Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-03-22


Northwestern Chronicle.
We lay bei1re our readers in this article
proposition from the Rev. James Nugent,
of Live pool, the importance of which is
self-evident, while the results, in Gods prov
idence, may grow to magnitude far beyond
any estimation we would be now justified in
making.
Father Nugent makes this proposition in
a communication addressed to the Right
Rev. Bishop Ireland, at the same that he has
addressed a similar communication to other
influential gentlemen in the Western States.
The following is Father Nugent's letter:
HoRNEY ROAD.
WALTON, LIVERPOOL, Feb, 10, 1880.
My DEAR LoRD:-I have just returned from
Ireland having been deputed by the Liverpool
Irish Relief committee to visit the western
portion of that country. l speut some six or
seven days in Connemara, where l found one
third of the population IN actual need of lmme-
date outdoor relief Their holdings of land
run from three to i've acres for which they pay
at least e5, and in many cases more. The land
itself is Doggy and of cold, wretched charac-
ter, and even in favorable seasons they can do
nothing more than live upon it; in fact would
always be in state of restitution if it were
not for the supplemental help they gain by
coming to labor in England. 1t would be real
blessing to help some of these families to emf
crate to the Catholic colonies now opening out
in America If you can by means of any
organization promise to supply Ger
tain nun Der of families with homes in the
colonies you feel interested in, will undertake
to fiud the to assist them across the
Atlantic. l consider that if l could only help
100 families to emlgrate from ConEemara this
spring it would be an immense blessing to
those who leave the country and would give
greater opportunities to those who remain. A
few gentlemen IN Liverpool who are interested
in the condition of the Irish people are prepar-
ed to help me in this undertaking and you will
confer on me the greatest favor by writing or
better still by cabling on the receipt of this.
| am my dear lord, ever faithfully,
JAMES NUGENT.
On receipt of Father Nugent's letter
Bishop Ireland at once put himself in COM
munication with others who had been recipi-
ents of the good fathers appeal, and the re-
suit was that the first most important step
has been taken successfully; various railroad
companies have been appealed to and with
unparalleled generosity and public spirit, they
have agreed to carry free, from the seaboard
to the lands of the West, the emigrants
Father Nugent may send out.
Now, here is the way the case stands at
present. Father Nugent proposes to send
out a number OF families from the most des-
titute district in Ireland where dire poverty
would have been their portion had they in
fee sirple the miserable patches of noun
tain heath and bog they now hold at rack
rent prices. Thanks to Father Nugent and
his co-laborers the ocean pathway is free to
them to fee from this dire, hopeless poverty
to the new world.
Thanks to the liberality of our great rail-
road companies, the way is made free to
them to the virgin soil of the West, with its
new hopes. Behold them with their hands
stretched out to US, their brothers; friends
and generous strangers have opened the way
for them to our very doors and surely neither
heart nor door shall be closed to them.
What answer shall we in Minnesota send
back? How many of those poor families
can we promise Father Nugent to take? We
will take some; we hesitate to say the num-
Der our proud confidence in the Irishmen of
Minnesota would justify us in calculating
upon. AS we said before, the way is clear
to them to our very doors; We will
add to this, Bishop Ireland offers to
place them on land in location
where they will get work. What is required
then? Means to give each family little
start in their new home on land; on land
from which, praise be to God, neither the
landlord nor the process server can remove
them.
How many of those poor families Mime
sofa will provide for we cannot say until we
hear from the Irish citizens of the State, and
when they take the first move in this matter,
as is their right, believe US that our Ameri-
can fellow-citizens will be heard from. They
will not leave all this good work to US. They
will not leave to US all the credit of making,
by prompt and generous action, the name of
Minnesota, its broad acres and big hearts,
famous over all Europe. They will wish to
share with us this opportunity of benefting
our State.
Already the Irish citizens in Chicago have
held preliminary meeting with the object
of raising funds to assist fifty of Father NJ
gents poor Connemara families to go upon
land in Nebraska, but even with ten days
start in favor of our Chicago friends, we
will make a wager that Minnesota will be
the first to cablegram to Liverpool, send US
- poor families from Connemara. We
leave a blank for the number, it will be
filled up when we hear from our friends.
We now open a subscription list for the
Irish Connemara colony in Minnesota. All
are W 10 Scut uiIcCb W
Rev. John Ireland, st. Paul, Mimi, and the
names and amounts will be published each
week in the Chronicle. Remember, there is
no time to delay, those we will have we must
have here in time to make little gardens to
helpto support them for the first year.
Remember, too, that this is only the init
alive step, that many communities will fol-
low when we set the example. Let Mime
sofa have the honor of taking the first step,
OF saying first to Father Nugent and his Liv-
erpool friends God bless them) Minnesota
'ready. Ay, ready"
One hundred families Father Nugent pro-
poses to send out. Whatever portion we can
take of this number, let it be the first batch
called for; ten, fifteen, twenty, or twenty-five
families.
The number will be all according to the
total of the subscriptions. The list is now
open; send in your subscriptions fol
Minnesota's Connemara colony. No doubt
our people have given before and literally,
but this is an exceptional case.
Every day there is an opportunity to do
acts of charity, but combined with this the
opportunity comes to US now, of setting an
example that will lead to the permanent
benefit of thousands of our countrymen
that will bring credit, honor and benefit to
M;ppacofo apd its nifizens