Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1853-06-23

cious barbarians, half clad In skins,
speaking strange tongues, worshipping
strange gods with bloody rites; the
latter are the children Of the countries
from which the first European settlers Of
this continent proceeded, and belong,
with us, to the great common family OF
Christendom. The former destroyed
the culture of the ancient world, and it
was only after thousand years that a
better civilization grew up from its
ruins. The millions who have estab-
ished themselves in America within
sixty years, are, from the moment of
their arrival, gradually absorbed into
the mass of the population, conforming
to the laws, moulding themselves to the
manners of the country, and con-
tributing their share to its prosperity
and strength. Applause.
1t is curious coincidence, that, as
the first mighty wave of the hostile i'm
migration that burst upon Europe be-
fore the time of our Saviour consisted
of tribes belonging to the great Celtic
race-the remains of which, identified
by their original dialect, are still found
in Brittany, in Wales, in the highlands
of Scotland, and especially in Ireland
so by far the greater portion of the
new and friendly immigration to the
United States consists of persons be-
longing to the same fervid, imaginative,
and too often oppressed race. have
heard in the villages of Wales, and the
highlands of Scotland, the gospel
preached in substantially the same
language in which Brennus uttered his
naughty summons to Rome, and in
which the mystic songs of the Druids
were chanted in the depths of the
primeval forests of France and England
| in the time of Julius Caesar. 1t is still
spoken by thousands of Scotch, Welch,
and Irish immigrants, in all parts of
the United States. Applause.
This great Celtic race is one of the
most remarkable that has appeared in
history. Whether it belongs to that ex-
tensive Indo-European family of nations
which, in ages before the dawn of histo-
ry, took up line of march in two col
umns from Lower India, and moving
westward, both by northern and a
southern route, finally diffused itself
over Western Asia, Northern Africa,
and the greater part of Europe; or
whether, as others suppose, the Celtic
race belongs to still older stock, and
was itself driven down upon the South
and into the West of Europe by the
overwhelming force of the Indo-Europe-
ans, are questions which we have no
time at present to discuss. However it
NAV be decided, it would seem that for
the first time, as far as we are acqualnt-
ed with the fortunes of this interesting
race, they have found themselves in a
really prosperous condition in this coun-
try. Driven from the soil in the West
of Europe, to which their fathers have
clung for two thousand years, they have
at length, and for the first time in their
entire history, found real home in a
land of strangers. Having been told, in
the frightful language of political econo-
my, that at the daily table which nature
spreads for the human family there is no
cover laid for them in Ireland, they have
crossed the ocean, to find occupation,
shelter, and bread on foreign but
friendly soil. [Applause.
This "Celtic Exodus" as it has been
aptly termed, is to all the parties imme-
diately connected with it one of the most
important events of the day. To the
emigrants themselves it may be regard
ed as a passing from death to life. 1t
will benefit Ireland by reducing sur
plus population, and restoring sounder
and juster relation of capital and labor.
1t will benefit the laboring classes in
England, where wages have been kept
down to the starvation point by the
struggle between the native population
and the inhabitants of the sister island.
This benefit will extend from England to
ourselves, and will lessen the pressure
of that competition which our labor is
obliged to sustain with the ill-paid labor
of Europe; while the constant influx into
America of stout and efficient hands
supplies the greatest want in new
country-which is that of labor-gives
value to land, and facilitates the execu-
ton of every species of private enter
prise and public work. Applause.
I am not insensible to the temporary
Inconvenience which are to be Offset
against these advantages on both sides
of the water. Much suffering attends
the emigrant there on his passage and
after his arrival. 1t is possible that the
value of our native labor may have
been depressed by too sudden and extern
sive supply from abroad; and it is GER
tain that our asylums and almshouses
are crowded with foreign inmates, and
that the resources of public and private
beneyolence have been heavily drawn
upon. These are considerable evils, but
they have perhaps been exaggerated
1t must be remembered, in the first
place, that the immigration daily pour
ing in from Europe is by no means a
pauper immigration. On the contrary,
it is already regarded with apprehension
abroad, as occasioning great abstrac-
ton of capital. How the case may be
in Great Britain and Ireland, have seen
no statement; but it is asserted on appa-
rently good grounds, that the consump-
ton and abstraction of capital caused bv