Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1866-10-02
The Irish Vote.
HAnrER'g FEnnf, Sent. 25. 1856.

hArPEh . Eht4, sept 70, 1906.
To the Editor Of The SPIRIT Of JEFFERSON:
SIR:-In the coming contest, or rather in
the contest now pending, for election is after
all, only the counting of results, the most ex-
traordinary efforts are being made by Radi-
calism, to influence the Irish vote in its IA
vor. Although the union of such clements.
would be as anomalous and absurd, as mis-
cegenation is immoral and disgusting, vet con-
gressional leaders through the country are
counting it with honied words that arc new
to their lips, and that they hate to speak.
Although long time in this country, L am
an freshman by birth. 1t is therefore, what
is called an Irish vote that shall cast. I do
not propose to influence any man but merely
if you will give me little space-say.
how shall cast mine, and why [ shall SO
cast it,
Radicalism, or rather puritanism, which is
at once the filthy nest and the prolific mother
of radicalsm, abolitionism, and all the isms
and evils of this country, has ever and al
ways hated, and to the best of its ability, tan
talized, tyranizcd and oppressed the Irish
race III America. Perhaps it is because such
vast majority of the Irish here are Cath
oIlcs, perhaps it is because they arc so demos
cratically inclined, perhaps it is because of
the prOyerbially frank, generous, liberal and
opposite to the. mean, inquisitivc, informed
ling, relentless and untorgiving spirit of
Ncw-Englandism. But be this so, or not,
such is the fact. If amid the disinterested
patriots of the last Congress, who voted them
selves two thousand dollars, and to the white
soldiers of the war, one hundred, or any of
their tribe, there is one, with tcmerity enough
to question this statement, shall not defend
1t by solitary instances, such as the church
burnings in Philadelphia, the Massachusetts
legislative inquisitorial examination of con
vents,-the prevailing advertisements in
Northern papers Of ono Irish need apply" or
the lying charge that the New York riots
were Irish. No, shall appeal to the gem
eral history of the country,
g. Proofs will there be seen
Thick 3 autumnaI leaves,
That strcw the wales of VaIambrosa -
The uprising Of 1874, and after that that
of the know nothings, are mere specimen
bricks of the goddess edfice. Viii Irish
men, can Irishmen, assist in giving perma-
nent local hab'tation and name, and political
influence and power to such party? For
one, shall not
have not noticed, and shall not now no.
tice, the base ingratitude, and numberless.
petty sights of the small>fry of the radical
party to the Irish people in this country
But Thadeus Stevens, the head demon of the
last Congress, says, that the negro race is in
every respect equal to the Irish. When Mr.
Stevense can show me that missionaries of the
African race have preached the gospel, and
made converts to christianity, in every region
OF the earth-barbarous and civiliZed-that
its philosophers have instructed the world.
that its generals have led troops to victory on
the hardest fought fields, that its orators have
enlightened Senates, that its poets, painters
and sculptors have been the delight and adj
miration of mankind, that In all the arts and
sciences it has been pre- eminent, and not less
so in the industrial walks Of life, when he can
show me, that the internal Improvements of
this country have been, to great extent, per-
formed by the head and hands of the negro,
then he may talk about negro equality. In
the meantime, he will give me permission to
think, that while the Irish race, in addition to
its unparalleled social and political misfor-
tunes, can boast of all these things, the Afri-
can race is the most ignorant and degraded
race that the world has ever known, and while
one that strongly appeals to the sympathy of
tho superior race, is yet, utterly unfit for the
exercise of the rights that he and his faction,
for improper purposes, seeks to confer upon
it. The recent leaders of the Republican
party, of honesty and intellect-such men as
Beecher and Tying, holding these opinions,
are one by one, ike shrewd rats, escaping
from the sinking ship. If Stevens, having
no honesty, is void also of brains, there is no
accounting for his conduct If however, he
has brains, then he is simply political vaga-
honda hyPocrite, who enpnciates in public
what his private judgment condemns.
1, for one. and L think speak for my fellow
country people generally, at the coming cleo
ton, shall vote for those. only, who arc in ia
vor of the immediate admission of properly
qualified Southern members to Congress, and
the Immediate reconstruction of the Union
on just and friendly, and therefore, neces-
sarily, permanent basis. Always, not only
forgiying and forgetting the unhappy past,
but ardently praying for that universal " good
feeling" the memory of which, in the past,
is so pleasant, and which in the past, made
this country the envy of mankind.
Every consideration, economical, moral or
philosophical, that occurs to me on the state
of the country, satisfies me that this is the
duty of patriotism. The bugabOo cry, that
disloyal men will be elected to Office, and that
Southern men will rule the roast, if given po-
litical rights, is not worth consideration. |
have met plenty of dissatisfied, angry and
indignant Southerners, but as yet, no disIoyaI
ones. That an odd bad man will be elected
to office is as true, perhaps, as that there was
Judas among the apostles, or that corpo-
ration In New York, sometime since earned
for itself the title of the forty thieves. But
one swallow does not make summer While
with Mr.. Beccher-L say, if Southern
men, from superior ability, are able to rule
the country, let th6m do So They certainly
cannot exceed the stupidity, selfshness and
disIoyaity OF the last Congress. To the die