The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1843-12-19
Irish Immigrant society-Lecture by Bishop
Hughes.

The Right Rev. DIR. HUGHES, Bishop OF the
Roman Catholic Church, delivered a learned and
eloquent lecture last night in the Tabernacle.
Broadway, upon " the mixture Of civil and eccle-
sastical power in the government of the Middle
Ages in aid of the funds of the charitable nstitu-
ton in this city, called the Irish Immigrant Socie
ty. The spacious edifice was crowded in almost
every part by respectable and most attentive
ditory.
The PRESIDENT OF THE SOCIETY having taken the
chair, said that the generous condescenslon oil
the Right Reverend Bishop Hughes, in yielding to
the unanimous solicitations of the Executive Com
mitee of the Irish Immigrant Society to deliver a
public lecture for the benefit OF the institution, had
drawn together so large and respectable an au-
dience, he trusted il would not be deemed irree-
want II he embraced so favorable an opportunity
| for offering few brief remarks upon the origin
and design of the society. From the glorious
epoch Of the national existence of this Republic,
the immigrants who had hOcked hiher from ''the
sister isle" had ever exceeded in number those
! from any other section OF the old world
! The muufarious causes Of discomfort which work
ed upon people so as to rend asunder the endearng
| attachments that bound them 10 home and kindred,
had operated with infinitely more strength In the
peculiar position in which Irishmen were placed;
| for in Ireland II notorious that labor toiled
| without recompence, and Industry devoid OF
incentives 10 exertion. (Hear, hear.) Alien
| rulers had there left untried no plans that bar
barous ingenuity could devise to crush the love of
liberty instinctiye, IN the breast OF the people
(hear hear)-whilst an exotic landocracy, IN their
infections of social degradation, with infamous
pertinacty had We'd with her political rulers in
whitening the wretched mass of an oppressed and
! IMPOVERISHED peasantry (Cheers.) Familiar with
! the wrongs of Ireland as he presumed large por
ton Of the audience to be, he feared it would be
an abuse OF their patience to expatlate upon the
ungracious theme to which he had thus cursorlly
alluded in order to account Tor the vast influx OF
immigrants from that country to this highly favored
| land. (No, no.) Year after year vessels reached
this port fully freghed with living cargoes, whose
| priceless value the stupendous public works which
even the glory and the pride of this city rrevocaby
attested but the crowds in which lrshmen started
to land themselves upon our shores, had stimulated
the cupidity of heartless traders high and low de-
gree. (Cheers.), AT the moment OF the poor I'M
migrants arrival they We're beset by the agents OF
| infamous wretches, who, in various ways acted
upon their credulity by resorting to all those acts
for which they were known, and, however grevious
the wrong committed, redress under the crcum-
stances was rarely attainable. The ocean crossed,
| the friendess Immigrants were met by bands OF
concealed mlscreants, by whom they were hustled
boarding house keepers. These fellows easily ex-
torted the pittance that remained after deiraying
the expenses of the voyage, and they consummated
the climax of hardship by turning them adrif in
strange land, friendless moneyess, to mourn
their unhappy fate. This was not fancfu or an
exaggerated description of the trials to which mmi
grants were exposed, but narrative OF facts, to
the truth of which the officers of this society could
bear testimony. Not many years ago concern OF
this kind in this city, actually advertised line OF
| ships for the conveyance of Immigrants, not one
of which that time in exstence The members Of
that ultimately absconded after having defrauded
of the money with which they had entrusted them to
bring out their parents and rendsa mode OF cheating
by which they were known to have realized ex.
ceeding fifty thousand doars-(iea hear) Previous to
the existence Of the present society it was by means
an uncommon occurrence for the proprietors of low
boarding houses into which the poorer classes OF imm
entlCed employed
open by Of false keys the trunks of their guest
and rifle them of any little valuable they might contain;
and when the robbery was discovered the unfortunate
victim knew not how or where to seek redress.iear
hear1 He feared however he should trespass too much
upon the indulgence of the meeting he entered into
detail of the circumstances which had induced the orma
ton Of this socetyhe mapractces however at which
ted rarely attempted because dread Of the in
reference OF the society prevented the preparation OF
crime where, before, it was committed with impuny-
(cheers This society had not been established upon
basis restrictive benevoence Men Of various shades
in political and religious sentiment were among iss mana
political creed OF those who appealed for its
The fact that the immigrants were exiles from Erin"
to all the aid and sympathy in the power of the
stu no to AN 0mc , was Kept open
which, in the season during which immigrants arrived
apprse of the existence Of the society and place
them upon their guard against the wies OF the fellows
who laid y wait to enirap the u h
svey to the beriendng Of the immigrants who reached
here They screened far they could their country
men home from disappointment, during the last two
wears of national embarrassment when all industrial pur
suits were affected They issued address each year to
people Ireland setting forth the evil consequences
that would result from hasty njudcious relin
qushment of the comforts however scanty of their
homes That address received extensive circulation
been the of preventing from leaving their
country and of protecting thousands from the pangs of
bitter disappointment lHear.) He was pleased to be
able to announce that the rendered this soc
ETY. had been recognised in the most gratifying by
the municipal authorities Of this CITY, and that upon the
muster roll OF msmbers the names Of many respec
table native born citizens, who, by thus uniting with IL
Of commemorative phianthropy After few further re
marks the President introduced the Right Rev lecturer
observing that he had consented to the OF the
DISCOURSE for the benefit Of the SociGty loud cheers
DR. HuGHEs, On coming forward was received with
great cheering, repeated several timssThe mixture Of
civil and religious power in the governments Of the mid
die ages-n other words the blending union of Church
and Stae-a theme which had extended the whole
of Christendom for the last fourteen hundred yearsa
which had grown up with their growth-which had, it
must be confessed, produced much OF the Improvement
that distinguished the legislation "a christian countries
but thBme also in the or in the abuse Of which tears
and blood had been made to flow hundred folio volumes
would not be sufficient dsyelope the origin and history
nefts and to point the evils which had resulted from
this system How then should he be able to comprise
adequate idea of in the lecture of single hour1 Sue
than he could promise but with the patient
indulgence of the meeting he would make the attempt
this civil and sees
sastical authority in the governments Of mankind
laid the door fthe Catholic church aAd some persons
might suppose that for q Catholic Bishop 10 treat
of question in which his church and his order
50 deeply implicated was at once . pold
self any such feeling npon the subject hrst, De
cause il was the genius ofha church to conceal nothing
of her Of her history since the scandals
well the good which had marked her progress in the
world up in the annals OF her history by her
own best writers with the impartial fidelity
condly, he had such feeling because, admitting the
Catholic Church the first to tolerate and sanction
.a Ex,,xr n.nfo
tan other christian denomination that had hitherto
practically declared the error and repudated the con-
nection As regarded those denominations Therefore
doctrine was maintained with dark and
desperate determination in Russia than in Italy
il found numerous, obstinate, and he
would add, able advocates both among statesmen
and churchmen in England than it did In Austria.
was cherished with unrelenting tenacity in Holland
in swollen and in Prussia indeed in all the Protestant