The Shasta courier., 1868-09-26
SHASTA COURIER.
The Irish as Voters.

P'it'Su' ats, We Illke no dlluSlOO 10 the
Scotch element which settled in the North of
Ireland, and whose blood has been mixed to
some extent with that cf the Irish, and from
which has sprung brilliant constellation of
poets, dlyines, statesmen and heroes. But
we refer to the Irish as a distinct and sep
arate people-withoutR o government of their
own-the dscontented, unwilling subjects
OF their ancient enemies, and only kept IN
subsection by the employment OF stringent
police regulations. No amount OF shrewd
management on the part Of their rulers, aided
as 1t has been by famine and pestlence, has
been able to wipe out their nationality
They still remain Irish in look, tongue and
habits, which mark them as distinct race,
with peculiarities which are possessed by no
other people under the sun. They have
made as great sacrifices for their religion as
any other people. and in social and moral
point of view have been benefited by it,.
They have taken an active part in politics,
but only to their injury. They can truly
boast of having fought more successful bat
ties for their Oppressnrs than they ever have
for themselves This is the Irish at home
But whether at home or abroad they take an
active part in politics They fight as readily
under one flag as another, and are always
sure to call on their enemies for advice
They just as likely to engage in "A mob
against the laws of a government that gives
them freedom and makes them citizens, as
against government that loads them with
chains and denies their manhood
Although they are sure to take an active
interest in politics, it has uniformly been
their misfortune to cut their own political
throats, while innocently supposing they
were insuring the political death of somebody
else. They seem to be governed by no broad
principal, nor do they have any far reaching
and comprehensive policy of political action.
They have great reverence for dead saints.
but will exhibit their love for conflict over
the remains of a departed friend. They man.
itest a strong disposition and some ability to
tear down but they are without the requisite
qualifications to remove the rubbish and erect
a better and more noble structure upon the
ruins. They complain, and not uniustly,
of English oppression and yet they are des-
titute of any sympathy for others in bonds,
as clearly shown in the part they have taken
with the masters of the South against the op-
pressed Of that region.
For twenty-five years. upon plain and
distinct issue, as made by the abolitionist
and the Democratic party, they have voted
solid for the latter, thus giving their inhu-
ence against freedom and in favor of chans
and slavery. Slaves as they are at home.
growl as they do at their fate, they come to
this country and cast their votes with an aris-
tocracy that has sacrificed its political life in
Il tremendous effort to extend slavery over an
entire continent. For fifteen years prior to
the rebellion, the leading Democratic papers
of the South maintained that the best con-
dition of society was when capital owned the
labor, without regard to calling. That doc.
trne, reduced to practice, would make slaves
of the Irish race, for as a people they are the
laborers; and notwithstanding this, for all
that time have given their votes to bring
about Just this state Of things.
They have taken counsel If their worst
enemies without knowing it, They complain
of oppressive laws and gloomy state of
things outside and inside of the hedges and
bitches of old Ireland and still have walked
up to the polls and 9 ven their votes to make
II worse state of things in this country and
the only reason why we are not quite so bad
off in the United States as the people of Ire
land are. is simply and plainly because there
have not been Irish votes enough here to
make US so.
The Irish never should have taken part
with the s0-called Democracy IN favor of
slaeery-the most abhorrent system of slave
ry that wicked men ever divised. There is
one course that the Irish people in this coun-
try should have pursued, would have pur
sued if they had possessed any just concep-
ton Of right and wrong, or had consulted
their own interests. They would have joined
their fortunes with the out and out abolition
lists of New England thirty years ago. Had
they done this, that same strong arm which
shivered slavery to atoms with the terrible
thunderbolts of battle, and knocked the
shackles from four millions of slaves, would
before this have upset John Bulls rule in
Ireland. But SO long as the Irish give their
votes to aid oppressors and to crush the help
less, they neither deserve, nor are they like
ly to get aid or sympathy for themselves
They have committed an irreparable blunder
bv their association with the Democratic
party in the past, and they should lose no
time in making amends by more intelligent
and consistent political action in the future.
When Irishmen consider the courage, per-
sistency and devotion that the Republican
party has displayed in behalf of liberty, and
that although opposed by the Democracy,
they are pledged to make all men equal be-
fore the law in this country, they should
know that from that organization, if from
any, they must expect assistance. And they
need not hesitate to trust the disposition nor
the ability of party which, against their
votes, added to the sham Democracy, has al
ready gwen IrpeuOm anu SCHOOLS VIII cltlZeu-
ship to four millions of oppressed and down
trodden men. And now this Republican
party, headed by General Grant, representing
the patriotic devotion and courage that car
ried us through the war. and the true democ
racy of the country, is arrayed against one
representing copperheadsm- that defends
slavery, the reputation of our debts, and
threatens revoution-that has openly joined
itself to the rebels of the South, represented
by Toombs. Wise. Forrest and the murder
Gus Ku-Klux-Kan. True democracy, as
represented by the Republican party, is
morally certain to triumph in this election,
and whether Irishmen still stolidly maintain
their old party affiliations, or cut loose from
them and join those who represent the nobler
aud better sentiments of the nation, is
question which more deeply concerns the
lrlshmen of this country than anybody else.
ST. laurence, " T., Pldindealer.
TALL PRAYING.-IIere is how Elder Knapp
prayed for Universalst preacher, Rev. S.
B. Britton, in Bridgeport, once upon time: