Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-05-03
JOHN KELLY ON THE IRISH.
Lecture Showing the Share i'm the
Advancement of This Country Taken
by Irishmen.

Tammany's chieftain, John Kelly, stood
on the stage of the Academy of Music for
over an hour last night and lectured on
the early Irish settlers in North and South
America. The lecture was for the benefit
of Father Barry'S Church of the Vista
ton, at Front street and Lehigh avenue.
which has been built, but has not been
entirely paid for. The extensive orchestra
and the four large galleries of the Acade-
my were pretty well filed and among
the audience were number of the dele
gates to the Irish Convention, whom the
proximity of the Academy to HOrticultur.
al Hall brought out from the arduOus du-
ties of the evening. 1t was John Kely's
first appearance in Philadelphia, and
many of those present were drawn bv
curiosity to see and hear him. He APP
peared i'll evening suit, and, with his stout
stubby figure and his short gray bearded
face, it was not difficult to recognize him
at first glance. W. +. Harrity, eX-Chair-
man of the City Democratic Committee.
introduced the distinguished lecturer: and
referred to Father Barry's integrity and
necessity for money to complete his
church. Mr.. Kelly spoke in a deep, strong
bass, and his utterance was clear. "While
individual merit,' said he, counts for
more in America than lineal descent. it is
not uninteresting and uninstructive to
look back and see who our fOrpfathprS
were. Freeman, the English historian.
has asserted that. with very few eXcep-
tiOns, the early English-speaking settlers
in America were English. This is an er-
rOr, as was similar statement made by
FrOude. 1t is a general, but erroneous.
belief that the Irish element in the United
States dated from the immigration caused
by the prosecutions of 1916 and 1S47. PeO-
pie are familiar with the old colonial
names of Carroll and Sullivan, but they
look upon them as isolated cases of early
Irish settlers in America. This, however
is not so. As the Irish held a front rank
in the armies and the councils of other
nations, so they contributed in a marked
degree to the colonial triumph in the seven
years struggle in the United States. 1t
seems that the Irish have found their level
only when removed from their own un-
happy country. Marquis MacMahon
grandfather of the late President of
France, was one of the many who came
to America to extend a helping hand to
the colonies. The largest popular emigra-
tiOn was after the violated treaty of
Limerick. The heaviest current was di-
rected to Pennsylvania, Maryland and the
Southern States, and here the early set
tiers established the most liberal govern
ments of the time. In one month there
were 900 Irish immigrants. an unusual
ly large number for that age. At the
time OF the revolutionary war IA majority
of the people in Pennsylvania were Irish,
and 730 towns in this State bore the titles
of Tyrone, Donegal and other equally
Irish names. Between 1920 and 1870 there
was large Irish immigration to Chester
county, pennsylvania. The town of New
Windsor, Orange county, New York. was
founded by Charles Clinton, a fOrefather
of De Witt Clinton, in 1929 Kentucky
was first explored by band of Irish pio-
neers. The first monument erected in
Virginia was a rude shaft constructed by
an Irishman. President Monroe, Polk and
Jackson were of Irish descent, and it was
even said of the last named that he was
born somewhere between Carrickfergus
and the United States. Within fortnight.
in 1913, 1900 Irish arrived in PHILADELPHIA.
Many of them were redemptioners, or per-
sons whose passage over was paid by ar
premiership for a term as labOrers
Among those was George Taylor, a signer
of the Declaration of Independence. At
least nine of the signers were of Irish
birth or extraction. Many Of the Ameri-
can successes were due to Irishmen. In
the war ofindependence Ireland furnished
one hundred soldiers to one of other
foreign nations. The advance line of the
Pennsylvania division was Irish. Colonel
Fitzgerald was the favOrite aide of Wash
ingtOn. The first naval victory was won
| by Jeremiah O'Brien, who captured a
British man-Of-war off the coast of Maine.
and a wealthy family of ship owners are
| his descendants. General Moylan was
the brother of a Bishop of Cork, and Mad
Anthony Wayne was a prominent MEM
! Der Ofthe Society of st. Patrick. In Cana
| da, to-day, the Irish are numerically
stronger than the English, Scotch and
! French. In conclusion, my lecture has
! been, not for the purpose of unduly exalt-
| ing our nationality above another but TO
| show that Irishmen are no newcomers or
intruders in the United States, and that
while their names may not be engraved on
| Plymouth Rock, they stand out i'm lumi-
nous letters on the council tables and bat
| tlefields of the revolution