The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1870-06-26
Irish Colonization Societies.

Our friends of Irish birth or syuapathies
at the North are being considerably moved
ut this time with various propositions for
ameliorating the fate which generally awaits
Irish immigrants upon their arrival in this
country. Many of them come over here
totally ignorant of what they shall do or
whittier they shall direct their steps after
reaching land, and generally bring up I'M
the very city where they get ashore, to earn
their living by such labor as they may find
q demand for.
The great majority of these immigrants
are of the class called peasants in IRELAND, !
simple-hearted and innocent, IMMERSED in|
the ways Of cities and unskilled in any
kind of labor but that of the farm. NeitheTI
their moral nor physical culture adapts33
them to the ways Of city life, and they be-
take themselves to it to the manifest injury
Of both their character and their fortunes.
These facts are 30 patent that organiza-
tions are being formed at the North for the
purpose of forwarding such immigrants toI
the West and locating them on farms whereI
IA handsome competence will be sure toi
follow few years. application of the skill
and strength which they possess, and where
the rustic virtues which they bring with
them will remain uncontaminated by the
( city life.
We must admit that there is immense|
room at the North for efforts of this chart
table nature, and that even here in New
Orleans much good might be accomplished
by an organization of this kind.
How many of our laboring population,
strictly SO called, ever amass any amount
of property, or die worth dollarf Indeed
the same thing may be asked as we'll in re l
&gard to the vast majority of our profess
sional men, merchants and clerks. They
may all make a good deal of money, and
fatter themselves that they are accumula-
ting, but how many have really accumu-
lated anythingf Who are theyF 1t will
be found on investigation that their pro-
portion is very small to the great number
fully their equals in all respects, who have
scarcely means enough to pay their debts.
Yet all these, located on farms, would, with
:. the same effort which they employ here,
T gradually acquire competency and gener-
3ally wealth.
The question thus naturally presents it
= self to all philanthropists, how can these
men be induced to do what would evidently
be SO much better for themselves7 What
are the impediments which deter them from
suchaa course, and how may they be re-
4 movedf
In the first place, on arriving here they
have not within their reach the proper
sources of information on subjects of such
grave Importance. Then frequently they
have not the means to establish themselves
on farms perfectly unaided, and often
times, if they even had the means, the cir,
cumstances which they would have to en-
counter in the country are such as to deter
+ them.
The Irish immigrant, in making up hi'
mind to settle in the interior, would like tx
have reasonable prospect of health, o.
success, and of those religious and socia
advantages to which he has been accus
toned. OF what advantage to him will b'
any farm, no matter how rich the land, i
it will only be q graveyard for his chill
dren7 He must, therefore, be able t.
select healthy home. Then how is he t.
know whether, in certain healthy sections
the soil will be good enough to repay hi
labor with its fruits, and whether he viii