The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1858-01-23
Virtues Of the Irish, as a Glass!

Virtues Of the Irish, as Glass!
A Mr.. M. 7. MURPHY, who is one of the
three Celtic Irishmen who represent in the
lower branch of the State Legislature his
countrymen who live in Dakota County, de-
votes o column in Wednesdays Pioneer to
an attack upon the Minnesotian, ST. Paul
advertiser and Hastings Independent, for hav-
ing the temerity to think that the Celtic Irish
were not the wisest, the most intelligent, the
most decent, quiet, order-loving and peace
full citizens, who had made America their
home. He draws comparisons, too, between
native-born citizens and his own country
men, considerably in favor of the latter, OF
course. On the criminal records he tells us,
what is certainly news, that American
names preponderate, in proportion to popu'
lation, over those of the Irish and we pre-
sumo he would likewise inform us that there
| are more Americans than Irish in our aims
l and DOOR houses! Without the Irish, ac-
cording to Mr. MURPHY, we never could have
built our railroads and canals Why not
add. nor without our horses and mules and
iackasses and spades and shovels and wheel
barrows Without the Irish according to
him, we could not fill the ranks of our regu-
| lar army-nor, he might have added, with
out Irish soldiers would the "Leagion of St.
| Patrick" deserters in Mexico ever have been
formed He speaks of our being indebted to
an O'RIELLY for our telegraph system which
we ignorantly supposed was due to the
American genius of MORSE but perhaps
O'RIELLY, the leader of the Irish deserters in
Mexico whom SCorr hung, was in his mind
| and confused it when he wrote this sentence.
Mr.. MURPHY is mistaken in one thing
There is no disposition to object to any 9TH
err class of foreign citizens, except only the
Celtic Irish. They are rot only ignorant,
and disorderly, as class; but they are in
tolerant, and whenever they possess the pow
er, prescribe every other class of citizens.
Americans, Germans, Angloan Scotch Irish,
English, Scotch, Welsh, Swedes, Norwegians
and French, all have felt the effects of this
prescription and their intolerance. Their
course for many years has been arrogant,
overbearing and tyrannical, wherever the &C.
cident of local numbers gave them tenn
porary ascendency.
Dakota and Ramsey Counties will bear US
out in this assertion.
In the former county, we remember when
the Irish took possession Of the Democratic
County Convention, ousted by main strength
the few Americans returned to it as dele
gates, and nominated a nearly exclusive Irish
ticket and this they have done for years in
that county. At the Convention we have
specially alluded to a prominent Irish leader,
also we think of the name of Murphy, but
whether the writer of the letter himself or
only relative we do not know-fercely de-
clared with the applause of his compatriots,
that " no mon who could be Know Nothing
should have a nomination from, or the vote
of an Irishmon." In other words, they
would prescribe every man who might happen
to be born in .4merica, no matter what his
sentiments or qualifications, from holding any
office in Dakota County! At the late State
election, in the almost exclusively Irish pre-
cinct of BurnspaLs, we are informed they
hosted black flag and with drunken fero-
city vowed to wreck their vengeance on any
man who should offer to vote the Republi-
can ticket, and actually did deter two Re-
publicans from exercising their right of suf
frages ! In addition to these facts, we will
mention that, in this poor oppressed county
of Dakota, an Irish Sheriff. three Irish Coun-
ty Commissioners, an Irish County Treasu-
rer, an Irish Judge of Probate, three Irish
members of the Legislature, two out of the
three county Assessors Irish, with Irish
grand and Irish petit Ju'ys guiltless of
reading or writing, also attest the moderation
of a class of people who abuse the privileges
Of freedom for their own ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, and
by their habitual prescription of American,
German, French and other citizans, fill the
public offices with iliterate and incompetent
men of their own peculiar nationality.
If love and admiration and respect for
people guilty of such proceedings should be
wanting in the whole community, outside
their own ranks, is it at all surprising
In St. Paul the record is equally dark
against them. We have beheld here the
same habitual disregard of the rights and
feel ngs of other citizens-the same over
weening hungering after offices they are in
competent to fill-the same claiming together
to control nominations in the Democratic
conventions-the same "howlng down" of
every decent man that don't skneel in the
gutter to worship them-the same rioting at
election polls--and voting many times apiece
the same exhibition of bad citizenship
which everywhere is making the Irish name
a by-word, reproach and a loathing
amongst the nations They are the only
people amongst whom. exclusively, native
demagogues seek their tools to defraud the
people at electiops-only Irishmen can be
found willing to vote more than once-no
other nationality furnishes such ready re-
cruits for election riots and ballot-box stuff
fling throughout the land. The chief crimi
nails whom the California Vigilance Commit
tee expelled were Irishmen and even in
New York City, where the refuse of the
world congregate, in that motley popul alton
! nobody but Irish participated in the Mack
G, 'elville riots which tyrannically destroyed
the it;cket offices of the opponents of Mayor
WooD.