The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1876-06-18
COUNTRY rs. CITY.
toches.

| Ae would be, perhaps matter of grave in
l investigate Why it is, tn at people who, in thei
| native country, are almost entirely devoted t,
| agricultural pursuits should altogether ignor
this useful occupation when they set foot OF
American soil. 1t is, uDquestiona5ly, fac
that the 1rish population of the United Statel
| has, as whole, evinced more indisposition tc
till the soil than any other nationality. And
We think that in this the Irish people have
| made great mistake. If one half the energy
| they devote to the unhealthy and Faborioni
employ merits they follow in large cities wa.
| bestowed on Ehe soil, not only would the m ate
| rial happiness of the people be increased, but
they would lay the foundation of q state OF
future independence, both for themselves and
1nborn generations. Look at the large and
hourishing colonies of Germans and Swedee
who people the fertile plains of the West, and
| then Look at the condition of q great msiority
OF the lrIsh in large towns and cities, and see
what deductions you can draw from the COM
parison. On the one hand we have people en-
gagged in q heslthful and lacrative pursuit,
subject to none of the fluctuations OF business
which make city life precarious bringing up
their children in the fresh pure air of heaven
uncon tamiDated by the reeklng cofru ption,
moral and physical, which abounds in depssly
crowded cities. On the other side stands q
people crowded by day into hot and swelterinR
mills aud manufactures, and by night into un.
wholesome and uncomfortable tenement houses,
valoly struggling on mere pittauce for the
support OF their families, aud having their
children exposed to all the evil example that
rnns riot in large communities. And, with all
this, liable at any moment by the act of their
employer, to be cast upon the world, to stsrve
minded reader, which of the two modes of ex-
istence is preferable7 And the former lies as
much within the reach of the Irish immigrauG
of anyone else. We are well aware that o
great number of persons come to this country
with barely means to pay their passage to our
shores. These are, therefore, necessitated to
take hold of whatever employment offers, but
they certainly arc not henceforth compelled to
wear away their lives in the frowsy confines OF
fostering cities. A very little money saved will
take q man tOthe Western States, where, If he
is unable to purchase q farm presently, he can
get employment on enc, and where he may be-
come familiar with the American mode of oul-
ture and accumulate enough to purchase land
OF his own. Or he may do, as many do, work Q
farm on shares, giving the owner 90 much of
the proceeds; until he is able to buy for him
self Horace Greeley was much ridiculed for
advising young men to " go West" but we be.
lieve IL was the soundest advice he ever gave /;
provided persons do not go there under the inn
preston that they can have independence and
wealth uneccompanied by work. But we be-
lieve our Irish fellow-citizeps are not men of
that kind, and we know that great many of
them could not only better their condition by
engaging in agricultural pursuits, but also con-
sidersbly enhance the value of labor in large
cities among those they left behind.
Strong arguments these, and worthy the ex-
oellent paper from which we copy, the Pitts
burg Catholic Journal. In one respect, however,
the Journal is q little behind time: the proper
advice to the young now is 60 SOUTH" in
stead of $50 West" With the finest climate
most fertile soil and cheapest lands in the
civilized world, the South offers unequalled
Inducements to the agriculturist. The only
trouble with is that We don't care enough
for the opinion of the "rest of the world" to
contradict the lies that have been spread broad
cast over the earth by our Northern friends ~
concerning, cur section of the country and our
selves.