The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-08-29
The PrCsbytcrIans of Washington Coun.
~, Pa.

", IA.
We have alluded elsewhere in this issue
TO the Presbyterian centennial celebration
up in the Ten Mile region OF Washington
county, Pa, yesterday, and to the address
es that were delivered. Mention was
made there yesterday Of the stern stuff OF
which the ancestors Of those people, who
were the first settlers Of Washington coun-
ty, were made. They are nearly all OF
Scotch Irish extraction, and their ances-
tors brought with them from the North OF
Ireland that love Of freedom and hatred OF
oppression which has always characterized
the Scotch.lrish population in this country
to this day. The historian Bancroft pay s
ahigh and deserved tribute to these peo-
pie in the fifth volume OF his history OF tn 0
Unel States. lie speaks Of the early
manifestations Of their liberty loving char
a'teristics in Ireland, using the following
language in regard to them:
But besides the conforming Protestant
population, there was in ireland another
class Of Protestants who shared in some
degree the disQualifiCations OF the Catho.
lies. To Queen Anne's bill for preventing
the further growth OF Popery, q clause
was added in England and ratified by the
Irish Parliament, that none should be
capable Of any public employment, or OF
being in the magistracy Of any city, who
did not receive the sacrament according
to the English test act; thus disiranchis.
ing the whole body OF Presbyterians. At
home, where the Scottish nation enjoyed
its own religion, the people were loyal
in Ireland the distranchised Scotch Pres.
byterians, who still drew their ideas OF
Christian government from the Westmin.
ster Confession, began to believe that they
were under no religious obligation to rem
der obdience TO the British government.
They could not enter the Irish Parliament
to strengthen the hands OF the patriot
party; nor were they taught by their faith
to submit in patience, like the Catholic
Irish. Had all Ireland resembled them,
i could not have been kept in subsection.
But what could be done by unorganized
men, constituting only about a tenth Of
the people, in the land in which they
butwere soiourners? They we're willing to
quit soil which was endeared to them by
no traditions; and the American colonies
opened their arms to receive them. They
began to change their abode as soon as
they felt oppression; and every successive
period Of discOntent swelled the tide OF
emlgrants. Just after the peace OF Paris
the e"Heart OF Oak" Protestants OF Ulster,
weary OF strife with their landlords, came
over in great numbers; and settlements
on the Catawba, in South Carolina, dated
from that epoch. At different times in
the eighteenth century some had found
homes in New England, but they were
I1ost numerous south OF New York, from
New Jersey to Georgia. In Pennsylvania
they peopled many counties, till, in public
life, they already balanced the influence
Of the Quakers, In Virginia, they went
up the valley Of the Shenandoah; and
they extended themselves along the tribu-
taries oil the Catawba, in the beautiful up.
land region Of North Carolina. Their
training in Ireland had kept the spirit OF
liberty and readiness to resist unjust gov.
ernment as fresh in their hearts as though
they had been listening to the preachings
Of Knox, or musing over the political
creed Of the Westminster Assembly. They
brought TO America no submissive love
tor England; and their experience and
their religion alike bade them meet op.
preston with prompt resistance. We
shall find the first voice publicly raised in
America to dissolve all connection with
Great Britain came, not from the Puritans
o. New England, or the Dutch OF New
YORK, or the planters Of Virginia, but
trOtu sCotCh.lrish Presbyterians."