National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1880-01-20
SYMPATHY ZOE IRELAND.

The masS-meeting which Is to be held nj
Lincoln Hall this evening, pursuant to o
call of not only many of the most promi-
nent citizens of the District of Columbia,
but also of the most distinguished men of
our Nation residing at the Capital, is one of
the thousands of public meetings which
are being held, or which will soon be held
throughout our broad and prosperous land,
for the purpose of expressing the heartfelt
sympathy of the American people for the
brave, generous and unfortunate famine
stricken people of Ireland, and of contrib
uting from our abundance for their relief.
The people Of America require little urg-
ing in matters of humanity and generosity, |
whether for the relief of the unfortunate |
and stricken at home or abroad. To be gen. |
erous to fault is an instinct which is hon |
estly inherited in large measure with the
great tide of Irish blood which flows in the
veins of the American people, and warns
their hearts for deeds ofvalor and generosity
to-day as truly as it did in the days fthe Rev.
olution. The sympathy ofthe Irish was with
us when our Revolutionary sires, suffering
| like that people under the merciless tyranny
and arbitrary exactions of foreign rule, and
| inspired with an invincible love of justice
and liberty, hurled dcspotism from power
upon this continent and founded govern
ment of the people, which they transmitted
to their SONS, and which their sons have
nobly maintained and will transmit in per-
petuity to posterity. In that struggle the
Irish soldier performed his part. He main
tanned his traditionary valOr upon every
battlefield Of the Revolution and every war
in which our flag was carried to victory.
His loyalty in our cause has always been as
conspicuous as his bravery, from the time
when the old Pennsylvania line" Almost
" to man Irish las FRoUDE truly asserts
confronted and routed tho veteran
legions of Britain, until the day that the
dashing squadrons of the Seventh cavalry
almost to a man Irish, alsO-rode to their
death at Big Horn under CUSTER and
KEoGH.
As Ireland is nearer to us in geographical
situation than any other European country,
and as our people, numerically considered,
are nearer of kin to the people Of Ireland
than to any other European people, it is
natural that we should feel the bond of
contiguity and kindred which binds Ire
, land to America, and that the stricken
Irish should look with wistful eyes and
confident hope to America for relief, now,
rs they did in the terrible famine of 1867.
That their appeal will be met as generously
now as then, we cannot doubt Ireland,
more than any other land, is our mother
country. Much as we talk of our Anglo
= Saxon origin, the Irish in America aud the
descendants of the Irish constitute the
: largest element of our population to-day
l although it is almost imperceptible, be-
1 cause of the rapidity and perfection Of its
amalgamation with us. If any one is in
clined to doubt the fact he will find album
3 daut evidences in the Census and Statistical
s Reports of cur consanguine relationships
r with the various natonalities Of Europe,
and of the large prepOnderance of Irish
= blood in our people during the last half cen
, tury at least.
1t would be trite and unnecessary TO en-
q large upon the well-lSnown fact, that our
4 independence and progress as Nation arc
= largely due to Irish immigration. Tho
3 stalwart arms, the keen perceptions, and
q almost reckless enterprise of the Irish inn
migrants have contributed in the past as
well as the present their full share to our
national importance aud vigorous habits.
They have more largely aided in the found
D ing of our industries, in the development
of our natural resources, and in the creation
. of our wealth than any other race. In
= every honorable calling, in the ranks Of
. humble labor, on sea and land, in trade and
commerce aud manufacture, in the field and
9 in the factory, on the bench and in the forum
u in the church and in the halls of legls
D latiOn, Celtic industry, enterprise, bravery
:, genius, lea rning, eloquence and pa
~ triotism, have been conspicuous features
: of our progress from the time Of the de-
y struction of the wooden trade and shipping
and agricultural interests Of Ireland-pur-
= suant 10 an English policy ofexterminatinl
all rivals in trade commenced in the seven
ne tenth century when twenty thousan,
NJ Irish emigrated in one year to tn
No A." Puritan Colonies "-EJOude) until tn
re- present time, when the more Tecen
nd Irish and their descendants so largel
ID outnumber tho Puritans in New Eng
m land, and maintain, as we'll with their cap
ne ital as their skill and labor, so much Of tn
in WOODEN and cotton manufacturing indus
" tries there They are already In successful
is competition with the looms Of England, 70