The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-03-18
Ireland and the Irish.

The celebration Of st. Patrick'S day ls an
occasion Of great interest to large body OF
adopted citizens, as well as to the still larger
number Of native birth united to them oy
ties Of relationship. The Irish in America
have this curious and undeniable character
istic, that they never cease to be Irish, and
at the same time are as good Americans as
the best. They are, indeed, among the most
remarkable Of modern people. Genius, Wit
and eloquence seem to be the common herlt-
age, in a greater or less degree, OF the Whole
Irish race. Among their most prominent
characteristics are the courage OF the men,
the purity OF the women, warm hearss anu
omen hands OF all, strong religious faith, and
an imperishable love Of old Ireland.
No accessions to our population from
abroad has been more valuable than that OF
the Irish. They may be said to have been
the pioneers in the immigration to this coun-
try. and as such their labor was indspensa-
BILE in all the industrial enterprises which
have been necessary to the development OF
our national wealth. The public works OF
the country, the car ais, the railroads, the
clearing up OF the Western wilderness, have
been accomplished in great measure through
their bone and muscle. They have formed
the front ranks in the armies Of peace as well
as of war. Their creative energies are as
great as their destructive, and when we say
that, we need add nothing further. In all
our battles, whether by sea or land, their
courage has been conspicuous In all the
wars Of England it is the Irish who lead the
advance, and even In the British expedition
toAbyssinia, it was an Irish column which
swept away the barbarians around Theodo-
rus, at the moment when some OF their
own countrymen were lying in Jail in Eng
land, or preparing to mount the scaffold, as
the penalty of alleged treason. 1t is not,
however, by their physical stamina alone,
either in peace or war, that the Irish have
been Of value to our country. They have
contributed to our moral, intellectual and
political forces as largely as any class Of
emigrants, and they and their descendants
are among the leading and able men in oil
departments Of our public and private life. |
Henry Clay once pointed out striking re-
semblance between the Irish and Kentuckans |
in their impulslve, hospltable, frank, intrepid
character. In truth, they assimilate with |
our people with wonderful facility, and
may be said to be full-Aedged Americans
before they step upon our shores. To those
who are accustomed to speak OF the poverty
OF the Irish peasantry as proof Of a want OF
industry and economy, We need only to ex-
hibit the prosperous condition OF the same
people here as evidence that the state OF
things in their own island is due to other
causes than defects OF the national character, |,
whist the vast sums they have sent to their
friends at home exhibit qualities OF heart
which would do honor to any people. In !
fact, the amazing recuperative energies OF
the Irish people, which centuries OF oppres-
sion have not been able to overcome, are
proof Of vitality that seems capable OF out
living the tyranny which has sought in vain |
to repress it, and Of showing that the sham
rock, like some other plants, has power OF
forcing itself from the ground upward,
through the heaviest superintendent pres
anra