Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-22
THE SCOTCH IRISH
Work Cut Out for The Convention 10
be Held In This City.
THEIR HISTORY HARD TO TRACE.
The War for Independence Brought About
Through Their Influence.
LOYAL FRIENDS OF THE REVOLUTION


terested In the subject, there was meeting
Representative descendants OF Scotch-lrish
settlers In America, held In May, 1889, at
the city OF Columbia, Tenn. The object OF
the gathering was the formation Of a society
for the collection and preservation Of mate
rial relating TO the history Of the Scotch
Irish in this country, with u view Of setting
forth the magnificent achievements OF that
hardy and energetic race that has stamped
the record OF its influence on the settlement
Of our country, the formation OF our institu-
tions, and the development Of our resources.
For these ends society was formed, and
through its members sketches Of the families
represented and Of the race in general, to-
gcther with interesting relics connected
with its history, will be collected and de-
posted in Princeton College until the So
ciety has permanent home Of Its own for
their preservation.
The proceedings Of this meeting have been
published by order OF the society The first
part Of the volume contains a number Of let
ters received by the committee, the minutes
Of the congress and some Of the remarks that
were called forth. The second part contains
the opening address, delivered by eI-Gov-
ernor Proctor Knott. OF Kentucky: "What
the ScotchIrish have done Tor Edu-
cation" BY DIR. MAcloskic, Of Prince
ton; "scoich-Irish Characteristcs, by
Rev. John Hall, Of New York; "The
Scotch-Irish Of the South" by the Hon.
William Writ Henry, Of Virginia; "The
Scoich-Irish Of Tennessee" by Rev. ID. g.
Kelly, ID. D.. "scotch-Irish Achieve
ments," by Colonel A. X. Mcclure, OF
Philadelphia; an address by Hon. Benton
McMillin; "John Knox In Independence
Hail." by the Rev. John s. Macintosh, and
"Scotch-lrish Settlers In South Carolina and
Their Descendants in Maury County,
1enu.," by the Hon. w. s. Fleming.
sCoToH-IRIsH HISTORY.
Making due allowance for the eKhilarat-
ing circumstances which called forth these
addresses and the surroundings Of their de.
livery writes Frederick ID. Stone in the
Pennsylvania Magazine Of History and
Biography" there remains much that Is in
teresting In them. and some facts that will
be useful In tracing the history Of the
Scotch. Irish In America. After reading
the volume with care, however we feel the
force Of Colonel McCiute's wish, that some
other than Eeoirh-1fishmah should write
The history of the Declaration NJ thdspendz
enee, "1'he Scotch Irish cannot write IT,"
he said "beeause IN writing they would
make themselves immortal" The same,
We lehf, would be the casa should one oi
theif number attempt te write n history ~
The race IN this country With such mag
HifeeHt subject he wduid have N he \ mhH
Gt siHHi ~ prevent the hlaad NJ his ancestors
ffHm carrying him awaY ffgm HE historic
HiGafiHHs HHd biHdiHe him N ihH faai that
sihsf thaH heateh ifsh Influences wsfa Al
Nert In ihF settlement and development NJ
thH HHuHiFFi
Hsad dsal NJ surprise was expressed NJ
ihe HHHHtsss that hisIgfF NJ ils heatahz
ifish had HHyef bssH attempted hat We de
Hgl have w sask lat IN lhe THHHah, There
II ampls material fIam Nhlph N speak Ia
general way ~ llHiT aTlHlH and NJ theiI
e1isiHHee ~ Ireland, hut when We come ~
thrlT emigration ~ America, excepting the
causes which led ia ", u IL meAger " the
extreme uGmlhg ff6m one Pafl al Great
Britain W another, ~ record has behR pre-
served ~ their arrivals ~ would have been
the eAse had they been Of alien ariglnJ aud
oil va know il that, while q large majority
came ~ Pennsylvania, others settled III Viz
giHla ana the CRTaliRas The country
along the Atlantic coast was then ganpaTa-
lively thinkly settled, and The Scotch
Irish took up their ab0das on the outskirts
0f civilization, This was not because the
Quakers sent them there, ~ has been as
serted, i0 protect their own settlements from
the Indians, or because the suotah- Irish did
not wish 10 live near the QuakeTE, who were
continually finding fault with thon, but Tor
the same reason that now takes the emf
grants N the Wsst-l. O., because there
good land Ia uheHp, and large families |
can be supported NJ u small expense, Thoy |
took with them their religion and their |
schools, and those In PennEylvanin extend. |
cd their settlements across the mountains
aud down the valley into Maryland and
Virginia, There they met with their breth-
rem from Virginia and Carolina, and peBe-
trated into the country now included Ia tho
States Of Kentucky and Tennessee. Ex-
oepting IN general way the records OF this
emigration are difficult 10 trace, and are
only found by examining old deeds, Wills,
and In family tradition.
REVOLUTIONARY HEROES.
II must be remem bered that in no way, In
the same sense Of the word, did the Scotch
Irish Presbyterians settle colony as the
Puritans settled Massachusetts, the Quakers
the Catholics Maryland, or
the Epacopalians Virginia. They belonged
to later wave of emigration than any of
the above, and when they arrived on this
side Of the Atlantic, governments were
firmly established. The consequence is that
there are no early governmental records
that can be quoted as giving expression to
their views. Besides this, the worldly con-
dition Of many of the emigrantS was not
such as would permit them TO take ar active
part in political affairs, as the elective fran
chise was then limited by a properly quail
hcation, and some Of those who might have
claimed the right TO vote were too deeply
engaged in providing for their families to
lake an active part in politics. 1t was not,
Lhereiorp until thew gained a foothold and |
by their thrift energy and enterprise made
their settlements important, that they exer-
,ised any influence in colonial affairs.
w hen this point was gained they brought
into public life an element directly antago-
nistic 10 the established order OF things,
and no one can deny that they were
in bringing about the War for
Independence, which they loyalty supported.
w hat the result of their influence would
have been in Kentucky and Tennessee,
where they were pioneer settlers, had il not
been for the Revolution, we can only sur
mise. After that civil and religious lib
sfty were such cardinal principles Of gov
that it is not safe TO attribute them
10 any one class. The material for the his.
Iofy Of the Se0tehslfish In this country we
ieaf has been largely destroyed, Some bef=
Ii6h Of it maf yet exist ih private letters,
In church records. aud In the diaries that
,6Hie Of thef ministers wrote while tfavelz
HE ffem one settlement 10 another, Much |
lah also be accomplished by preparing me-
HeiFs, "A full Of original material 10 pos.
lille, of early settlers 10 various parts OF
he eeHHtFE, and this, We trust, will be one
II the ehiel efforts Of the heeieh=iHsh se'
Iiety,
Westward, the oaHEss NJ EmpiFs, RE,
We al know the quotation put many emf,