Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1863-02-04
Letter from John Martin.

AT time when such Irish patriots as Mea-
CHER are doing ell in their power to sustain
Northern despo.ism, it is pleasant to find
aAoat upon news spaperdom go feeling and
warm letter as the following, from John
Martin, ore Of the Irish exiles Of 1913. 1t
is addrc cssed to the DuJlin Nation. His let
ter is held to be of so much importance that
the LrisA American of New York, furious
war journal, feels it necessary, though with
protest, to reprint it,
KrLBRoSGr, RosTREvon, Nov. 5, 1862.
TO tie Editor Of the Nation:
DEAR SIR: Ny name has been mentioned
in Jour paper OF last Saturday as that Of
sylnpathiser with the Southern States, in the
war which is at present raging in America. |
sm sympathiser with the South. And since
the fact is now publicly stated, desire, with
your kind permission, to say few words by
way of explaining and defining my sympathy.
Both parties are our kindred, our friends,
our lenefactors. Ireland has no quarrel with
either, but is bound to 10th by the strongest
ties Of affection and interest. The lri'h race
har contributed largely TO the people of the
Southern as we'll as of the Northern Stases;
and the Irish in America, like all other Amer
ican citizens, have to take part In this war
with the State, of which they happened to be
residents. The most honored and trusted Of
our political exiles are upon opposite sides.
Mitchell is with the South, Meagher is with
the North. Williams and Doheny have died
since the war broke out-the one soldier OF
the South, the other leaving his sons in arms
for the North. Those noble Irish hearts,
now cold in American graves, surely both OF
them burned with the most intense love for
Irsland.
In short, it is war between States and
populations who are oil allied to us by blood,
who are all entitled to our eternal gratitude
by the munifcent charity with which they
strove to feed our people when starving nm
der the English rule, who have all constantly
afforded friendly refuge t" our people when
driven from their native country by the curse
of that rule, who have all shown pity for our
sufterings under foreign yoke, and given
sympathy and encouragement to olr asplra-
tions after independence. To mere Irish
patriot, the honor and prosperity OF North
and of South are equally dear What spec
tac'e for hin-the North and the South con-
tending against each other as the deadliest OF
enemies II he feels that his voice can have
no influence over the combatants, he may we'll
be silent, while, like the O'Donoghne, he ga
zes upon the fratricidal conflict "with stream.
ing eyes,
But, though such considerations as these
have hitherto withheld me from any public
declaration as to the right and wrong in this
unhappy war, they have not prevented mefrom
the free expression Of my sentiments among
my friends, and in conversation. And latter.
ly have begun to doubt the propriesy of
keeping silence, while strenuous efforts are
being made by several persons to represent
all the true Nationalists Of ireland ss parti;
sans Of the North, and to prove that the hopes
Of our national cause depend upon the auccess
of the North in this war.
1t was, therefore, with n feeling of relief
that read your article, of last Saturday and
the letter of Jour correspondent, who signs
himself "An Irish American" At a!lerents
let the truth b. known. All true Irish Ma
tionalists are not par'izans of the North in
this war. i do not believe that majority o
them are partisans Of the North. Certainly
am not. / desire and hope that the NORTH
may never succeed in its attempts to suhju
gate the South. sympathze with my whole
heart with The people Of the South defending
their homes and liberty against the invading
armies Of those who were lately their fellow