The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1878-02-14
pressed and thousands of Irisbmen throwl

him support, they supplied him with all
necessaries Of life, and the idea of emigrat-
ing to the wilds of North America never
entered his mind. Even If he did emiyrate
there was a fairer land lying at bis very
/ door. There was Ireland with her millions
/ of fat acres waiting for the Englishman to
! come and possess them, for none hut Eng
lishmen could occupy the lands in ireland.
! Buff what became of the Irish who were
/ dispossessed of their lands? What became
! OF the thousands of workmen, mechanics,
/ and laborers who were thrown out Of en-
ployment on the Suppression of the Irish
manufacturers? They would not be allow,
ed to cultivate the soil of Ireland, because
they were rebels to the government that
had robbed and deprived them OF their just
rights; they could not find employment IN
England because they were Irish; they
would not be allowed to emigrate to France
or Spain or join the armies Of these coun-
tries, because these powers were opposed
to English domination and intolerance,
and were her most formidable enemies.
English cruisers lined the Irish coasts,
and English sails whitened the Irish waters
Watching for a glimpse OF foreign ship
coming with friendly succor to the Irish.
And thus continued without intermission
from 1851 till the beginning of the Revolu-
ton. What then became Of the Irish?
They emigrated to the British North
American colonies and settled there. They
came to Virginia, North Carolina, Massa-
chusetts, and the several other colonies in
possession of the British Crown. No other
place was open to them, England glad to
get rid of them permitted them tc emigrate.
So we find that out Of the three millions
who inhabited the thirteen colonies at the
beginning of the Revolution one million of
those were Irish by birth or descent. As
we have said the English penal laws were
inforced in Ireland Every thing that
tyranny could do to subjugate the people
was resOrted to. Not only was religion a
crime, but their very names, which often
served as pretext for their hanging. a
law was passed compelling the Irish to
abolish their names, and substitute English
ones in their stead. Almost all the old
Irish names in the province of Linster were
accordingly abrogated. The same, to
more or less extent, was secured in the other
provinces, particularly in Ulster Irish
names were not fashionable among the
English or their descendants. The British
Government held possession of America,
and after the fall of Quebec, when the
French were driven from the continent, and
the British became possessed Of Canada,
their insoence and intolerance knew no
bounds. They looked down upon the
colonists as an inferior people: even their
own countrymen the English settlers, they
desp;sed and treated with contempt. When
this was the case with their own blood, how
must it have faired with the Irish, whom
they regarded as their natural enemies?
The latter, to great extent had dropped
their Irish applications before emigrating,
and adopted an English equivelant. This
was absolutely necessary IN many cases,
both in Ireland and America in order to
obtain subsistence; for, as we have said
Irish names were not fashionable, and any
thing not savoring of English would not be
tolerated To be English was all that was
good and great in the eyes of tie govern
lnant, to be Irish was to be trampled and
despised. Such were the arrogant preten
sions Of the English aristocracy both IN
Europe and American colonies. But the
Irish settlers spread and multiplied in the
land. The smoke of their cabins rose on
the banks Of the waters, their leg huts
stood by the Ohio, and the Potomac, and
the ring of their axes was heard from the
Juniata to the woods Of Maine as they
broke down the defences Of barbarsm and
reclaimed the unbroken wilderness. They
had hoped that English tyranny would not
invade their homes in the far west, and that
the red man and the forest beasts would be
the only enemies they would have to con-
tend against. But when towns rose where
once the Indian had his hunting grounds;
when the bays that were never ruffied but
| by the paddles of the birch canoe, were
now filed with shipping; when the wOois
that had yielded to the powers Of the toiler's
arm had disappeared, and IN their places
| smiling homesteads and villages were SEEN;
Ehen the busy hum of labor was heard
throughout the colonies, and the lahorer
sat down to enjoy the reward OF his honest
toll, then tue English tyranny cropped out,
and with aristocra tic insolence demanded
and cutched at the fruits OF his industry
Complications arose, England was arrogant
il her demands, the colonists grumbled and
were half disposed to fight. She laughed al
them and sent over Az army TO coerce
them into submission. Who then stood
firm and rebelled? Who then stirred uE
the spirit Of the colonists? Was i: not thu
Irish? 1t was the Irish, yes Irish by brit
or descent. 1t was Patrick Henry, Chas
Carroll, John Hancock, and hundreds 0
other lrishmen who reused the spirit Of tn
coouists.
Was it not an freshman who struck tb
first blow against the English?
Was not the principle part of the rebe
army composed of lrishf Aud were the
not the bravest wherever they were found
Was not the fyehunired riflemen VIII
fought under Morgan, principally Irish, an
| the braves OF the war? They marched hV
! hundred miles on foot from Virginia, cage