The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1882-11-16

The Irish in America.

h The Irish in America. i
Under the above title the Messrs. Roberts
have reprinted an interesting monograph on
the history of the emigration from Ireland to
the United States, and the influence exercised
on the politics Of their native country by the
Irish settlers in America. The author, Mr.. P
H fBagenal, is an Englishman, and looks at
Irish questions from an English point of view,
and wehave therefore been unable to; find
anything new or valuable in his remarks on
the recent Land League agitation, and the re-
lation of that movement to the Irish element
of the American population. On the other
hand, his researches in the history of Irish
emigration to this country have had substan-
tial results, and are likely to surprise those
persons who imagine that our struggle for in
dependence was almost exclusively carried on
by colonists of English descent. The large part
taken by Irishmen in the winning ofour polit-
ical liberties is clearly brought out In this vol
ume. The striking facts collected by the au-
thor ought to be widely known, for they
would 60 far to render impossible renewal
of the old Native American agitation under
any form. $3.50.
As early as the middle of the seventeenth
century the English authorities IN Ireland
gave orders to deliver all prisoners war and
all destitute persons to the agents of Bristol
merchants, for transportation to New England.
In 1868, $50 able bodied men and manageable
women were by one shipment drawn from the
purest Celtic blood of the south of Ireland and
infused into the primal stock of the New Eng
land people. Within four years the same
Bristol firms Of slave dealers had shipped 6, 400
Irish men and women to the British colonies
ofNorth America. Maryland, probably from
its Catholic origin, was, at an early period, q
point Of attraction. So rapidly did the Irish
Catholic element multiply in this colony that
in 17O8 the Protestant inhabitants passed an
act imposing fine oftwenty shillin gs for each
Irish servant, ITO prevent the importing of too
great number Of Irish Papists into the prov
ince." Apparently. however, this had not the
desired effect, for in 1717 yet another act was
passed against "Irish Papists" more stringent
than the first. In the ten years between 1871
and 1887 the Irish furnished to the Carolinas
and Georgia the majority Of their settlers
Pennsylvania, however, would appear to be
most distinctively an Irish colony In 1927
there arrived in Newcastle Government 1880
persons, chiefly from Ireland, and at Philadel-
iphia 1855 Irish, ofwhom none were servants,
In the very next year $500 Irish landed at the
port of fhiladelphia, the proportion of Irish
toah other emigrants taken together, being
nearly ten to one. From this date down to the
eve Of tn e Revolution the inflow of emigrants
from Ireland seems to have been amazingly
copious.t In the years 1771-72 the number of
emigrants to America from Ireland alone
amounted to 1880. Within the first fortnight
of August, 1878, there arrived at Philadelphia
$500 colonists from Ireland, and from the
same document which records this circum-
stance it appears that vessels were arriving
every month freighted with emigrants from
Ireland and the Highlands of Scotland. As
most of these settlers were intensely discon-
ten ted with the treatment they had received
at home, their accession to the colonial popu-
lation had no tendency TO diminish the hos
tile sentiments toward Great B which
were daily gathering force in America.
In another chapter Mr., Bagenal shows what
the Irish actually did on the battle field of the
Revolution. In the evidence taken before a
com mittee of the House of Commons on the
conduct of the American war, it was stated, in
answer to question by Edmund Burke, and
on the authority of Gen. Lee, that "half the
rebel Continental army were from Ireland"
Evidence to the same effect is supplied by the
official register of the officers and men from
New Jersey who took part in the Revolutionary
war. The number of Irish names appearing in
the list is most remarkable. Not only were
the rank and file of the Continental army
largely composed of Irish, but very many of
the most distinguished Generals were of Gel
tic birth or descent. Thus Richard Mont
gomery, the first General of the Continental
army who fell'in the struggle, was born in
County Donegal; Major General Anthony
Wayne, known as mad Anthony" on &C
count of his reckless valor, was the son of
Irish parents So was Major Gen. Knox who
throughout the contest was actively engaged
as an artillery officer, ard who subsequently
occupied the post Of Secretary of War in
Washington's Administration. John Barry,
the first Commodore of the American navy,
was born in County Wexford ;.athe three
brothers, John, Daniel and Ebenezer Sullivan
who were conspicuous figures throughout the
Revolutionary period, were of Irish blood.
John Stark was the son of one of the earliest
Irish colonists of New Hampshire, and in
looks, gesture, and brogue was as Irish as il
he had been reared in Cork. Gen. Walter
Stewart came to America from Londonderry
Gen. William Irvine of the Pennsylvania line
and Gen. William Thompson, who commanded
the American forces in the battle of Frois
Rivieres, in Canada, were both natives of Ire
land. Gen. Edward Hand, who became Ad.
jutant- General of the Continental, forces, was
Of Irish descent, and Brig. Gen. Moylan was
born in the south of Ireland. 1t would be
| impossible to goiithrough the roll Of Irsh
names that adorn the military history of the
Revolution, but it should be noted that irish.
| men furnished material assistance in all i'm.
portant ways ao When, for instance, the bank
OF Pennsylvania was established for supplying
the army with provisions, ninety-three firms
and individuals subscribed $500, 900, of which
more than third was contributed by twenty.
| seven members of the Society of the Friendly
Sons OF St. Patrick. 1t is herpointed out
| by the author of this volume that when the
Declaration of Independence was signed in
| the old hallin Philadelphia, at least nine mer
Of Irish birth or Irish descent put their names
to the document is gHUoad IoG-
1t is safe to say that if facts like these had
been properly set forth in the school books o.
the last generation, there would have been nc
| room for the outburst of prejudice which gave
rise TO the Native American government. i
the large share taken by the Irish in the
foundation of our national Independence had
been rightly appreciated, the foolish attempt
TO ostracize them would have been repealed
with Indignation, instead of acquiring for q
brief time considerable political significance.
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