, he
I was his duty,
^t ; but he was
ia or another,
lome, he said
isly, and you
verable before
dren are now
n and women
m example iu
ire aware how

in their faith
, go into tlie
3Ject to your

control, or that of their good pious aunt ; but if you don't
yourself set them the example, how can you expect they
will always continue as they now are — devoted to their
religion ? Tell me, then, why won't you go to your duty
here — where God has prospered your industry — as you
did in the old country in former times?' 'Well, Father,'
he replied, * I tell you what it is — I can't go ; that's the
truth of it, and for a good reason too. I know my religion
weU enough to tell me I must forgive my enemies, or I
can't get absolution — that I know sure enough, for my
mother wasn't without telling me as much, and I never
forgot it, and 'tis always before me, sleeping and waking.
Then, as you must know the truth of it — and 'tis the blessed
truth I'm telling you— I can't and I won't forgive them —
I never can, and what's more, I never wall, to my dying day.
Father, that's just the whole of it.' ' Nonsense, man,' said
the priest, ' that's not the language of a Christian — an infi-
del might speak to me in that manner. Why, the Redeem-
er, who saved you and yours by His blood, forgave His ene-
mies — and you, a Cliristian man ! brought up in a Catholic
country, to talk of not forgiving your enemies ! ' ' True
for you. Father — all true — true as the Gospel — I knov/ it ;
but still there's something in me that I can't g^'t over.
I told your reverence I was turned out of my land, where
my father and his people before him lived, I don't know
how long. Well, sure enough, that same has been many
a bette-- ii an's case, and more's the pity. But that Avasn't
it, but the way 'twas done. Tnere didn't come out of the
heavens a bitterer mornings when the sheriff was at my
door with the crowbar men, and a powder of peelers, and
the army too, as if 'twas going to war they were, instead
of coming to drive an honest man and his family from
house and home. My poor ould father was at his last
with rheumatics, and the doctor said 'twas coming to his
heart — and my wife too, saving your reverence's presence,
was big with child. 'Tvvas a bad time, God knows, for us

!;r

}

•■■>»
■I

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

to be put 01 I asked the ao-ent, who was there, for a
week, to see and get a place ; but I couldn't get a day-
no not an hour; he said the law should take its coorse
and It dul take its coorse, and a bad wicked coorse it was
Mj mother-she did it. Father, before I could stop her-
knelt down to him in her grey hairs; but 'twas no good-
you might as well talk to that stone there. I told them
the state of my poor ould father-that was no use either •
out we should go into the bitter could, and not as much as
a place to put our heads ! There were others as bad as
ourselves, for the whole townland was 'under notice'
1 cant tell you all that happened that morning, or that
niglit-I was like a man out of his rayson, that didn't
know what he was about, or what was happening to him.
13ut this I know well enough-that my ould father was
taken out on the bed he lay on, and he died that night in
thegripo of the ditch, under the shelter we made fo!- him
with a few bits of boords and sticks and a quilt; and my
wie-(.od rest her blessed so>vI this day !-was brought
tobed-what a bed it was!-of ..e youngest child-she
you heard just now in her catechism ; and my poor wife
my poor girl. Father, died in my arms the next dayt'
Here the strong man, with a fierce gesture, dashed the
tears from his eyes. ' Well, Father, i went down on my
knees, and, the Lord pardon me ! I swore I'd never for-ivo
that night and day, and the men that done that wron--
and 1 never will-and I'll never forgive the bloody Eno-fish
Government that allowed a man to be treated worse than
I'd treat a dog, let lone a Christian, and sent their ])eelers
and their army to help them to do it to me and others
No, Father, 'tis no use your talking to me, I can't foro-ivo
them; and Avhat's more, I teach my children to hate them
too. It would be Hke turning false to her that's in the
grave-the mother of my children-if I ever forgave that
oitter day -ind bitter ..Ight.' Again and again, for years,
the zealous priest never ceased to urge on that dark spirit

WHAT GRAVE AND QUIET MEN THINK.

007

as there, for a
't get a day —
ike its coorse,
[ coorse it was.
lid stop her —
^as no good—
I told them
10 use either;
lot as much as
:ers as bad as
under notice.'
-ning, or that
n, that didn't
ening to him.
Id father was
that night in
made for him
iiilt ; and my
-was brought
■it child — she
f poor wife —
! next day!'
, dashed the
lown on my
aever forgive
;iat wrong — ■
)ody English

worse than
;lieir })eolers
and others.
3an't forgive
o hate theiji
fiat's in the
brgave that
I, for years,

dark spirit

the necessity of imitating the Divine example ; and ii was
not until the illness of the daughter whoso birthplace was
the ditch-side in the bleak winter, softened the father's
heart, that he bowed his head in humility, or tliat the
word 'forgiveness' passed his hps. But forgiveness did
not necessitate love ; and though he had never taken
an active part in any organisation, yet whatever w^as osten-
Bibly adverse to the British Government had his sym-
pathy, and that of his children.

I do not care to speculate as to the number of the class
of evicted tenants scattered through the United States,
whether, like the men just mentioned, prosperous posses-
sors of land, or adding unduly to the population of some of
the great towns ; but wherever they exist, there are to be
found willing contributors to Fenian funds, and enthusi-
astic supporters of anti-British organisations. •

Then there are the descendants of ' the men of '98,' to
whom their fathers left a legacy of hate. Americiins these
may be, and proud of their birth-right ; yet they cherish
an affection for the land of their fathers, and a deep-
seated hostility to the country which they were taught to
regard as its oppressor. From the date of the Irish
rebellion to the present hour every successive agitation
or disturbance has driven its promoters, its sympathisers,
or its victims, across the ocean ; and thus, from 3'ear to
year, from generation to generation, has an anti-English
feeling been constantly quickened into active life, and been
widely diffused throughout America ; until now, not only
does it permeate the whole Irish mass, but it is cherished
as fondly and fiercely in the log cabin of the prairie cr
the forest as ii, is in the midst of the bustle and movement
of the city.

I have met in many parts of the Union grave, quiet
men of business. Irishmen who, though holding their
opinions with the resolute firmness common to their
temperament and tone of thought, rarely take part in

008

THE IRISH IN AMEIIICA.

tm]

public matters, and yet are interested in what is passing
around them, especially in whatever concerns the honour
of their race and country. From men of this class I
heard the most strongly expressed opposition to the
Fenian movement, and occasionally the bitterest contempt
ot its leaders. Jealous of the reputation of their country-
men and, hke aU men of high spirit, peculiarly sensitive
to ridicule, they were ashamed of the miserable squabbles
and dissensions so common among the various branches or
sections into which the Irish organisation is, or was then
divided, and they experienced the keenest humiliation as
some new disaster rendered the previous boasting more
glaring, or more painfully absurd. Yet amongst these
grave, quiet men of business— these men of model lives—
these men in whose personal integrity any bank in the
country would place unlimited trust ; amongst these men
England has enemies, not friends. Thry are opposed to
Fenianism, not because it menaces England but because it
compromises Ireland. So much ahke do these men tliink
and express themselves, though perhaps a thousand miles
apart, that one would be inchned to suppose them in con-
stant communication and intercourse with each other. No'
to say in substance, but almost literally, this is the manner
m which i have heard a number of these grave, quiet
steady business men refer to the Fenian movement- 'I

* strongly object to this Fenian organisation, for many
' reasons. In the first place, it keeps up a distinct na-

* tionahty m the midst of the American population, and
' it is our interest to be merged in this nation as quickly
' as may be. In the second place, I have no confidence
' m the men at its head ; how can I ? Which of them am
' I to believe ? If I believe one, I can't the other. Then
' what they propose is absurd. They talk nonsense about

* going to war with England, and England at peace ^vith
'the world; and every additional disaster only rivets
' Ireland's chains more strongly. If, indeed, this country

IF THEY ONLY COULD 'SEE THEIR WAY.'

at is paRsinn;
i the honour
this class I
ition to the
3st contcmj)t
iieir couiitry-
iiiy sensitive
le squabbles
branches or
or was then,
imiliation as
astiny- more
ong-st these
odel lives —
3ank in the
these men,
opposed to
it because it
> men tliink
Lisand miles
hem in con-
other. Nol
the manner
rave, quiet,
' ement : ' I
, for many
listinct na-
ilation, and
as quickly
confidence
f them am
her. Then
iense about
peace with
only rivets
lis country

* were at war with Enoland, that would be quite another

* thing ; and, after aU, of what good would that be for
' Ireland ?— would it better her condition ?— would it be
'worth the risk? At any rate, until such an emergency
' should arise, it is a vexatious thing to see the hard-earned

* money of our peojjle going to keep up a mischievous

* delusion. But at the same time, I must say this ior my--

* self, if I could see my way clearly— if I thought that a fair
' chance offered of serving Ireland, and making her happy,

* I would willingly sacrifice half what I have in the world in
' the attempt. The opportunity may come, ir God's good
' time ; but it has not come yet, and even if it did, the
' men at the head are not the men to do the work.'

There are others— and they are to be met with in every
State of the Union— who are o: the O'Connell school ; in
fact, they are as much of the 'moral force' and 'not a
single drop of blood' policy now, as if they were still
subscribers to Conciliation Hall, wore the Rep'ial button,
and exhibited a card of membership over the mantle-shelf.
They prefer the open ways of the constitution to secret
oaths and midnight drillings ; and when they read in the
Irish news the miserable record of a new failure, they ex-
claim—' Oh, if these people would only follow O'Connell's
advice ! He carried Emancipation without the loss of a life,
or the spilling of a drop of blood.' And yet these ' moral -
force ' men are not to be implicitly trusted for consistency :
if they, too, ' saw their way,' and matters really came to a
crisis, they might be found contributing their $10,000, or
their '$20,000, or their $50,000 to send a ship to sea with
the green flag flying at her peak.

If it be asked, is this anti-British feeling likely to die
out ? Considering that it has so long existed, and that it
is more intense, as well as more active at this day than at
any time during the last quarter of a century, it is rather
difficult to suppose it would, or will. Emigration is adding
yearly, monthly, weekly to its strength. Few who land

610

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

■4
n

at Cnstle Garden that are not prepared by previous sym*
pathy to join or to sui>port wliatever anti-British or<^ani-
Bation may exist ; nor are they lonj,^ in America before
they catch the stron<^ contagion of its bitter hostihty —
assuming they have not ah-eady felt it at home. Every
batch of 500 or 1,000, every new 50,000, or 100,000, while
adding to the Irish population — the Irish Nation — at the
American side of the Atlantic, strengthens the Irish ele-
ment, and deepens and intensifies the anti-English feeling.
It may subside — so may the sea ; but, like the sea, the
first breath will set it again in motion, while a storm would
lash it into fury. Thus it is with that vast, deep-lying,
ftll-]3ervading sentiment which exists in the Irish heart —
which is cherished as something holy (and in its unselfish
aspirations there is nothing mean or ignoble) — which is
fed by tradition, nourished by history, kept alive by in-
stances of legal wrong or sanctioned oppression, stimulated
by the musical rhytiim and stirring verse of the ballad,
roused into a blaze by appeals that flush the cheek and
kindle the fire of the eye. It may subside ; but it is
difficult to think how, without some counteracting cause,
it can die out.

The thorough-going Fenians — w^iether leaders, orators,
or rank and file — would, if anything, prefer that the
admitted cause of Irish discontent should not be removed ;
for they naturally argue — ' If our hopes of regenerating
Ireland be based upon revolution, it is better for our
purpose that the various causes and sources of discontent
and disaffection should be allowed to exist, and by their
prolonged existence irritate and gall the public mind more
and more, and thus keep the people in a condition most
favourable to revolutionary teaching. Let the sources of
discontent be dried up, the causes of anger and irrita-
tion be removed, and what can be hoped for then ? ' If
half a dozen new grievances could be improvised to-mor-
row, their announcement would be hailed with gladness by

A GRIEVANCE REDRESSED IS A WEAPON BROKEN. 6il

previous sym-<
British orgaiii-
Lmcrica before
iter hostility —

home. Every

100,000, vvhife

Nation — at the

the Irish ele-
Inghsh feehnj:^.
B the sea, the
a storm would
st, deep-lying,

Irish heart —
n its unselfish
ble) — which is
t alive by in-
lon, stimulated
of the ballad,
he cheek and
de ; but it is
iracting cause,

xders, orators,
sfer that the
b be removed ;

regenerating

letter for our

of discontent

and by their
ic mind more
ondition mont
lie sources of
er and irrita-
)r then ? ' If
)vised to-mor-
h gladness by

those who desire to keep alive the Fenian organisation,
and impart a more vengeful sjjirit to the feeling againsii
England. A grievance redressed is a weapon br()k(;n. I
remember the h)ok of genuine annoyance with which u
high-pressure Fenian, who introduced himself to mo in a
Northern State, received information on a subject having
reference to Irijih trade and manufactures. He desired to
learn — for an oration, as I afterwards understood, — what
were the special restrictions which the jealousy of England
still imposed on the industry and trade of Ireland. He
was filled with the memory of the 'discouragement' of the
Irish woollens by the same William respecting whose
memory so much nonsense is uttered on certain anniver-
saries ; and he glowed as he thought of the indignant
oratory of the Irish House of Commons. But lie knew
little — indeed, he 'Md not desire to know it — of the actual
state of things at the present hour ; and when I assured
him that, so far as the law stood, the merchants, manu-
facturers, and business men of Ireland were on a complete
equaUty with their brethren in England, he could scarcely
bring himself to believe what I said. Ho Avas literally
disgusted. If he could only have told his eager audience
that, at the moment he stood on that platform. Queen
Victoria was imitating Mie example of ' the glorious, pious,
and immortal William of Orange,' and 'discouraging' the
Hnen trade of Ireland, as her predecessor had discouraged
the woollen trade, what a stroke for the orator ! And if he
could have added, that the burning words of Grattan had
been in vain, and the labelled canon of College Green
without their significance, and that the jealousy of the
Saxon monopolists was as strong in the Senate of England
that day as when a monarch basely listened to the selfish
churls who were afraid of Irish competition, he would have
convinced his audience that revolution was the only remedy
for such oppression. Ho cherished the belief, that the
injustice had only grown more venerable ; and I almost

612

Tllli; IltlSU IN AMERICA.

sympathisocl with liia dint tohh as I riidcl;^ doinolishotl the
raw material of his {^lowiuf^- oIcxhiciikh!. ^^'^oul(l to Hoaveu
that apathy and folly, timidity and prejudico, had not loft
so *nany real fj^ricvaiiceH Htill unredrcHsed !

The powerful Public Press of America is favourable, ou
the whole, to what may be termed 'the Irish cause,' as
distinct from any special or<,'anisation or u^ovement iu its
ostensible interest. There are very few journals in the
United States that do not either broadly assert or unre-
servedly admit that Ireland is badly governed — that slio is
the I*olaud of En<>iand. Some journals vehemently oppose
the Fenian movement, and denounce its leaders and their
objects in the most unmeiisured terms ; but the same
journals treat (he Irish q\iestioii with sympathy and re-
spect. The fact is, there are not many journals in the
United States which are not, to a certain extent, under the
control or influence of Irishmen, or the sons of Irishmen.
They are edited, or part edited, or sub-edited, or reported
for, by men of Irish birth or blood ; and with the birth and
the blood come sympathies for the old country, and an un-
friendly i'eelin<>- towards ' her hereditary oppressor.' Then
there are papers cxclusivol}^ Irish in their character, such as
the Jiosfon rUof, which I heard described as the Vade Mecum
of the Irish emigrant — the Irish American, ov the Monitor,
a well-written paper in San Francisco ; and now John
Mitchell is bringing the influence of thorough sincerity,
the weight of personal sacrifice, and perha])s one of the
ablest pens in America to the anti-British cause : then
there are, in almost every direction, journals of various
shades of opinion as to policy, but in feeUng and i)rincij)lo
thoroughly Irish. So that, although there may bo decideil
difference of opinion as to the mode, or the means, or the
opportunity of serving Ireland, and a still more strongly
marked dificreuce of opinion as to a special organisation,
and more so as to it§ leaders, there is scarcely any diU'erence
of opinion as to the existence of Irish wrong, and thy

THE IRISH ELKMENT.

613

)inolislu5d the
ilil to Houvou
I, had not left

fiivourublo, ou
iwh cause,' im
ivemeut iu its
inials in the
adi'i or iiiiro-
\ — that she is
nontly oppose
ci'H and tlieir
>ut the same
lathy and re-
irnals in the
nt, undor the

of Irishmen.
i, or reported
the birth and
y, and an un-
ossor.' Then
acter, such as
! Vade Mecum

the Monilur,
d now John
gh sincerity,
s one of tlie

cause : then
Is of various
and princij^lo
y be decidetl
neans, or the
lore strongiy
organisation,
my dill'erence
J Jig", and thy

Justice of the Irish causn. Thus the Pul)lic Oi)inion of tho
country all'ords its Hancti;)i: to the convictions of the Irish
iu America, and a moral if not an active support to cflbrls
unfriendly and evcm hostile to England.

Tho events of tho Lite war have not added, either iu
the Nortli or in the South, to partisans of England, or to
her defenders in tho Press. Tiie North blames her for
having gone too far in recognition of the South — the South
is indignant with her for not having gone farther ; and
that terrible 'Alabama' has caused many a man in tlie
North to grind his teeth with rage, and fiercely pray lor tlio
opportunity of retahation. So, altogether independent of
whatever sympathy there maybe amongst th(i 'fiill-blood(jd'
Americans of the Northern States in favour of the Irish
cause, the support or sanction, whatever it may be, wliich
the Fenian movement receives from those unconnected with
Ireland by birth or blood, is in no small degree the result of
the depredations of that famous cruiser. It may be also
remarked, that the Irish at both sides of the line won tho
respect and earned the gratitude of every generous-minded
man of Federacy or Confederacy by their dauntl(!ss vahnir
and unlimited self-devotion. The Irish have purchased
by their blood a claim to the attention of America ; and
America listens with sympathy to the pleadings of her
adopted children, who have made her interests, her honour,
and her glory, theirs.

The Irish clement being constantly on the increase, it
must, as a matter of inevitable necessity, become more
influential, more powerful, more to be conciliated and
consulted — to be used, or to be abused; and it need
scarcely be said, for it is patent and notorious, that there
are those who will use and who will abuse it. There is
no country in tho world in Avhich elections are so frequent
as the United States ; and the humblest citizen being in
possession of the franchise, there are thus afforded almost
innumerable opportunities of appeahng to the prejudices

THE nirsH in America.

4
*

■J

^ if

or paiidiTin^^ to ilio pussioiis of (Iioho iii wlioni is roposcnl
tho Hovcroi-ii powc'r of election, oven of niisiii^^ tlio hwc
cvhhUiI hoUVu'V or tlio iiiuhitioUH stiitosm.iu -ii:iy, tho mil-
spliltcr or tlio jounu^viniin tiiilor— to tho loi'ti(..st di'^miy
within tho limits of the conHtitiition. ThuH wo licur ul
Honators, und nionihors of (N.iiuivss, juid Scerotjirio.s of
fcJtato, and candidatciH for tlio rrifsidoncy, or ovoii InddorH
of that ()1H(!0, delivoring addrcssos, proposinj,' rosolutioiiH,
or oxproKsin^^ scutiiuoiilH favourahh; to Irinh nationality,'
and tinned with a moru or loss decided anti-lJritish spirit.
ThoKc who thuH Hi)eak or act may bo honcHt in intention,
may really do.sins to. assisst Ireland, may belie; vo' in tho
justico of her canso and in the probability of horsuwesH;
or they may not earo a rush about tho country of which
they HO elocpuintly declaim, and may ref>ard the wholo
thinjj m so much moonshine, only us(>ful for th(! ])urpoHeH
of political capital; but that the speeches are delivered,
tho resolutit)nH i)roposed, and the sentiments oxpresscul, is
known to the world. It may become a question— to what
lengths will these declaralions go?- -to what point will
theso professions of sympathy reach ?— how far will tlu^se
enthusiastic friends of Ireland advance ?— or at what line
will they halt? Whether they advance, or wlu^ther they
Btop short, tho mischief is done in (utlier case— the weight
of their name and inlluenco is given in sanction of
a sentiment which, so fur as the Irish are regarded, is
honestly and sincerely entertained. Tho occasion may
arise, sooner or later, w^ho]i difficulties would spring up
between the two great nations at cither side of the Atlantic,
and these occasions may sorely perplex the men wlio tluis
deliberatcly play with lire; but if they do arise, one thin:--
at least is certain,— the Irish vote will not be cast into tho
balance on the side of peace. In whatever partv England
may possibly find a friend, or a peace-maker, it will not
be among those who long impatiently for the chance of
another Fontcnoy.

"nr-XIKF IN KN(;r.AND\S drcay.

01ft

oni is ropoHCil

-Miiy, ilu! i-uil-
()rLi(\st (lin-iiity
IS wo lieur of
Sccrot.'ii'ioM of
■ oven liohh'r.s
li* rosoliitioiiH,
(li iiiiiioiiiiliiy,
-Hi'itisli s[>irii.
b in iuteutioii,
xilit'vo" ill iho
f lior suocoHH ;
niry of whicli
fd tho wlioki
• iho pnrpoHCH
iiro (lelivonul,

oxproHscnl, Ih

tion — to what

at point will

far will those

at what lino
wlu^ther thoy
[) — tho woij^-lit

sanction of

ro^''ardecl, is
occasion may
d sprin«^- up

' tho Atlantic,
non who thus
Lso, one thin^-
cast into tho
arty En<>-land
•, it will not
le chance of

A Htranj]fo notion — ind<!od, downri;^dit dcliiHion — oti.stH
in the IriHh-Anieii(!an mind us to the power of Kn^dand.
One wonld HUpi)OHo, from li,st(!ninj,' to one of her coni<!iii-
nerH, that Knj^dand'H day was ^'one-that she was worn
ont and oflote, that the Ihitish Lion was faii;^d(!HH, an
liarndoHH an a i)(!rformin<jf ])oodlo, as innocuouH as a HtiilVcd
Hp(!(!hnon in a travelliii}^' show. Yon may tell the scolli-r,
of her revenue of more than piU), {)()(), {H)0 in ^^old, and how
hor people every year un}jfind^dii«,^ly expend $l:5(),()()(),0{)()
in ^n)ld on her army and her fleet; hut you are pooli-
pO(ilied, and answered, that her day is past, and that she
will ^^o to pieces at tho iirst shock. 'Her 1{)(),()()(), or
ir)0,()()() soldiers, scattered over tho world; what are they?
We had more than a million in arms at the close of tho
war, besides what the South had. "SYhjit is she, then, to
this ji^rcat country ? We ' — tho spciaker is an Irishmjin of less
than thirty years' standin^^ — ' we whipped her in 1770, and
we whipped her in 1812, and we'd whip her a^'ain ; and
I wish to Clod wo had the chance to-day before to-morrow
— that's all.'

The same belief in the power of America and the decay
of England is as strongly entertained by tho civilian as
})y the soldi(ir, l)y tho female contributor to tho funds of
the local * circle,' as by the most enthusiastic of its mem-
bers.

Tho announcements made through tho (lable, of tho
al)()rtivo risings in February and March of this year,
tlnilled the Fenian heart with more of hope tlian anxiety;
they wore read through rose-tinted ghissos, and translated
througli the imagination. Not until the very last moment
would the admission bo made that tho whole thing was an
utter failure ; and even then, there were many who would
not, or who could not, regard it as a delusion. I have
before me at this moment the calm steady gaze, replete
with confidence and enthusiasm, of the Irishman who
supplied me with tho morning papers, as his first words

616

THE IRISU IN AMERICA.

of salutation were — 'Glorious news to-day, sir! Tlia
country is up ! ' I asked, ' What news ? what country ? '
' Ireland, to be sure. She's up, sir, thank God ! ' When
T read the telegram, I instinctively exclaimed — 'Sad
news, indeed — miserable, miserable news.' 'You call it
sad and miserable ! — I call it glorious.' I told him he
w culd not call it glorious, if he knew the state of things as
well as I did ; but he regarded me with a look of respect-
ful disdain. He would believe nothing against his hopes.
And when, at last, facts were too powerful, even for his
seven-fold credulity, he was still unconvinced. It was a
mischance, a momentary check, even a blunder; but it
would be all right soon; the next time the thing would

be done better. And he was only a t^^pe of a class who

give, and give largel}^ of their hard earnings, to sustain
a cause on which they have set their hearts— a class whom
no reverse can discourage, no disaster dismay, no treachery
ahenate or disgust. This faith is the strength of the
organisation — this generous self-sacrifice its unfaihng
resource. It is idle to say the money is ' extorted,'- -it /.s
freehj and gladly given, with the conviction of its being a
holy tribute, offered on the altar of country. The working-
man takes it perhaps more often from his family thai.
from his pleasures ; but he still gives it as a duty as well
as a gratification. The female ' help ' Avill dehberately lay
down her half-dollar a month, or whole dollar a month, as
her fixed contribution to the Fenian funds ; and shoukl
some sudden emergency arise — some occasion for still
greater sacrifice— she will pour her hoarded dollars into
hei- country's exchequer, reserving, it may be, only so mueli
as she intends to send to her parents at home. There is
a kind of desperate hopefiiiness in their faith ; ' It may
not be this time — perhaps not ; but something will be snio
to turn up, and that will give us the opportunity we want.'
The something that is sure to turn up is, of course, a wai'
with England— an event which would be hailed with a

lay, sir ! Tlia
vhid country ? '

God!' wiien
^claimed — ' Sad
'You call it
[ told liim he
ite of things as
ook of respect-
inst his hopes,
il, oven for his
2ed. It was a
lunder; but it
e thing would
f a class — wdio
ngs, to sustain
—a class whom
i, no treachery
•ength of the

its unfailing
xtorted/- -it /.s
of its being a
The working
s family thai,
a duty as well
deliberately lay
ar a month, as
5 ; and should
-sion for still
d dollars into

only so much
me. There is
aith ; ' It may
g will be sure
lity we want.'

course, a wai'
lailed with a

WAR WITH ENGLAND.

ei7

shout of dehght by the Irish in America. Imagination
could not conceive the rapture, the frenzy, with wliicli,
from every side, the Irish would rush to that war. From
the remotest State, from the shores of the Pacific, from
the Southernmost hmits of Florida, from the heart of the
country, from the Far "West, from the clearing of the forest,
from the home on the prairie— from the mine, the factory,
the work-shop—from the river, and from the sea— they
would flock to the upraised banners, equally loved and
equally sacred— the green flag of Erin, and the Stars and
Stripes of the Great Eepublic. As it were with a bound,
and a shriek of exultation, the Irish would rush to meet
their enemy— to fight out, on land and ocean, the feud that
has survived through centuries— to revenge, if so they could
the wrongs inflicted by monarchs and soldiers and states-
men, by confiscations and by massacres, by penal laAvs
and evil policy. Nay, I solemnly behevc they would not
desire a greater boon of America than that the fighting
should be left entirely to themselves; and never did mar-
tyrs more joyfully approach the stake, in which they beheld
the gate of Paradise, than would these Irish exiles and
their descendants march to battle in a cause that gratified
the twin passions of their souls— love and hate. And
were the American Government so forgetful of international
obligation as to close their eyes to what mi<dit be iroinc-
on, and allow a fortnight, or a month, to pass without
any active interference; and w^ere their unwillingness to
act a matter thoroughly understood,— in such a case, the
frontiers of Canada would be passed with a rush— and
then!— why, God knows what then. A rupture with
England— to cease when? Is it after a long and terrible
or sharp and wicked contest, which would end with the
reahsation of the American idea of the natural boundaries
of the United States at the other side of the St. Lawrence
and the Lakes, and from Labrador to the Pacific ? The
future is in the hands of Providence.

'•'■)

618

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

Deplorable, iiuloed, would a dvudly stru^r^rle be betw

^VGixt nations, spealcinf>- tbo same 1

een

anffuam}, in-

tlie two

Jiontors of a common Ht(>ri.tn]-e, linked t<^o(,tbcr by ties of
inter(Kst as of blood -deplorable to tlie dearest interests of
humanity and civilisation that such a conflict should occur ;
that the commerce of ea(;h country should bo crippled on
the hioh seas, that the seaboard of both should be circled
with fire and sword— perhaps still more deplorable to the
country which inspires such passionate attachment, and is
the cause of such determined hate. Each could and
would inliict unspeakable injury on the other ; but were a
balance of probable evil to be struck, it would bo, manifestly
must be, on the side of Eno-land. Tliis may exciter the
uicredulity or the indionation of the Eno-hsR reader ; but
there are geoo-raphical reasons why it should be so. As-
suming the over-sanguine view of the case, and supposino-
that the title ' United Kingdom ' fittingly represented the
relations which, in case of war with America, would
exist between Oreat Britain and Ireland, what, after all,
is this United Kingdom'? A cluster of islands, inhabited^
no doubt, by a brave, hardy, high-spirited, energetic,'
adventurous people, whose greatness rests nniinly on their
industry, their enterprise, and their skill in the arts of
peace,— but not so large in extent as an average State
of the Union, which is now ty])ilied by the six-and-thirty
stars on the banner of the Kepubhc. These islands are
densely populated; but it may be questioned if the same
population, which is a source of wealth in peace, when
producing at profit for the consumption of the 'world,
woidd be equally a source of wealth in the time of war,'
when hostile cruisers infested the seas, and made the
path of commerce one of multiphed risk. England cannot
feed herself, though her fields are fruitful, and she carries
the science of agriculture to a more successful aijplication
than any country of Europe : she must depend on foreign
som-ces for her supplies— at least, to supplement her owu

le be between
laiif,nT!iyo, ill-
:lier by ties of
st interests of
should ocenr ;
)o crippled on
)nld be circled
lorable to tLo
bnient, and is
:;h could and
r ; but were a
bo, nianil'estlv
lay excite the
i reader; but
1 be so. As-
ud supposing-
presented the
lerica, would
liat, after all,
ds, inhabited,
d, energetic,
;iinly on their
the arts of
verag-e State
jix-and-thirty
e islands are
if the same
peace, when
' the world,
time of ^\■Jlr,
d made the
"•land cannot
I she carries
1 ajiplication
d on foreign
ent her own

WHY MOST INJURIOUS TO ENGLAND.

619

production. Check and embarrass, not to say cut olt; lier
necessary supply from other counti'i(js, and up goes the
price of the poor man's loaf to a famine standard! Even
high wages would scarcely meet the enhanced price of
human food consequent upon a conflict with a maritime
nation. But where would the high wages come from, and
by whom would they be received? Free and unfettered
commerce, which means a safe and unrestricted higliwjiy,
by land or by sea, is the very life of trade; ])ut only
render it necessary for the timid merchantman to cluster
round the armed vessel, and seek the protection of her
guns, and adieu to free and unfettered commerce, for a safe
and uninterrupted highway no longer exists. Why pro-
duce calicoes, and lincuis, and woollens, and laces, and
silks, and hardware, if you cannot depend on their r(!a(;h-
ing your customers in safety?— and if pro(hiction ceases
to be profitable, what is to become of the tens of thou-
sands, the myriads, who now labour in cheerfulness, be-
cause their country enjoys the priceless blessings of peace ?
The population of Lancashire may have had some idea— a
faint idea at best— of the horrors of a universal paralysis
of trade ; a faint idea, because the country, being generally
prosperous, notwithstanding the Cotton Famine caused by
the Civil War in America, was able to come, and did
promi)tly come, to their rescue. But were English custom-
ers to bo reached only by blockade-runners, or Ijy the avoid-
ance of hostile cruisers and daring privateers, or under the
protection of iron-clads and monitors, then would bitter
poverty and hard privation be brought to the homes of
the very w^orkers who, being fuUy employed in 18G2 and
18G3, were able to extend the hand of fraternal assistance
to the 500,000 sufferers from the failure of a single branch
of our multiform national industry. Dear food, and scant
wages !— humanly speaking, the most terrible calamities
that can befall the working-man, his family, and his
liome. Those who forged cannon, manufactured rifles,

' .

620

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

and supplied miiintions of war, would flourish ; but, Avitli
war taxatiou, and war prices, and wtir food, aud war panic,
of what value would be our pu})lic securities? Tlieu'
suppose the war at an end, providentially in a year,'
probably in two, how many hundred millions would it
have added to the National Debt, which now devours more
than one-third of the entire revenue of the State ?

And what Irishman can think, than without a shudder
of horror, of what his c(nintry would have to go through
during that tremendous crisis! The pent-up passions of
centuries let loose in one wild fi-enzied outburst— ven-
geance, long brooded ovf>r, stimulated rather than quenched
in blood—the hills, and plains, and valleys of that hapless
knd the theatre of a desperate war, the battle-field not
alone of contending armies, but of conflicting races! It
requires the insensibility of the Stoic to contemplate the
multiplied and complicated horrors which a war with
America would entail on Ireland. Turning our eyes from
the aAvful spectacle which the imagination too readily
conjures up, let us rather glance across the ocean, anil
see why the balance would, of necessity, be in favour of
the Great Kepubhc.

An enemy might crii)ple the commerce of the United
States, might possibly be able to blockade a few of her
harbours, might probably succeed in burni)ig a dockyard,
or setting a portion of a maritime city in a blaze ; though'
the bombardment of Charleston does not offer a very hoi^e-
ful precedent to a foreign foe. But what impression could
any Enghsh army— any possible army that England, not
to say could spare, but could raise— make upon the United
States? Curran's image of the child vainly trying to
grasp the globe with its tiny hand, affords a not inaptldca
of the practical absurdity of an armed invasion of the
gigantic territory of the Union by even the mightiest of
the military powers of Europe ; and England is not that
No foreign nation could reach the heart of America. The

WHY LESS INJURIOUS TO AMERICA.

621

ish ; but, ^vith
nd war panic,
itiosV Tlu3ii,
ly in a year,
ons would it
devours more
tatc ?
►ut a sliuddor

go through
p passions of
utburst — ven-
han quenched
f that hapless
attle-field not
ng races! It
itemplate the

a war with
ur eyes from

1 too readily
e ocean, and
in favour of

f the United
I few of her

a dockyard,
laze ; though

a very hope-
:*ession could
England, not
n the United
ly trying to
ot inapt idea
asion of the
mightiest of

is not that
nerica. The

heart of America exists in her natural resources, in her
power to feed herself— to sustain her people without the
aid of foreign assistance ; and her pLiins, ri(;h witli gold.ui
grain, lie far away from the reach of charging s(piiulrons
and the sound of hostile cannon. War with a Eiu-opean
Power would serve rather than injure the m.'uiufacturiiig
industry of the Unitcxl States, employ rather tlian dis"
employ her people. Perhaps the evil is, that America
continues, even yet, to be too much d(ip(;ndcnt on the
manufactiu-ing industry of Europe for articles of con-
venience and utility, as well as hixury ; and whatever
would throw her more on her own resources, natural and
created, would, in the long run, be for her benefit. With
her mountains of iron, and her enormous regions of coal,
with her varied climate, and her infinite natural produc-
tions, and the skill, ingenuity, knowledge, and inventive
power of a population trained in all the arts of civihsaticm,
and ministering to her wants— she can indeed contemplate
without dismay the chances of a war waged against her by
any foreign nation, however great, mighty, or formidable
that nation may be. Nor would a foreign war, great
calamity as, under the most fav()ura1)le circumstances, it
would be, be altogether unpopular with numbers of the
American people, inc-luding even the patriotic and the
thoughtful ; inasmuch as it would most effectually solve
the Southern difficulty, settle in a moment the question
of reconstruction on the broad basis of mutual amity and
recoi dliation, and unite under the one banner those who
for four long years waged a bitter and relentless war, man
against man, and State against State. He must form a
strange notion of the relative condition of the two coun-
tr.js, who does not see that, howrver disastrously Ireland
might and would be affected by a war between America utid
England, the chances would be against England and in
f-avour of America— or, in other words, that England would

suffer more and America loss from such a contin

>ency.

622

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

Assnmmfv, then, tlmt tho feeling of the Irish in An.erica
agamst England n,ay possibly „r probably, sooner or later
ead to an en.broihnent, a rupture, war-liow is EnKlan,!
to reaeh, influence, or counteract these her eayer, watch-
ful, vengeful enen.ies ? But through one channel-/,-,,*,,,,/.
Ihe Irish in America are entirely boyoi.d the rea.ai of
Ji-nglana ; she can in no possible way control or cheek the
nianifestatiou of their feelings towards her. Nor indcea
IS It within the power of the Government of the United
btates to do so, even were it so inclined-which is more
than doubtful. By laws and police-physical power, if
you wiU-you may suppress a visible mid tangible organ-
isation ; but neither by penalty nor punishment, prose-
cution nor persecution, can you reach a sentiment. It is
impervious to lead or steel, and bonds cannot bind it You
must encounter it with a power similar to its own, e„uaUv
strong, and equally unassailable by mere material force.
And the pro omul belief, which Hcs at the very root of this
hostility and gives life to every anti-British organisation-
t hat Ireland is oppressed and impoverished by England ;
tnat England hates the Irish race, and would exterminate
them, were i ,n her power,-this profound belief can only
be conquered by the conviction of the justice and wisdom
of Engand asednbited not only in her government and
m her legislation but in the prosperity and contentiueut
of Ii eland. Let Ireland be dealt with in the same spirit
libera and confiding, with which England has dealt
with her colonies-respecting the rights of conscience
through the most complete rehgious equality, and the
utmost freedom of education. Let her legislate for a
country almost wholly agi-icultnral, and which, from many
causes, natural as well as the growth of circumstance"
stands in relation to other portions of the Unit,.l Kiu-dom
in an entirely excptional position. ,„ ,om.u-I,al ,he\a,.e
yml whieh ha. ..i,.iracterised her policy- in refer,.„oe to tlie
tenure ot land iu Lower Canada, where she sauctionoci

THE ONLi' POSSIBLE REMEDY.

623

risli in America
sooner or liit,(ir,
!iow is En<rljiii(l
r (>ii^^c]-, wiitcli-
liimwl—Jre/and.
d tho rejich of
:'ol or check the
I*. Nor indeed
l> of the United
-which is more
sical power, if
tiingiblo organ-
shment, 2>ro8e-
Bntiment. It is
't bind it. You
fcs own, equally
material force,
ery root of this
organisation —
1 by England ;
Id exterminate
belief can only
;e and wisdom
)vernmcnt and
d contentment
he same spirit,
nd has dealt
of conscience
!ility, and tho
:^gislato for a
h, from many
circumstances,
lited KijjgduiJi
((•hat the mnie
'fei-enco to the
lie sanctioned

Hio abolition of the Seignorial Rights ; in Prince lOdward's
Island, where, while sui)pri>s,sing an illegal association, tho
representative of tho British Crown proclaimcid tlie wisdom
of c(mverting tenure by lease into tenure l)y freehold, and
the determination of the local government to ellect that
change by tho purchase of largo estates, princdpallv
beh)ngiiig to absentees, and selHng them at low terms to
existing occupiers and new set . s ; or in India, by afford-
ing security of tenure— that most potent of all incentives
to human industry— to a race who had previously been
trampled upon and oppressed. Let a generous, kindly, and
sympathetic spirit breathe in the language of her statesmen
and her orators, and mark the writings of her journalists.
Let there be an end, not to say of abuse or denimci-ition,
but of that tone of ofFensive superiority and still
more offensive toleration and condescension which too
often characterises British references to Ireland and
things Irish. Let it be tho honest, earnest desire of the
English people to lift Ireland up to their own level of
prosperity and contentment ; and obhterate, by generous
consideration for the wants of her people, the bitter
memories and lurking hate which tho wrongs of centuries
have left in the Irish heart, and which the apathy or
neglect of recent times has taken httle trouble to recog-
nise. Let statesmen and ])arty-leaders regard this ever
present and stiU unsettled ' Irish Question ' as one of tho
gravest and most solemn that could engage the attention
and employ the energies of a wise and patriotic Govern-
ment and Parhament. To a grander task or a more
exalted duty than the solution of this difficulty— the re-
moval of that great scandal which the state of Ireland,
pohtical and material, presents to the civilised world—
neither minister nor representative could devote his brain
and heart. And to a New Parlitimont, yet to spring, as it
were, from the generous impulses of an onfranchisful nation,
Uiay we hope for an energy and an enthusiasm equal to aii

624

THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

emerf!foncy, whoso irnportancn no lanpfnago can fiillj ropre-
seiit nuich loss exajjfgorato. How this is to ho dono,—
whothcr hy and thron«,di tho action of tho Iniporial Lo;/ia-
laturc, or hy ontnistin*,' to Ireland a certain local power,
hy which sho niio-ht relievo tho Tarlianient of J^^n-^dand of
Horious inconvenience and u.sefiilly manage much of her
afliiirH,~it is for tho wisdom of statesraon, inspired by a
. noblo s(;nso of duty, to determine. But falt(!riii<r, and
hesitation, and delay will not answer ; neither will tho old
system of wilful blindness and wanton self-dcslusion suflico
in tho face of actual and increasing danger. The result, if
successful, would be worth any ellbrt or any trouble ; for
once alU)w the Irish in America to behove that a brighter
day has dawned for their bretliren in tho old country'^' and
that it is for their advantage rather to be linked in affection
as in interest with Great Britain, than, by violent effort
and tremendous sacrifices, desperately seek to effect a
separation of tho lesser from the greater country ; and the
feehng of bitter, rancorous, vengeful hato may gradually
soften and die out, and eventually fade into oblivion like
a dream of tho past. But, on txie other hand, let con-
tinued wails of distress waft their mournful accents across
the ocean, stirring to its depths the heart of a passionate
and impulsive race ; aiul though Fenian leaders may quar-
rel or betray, and Fenian organisations may wither or
collapse, there must be perpetual danger to the peace, the
honour, if not the safety of England, from a power which
it is i' .^possible to ignore, and madness to despise,—

The Irish in America.

mn fully ropre-
to 1)0 done, —
^inporiiil Tjo<tih-
11 lociil j)()\v(5r,
of Enjj^liiiKl of
I much of lior
, inspired by a
falt(!nn<^, iiiid
icr will tho old
l(!lnHioii Buflico
The result, if
ly trouble ; for
hat a brighter
d country, and
:ed in affection
violent effort
k to effect a
intry ; and the
may gradually
) oblivion like
hand, let con-
accents across
f a passionate
lers may quar-
nay wither or
the peace, the
a power which
jj)ise, —

APPENDIX.

SOUTH CAROLINA.

BUliop Li/ncJi'n LeUer.

Charleston, S. C, Feb. 23, 1867.

DKAtl Sill,

la compliance with my promise, I undertala; to give you a brief
ptatement of what an cmi<i;rant may look ibr who comes to the
Southern States, and especially to South Carolina, with the hitentioii
of engaging in agriculture.

This State may be divided into several belts, parallel to the sea-
coast, each one of which has its peculiarities. Tiie first belt, next to
the ocean, is that of the Sea Islands, producing tlie finest quality of
cotton, and, of course, vegetables in a))undance. In this belt the heat
is great. Frost in winter is almost unknown. Except immediately
on the sea-coast, a white man finds himself liable to fever. Lands
can be purchased in many places at two pounds sterling an acre;
perhaps for less.

A second belt noxt to this one, is the rice-field belt. It is inter-
sected by a large number of streams, whose waters, though fresh, feel
the influence of the tides, and rise high enough to overflow vast
bodies of low lands on cither side. These lands are devoted to the
culture of rice, for which much irrigation is required. Hence, on the
whole, this belt is very unhealthy, being subject to malarial fevers.

Both of those belts are, and will, I think, for a long time, bo
chiefly occupied by negroes, who are exempt from the fevers to which
the while man i? liable.

A third belt, broader than both of the preceding ones, stretches across
the State. Tho soil is good, but the ground lies level, and is not
rlnuned. Hence, at times, the crop is lost by too much water, at other
times withers for want of rain; and on the whole, the region ia
sickly. Wore it thoroughly and systematically drained, which, perhaps,

^27

i,-

626

APPENDIX.

'4
i

%
J

."01

cotild only be done under government ujsplces, it would bo the
garden of tlio South.

Here landa uuiy bo readily bought for from four to ten shillings aa
acre.

Anotiu'r belt follows, of equal width. The land is more rolling,
the Hoil equally sandy, and with less lime. It is considered poor. But
when cultivated with ordinary skill, and manures are freely usod, it
will produce abundant crops of cotton, of Indian corn, of potatoes,
and of all root crops and vegetables. It is eminently healthy, and I
have seim enses where intelligent and skilful labour reaped a crop of
cotton worth ten pounds sterling per acre.

A single man may cultivate four or five ticreg in cotton ; three or
four in Indian corn, and half an acre for a kitchen garden. The
Americans know little of the use of manures, and umch prefer c\ilti-
vating lands that need none, fintil they become worn out, when they
are left to grow iip again in a forest ; and other fresh landa are cleared
and cultivated.

The lands of this fourth belt vary Boraewhat in character, in
different parts of the State, and vary in prices. But much of it can
be bought at from two to ten shillings per acre.

A filth belt comprises lands that are more hilly and rolling thaa
the preceding, and are nearly all clay lands. They were occupied by
a farming population many years ago, and having been long cultivated
with little or no manure, and often in a very rude manner, they have
lost something of their original fertility. Still the settlers look on
them as more productire than the lands I have last spoken of; and
doubtless they are so in their hands. There are some portions of
them very fertile ; and these, of course, are held at high prices. But
at present, lands in this belt may be bought at from fifteen to twenty-
five shillings an acre.

Beyond this belt, and in the north-west part of the State, com.-h
the mountainous district; which, in soil, is much like mountainous
districts of any other country. Meadows and table lands are very
rich, yielding excellent crops of Indian corn, of wheat, and dier
cereals ; and the whole country is admirably adapted for grazing. I
iim not able to say what is the average price of land in this belt.
Immigrants would, I think, do better settling on the fourth or filth
belts, where land can easily be procured at the prices indicated, payable
on time, after a reasonable credit ; and in situations perfectly hoalthy,
and wh(!re there is always a demand for agricultural labourers, and a
ready access to market for the sale of the crop.

An immigrant coming to this State finds an entirely ditterent
climate from that which he has left. In either of the three first

it would be the

to ten Bhiliings lui

I in more rolling',
^iclerod poor. IJut
aro freely used, it
corn, of potatoes,
itly lieultliy, and I
reaped a crop of

Q cotton ; tliree or
hen garden. The
[utich prefer culti-
irn out, when they
1 land3 aro cleared

in character, in
ut much of it can

and rolling than
were occupied by
en long cultivated
manner, they have
i settlers look on
it spoken of; and
some portions of
high prices. But
fifteen to twenty-

the State, comes
like mountainous

lands are v<My
wheat, and < ilier
id for grazing. I
land in this belt.
he fourth or filth
indicated, payable

perfectly healthy,

1 labourers, and a

entirely ditferent
)f the three first

APPENDIX.

627

belts ho will l.c lial)le, unleHs extremely careful not to expose himself,
to attacks of fever in autumn; though, oven In these belts, mnw com-
paratively elevated sp<,t,s are found which are perfectly healthy.

In the fourth belt there arc- places near swamps which are likewise
unhealthy ; and it is to the nuilaria arising from swamps, and nut, to
the heat of the season, that the fevers are to be attributed. The
greater pc.rtion of the State Is quite health, ; and the t.eat is by no
means so great as to prevent men labouring even twice as long as
Ihei. crops require. In point of fact, the crop i.s .s«'cure by llio labour
done during our mild winters, and in spring belbre the heats of
sumnuT set in; and the ordinary crops, if well worked in time,
require only a slight attention after the middle of June. I have no
doubt that a farmer having one or two sons to aid him, and aUle to
command even a few pouods to start with, would, in a few years, find
himself worth hundreds of pounds.

Steps are being taken to invite immigrants to the South, and to
present to them at the North and in Ireland tlie special advantages of
th South. Now that negro slavery has beeu abolish.'d, the negroes
are gradually retiring to the sea-coast. The lands in the interior
and upper bells, which I have recommended, are being thrown into
market, and will be occupied by a white population. It is desirable
that the families who emigrate should settle in groups near each
other. IJy so doing, they will secure to them.selves a social com-
panionship which they could scarcely have with the inhabitants of
the country until several years' acquaintance. They could have a
church and priest of their own, and Catholic schools for their chil-
dren.

This invitation to emigrants from Ireland is but a repetition of
what was done over a hundred years ago, when there was a large
immigration of Irish Protestant farmers to South Carolina; and with
them must have coiue many Catholics, who, in tho.se days, when
there was neither priest nor Catholicity in the country, soon lost tho
Faith. This Irish immigration almost took possession of the State.
Irish family names abound in every rank and condition in life ; and
there are few men. natives of the State, in whose veins there doe's not
run more or less of Irish blood.

South Carolina is, probably, the most Irish of any of the States of
the Union.

While its inhabitants have always had the impetuous character of
the Irish race, nowhere has there been a more earnest sympathy for
tho struggles of Irishmen at home; nowhere will the Irish immi-
grant be rf'ceived with greater weleomo, or be more generously sup-
ported in all his rights; and I do not know any part of the country

628

APPENDIX.

4 *

whore industry and unhriehj would etiRiiro to thft immigrant who •!>
gajrcH in npricultmo lui lunple oompcti'iu'e lor himscH' and titrnily
witliin u brifli'r iimiilMT of }«'iii.s.

I bcdiovo that all lliosis poliitn will bo j)n'H»!iiti>(l wltli duo details to
tlioso who wish to loiivo Irolaiid to Itcttcr tlioir fortunoM iu Amorica,
by ;i Hp(udal ugt'ut who limy bo Hcntout; and also that proper ariiinir*"
HUMitH will likewise Ixs providetl Cor tlio ])iishiijj;u of those who wisli to
emigrate trom Indand direct to South Caroliiiiu

So far as tho ministrations of religion to those who come are con-
cerned, I have hopes that if thoy soltlo as I indicated, In groiipn, they
will be fully provided for.
I have the honour to bo, my dear Sir, with preiit respect,
Your obedient, hiunble servant,

P. N. LVNOII. I). D.,
Bishop of Charleston.
J. P. Maoiuiik, Esq., M. P.

Cork, Ireland. ,

■I

1
5

■m

"SSM

THE LAND.

Information for Emigrants.

Department of the liitcrior neneral Land Otflce,

Washington, I). C. December 2 1, 1866.

Stii. — I have the honour to acknowledfce the receipt of your letter
o the 11th instant, enclosing one of 24th Novemb(!r (iiUimo) addresscid
to yon by G. M. Allender, of tlie Farmer's Club, Salisbury Square,
LtvUdon.

Ifour correspondent states, that a class of persons in Rngland, con-
Bisting of small farmers, or sons of farmers, with small capital, desire
to come to America, but are deterred lor want of information ; that a
feeling prevails among this class, that all the best lands and positions
are secured by speculators, and that it is only poor land'5, badly situated,
that can be obtained at the government price of SI. 26 per acre — tlio
followlug questions in this connection being presented : —

1st. In what States can good land, well situated, still bo obtained at
the price of $1.25 per acre ?

I send herewith a map, showing what are called the 'Public Land
States,' and territories of the United States, and in reply to tliis
question, state, that such lands may be had cast of the Mississippi
river, in the upper and lower peninsula of Michigan, in Wisconsin, iu

nmlKrant who tm
rn.siMt' and tiifiiily

Itll duo details to
tiiiu's ill Aincrica,
lit proper uriiiiiire-
llioHo vvIm) wisli ti)

ln) come aro cou-
ld, In groiipH, they

l)CCt,

C^II. I). D.,
of Charleston.

land Offlce,
ciuber 'li, 1866.

ipt of your letter
^iillimo) addresscid
Salisbury Square,

in Kugland, con-
all capital, desire
ilbnnatiou ; that a
nds and positions
(U, badly situated,
.26 per acre — tlie

lill bo obtained at

the 'Public Land
in reply to tliis
of the Mississippi
, in Wisconsin, iu

APPENDIX.

699

the profit States wost of tho MisHlssippi, of i\flnne.sota, Towa, Mfflsourl,
Kansas, iind in Nebrasl<ii. und that on tho Pacidc slope, o.vtensivs
bodjes of public lands have been surveyed and are open to settlenu'ut
in the States of (California, Oregon. an<l in the tt^rritory of VVashiiiKton.
Tl e great mineral bearing State Nevada, lying cast of and contiguous
to California, is open to actual settlement, and there the public sur-
veys lire in progress.

Returning east of tho Mississippi, the whole public land surface
there will bo found surveyed and subdivided in tracts us small as
forty acres each, which in eighty aero tracts can be taken under tho
Homestead Law, in the States of Florida. Alabama, Mississippi, Loui-
siana, and Arkansas.

Then the territories of Dakota, Colorado, Now Mexico, and Arizona,
are open to settlement.

The territory of Llaho has just been organised into a land district,
whilst Utah and Montana are yet to be subjected to that organi-
sation.

2/K?. Must lands so obtained be paid for immediately ?

In order that lands maybe j)laced in the class of those ^subject to
sale at private entry, ^ they must have been first offered at public
auction, and thereafter, if not disposed of at public sale, are liable at
the time of application to be paid for, either in cash, or with military
land scrip, or bounty land warrants at the rate of $1.2.') per acre, for
the number of acres represented on the face of a warrant or scrip.

The minimum price of offered lands is SI. 25 per acre, unless that
minimum shall have been doubled by reason of tho construction of
some public work, as an internal improvement such as railroads, and
which materially increases the value of the lands in its vicinity ; but
even where there are United States reserved or $ 2. .50 per acre sections,
homestead entries, to the extent of eighty acres each, may be made by
citizens or those who have declared tlu^ir intentions to become such.

?>rd. Would a c«'rtain adjoining district be reserved, say for a year
or two, so that there might be time to call tho attention of persons
hero to that special district?

It is not the policy of tho government to withdraw lands once
olTered at public sale from entry, unless to subserve some important
public interest, such as the building of lines of railroads, to connect
eentr(;s of trade, or some other interest of like importance ; nor indeed
is it necessary to do so, as tracts varying from forty to one hundred
and sixty acres, or even larger size, can be had in some of the land
States or territories where the surveys have been extended, and offices
are open for tho sale of such lands.

In regard to tho apprehension that all the best lan'ds and positions

ft
d

'at

63C

APPENDIX.

had already been disposed of, it is proper to state that in the older
settled land States of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, the public lands,
generally, have been disposed of to actual settlers; but in other States
hereinbefore mentioned, tracts to an immense extent of good land
well situated may be obtained. In the States of Minnesota, Iowa,
A iscon.sin Missouri, and Kansas, in the valley of the Mississippi
mer, m the State of Michigan, in the vicinity of the great lakes, in
California and Oregon on the Pacific, and in the territories of Wash-
i..g an and Nebraska large bodies of good land, both prairie and timber,
are now mhjed to sale at private entry at $1.25 per acre; and in the
five first-mentioned States, anu in Nebraska, the soil and climate are
held to be admirably adapted to the raising of such stock as is alluded
to by your correspondent.

Thore are also good lands well situated in Arkansas, Mississippi,
Alabama, Louisiana, and Florida ; but in those States, the public lands
are on/y subject to entry under the Homestead Act, approved June 21,

I am, with great respect,
' Your Obedient Servant,

i^'^Sne^) JOS. S. WILSON,

Commissioner
Hon. R. S. CniLTON,
Commissioner of Immigration,
Washington, D. C.

SiK,

Department of the Interior General Land Office,
September 25, 18G7.

Agreeably to the request in your letter of the 17th, I enclose
bere«-iih a copy of the Homestead Law. I also send you a list of the
local land offices in Michigan, AVisconsin, Minnesota. Iowa. Missouri.
Kansas, and Nebraska, and on application to either of these offices,
you will receive all needed information relative to the entry of an,y
lands subject to entry, under the Homestead Law. and situated in the
district where the land office to which you apply is located.

Very respectfully,

JOS. SMESIN,
Cominissioner.

MICHIGAN.
Detroit, East Saginaw, Ionia, Marquette, Traverse City,

APPENDIX.

631

that in the older
'he public Junds.
it in other States
nt of good land
Minnesota, Iowa,
r the Mississippi
le great lakes, in
[•ritories of Wash-
rairie and timber,
acre; and in the
and climate are
tock as is alluded

nsas, Mississippi,
the public lands
•proved June 21,

ect,

Servant,
5. WILSON,
missioner

WISCONSIN.

Menasha, Falls of St. Croix, Stevens' Point, La Crosse, Bayfield,
Eau Claire.

MINNESOTA.

Taylor's Falls, St. Cloud, Winnebago Gity, St. Peter, Greenleaf,
Du Luth.

IOWA.

Fort Dea Moines, Council Bluffs, Fort Dodge, Sioux City.

MISSOURI.

Boonville, Ironton, Springfield.

KANSAS.

Topeka, Junction City, Humboldt.

APtKANSAS.

Little Rock, Washington, Clarksville.

NEBRASKA T.

Omaha City, Brownsville, Nebraska City, Dakota City.

An Act to secure Homesteadii to Actual Settlers on the Puhlic

Domain.

ral Land OflSce,

G7.

17th, I enclose
on a list of the
Iowa. Missouri,
of these offices,
le entry of any
situated in the
■d.

3MESIN,

issioner.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress astt«mhled, Tliat any person who
is the head of a fiimily, or who has arrived at the age of twenty-one
years, and is a citizen of the United States, or Avho shall have filed
his declaration of intention to become such, as required by the natura-
lization laws of the United States, and who has never borne arms
against the United States Government or given aid and comfort to its
enemies, shall, iVom and after the first January, eighteen hundred and
sixty-three, be entitled to enter one quarter section or a less quantity of
unappropriated public lands, upon which said person may have filed a
pre-emption claim, or which may, at the time the application is made,
be subject to p,re-emption at one dollar »nd twenty-five cents, or less,
per acre ; or eighty acres or less of such unappropriated lands, at two
dollars and fifty cents per acre, to be located in a body, in conformity
to the legal subdivisions of the public lands, and after the same shall
have been surveyed : Provided, That any person owning and residing
on land iniiy, under the provisions of tliis act. enter other land lying
contiguous lo his or her said land, which shall not, with the land so
already owned and occupied, exceed in the aggregate one hundred
and sixty acres.

■I!

f
)
f r

632

APPENDIX.

Sec. 2. ylnrZ &e ii further enacted. That Iho person applying for the
benont or this act shall, upon application to the rof^ister of the land
0(1.00 ,n vvhic-h ho or she is about to make snch entry. ,„ake allhlavit
bef,,re the said reo-istcr or receiver that he or she is the head of a
family, or is twenty-one or more years of a-e, or shall hav(. performe.l
service in (ho army or navy of the United States, and that he has
never borne arms against the Government of the United States or
given aid and comfort to its enemies, and that snch application is made
lor his or her exclusive use and benefit, and that said entry is made
for (he purpose of actual settlement and cultivation, and not either
directly or imliivelly, for (he use or benefit of any other persons or
persons w]iomso(.ver ; and upon filing the said affidavit with the register
or receiver, and on paym,>nt of ten dollars, he or she shall (hereupon be
Ponmtted to enter the quandty of land specific,!: Provnied, however,
J hat no cert.llcate shall be given or patent issued therefor until the
expiration of five years from the date of such entry; and if, at the
expiration of such (ime, or at any other time wiihin two years there-
after, the i,erson make such entry_or if he be dead, his widow ; or
In case of her death, his heirs or devisee ; or in case of a widow
making such entry, her heirs or devisee, in case of her death-shall
prove by two credible witiu^ses that he, she, or they have resided upon
01 cu tivated the same for the term of five years immediately succeed-
ng the time of filing the affi.lavit aforesaid, and shall make affidavit
hat no part of said land has been alienated, and that he has borne
true allegiance to the Government of the United States; (hen in suoh
case he, she, or they, if at any time a citizen of the United States
shall be entitled to a patent, as in other cases provided for bylaw-
And provided, further, That in case of the death of both fath/r ami
mother, leaving an infant child, or children under twenty-one years
age, the right and fee shall ensure to (he benefit of said infant
child or children ; and the executor, administrator or guardian may,
at any time w. ain two years after the death of the surviving parent,
and in accordance with the laws of the State in which snch children
for the tune being have (heir domicil, sell sai.l land for the benefit
of said infants, but for no other purpose; and (he purchaser shall
acquire (he absolute title by the purchase, and bo entitled to a patent
Irom (he Lnited States, on paynnrnt of the oiBce fees and sum of
money herein specified.

Skc. 3. And he it further enacted, That the register of the land offien

siiall note all snch applications on the tract books and plats of his

ofiice, and keep a register of all such entries, and make return then-of

the General Land Office, together with the proof upon which they

have been founded.

APPENDIX.

638

applying for the
ister of the huul
y. miike iididuvit
H tlic liciid of a

have jtcrfonued
and that ho lias
IiiUed States or
lication is made
1 entry is jnado

and not, eitiior
other persons or
with the register
all thereupon be
'ovided, however,
erefor until tiio
; and if, at tlie
Iwo years there-

his widow ; or
ise of fi widow
ler death— shall
VQ resided upon
Jiately succeed-

make affidavit

it he has borne

; then, in such

United States.
ed for by law :
oth father and
enty-one years

of said infant
guardian may,
rviving parent,
I such children
for the benefit
(urchaser shall
led to a patent
3 and sum of

the land officd
id plats of his
leturii thereof
ou which they

Seo. 4. And he it further enacted. That no lands acquired under the
provisions of this act shall in any event become IhihW, lo the satis-
faction of any debt or debts contracted prior to the issuing ot the
patent therefor.

Sec. f). And he it further enacted. That if at any time after the
filing of tiie aflldavit, as recjiiired in tiie second section of this act,
and before the expiration of the five years aforesaid, it shall be ])roveii,
after due notice to tlie settler, to the satisfaction of tlu; regist<'r of the
land office, that the person having filed such affidavit shall have
actually changed his or her residence, or abandoned the said land for
more than six months at any time, then and in that event the land
80 entered shall revert to the (Jovernment.

Skc. 6, And he it farther enadcd, Tliat no individual shall l)e per-
mitt(!(l to acquire title to more than one quarter sctction under the
provisions of this act; and that the Commissioner of the (General
Land 0(1' 's hereby required to prepare and issue sucii rules and
regulations, ooiisistent with tliis act. as shall be necessaiy and proper
to carry its provisions intoelfect; and that the registers and receivers
of the several land offices shall be entitled to receive the sauK^ com-
pensation for any lands entered under the provisions of this act tliat
they are now entitled to receive when the same quantity of land is
entered with money, one half to be i)aid by the person making the
application at the time of so doing, and the other half on the issue of
the certificate by the person to whom it may be issued ; but this shall
not be construed to (uilarge the maximum of compensation now pre-
scribed by law for any register or rectnver: Fromdi-d, That nothino-
contained in this act shall be so construed as to imjjair or interferi^ in
any manner whatever with existing pre-emption rights: And provided,
further. That all persons who may have filed their applicatiims for a
pre-emption right prior to the passage of this act shall be entitled to
all privileges of this act: rrovided, further. That no person who has
served, or may her(!after serve, for a period of not less than fourteen
days iif the army or navy of the United States, either regular or
volunteer, under the laws thereof, during the existence of an actual
war, domestic or foreign, shall bo deprived of the benefits of this
act on account of not having attained the age of twenty-one years.

Skc. 7. And he it farther enacted, That the fifth section of the act
entitled 'An act in addition to an act more eO'cetually to provide for
l!ie punishment of certain crimes against the United States, and for
other purposes,' approved the thir<l of March, in the year eighteen
hundred and fifty-seven, shall extend to all oaths, affirmations, and
affidavits, required or authorised by this act.

Sue. 8. And he it further enacted, That nothing in this act .shall be

«3i

APPENDIX.

BO construed an to prevent any person who has availed him or herself
of the benefits of the first section of this act from paying the minimum
price, or the price to which the same may have graduated, for the
quantity of land so entered at any time before the expiration of the
five years, and obtaining a patent tlierefor IVom the Government, as
in other cases provided by law, on mailing proof of settlement i.ud
cultivation as provided by existing laws granting pre-emption rights.
Approved May 20, 18G2.

asm

SLAVERY.

It has been frequently said that the Irish in America were, as a
rule, in favour of slavery. Were it said that they were, as a rule,
against slavery, the statement would be much nearer to the truth. I
never heard an Irishman in a Northern State say one word in its
favour. Some with whom I spyke wefe enthusiasL'.v. approvers of its
extinction at any cost or sacrifice, as purging the country of a great
evil, if not a great sin ; while others, less enthusiastic, or more re-
fhcting, held that its gradual extinction would have been wiser, more
politic, and not lilvely to produce the difficulties and embarrassments
which suddcm emancipation was but too certain to create ; not alone
because the Slave-owning Stat(!S w^ere unprepared for so sweeping a
revolution, but that the slave himself was unsuited to the abrupt;
cessation of all restriction or control whatever. These Irishmen
regretted the existence of slavery, ;uid justly regarded it as a fatal
legacy left by England to the people of America ; but they were
rather in favour of gradual, yet inevitable change, than of violent or
recl\ie.ss revolution. I repeat. I never heard an Irishman in a Northern
State speak in favour of slavery as an institution.

Then as to Irisiimen in the South; I must equally assert, that I
never heard an Irishman in a Southern State, not to say ap^, ove
of, but justify slavery. Southern Irishmen believed, perhap'. more
strongly than their countrymen in the North, that neither the circum-
stances of the country nor the character, capacity nor training of tlio
negro was suited to sudden emancipation ; but they at the same tinie
expressed themselves as having always been in favour of gradual p:i.!
prudent abolition — the final extinction of tliat which they felt tc <»«
a cause of grave social injury and national weakness, and likew isc ■'
fruitful source of political trouble, possibly ultimate convulsion 15'it
these Southern Irishmen took their s*and on the fundamental principle
of State Sovereignty, as guaranteed by the Constitution, and denied that
Congrt^ss hatl any right whatever to inter.^ere with the ii'stitutions of

APPENDIX.

635

ed him or herself
'ing the minimum
gmduated, for the
expiration of tli«
! Government, as
3f settlement und
(mption rights.

Tierica were, as a
were, as a rule,
?r to the truth. I
one word in its
^ approvers of its
;onntry of a great
istic, or more re-
been wiser, more
d embarrassments
create ; not alone
for so sweeping a
ed to the abrupt
These Irishmen
rded it as a fatal
; but they wero
than of violent or
man in a Northern

illy assert, that I
; to say ap^/jve
ed, perhap', more
either the circuin-
lor training of the
at the same time
ur of gradual !'■:.;
;h tliey felt to ixs
5S, and likewise ■'
! couvnlsion. Bat
lamental principle
lu, and denied that
the ii'stitutions of

Individual States. They held,— and in this they had the sympathy of
a vast number of their countrymen in the North, — that .he eumnci-
pation of the slave, especially regarding it in its present results, was
hardly worth the torrents of generous blood shed in its accomplish-
ment. Still, they are satisfied at seeing an end to a cause of weakness
and contention between dillerent portions of the Union, thougli lliey
know the South has to pass through some further tribulation before
things can settle down into perfec order and tranquillity.

This is the result of ray information on this point, derived Irom
unreserved communication with Irishmen at both sides of the line.

And as to the policy of the Catholic Church with respect to slavery.
I cannot do better, than subjoin the following interesting communi-
cation from an eminent ecclesiastic, who affords as much information
upon the subject as I can venture to press into this note.

Bishop ICngland wrote a series of letters on Domestic Slavery, in
which he undertakes to show the position of the Catholic Church on
that question. The 'abolitionist' ^>arty had then caused great ex-
citement at the South. "llm^ v.ere resisted on two groui.ds: first,
because the interference of otlier States, or of Congress, in that
question would have been subversive of the American system of
government, the question being one of those reserved to the authority
of each Stiite. which on such a point was sovereign. To try inter-
ference with them from without their own Slates would have been an
invasion of their rights, as much as if it had been done by the Dritish
Parliament. Second, because emancipation, evwn if desirable, should
be conducted with "precautions which the Abolitionists were unwilling
to listen to.

Besides those who resisted him on these grounds, there were, of
COUTH', n ny who defended slavi-ry as in itself a desirable condition
of things. vsfKicially for tlie coloured race.

Bishop P^ngland did not belong to the latter class; and iu a note to
the last letter of tiie series alluded lo he defines his position as
follows. He was obliged to interrupt the course ol" letters h(> intended
publishing, andon tlu^ 'iard of April, IS 10, he writes as follows ti) the
editors of the 'United States Catholic Miscellany,' in which tlu'y weie
])ublished : —

' (ientl«men, — My more pressing duties will not permit me for some
'weeks to continue the letters on tlie coni[)atibi'.ii y of domestic slavery
' will) practical religion. I have been asked by many a question which
'1 mny as well answer at once, viz. Whether I am friendly to the
'existence or continuatioi! of slavery ? I am not. lint I also see the
' inipossibilily of now abolishing it here. When it can and ought to
* bo abolished, is a ([uestion ibr the legislature, and not for me.' (:jco
his Works, vol. iii. p. 1!)0.)

Any one acqu*inted with the slate of feeling on this subject iu
Charleston at tlie time, cannot but feel that a great aino mt of courage
was necessary to say even that much.

iS6

APPENDIX.

'««

On Ills return from Europo somo time aftor. ho. informed ono of hia
iiiOHt intnnat(^ iriciidH. that lu; intended rosnniinjr tiie subject, and
Bliowinj^ wliiit were the rij/ils of sitives, us Ciiristians and as men,
Avliat were tlie (J>il!rs of masters ; and ilnd li(( intended ;j;ivin<>' the
f^lavM'Iiolders a lecture, sneli as tliey never bad received before. Jn tlie
{iiiblislu'd letters In; was anxious to show them that the Catlndic
(Mmrch had never decdared the lioldin;? of slaves to be in itself sinful ;
that the Kncvclical Letter of (;re<>ory XVI., which had ^'wi'ix rise
to the controversy, condemiu'd the capture of free men, and takiiijjf
them unjustly into slavery, as Avar had done on the coast of Africa,
but did not affect domestic slavery under all circumstances. His in-
tention was to show what rii,dits tlu! slave necessarily retained, which
masters and lejiislaturcs were bound to resjiect and to protect; and
haviiijjj first cleared himself from the charge of abelilionism in its
political meaning' as then understood, he intended to be frank and
full in this subject. It is to be re,i,n'etted that sickness, and then
death, prevented the carryiuii; out of this idea. I have no doubt that
he would liave been a powerful advocate of the poor slave in his
rijxhls us to personal protection, and religious liberty, and in his family
relations, redueing the master's claims merely to his labour, for which
comi)ensation was given in food, clothing, ttc. ; and even tin; system
that denied him the power of disposing of them as he pleased, would
have been shown fraught with many evils, and a change loudly called
for as soon as circumstances would admit of it.

I would refer to two other facts, showing the position of the
Catholic Church in flm Houlh with regard to slavery. One was a
sermon preached, I think, in New Orleans, while the Southern Con-
federacy was at the moment of its highest prospect of success, by
Bishop Verot of Savannah, lie first undertook to jjrove that slavery
was not essentially sinful, and he answered the objection made against
it. IJiit then he went on to show in what condition it could be tole-
rated amongst Christians. He showed whal were the rights of
Blaves, and the obligations of masters, in a manner which would have
dei)rived it of its chief horrors. This during the reign of the Con-
federacy !

During the same time Bishop I\I-(jill published a book at Richmond,
in wiiich he stated it as his opinion, that the calamities \inder which
the country was suffering might be attributed to a chastisement of
Heaven for the manner in which the slaves were left unprotected in.
their marriage relations.

ESSENTIAL IMPORTANCE OF THE FOEEION ELE-
MENT TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

It may be of some advantage to exhibit the inip.ulance of the
foreign element to the American iJepublic, not alone in developing
the general resources of the country, and assisting to occupy and
populate, and thus make valuable, new territories ; but to preserve

APPBNDIX.

631

irmed ono of hia
li(! subject, and
ns and us nicii,
ided ;j;iviii<>' t!io

before. Jii tlie
it the ('atliolic
' in itt^eir sinful ;
Imd given rise
neii, and tiikinj^
coast of Africa,
tances. His in-
retained, wliich
to protect ; and
•lilionism in its
() l)e franlv and
iness. and tlieii
I no donbt tliat
or slave in his
nd in his family
ihonr. for whicii
.)ven I he system

pleased, would
;e loudly called

position of the
y. One was a

Southern Con-

of success, by
ve that slavery
n made aj^-ainst
; could be tole-

the rijjhts of
ich would have
yn of the Con-
ic at Kichmond,
es under which
hastisemeut of

unprotected iu

EIGN ELE-
MEKICA.

i»rl;iiice of the

in devclopiiip;

to occupy and

ut to preserve

from pradual decay, from annual wasting awaj frcm eventual and
absolute extinction, communities which w((re at one lime hostih. t,, the
foreio;ner. and even liaiij,'htily inii)atient of his pres.<Mice. This absurd
hostility to the foreij,nier was more prevalent in the New JJijriaiid
Stales than in any other portion of the Union ; and in Massaehus.'tla
various 'isms' of the Native-American stamp, almost invariably op-
posed to the stranger, have had their origin. And yet it is beyond
doubt that, only for the foreign elcmc .t, or the infusion of life-ldood
into the failing system of this most prominent of thes.; New England
Stales, its -population would liave dwindled away, and, practically,
would have given up the ghost! This, no doubt, is a very startlin.'
announcement, if true. IJut is it true? It is indisputable, there
cannot be a doubt as to its truth.

The Secretary of the Board of State Charities, in liis Third Annual
Rcpoi't, dated October 180(1, makes use of, and incorporates with the
first part of that lieport. a document to which he attaches evident
importance. It ibrms a portion of the Fourth Chapter, and is lleaded
'Inferences from Registration and Census Reports.' The paper in
question is thus introduced :—

'In closing this part of my Report, I shall have occasion to avail
^myself of the studies of a member of this IJoard. formerly its Chair-
' man, aiul now the Chairman of its Committee on Statistics The
'patient uivesliguli„ns whicii Dr. Allen has been making for years in
^regard to the increase of population in Massachusetts, have 'led him
'to some conclusions which to many a])i)ear novel and startlni"- while
^'others recognise them as familiar to the course of their own tl7ou<'lits.
'At my request, he has allowed me to cite from his manuscripts"' the
• lollowing passages.'

Unfortunately there is not space remaining to do full justice to one
of the m.)st remarkable and suggestive papers over presented to the
American iruuliv, but a "ew extracts from it will be sufiicient to show
how essential to the progress— na?/, the very life— of the New England
States is their foreign, in other words, their Irish population.

The increase in these ten years o*' those born in Massachusetts is
110,313, but a considerable portion are the children of foreiqners. IJy
referring to the table of those born in foreign land's.'it w'ill be seen
that thtn-e was an increase of emigrants from Ireland in these ten
years of 09,517. The number must have been considerably hiro-er
ilian this, as many counted foreign born in the Census of 1850 must
have died between that date and KSiiO. Tin' whole increase of foreio-n
horn from 18:)0 to IHCO was !»!).205. The foi-eign element. ne\i largest
to the Irish, is 27.()(i!1 from British America. includinL-- persons \jf
Caiiadian, French, English, Irish and Scotch e.vtraclion. Next in
point of numbers are the English. German and Scotch. It should be
observed that this second table gives only those born in a foreign

■a

.•4

CSb

Ari'RNDIX.

land, and not tlio children of foroipncrs horn in MiissaolMiaolts Thc'fl
are inoludi'd in Uio lirst tul.lo, among tlu^ 805,51!) born williin tlio
oiuk'.

TIk' rcmuiiiiii^r extracts, wliich will bo fonnd of very Ki'<'at Intercast,
are now Kivi-n, and may well sLiiiid willioul, nolc or connncnt : —

■The Forci'rn KIcinctit in MassdcJiusetls.

But m order to understand corrccMv the Increase (uid tji(> changes
In our popiilatioii. the history and number of those of a foreiint oric'in
must )),- carefully uotod. Tho rapid iucuvase of this class," and The
chauj^es consetpiont upon its future growth, afford themes which de-
M'rve tlie most grave consideration.

,oTI'"<^'''"'"''^ '^'' '''"*''''''>f' pt'iiods returns this element as follows:-
18,?0. 1).(,-J0; ISIO, :m.sI8; mO, ICM-IH; and 18(10, lillO.lII. Here
within .JO years, commencing with h'ss than 10.000, w<' have an in-
crease by nuungralion alone, to over 2.-.0.000. It should be ebserved
Ilia tins d,...s ,u)t include the great numb.'r of children born in this
Mate J) ,>re.gii extraction. The lirst Registration liep.,rt that dis-
criminate, in the births as to parentage was that of iSf.o. rctiirnin-r
8.I.W ol this class, and :{.27,s mixed or not staled. I,, IRilO the
nuniber had increased to 17,;V1!). bcsider, nearly 1,000 not stated', lii
J,s.)(» t/ie JoirujH births were onl,/ one-half as many as the Amcvkmu
,'.,/'"'•'//""/""'«//'> <J«in even/ year aflenranls vi^m the American till
jhl.O, when thet/ obtninvd a majorlti/. This year will ever conslitute an
important era m the history of Mussarhaset'ts when the foreian clement,
compos, n,/ only about one third part of the population of' the State pro-
duced more children tlnin the American. Since ISdO (he,/ ha,H'^ aained
Pmv/ year upon (Iw American, till in 1805 their births minibcred almost
J, 0(H) more than the American.

,.,-',■'''" I«50to 18(10. the Registration Reports make tho foreign birth.s
l.}/.ll(. besides l,s\r.})S n..L stated, a large portion of which un-
doubtedly was of foreign origin. Then the number of such l,irths from
JH..0 to 1N)0 cannot be definitely staled, but, jmlging J)y the amount
of Dreign populatio., at this period and its fruitfulucss a"t otluu- times
tlie number of t)irths would certainly come np to .^)().000 or more'
rsou- what i)roporti(ui of those (,f this character born from IS.'iO to
J MH). might, have been living when the Census of KS(iO was taken, we
cannottell ; all- that can be determiuv'd upon the sul)ject is only an
appr.)ximati(m to tln^ truth. It is estimated, where th.' mortalily is
largest, that only from two-fifths to one-lu.lf of all those b<.rninclii.l-
uig both the city and the country— live to reach adult life After
makingallowaiice for this fact, and considering that by far the ]ar"-e<t
proportion of tluve births occurred in the years immediately preccnn-
NbO we think it perfectly safe to say that 'there must have been ove7
100,000 persons of this class included in tho United States Census
returned as native born in Massachussetts, or, in other words, as

AITRNDIX.

689

aoliiisolts. Tli<».'«
bom williiii the

17 K'"<-il' iiilcn^st,
iiuMit : —

■Us.

and lli(> cIi.uiircH
a Corci/jfU oriijriii

S clilSS, lUld tll(!

licmcs wliicli d(!-
it as (olIowH : -

we lijivc ill! iii-

ild he (ibscrvcd,

li'i'ii )>()rii ill this

lit'piirt: lliat, dis-

L'^")(). rctiiniiiiiij

In 18110, tlio

not slated. Iti
f.s' the Amcricjui,
he American till
rer const it ide an

forei(fa element,
f' the Sl((te, pro-
heij hare (jained
Humhered almost

10 forei,<!;n births
of wliicli 1111-
stich l,irths Iroiri
', hy tlio ainoiiiit
s at other times,
O.OOO or more.
1 from 1S:U) to
> WHS talieii. we
)ject is only an
lie mortality is
^(! born inclnd-
liilt life. .After
far the ]iir<i;e.st
iately precediii;)-
liivc^ been over
.Stale.s Census
ither words, as

classed as .\inori-
fi)rcij,'ii born, the
bci'ii much 111010

United States of
Abstract, p. 233,

Amorlcaii. This fact M-onld ('lianjre materially tho Census •l-opoH It
wonld take at least l()(),()()l» from the Amerieaii portion !)7(» 000 -
and add lOO.OOl) to thf lidO.OOO reported as born in foreiKM conntries.
This re.-iilt makes n\ {h;d Ihw alnm^l our hnlf of our popitlalioii stnr'l,',
oj a foreiiin ori.iin ! It is expressly stat-d'. bi.th in the i;ni|..d Staler
and Mate Censuses, that the rotiiriiH are made iipoii the vaticities of

K' population. .Jlldjri„u Uy |l„.s,, |',,;.|^ ,i,„| (ij,,,,.,,^, i, ^^.,,,,1,; J,,.,.,,,

that the Joniijii pi>pHl.a(ion is acluallij much laiyer in tliix ,Sialc than kan
(jc)u'rallij Iteen cojisideral.

Ill

-Didr Unit ion and Employment of the Forci<rn Population.

liut this class of poopbi do not all live in the citi.'s. They ar«
found seattered in almost ev(My town and neighbourhood in the fjoni-
inonwealth. Th(i men came lirst to build railroads, to di-r (iiimils
cellars, and aid in layiiij,' the foundation of mills, dwcdlim-s, and piiblid
bmldinKs. Then (iatmnhi; women to a,;t as servants aiwrdomestics in
lamilios, as well as to find useful employment in shops and mills
Then came parents, children and whole I'uinilies. To sncli an e.vtent
have they increased by immi<;ration and birth, that they now perform
a very lai-fre portion of the domestic servie.' in all our families : they
constitute- everywhere a majority of the hired labourers upon the farm ;
they are lound e.vteiisively eiifraf^cd i„ trade and moehanical pursuits'
particularly in the shoe business, and compose by far the lar"-est ni'o-
portion of all the operatives in tint mills. "

Within a few years, they hav(^ become extensive owners of real
estate, in lh<. cities they have built or boui,'ht a v.'ry larjye number
ot small shops and cheap dwellin,<,'s, and in the rural districts as w«dl
as in the larinin,!,' towns throuirhoui, tin* State, they hav<f piirclia.sed
very e.vtensively small lots of lan<l, small i)lac(is, and old farms par-
tially run out ; and {what is sijjnijicant) they pay for whaier.cr real
estate they buy, and are scarcely ever knoicn to sell 'nn'i/. In fact, it has
Cv-une to such a i)ass, that they perform a very larj^e 'pn>porti<in of the
pliysieal labour tliroii«!flioiit the State, whether it be; in the mill or in
the shop, whether in the family or upon the farm. As far as miiseiilar
exercise is concerned, they constitute 'the txme and sinew' of the land,
and it would be very difu-nlt. if not imp<^ssil,le, to dispense with their str-
vices. Mvery year the Americans are beeoininj:: more and more; depen-
dent upon them for manual labour, both in-doors and out-of-doors.
Sluaild the foreign population continue to increase as they have in the
past twenty or thirty years, and the American i)ortiou remain sta-
tionary to decrease, a question of no ordinary interest arises, what will
b(' the state of society thirty or fifty years hence in this Common-
wealth?

iV' — Comparative Increase of Natives and Foreigners.

■turn 208,730

roje

,/■... w. I ui »iin,.i. iuii,>i or lureifrn. ^vii oi ineso iivinpf wlien the (jcnsu.s

18 taken, would be considered, according to present nsage. American ;

•»' — \^uiiipuiiuivc Autivutte oj i\a(ives ana rorcigners.

From 1S50 to 18(i(], the fifteen Registration Keports return 208,73(
births of strictly foreign parentage, besides 22.:i7(i not stated, a lar"-(
pnrtion of which must be foreign. All of these living when tho Censu
18 taken, wnnld ho ii/»nuli1«r<>/l Q/mni'/iJ.ir.. f^> ,,,...«,>..* _ « ;

640

AITKN-DIX.

wliorcas llicy hIiohM 1h> ooiinl.'.l Hdidlv undc-r fho foreign hcnd. A
<;invlii| iiii;il,v>l, or the ('.•iimih mid RcMisliaiidii Krhi.ils , ivscriH* t|i(>
lolluwiiiK inclA :

1
J

Ml.' liiciCiiso ol |i(>|.iil:ill. n in llir S(;.lc liiis hfrii c.. ,„, d l.i iiicipii!! v

<) ciii.'M Mild lowiiw wli.'iv I.limll^il(•,flll•tll^^ iii.'cliiiidi'ul ,iii.( o ivi;il

luisiiicss iMciiiiii.d nil. Ill 111.' i.iindy iiuriciiltiiiiil <lisiri, i<. Www Iiiih

Ihvm very littl.' iiicic isc of |...|nil;r iun". IJnilionds have liud ii iiowcrCiil

"illiK'nco 111 cliiiiiKnii^j: llio |>.i|)uliili()ii of Mu- Stale IVom (he IuIIh mid

comiliv lowiiH to till! val|.'\> and idiiiiis. Wlu-icvcr w it.T-ixivvcr (ir

sliam-ix.w.T. liuH Im'cii inliodii. ■,>,!. or w Ikmv Irad." mid cc.miiiiTc.. 'luw

lonud advanla^rs, lli.Mf | piilalioii has uicatly incrcuM'd. TlMMMiHlvrii

Ht'ilionoi llic Slatt' Ims increased Car more lliaii the middle or wosI'mti

distriels. i'opulation in mamirnehniiiK- |>li><'''« has ineieased about

times moiv than in auriciilliiial dislriels. It is j'oiind also, whenvvr

thn-c Ikis hrni niiirh ,-/• a rapul iiicmisr of i>i>,„(l,itl<,ti, il has hmi moife

V]) Idriitli/ of (I forviijii ch'moit. Now It a line could be drawn exactly

between the .^iicrlcaii and Ibreinn poiHilalion, as it respects this

inereas.>, it wo; M Ihniw much ii-ht upon ihe subject. Acurdiii" to

(he (Viisiis of l.sCO. it appears that t,m , 'intivs' \)nkvH and Nan-

llk'ki't iKiil actmlhi (Icnni.snl in popuhtno,,. 'I'lien; were ('H/hlii-six

^nrns also which had (liniiinslinl in pupuJaiUm between IHAO and '\m).

In a small part of these towns, this cliantr<' is accoimted Cor by tlio

fact that some section of llie place had. in the mean time, been set off

to anotlier town. Tin- plttcvs in ihc Stale ihtl haw inrrrasnl the Ivasf

ot'dixlniril in popohtdoiu arr foiiwl lo he srttlcd aenemllii irilk Anirriran

A sciioiis (pieslioii Im'iv arises, Is there a natural increase in thin
cla.«.s ot the commiinily V It is .yenerallv admitted that loiei.niers have
11 fur jriviiter number of children, for the same niimb.r of inhabitants
than the Americans. Il is estimale<l by some physicians, that the same
number ol marrieil persons of the former have, on an averaire. ihire
times as vuuit/ children as an equal number <>f those of the taller.' This
g;ive.s the foreign eleiiuMit irreat pow<'r of iiicrease of ])opuIatio"ii de-
rived not so nuicli Irom emigration h.s Irom the biiihs, exceediiifr
greatly the death.s. ' "^

♦******««

_ In a report ujion the comparative view of the population of IJosftm
in 181!) and ISAO, made to the city government, Noveml)er 18.")!,
Dr. Jesse Chickeriii;.;-. after a most careful analysis of tho IJirths ami
Deaths in IJoston. states that 'Ihe most important fact derived from
this view, is the result that the whole increase of population arisiii.r
Irom the excess of r.irths over Deaths for these two years, has been
among the loreigii population.' Since IS.")0 we think it will be very
dilliciilt to i)rove that the." has been any natural increaso of popula-
tion in_ Boston with the strict! v American population.

Again, many towns in the State have been settled over two hun-
dred years, and their liistmy vill include from six to eiylit genera-
tions. The records of several of these towns ]iave been cirrefiillv
examined with respect to the relative! numi)er of children in each
generaliiui. 't was found that the li niilies coini)ri.King the /(;■,%•/ gmera^
tion had on an averagi; betw(>eu ciiihi and fen chiklreA ; the next three
generations averaged botweoii seven and ehjht to each fn'nUy ; ilw Jlfth

APrKNDIX.

(in

"orci^n hcnd. A
(Ills I iv'scniM Ili(>

ni> i| |ii iiii'i|)a!lv
lllif Odllllllclriiil

<lri<'i?<. tlicrc liiiH
hiul fi powcrCiil

Mil lll(> IlillH 1111(1

\v;itcr-|i(ivv('r, or
I foiiiiiit'rcc liim
'<1. Tim I'iisU'ru
liddlc or wcsi ti

('!IS(>(1 illxtlll

I iilso, irhrn nr
if Ikis hi'fii ituiifp
(' (Iriiwii cviK'tly
it, respects this
■. Ai'iitrdiii}; to
>iikes and Nsui-
wer(* eH/hh/six
lHr>0 luid isdo.
II ted for l)y tlio
me, been set, oil'
rcisi'd tin' Ivdsl,
' irilh Amvr'irdii

inrrcaso in \\m
I'oici liners liavt!
<>r iiilialtitaiils,
IS, lliat (Ik* saino
1 avcra!;*', ilnre
the lallcr. 'J'liis
population de-
ll lis, exceeding

ation of Boston
Joveml)or ]8.")l,
tlio JJirtlis an(l
t derived IVoni
)ulation arisini;
ears, has been
t will be very
.'aso ol' popiila-

over two liuii-
:> t'ijrht peneiii-
been ciirefiilly
lildicn in eucli
lie first j,^iii,'fa-
■ the next three
U'liily ; tho JljVi

RemTalion about flrc, and l\w sixlh less than Ihi'fr. In rarh fnmilu
What, II chaiiK*' iiM I.) (he ni/e .d' (he hiniili' .^^ince those (ddeii" limen !
lli.Mi lar^e taindie.s were CHicnoii, - now ll • excepiioa ; (hen it wan
rare to (bid nnirried persons havinj; oidy >^m\ (wo or tlirett children-
nnioH is nnj iumnnnn! 'I'heii it, was re^'aidcd u rnlxmU,/ b.r a married'
CMiipb. to huvu no children w>m sur.k r.nlnmUivs 'ir,:'jo,in<l <>n rnriJ
milr (;/ iis~ia farl, llni/ arc fa.tlnoiKilili:

It is (hit ntnlonn 'te.sliiiiony of ph\ ieiaii who have lieon exten-
sively eriKavfed in the practie*; uf ni-'dioi,,,.. twnnly, thirty, Corty and
liHy years m this State, and who have Ww best p(.^/ibl"e nieans (d'
tiiKhM'standlli- liiLs wh.de .subject. l/,at Ihv, > Us Iwm ,/ra>lna/lii a, nr,,
<jrr>,ljnlln><i ..// ,n Ihv iniiuhor of chll,!,';,. amon>, Anierimn fainilirs.

Ihi.s (U'creaso (d' children is f,>,n„l to prvvtil '„> rn.nllri/ Inmns and
rnral thstricts ahamt to tin; s<im<' r.vlmt as in Ihv. nih .■, irhb-k is ronlrarii
/o /h<i <in,rr<tl iiiijurssluii. In view ol (hcs.- IUcIm. several (|nesti(.n's
iialurally ari.se : If tlu; roici<.n population in Mas,sa(diuseltH continiicH
to mcreasd UH it has, and the Aineiicau portion reniaiiis sialionary or
decreases, us tho pnd.abilities indie ite, wliat will be the state' (d"
H..(!ie(y hen! twenty-live. IHly or a hundred years hence? How loiijf
'Will it be bid'ore the lorci.i,'ti portion will outnuiul)er tin* Ainericiin in

y principid citicH and Inn us, or c(»iisliiut,(! even a majority in ihe
wli(d(^ (Joiniiioowcalth '.'

Th(' can.se .vhy (iHro Hhould !»(. sucdi a dill'ereiHU' in the iiiiniber of
children, between ihe American lamilies now upon the sta"-(!, and
those of the Kuni»( stock, one, two and three <,M!neralions u.^) ' is a
subject of <rrave eu((iiiiy. A<raiii, why .^-liould there be such 'a dil-
fi'i-euce 111 thin respect,. b(-lwren Atneiicaii families and tiios(' of iIk;
Kn,t,dish, '.crinan, .Scotch and Irish of the present day? Is this dif-
tercnce (jv.iiii; to our hi;,di<'i' (;ivili,sat,ioii or to a ukm.! artiliclal niodn
ol lift! and tJKj unwholesome state of soci(d,y ? Or ma it he. ntlrlhatrd
to a dciji'Hrniri/ in. Ihe phi/sinil v.oitdirn.n ni,d or(/<i,u!s(ili<m of feniuhs, or
a .sellled deleriiunutlou with the. married to hare no children or a rem
limited number ? '

'Such,' says the Secndary. 'arc tli(! (piestioiis raised by Dr. All.m,
and such arc some of the facts which their iiivesti;,Mtioii calls forth. '

With the rpiestioiis raised ))y Dr. Allen in this Public; Document
which Massachiiscdts has published anion-,' its State Papers. I do i„,|;
attempt to deal; but l may respectfully su<rj,'est luiother.— naimdy,
Does not Native-Americai.ism, or Know-Xothinf,nsm. or any .'-indlar
'ism,' appear intcns(dy ridiculous and profoundly absurd, in the face
of such facts as these ?

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

i/x

1.0

I.I

1.25

2.2

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642

APPENDIX.

BIOGRAPHIC SKETCH OF MAJOR-GENERAL
P. R. CLEBURNE.

(BY GENERAL W. T. HARDEE.)

Thk sketch is necessarily imperfect, from the want of official records.
Most of these were lost or df-^troyed by the casualties attending the
close of the late war ; and those still in existence are difficult of access.
Of Cleburne's early life little is known— the record of his service in the
Southern armies belongs to the yet unwritten history of 'the lost
cause.' In better days, when the passions. and prejudices engendered
by civil strife shall have disappeared, and history brings in a dis-
passionate verdict, the name of Cleburne will appear high in the lists
of patriots and warriors. Uirtil then, his best record is in the hearts
of his adopted countrymen.

With brief exceptions Cleburne served under my immediate com-
mand during his military career. He succeeded fu-st to the brigade,
and then to the division which I had previously commanded ; and it
is to me a grateful recollection, that circumstances enabled me to
further his advancement to those important trusts. From personal
knowledge, therefore, gained in an intercourse and observation ex-
tending through a period of nearly four years, I can give you an
outline sketch of Cleburne's character and services.

Patrick Ronayne Cleburne was an Irishman by birth, a Southerner
by adoption and residence, a lawyer by profession ; a soldier in the
British army, by accident, in his youth; and a soldier in the Southern
armies, from patriotism and conviction of duty, in his manhood. Upon
coming to the United Slates he located at Helena, Arkansas, where
he studied and practised law.

In that profession he had, previous to the great struggle, formed a
co-partnership with General T. C. Hindman. His standing as a lawyer
was high, as indicated by this association with a gentleman distin-
guished as an orator and advocate.

It was at this period of his life that, in the unorganised and turbulenn
condition of society, incident to a newly settled country, he established
a reputation ibr courage and fnmnesss, which was afterwards approved
by a still more trying ordeal. In the commencement of the war for
Southern independence, he enlisted as a private. He was subsequently
made captain of his company, and shortly after was elected and com-
missioned colonel of his regiment. Thus, from one grade to another,
he gradually rose to the high rank he held when no fell. It is but
Bcant praise to say, there was no truer patriot, no more courageous
soldier, nor, of his rank, more able commander, in the Southern armies j

STEKAL

icial records,
ittending the
lilt of access,
ervice in the
of 'the lost
engendered
gs in a dis-
i in the lists
n the hearts

lediate com-
the brigade,
ded ; and it
.bled me to
am personal
ervation ex-
five you an

I Southerner
Idler in the
he Southern
lood. Upon
lusas, where

le, formed a
as a lawyer
iman distin-

id tnrbulent
established
is approved
the war lor
lubsequeiilly
id and com-
to another,
. It is but

APPENDIX.

643

lern aruues

and it is not too much to add that his fall was a greater loss to tho
cause he espoused than that of any other Confederate leader, ivfter
Stonewall Jackson. In the camp of the army which Albert Sydney
Johnston assembled at Bowling Green, Kentucky, in the autumn of 18()1,
Cleburne had an opportunity in the drill and organisation of the raw
troops, of which that army was then composed, of proving his rinnUfl-
cations as a disciplinarian and commander. Ilis natural abilities in
this respect had probably been fostered by his early tuition in the
British army; and upon his becoming a soldier a second time, were
perfected by unremitting study and labour. These qualities secured
his promotion to brigadier-general. In April, 18G2, Albert Sydney
Johnston concentrated his forces at Corinth, Mississippi, to attack
General Grant, who had landed an army at Pittsburg, on the Ten-
nessee river, which was now encamped near Shiloh Church, about
three miles from the landing. The attack was made on the morning
of the 6th of April. Cleburne's brigade was of my corps, which formed
the front line of attack. The enemy were steadily driven for three
miles through their encampments, past the rich spoils with which a
luxurious soldiery had surrounded themselves, and over the heaps of
their dead and dying, until the broken and demoralised masses sought
the shelter of the river's banks, and the cover of their gunboats.
Albert Sydney Johnston had fallen in action about 2 o'clock p.m.
His successor in command, General Beauregard, deemed it best, lato
in the evening, to recall the pursuit. At the moment of recall,
Cleburne was pressing on, within 400 yards of Pittsburg Landing,
behind the cliffs of which, cowered the masses of hopeless and heljjless
fugitives. That night the enemy were reinforced by the arrival of a
fresh army under Buell ; and, on the evening of the 7th, the Southern
forces, after maintaining, through the day, the now unequal struggle,
withdrew, unpursued, to Corinth. In this battle Cleburne's brigade sus-
tained a heavier loss in killed and wounded than any other in the army.
At the initiation of General Bragg's Kentucky campaign, in the
summer of 18(i2, Cleburne's brigade, with one other, was detatched
and united with Kirby Smith's column, which, starting from Knox-
ville, Tennessee, was to penetrate Kentucky through Cumberland Gap
and form a junction with the main array under General Bragg, which.
moved from Chattanooga into Kentucky by a ditferent rout. Kirby
Smith's forces encountered opposition at Richmond, Kentucky, in
September. There Cleburne directei the first day's fighting, and in
his first handling of an Independent command was mainly instru-
mental i" winning a victory, which, in the number of prisoners and
amount of stores captured, an<l in the utter dispersion and destruction
of the opposing force, was one of the most complete of tlje war. For

644

APPENDIX.

* galknt and raeiUorious service ' hero, he received an official vote of
thanks from the Congress of tlio Confederate States. In this action
he received a sin<;:iilar woimd. The missile, a minie rifle ball, entered
the apertnre of the mouth wliile his mouth was open, in the act of
giving a commind to the trrtops in action, without touching his lips,
and passed out of the left cheek, carrying away in its course five
lower teeth, without touching or injuring the bone. Tiiis wound
did not prevent his taking part in the battle of Perry ville on the 8th
of October following, where he rejoined my command, and was again
wounded while leading his brigade in a gallant charge.

An incident occurred in the march out of Kentucky, which will
serve to illustrate Cleburne's indomitable will and energy. On the
road selected for the passage of ordnance and supply trains of the
army, was a very difficult hill, at which the trains unable to pass
over it, or to go round it, came to a dead halt. The enemy were
pressing the rear, the trains were immovable, and nothing seemed left
but to destroy them, to prevent their falling into the hands of the
enemy ; orders had actually be'm given for their destruction when
Clebarne, \vho was disabled and off duty on account of his wound,
came up. He asked and was given unlimited authority in the pre- .
mises. lie at once stationed guards in the road, arrested every
straggler and passing officer and soldier, collected a large force,
organised fatigue parties, and literally lifted the trains over the hill.
The trains thus preserved contained munitions and subsistence of the
utmost value and necessity to the Confederates. It ia by no means
certain even that the army could have made its subsequent long
march through a sterile and wasted country without them.

In December 18(52, General Bragg concentrated his army at Mur-
freesboro, Tennessee, to oppose the Federal forces assembled at Nash-
ville under Rosecrans. At this time. Major-general Buckner, then
commanding the division of which Cleburne's brigade formed a part,
was transferred to other service, and the President of the Confederate
States, who was on a visit to the army at the time, promoted Cleburne
to the vacant division. Rosecrans' advance upon Bragg brought on the
battle of Murfreesboro, Dec. 31, 18()2. In the action of this day Cleburne's
was one of the two divisions under my command, which attacked the
right v,-ing of the Federal army, under .M-Cook. This wing was beaten
and driven three miles, until its extreme right was doubled back upon
the centre of the Federal army. During the-day, Cleburne's division in
Bingle line of battle, without reinforcement, rest, or refreshment, en-
countered and drove before it five successive lines of battle, which the
Federal commander-in-chief withdrew from his intact centre and left
to reinforce his broken right. The general results of the day were not

fficial vote of
II this action
ball, entered
n tho act of
hlng his lips.
s course five
This Avound
le on the 8th
id was again

, which will
rgy. On the
trains of the
able to pass

enemy were
? seemed left
hands of the
notion when
f his wonnd,

in the pre- .
rested every

large force,
)ver the hill.
stence of the
by no means
ieqnent long

[•my at Mnr-
jled at Nash-
ickner, then
rmed a part,
Confederate
ted Cleburne
ought on the
ly Cleburne's
attacked the
? was beaten
d back upon
s division in
^shment, en-
'., which the
tre and left
lay were not

APPENDIX. (543

decisive in favour of the Southern arms; but this heightens the
achievement of that portion of the army which was successful, and
the merit of the officer whose skilful handling of his division contri-
buted materially to that success.

From the battle of Murfreesboro' to that of Chickamauga, in Sep-
tember, 18ii•^, military operations in the army with which Cleburne
was connected were of a desultory and undecisive character. IJut
outpost duty in close proximity to an enemy superior iu n'unbers,
afforded Cleburne occasion <br the exercise of his high soldierly
qualities of vigilance and activity. In the advance lioni Tullahumu
to Wartrace, and the subsequent retrremont of the army to Chatta-
nooga, his division habitually formed the vanguard iu advance and
.the rearguard in retreat. The battle of Chickamauga -an Indian
name which signifies 'the river of death'— wrote the bloodiest page
in the history of Western battles. General Bragg, reinforced by
Longstreet's corps from Virginia, on the 19th and 20th of September
engaged and, after an obstinate contest, defeated, Rosecrans' army,
which, routed and demoralised, retreated within its line of works at
Chattanooga. In this battle Cleburne's division bore its usual promi-
nent part ; a charge made by it, in the strugijle for position in the
adjustment of lines on the Saturday evening, preceding the Sunday's
final conflict, is described as especially magnificent and effective.

Tho Confederate forces soon after occupied Missionary Ridge, and
partially invested Chattanooga, with the object of cutting "off the
supplies of the army within its lines. The attempt was but'partially
successful. Meantime the Federal govern nent despatched General
Grant to succeed Rosecrans in command, and recalled Sherman's
army from Mississippi to remforce him. On the 2Uh of November,
Grant, reinforced by Sherman, attacked Bragg, weakened by the de-
tachment of Longstreet's corps, and carried the position of the Con-
federate left on Lookout Mountain. On the 25th a general attack
was made nppn the Confederate line. The right wing, under my
command, consisted of four divisions — Cleburne's on the extreme
right. The attacking force in this part of the field was commanded
by General Sherman. The enemy made repeated and vigorous
assaults, which were repelled with heavy loss to the assailants.
Cleburne's position on the right was most insecuie, from its liabi-
lity to be turned. He maintained it with his accustomed ability,
and upon the repulse of the last assault, directed in person a
counter charge, which effected the capture of a large number of
prisoners and several stands of colours. The assailants gave up the
contest and withdrew from our front. But while the cheers of victory
raised on the right were extending do»vn the line, the left of the

646

APPENDIX.

army had been carried by assault, and the day was lost. Al! that now
remained to the victorious righ<^^ was to cover tlio retreat of the army.
This it did successfully. If the riglit, instead of the left of the army,
had been carried, it would have given the enemy possession of tlie
only line of retreat, and no organised body of the Conlederale army
could have escaped. In the gloom of night-fall, Cleburne's division,
the last to retire, sadly withdrew from the ground it had held so
gallantly, and brought up the rear of the retiring army.

The enemy next day organised a vigorous pursuit ; and on the
morning of the second day, its advance, Hooker's corps, came up with
Cleburne at Ringgold Gap. The enemy moved to attacli what they
supposed a demoralised force with great confidence. Cleburne had
made sliilful dispositions to receive the attack, and repulsed it with
Buch serious loss, that pursuit was abandoned, and the pursuing force
returned to its lines. Here Cleburne again received the thanks of
Cgngress for meritorious conduct.

The Southern army now Avent into winter quarters at Dalton, in
North Georgia. Cleburne's division occupied an outpost at Tunnel
Hill. He devoted the ^vinter months to the discipline and instruction
of his troops, and revived a previously-adopted system of daily recita-
tions in tactics and the art of war. He himsell' heard the recitations
of his brigade commanders, a quartette of lieutenants wortliy their
captain — the stately Granberry, as great of heart as of frame, a noble
type of the Texan soldier — Govan, trae and brave as he was courteous
and gentle — Polk, young, handsome, dashing and fearless, and —
Lowry, the parson soldier, who preached to his wen in camp and fought
them in the field with equal earnestness and effect. These brigadiers
heard the recitationa of the regimental officers, and they in turn of
the company officers. The thorough instruction thus secured, first
applied on the drill ground, and then tested in the field, gave the
troops great efficiency in action.

About ♦this time the terms of enlistment of the three years' men
began to expire. It was of critical importance to the Southern cause
that these men sliould re-enlist. The greater part of Cleburne's divi-
sion consisted of Arkansans and Texans, who were separated from
their homes by the Mississippi river. This river, patroled by Federal
gunboats, was an insuperable barrlor to cemraunication. Many of
these men had not heard from their homes and wives and little ones
for three years. To add to this, the occasional reports received fr ■>
the trans-Mississippi were but repeated narratives of the waste and
ravage of their homes by the Federal soldiery. No husbaiul could
know that his wife was not homeless — no father, that his children
were not starving. Every instinct that appeals most powerfully and

APPENDIX.

647

. Al! that now
at of the army.
ft of the army,
Hsession of the
1 federal e army
irne's tliviHion,
t had held so

; and on the
, came up with
ack what they

Cleburne hud.
pulsed it with
pursuing force
the thanks of

at Dalton, in
ost at Tunnel
ind instruction
•f dally recita-
the recitations
1 wortiiy their
"rr.me, a noble
was courteous
earljL'ss, and —
inp ami fought
lese brigadiers
ey in t\irn of

secured, first
ic'Id, gave the

?e years' men
louthern cause
leburne's divi-
I'parated from
ed by Federal
)n. Many of
uid little ones
received fr "
he waste and
jusband could
t liis cliildri'u
owerfuUy and

most sacredly to manhood, called upon these men to return to their
homes as soon as they could do so honourably. Cleburne was a man
of warm sympathies, and ho felt profoundly the extei.l of the saorilite
his men were called upon to uialvo ; but with Roman virluct he set
high above all other earthly consideratious the achievement of Soutli-
eru independence. He adapted himself to the peculiar coudilions
of a volunteer .soldiery, and laying aside the commander, he ap-
pealed to his men, as a man and a comrade, to give up everything
else and stand by the cause and the jountry. lie succeeded in
inspiring them with his own high purpo.se arivl exalted patriotism, and
the result was the early and unanimous re-enlistment of his division.
The Confederate Congress pas.sed later a Conscription Act that retained
the three years' men in service ; but those whose terms of enlistment
expired in the interim would meantime have returned to their homes,
and the moral effect of voluntary re-enlistment would have been lost
to the cause.

Cleburne fully comprehended the disproportion in the military re-
sources of the North and South, and was the first to point out the
only means left the South to recruit her exhausted numbers. In
January, 18(i4, he advocated calling in the negro population to the
aid of Southern arms. He maintained that negroes accustomed to
obedience from youth, would, under the otHcering of their masters,
make even better soldiers for the South than they had been proven to
make under different principles of organisation for the North. He
insisted that it was the duty of the Southern people to waive con-
siderations of property and prejudices of caste, and bring to their aid
this powerful auxiliary. He pointed out further that recruits could
be obtained on the borders, who would otherwise fall into the hands
of the Federal armies, and be converted into soldiers to swell the
ranks of our enemies. His proposition met the disfavour of both
government and people. A year later it was adopted by Congress,
with the approval of the country, when it was too late.

The following extract of a note written about this time to a lady,
a refugee from Tennessee, in reply to some expre.ssions complimentary
to himself, and to a hope expressed for the recovery of Tennessee, is
markedly characteristic of the man : —

' To my noble division and not to myself belong the praises for the
deeds of gallantry you mention. Whatever we have done, however,
has been more than repaid by the generous appreciation of oar coun-
trymen. I assure you, I feel the same ardent longing to recover the
magnificent forests and green valleys of middle Tcnnt'ssee that you do ;
and I live in the Iwpe that God will restore them to our arms. I
cannot predict when the time will be, but I feel that it is certainly in

64%

APPENDIX.

■'4

H
t

.ft

"'4

the future. We may have to make still greater sacrifices— to use all
the means tiiat God has given us ; but when once our peoi)le, or the
great body of them, sincerely value independence above eiH-ry othe.f
earthly consideration , theu I will regard our success as an accomplished
fact.

'Your friend,

' P. R. Cl.EHUKNK.'

In a brief absence from Dalton, with one exception his only absence
during his service, Cleburne formed an attachment as earnest and
true as his own noble nature. The attachment was returned with the
fervour and devotion of the daughterc of the South. Much might be said
of this episode— of its romantic beginning, and its tragic end ; but the
story of th(^ loved and lost is too sacred to be unveiled to the public eye.

General Bragg had been relieved of fie command of the Western
irmy, at his own request, after the battk of Missionary Ridge ; sub-
sequently General J. E. Johnston was assigned to the command. To
the Federal General Sherman was given the command of the armies
assembled at Chattanooga for the invasion of Georgia. The campaign
opened oil the 7th of May. The history of its military operations,
under the conduct of General Johnston, is the record of a strufffirle

against largely superior forces, protracted through a period of seventy
days, and e.vtendin-g over a hundred miles of territory. The campaign
was characterised by brilliant partial engagements and continuous
skirmishing, the aggregate results of which summed up into heavy
battles. When the army reached Atlanta, notwithstanding the dis-
couragements of constant fighting, frequent retreats, and loss of
territory, it was with unimpaired organisation and morale.

Ill this campaign, Cleburne's division haa two opportunities of
winning special distinction. At New Hope Church, on the 27th of May,
it formed the right of the array in two lines, the first entrenched. In
the afternoon of that day the 4th corps of the Federal army advanced
as if to pass its right. Cleburne promply brought his two brigades
of the second line into the first, extending it to face the Federal
advance. This lino received the enemy's attack, made in seven lines,
on open ground, with no advantage on our side except a well-chosen
position, and after an obstinate fight of an hour-and-a-half repulsed it.
Cleburne's troops were not only greatly outnumbered, but were out-
numbered by resolute soldiers. At the end of the combat about 700
Federal dead lay within thirty or forty feet of his line. During the
action a Federal colour-bearer planted his colours within ten paces of
Cleburne's Iftie. He was instantly killed, a second who took his place
ehared bis fate, so with the third and fourth ; th(! fifth bore off the colours.

We read of little more eftective fighting than that of Cheathani'i

COS — to use all
[• peoi)le, or the
ove eoerij olhe.r
1 nccoaiplished

\. Cl.EnUKNK.'

3 only absence
s earnest and
urned with the
h might be said
c end ; but the
he public eye.
f the Western
■y Ridge; sub-
corainand. To
. of the armies
The campaign
try operations,

of a struggle
•iod of seventy
The campaign
nd continuous
ip into heavy
nding the dis-

and loss of

portiinities of
;ie27th of May,
ntrenched. In
irmy advanced

two brigades
3 the Federal
in seven lines,

a well-chosen
ilf repulsed it.
but were out-
bat about 700
B. During the
in ten paces of
took his place
off the colours,
of Cheatham'i

APPENDIX.

649

and Clebnrne'a divisions in repelling an assault made 'upon them by
Blair's corps of the Federal army, on the morning of the 27th of
June, at Kenesaw. The conduct of the Federal troops on that occa-
sion was as resolute as in the instance above. When they fell biick,
more than 300 dead bodies were counted within a few yards of Cle-
burne's entrenchment, some of them lying against it. Ilis loss was
two killed and nine wounded, crrtainly less than 1 to 100 of the
enemy. On the 18th of Ju^y, Gen. Johnston was removed from the
Western army, and Gen. Hood promoted to its command.

On the 21st, while the army was occupying a lino encircling the
nortliern front of Atlanta, Cleburne's division was detached to oppose
an attempt of a corps of the enemy to turn the Confederate riglit, and
penetrate to Atlanta at an undefendwl point. His troops, newly
arrived at the point of apprehended attack, had no protection, other
than the men provided themselves in the brief time allo.ed for pre-
paration. They were attacked by large odds, in front and on both
flanLs. At one time Cleburne's line was so completely enfiladed, that
a sinf^le shot of the enemy killed nineteen men in one company. The
position was maintained, the enemy repulsed, and Atlanta preserved.
Cleburne described this as the 'bitterest flght' of his life. On the
22d of July, in carrying out a plan of general attack, my corps, con-
sisting then of Cleburne's and three other divisions, assaulted and
carried the entrenched left of the Federal army. The troops opposed
to us were McPherson's army, of which Blair's corps formed 'a part.
On the 27th of June, Cleburne had repelled an assault of these ti-oops
with a loss signally disproportionate.' It boars strong testimony to
the soldierly qualities of the Confederate troops, that on the 22d of
July, they, in positions exactly reversed, carried works equally strong
manned by the same troops. The loss of tweiity-seven of about thirty
field officers in Cleburne's division in this action, attests the gallantry
of the officers and the severity of the conflict.

On the 2()th of August, the Federal commander, Gen. Sherman,
commenced to turn the Confederate position at Atlanta. A Federal
force made a detour, and occupied a position at Jonesboro', about twenty-
five miles south of Atlanta. On the night of the .30th, Gen, Hood,
remaining in Atlanta with one corps of his army, sent the remaining
two, Lee's and my own, under my command, to dislodge this force. It
was found to consist of three corps, strongly entrenched. The attack
upon it was unsuccessful. Cleburne commanded my corps in this
action, and achieved the only success of the day, the capture of some
guns and a portion of the enemy's works. On the night of the iJlst,
Gen. Hood withdrew Lee's corps towards Atlanta, and the Federal
commander was reinforced by three additional corps, so that on th«»

150

APPENDIX.

4
i

morning of the 1st of September, my corps, In which Cleburne hnd
renewed his place as division-commander, was confronted by six
Federal corps. Gon. Sherman had, meantime, arrived on the field,
and taken command in person. The enemy at once toolc the offensive.
It was of the last necessity to secure the safe withdrawal of the
remainder of the army from Atlanta, that this Confederate corps
should hold its position throiigh the day. The odds were fearful, and
the contest that followed was a very tryiitg one ; bnt the position was
held against the attacks made upon it through the day, and the re-
mainder of the army retired in safety from Atlanta. Cleburne's services
M-ere highly valuable in the operations of this day.

In the fall and winter of 1864, Oen. Hood marched into Tennessee.
In this campaign, at the battle of Franklin, November the 30th, Cle-
burne fell at the head of his division. lie was one of thirteen general
officers killed or disabled in the combat. lie had impressed upon his
officers the necessity of carrying the position ho had been ordered to
attack, a very strong one, at all cost. The troops knew from fearful
experience of their own, and their enemies, what it was to assault
such works. To encourage them, Cleburne led them in person to the
ditch of the opposing lino. There rider and horse, each pierced by a
score of bullets, fell dead against the reverse of the enemy's
works.

The death of Cleburne cast a deep gloom over the army and the
country. Eight millions of people, whose hearts had learned to thrill
at his name, now ftiourned his loss, and felt there was none to take
his place. The division with which his fame was identified merits
more particular mention. It wa^ worthy • f him, and he had made
it so. Its numbers were made up, and its honours were shared, by
citizens of Ave communities— Arkansas, Texas, Alabama, Mississippi,
and Tennessee. In it was also one regiment of Irishmen, who, on
every field, illustrated the characteristics of the race that furnishes
the world with soldiers. No one of its regiments but bore upon its
colours the significant device of the ' crossed cannon inverted,' and the
name of each battle in which it had been engaged. Prior to the
battle of Shiloh, a blue battle flag had been adopted by me for this
division; and when the Confederate battle flag became the national
colours, Cleburne's division, at its urgent request, was allowed to re-
tain its own bullet-riddled battle flags. This was the only division in
the Confederate service allowed to carry into action other than the
national colours ; and friends and fo -s soon learned to watch tho course
of the blue flag that marked where Cleburne was in the battle.
Where this division defended, no odds broke its lines; where it
attacked, no numbers resisted its onslaught, save only once;— and

Cleburne had
onted by six

on the field,
i the ofFenslve.
Irawul of the
I'derato corps
■0 fearful, and
position was
r, and the re-
urne's services

ito Tennessee.

the 30th, Cle-

irteen general

ssed npon his

en ordered to

V from fearful

raa to assault

person to the

pierced by a

the enemy's

army and the
rned to thrill

none to take
ntified merits
he had made
re shared, by
\, Mississippi,
lien, who, on
;hat furnishes
bore upon its
•ted,' and the

Prior to the
jT me for this

the national
11 owed to re-
ly division in
ther than the
jh ihi) course
n the battle.
38 1 where it
f once ;— and

APPENDIX. gg,

there Is the grave of Cleburne and ]m heroic division. In thl«
Bketch of Cleburne there has been no intention of disparaging by
omissmn or otherwise, the merits and services of other officers 'and
troops, some of which are eminently worthy of commemoration; but
thelimitsof a Bketch, personal in its character, and giving a bare out-
line of the military operations with which the subject of it was con-
nected, necessarily preclude an account of the services, however great
of others, even when rendered in the same action.

Cleburne at the time of his death was about 37 years of age He
was above the medium height, about 5 feet 11 inches, and though
without striking personal advantages, would have arrested attention
from a close observer as a man of mark. His hair, originally black
became grey under the cares and fatigues of campaigning. His eyea'
a clear steel-grey in colour, were cold and abstracted usually, baJ
beamed genially in seasons of social intercourse, and blazed fiercely in
moments of excitement. A good-sized and well-shaped head, promi-
nent features, slightly aquiline nose, thin, greyish whiskers worn on
the lip and chm, and an expression of countenance when In repoM
rather indicative of a man of thought than action, c( Tipletes tht
picture. His manners were distant and reserved to strangers but
frank and winning among friends. His mind was of a highly logicia
cast. Before expressing an opinion upon a subject, or coming to »
decision in any conj.incture of circumstances, he wore an expressioa
as If solving a mathematical proposition. The conclusion when
reached, was always stamped with mathematical correctness He
was modest as a woman, but not wanting in that fine ambition which
ennobles men. Simple in his tastes and habits, and utterly regardle,««
of personal comfort, he was always mindful of the comfort and weN
fare of his troops. An incident which occurred at Atlanta illustrate!
his habitual humanity to prisoners. A captured Federal officer wai
deprived of his hat and blankets by a needy soldier of Cleburne's
command, and Cleburne, falling to detect the offender or to recover
the property, sent the officer a hat of his own, and his only pair of
blankets.

Among his attachments was a very strong one for bis adjutant
General Captain Irving A. Buck, a boy in years, but a man in all
soldierly qualtities. who for nearly two years of the war, shared Clo.
bn.rne s labours during the day and his blankets at night,
_ He was also much attached to his youngest brother, who was killed
in one of Morgan's fights in South-Western Virginia. This brother
inherited the brave qualities that belonged to the name, and after
being promoted from the ranks for 'distinguished gallantry,' fell in a
charge at the head of his regiment.

662

APPENDIX.

*3^

-I
<

Cleburne had enough accent to betray hU Irish birth. This accent,
perceptibl« in ordinary converHation, grew in timcH of excitement
Into a strongly murkod brogue. He was accuRtomed to refer to
Ireland as the J old country,' and always in the tone of a son speak-
ing of an absent mother. lie posHesned con.sidi'rablo powers of wit
and oratory, the nalloniii heritage of the Irish people; but his wit,
perhaps characterised by the stern influences that had surrounded his
life, was rather grim than humorous. Ho had a marked literary
turn, and was singularly well-versed in the British poets. Indeed, ho
had at one period of his life wooed the muse himself, and with no
Inconsiderable success, as was evidenced by some fragments of his
poetical labours which he had preserved.

It was known that he had a brother in the Federal army, but he
Boldom mentioned his name, and never v.ithout classifying him with
the mass of the Irish who had espoused the Federal cause, of whom
ho always spoke in terms of strong indignation. His high integrity
revolted at the want of inconsistency and morality shown in the course
of-that class of Irish who, invoking the sympathies of the world In
behalf of ' oppressed Ireland,' gave the powerful aid of their arms to
enslave another people.

Cleburne's remains were buried after the battle of Franklin, and
yet rest In the Polk Cemetery, near Columbia, Tennessee, the most
beautiful of the many beautiful spots in the valley of the Tennessee.
Generals Cranberry and Strahl, brave comrades who fell In tho same
action, were buried at his side. On the march to Franklin, a few
days before his death, Cleburne halted at this point, and In one of the
gentle moods of the man Miat sometimes softened the mien of tho
soldier, gazed a moment In silence iipon the scene, and turning to
some members of his staff said, 'It Is almost worth dying to rest in
so sweet a spot.'

It was in remembrance of these words that their suggestion was
carried out in the choice of his burial-place. In this cemetery is set apart
a division called the ' Bishops' Corner.' Here were buried the remains
of the late Right Rev. Bishop Otey of Tennessee— here are to be
placed the ashes of the heroic bishop. General Leonidas Polk, and
here it is purposed that the tombs of the future bishops of Tennessee
shall be ranged beside these illustrious names. In this spot, where
nature has lavished her wealth of grace and beauty, in ground con-
secrated by the dust of illustrious patriots, churchmen, and warriors—
in the bosom of the State he did so much to defend, within whose
borders he first guided his charging lines to victory, and on whoso
soil he finally yielded to the cause the last and all a patriot soldier
can give— rests what was mortal of Patrick Cleburne, and will rest

. This accent,
of exciteraeut
J to refor to
f a ton Hpoak-
powern of wit
! ; but his wit,
nirroundcd h'xn
arlied liltirary
M. Indoud, he
I and with no
gments of bis

army, but he
ying him with
ause, of whom

high integrity
1 in the course

the world in
r their arms to

Franlvlin, and
ssoe, the most
the Tennessee,
ill in the same
ranklin, a few
1 in one of the
e mien of the
md turning to
fing to rest in

mggestion was
lery is set apart
ed the remains
ere are to be
das Pollc. and
►3 of Tennessee
is spot, where
n ground con-
and warriors—
, within whose
and on whoso
patriot soldier
, and will rest

APPENDIX.

nntll his adopted State nhall claim lila ashofl, and raise above them
monumental lionourn to t!ie virtues of her truest citizen, her noblest
champion, her greatest Holdier.

Cleburne had often expressed the hope that ho might not suVvive
the independence of the South. Heaven heard the prayer, and spared
him this pang. H(* fell before the banner he had so often guided to
victory was furled— before the people he fought for were crushed—
before the cause he loved was lost.

Two continents now claim his name ; eight millions of pooplo
revere his memory ; two great communities raise monuments to his
virtues— and history will take up his fame, and hand it down to timo
for cxampllng, wherever a courage without stain, a manhood with-
out blemish, an integrity that knew no compromise, and a patriotiem
that withheld no sacriflce, are honoured of mankind.

Sklma, Alabama : May 1, 18G7.