The Xenia sentinel. [volume] (Xenia [Ohio]) 1863-186?, 1864-04-19
Our Citizens of Irish Birth.


Previous TO the rebellion our citizens Of
Irish birth were to be found, aluost to man,
among the most active and unscrupulous of
the Pro-Slavery propagandists. Rejecting, in
this respect if in no other, the teachings of
their otherwise venerated leader, Daniel
0Connell, they were in favor of the institu-
tion Of slavery, and their opposition to every
party that -avOWed any desire to ameliorate
the condition Of the negro might be counted
upon as a foregone conclusion.
For this anOmaly-fOr the anomaly that
men who had fed from tyrany at home, should
in this new land Of their adoption be in faf0r
Of keeping millions Of poor and ignorant ne
groes in servitude-there were many possible
and some few plausible explanations With
the Irish RoBian Catholics the religious ques-
tion has always been of the first importance,
and they felt grateful to Thomas Jefferson
and the Democratic party for the "Virginia
Resolutions, by which alone, rs represented
to them, their religious equality in the Union
had been preserved. There was also a charm
for them in the name of Democracy" and I
there, were not wanting many hundred cum
ming demagogues in the Pro-SlaveTy interest
TO persuade them that the liberation Of all
slaves would at once bring negro labor into
successful competition with their own
throughout the Northern and all other States |
These are butBOme few of the most prominent !
considerations in an endeavor to account for
the course of eur rIrish-born felloW-citizens
with regard TO slavery.
What could not be done with these people ]
BY argument-howeger luminous OF patient |
the slow teachings Of zine and the rough |
schoolings of this war are fast accomplishing. !
All questions of religions equality in the uni |
ted States were set at rest long ago by the !
formation and Development Of our national |
character and all the veIed questions Of the
relationship to be held between the laborer,
foreign-born or native, and the freed negro,
have received their ever lasting quietus dur
ing the past three years. Our Irish-bOrn fell
6nd-for few are quicker to note
such matters-that the freed negroes of the
South do not rush North the moment they are
liberated to enter upon the competition Of the /
labor market. On the contrary, even at the
dreadful risk Of q return to slavery should
the war in any part of its theater 60 against
US, they remain on the old plantations tn the
States of their birth, laboring eheerfuIly for
such wages as may be offered to them; CT have
taken service as soldiers in the armies Of the
Union, and this although, in addition to the
usual perils of war, their status if taken pris-
oners remains still to a great extent unde-
termined, and they are liable, if captured, to
the caprice or passions Of a brutal and IN
furiated enemy.
Let US hope, therefore, that the old Jealousy
or dislike of the negro will soon be forgot
ten prsdjudice in the minds of all classes of
our citizens; and indeed, that it is fast becom-
ing SO in the minds of our Irish-boTn fellow
citizens, we have good reason to believe. Gen.
Thomas Francis Meagher, a name and pow
er among his own people, has come out open
ly, frequently, and with emphasis in favor Of
the employment of negro troops. Col. John
0MahOney, the Head Center Of the vast or
ganization of Irishmen known as the Fenian
Brotherhood, has never been a supporter Of
slavery; has never sighed for an Alabama
plantation with "a fine lot of fat niggers on
it," but has ever and always-since the war
as before it--maintained the opinion that sla-
very was wrong in itself and Of special de-
triment to the Irish race in America, whom it
practically excluded from settlement as agri-
sulturists in the Southern States. We all
know that most mythical, but still represent
ative, Irish citizen, Private Miles 0'Reihy"
has given US the whole philosophy of negro
soldiers in a song which, as much from its
lumor as its argument, at once took captive
he imRginations and convictions Of his witty
Ind susceptible felloW-countrymen
HSome say it is a burnin' shame
To make the naygurs fight
An that the thrade Of bein' kilt
Belongs but to the white;
But as for me- upon my sOWl,
So liberal are we here,
I'll let sambO be murthered in plGce Of
myself
On every day in the year;
On every day in the year, boys,
And every hour in the day, G
The right to be kilt I'll divide Wid him, !
An divil word I'll say!
The instances Of prominent and leading !
rishmen who have accepted the rebellion as
he termination Of slaveryj and who are will
ng to give the negro a share in 8 war which
must have for one Of its results the improve q
nent Of the negrO's condition, might be null '
iplied inde6nitely-Mr. Richard OGorman /
f this city being, in fact, the only very no I;
able exception to the rule. Senator John
yonness of California-beyond doubt the fore
most Irishman in our public life-was up to B
he commencement Of the war an active and '
oaIous Democrat Of the faith Of the late \
Judge Douglas, to whom physically and In
elleotually he bears a most striking resem-
lance. Up to the firing upon Fort Sumpter 7
nd the acts of organized rebellion in the f
-arious Southern States, Senator CONFESS was n
n favor of protecting slavery as. a part of his n
obligation, as he understood it. ;:
3ut when the South threw Of its allegiance, \
Ilaced itself outside the pale Of the Constitu- s.
ion, and deluged the land with the blood Of