The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1891-03-21
PROSPEROUS Old BELFAST.
Memorable and Interesting Reminis
ences of Northern Patriotism in
the Last Century.

e0GeS OT N NOfG0ern fdLrlOL1SM IN
the Last Century.
ITS MANUFACTURING PURSUITS
| Why this City has Progressed and th'
Changes that One Hundred Years
Have Worked In It.
Towards the end of the last century
says United Ireland, Belfast was de-
scri bed by a member of the Irish Parli-
ment, more Or less obscure. and we have
no reason to doubt the truth OF the de-
scription, from the honorable members
point Of view, as S'nest of hornets and
rebels'; by another individual IN a
manner equally complimentary. as "a
community no king could govern and
I'D God could please''; while others.
with no less truth, averred that ''alI
Ireland took it's tone from the spirited,
independent and just thinking volun-
teers and Inhabitants Of Belfast''; that
"for forty years the politics of Belfast
We're the politics Of Ireland'';; while an-
other writer, referring to 1t later on,
pauhetiGaily yet proudly observes that
there the foundations of Ireland S
freedom was laid bv few master spiy.
its, aud although they lOW rest In
death their memory can neither die nor
he run down." In what words may it
be described today? Its inhabitants de-
light to refer to its material prosperity,
and one can easily pardon their vanity,
though sometimes q little vulgar, in do.
ing 80. No city in Great Britain or
Ireland has made the same progress
within the last fifty years. resembling
indeed, AZ it does in this respect moro
! the marvellous growth Of American
communities than ANYTHING that can ne
found in the comparatively lazy atnlos~
phere Of the old world. From a pOpu~
lation of 81, 900 or so in 1866 it has run
UP to one considerably over 200, 600 in
1881. Is mas and has had for consid-
cradle time q factory the largest of It's
kind in the world some business houses
that rival the palatiai ''stOres" OF New
| York in magnifcence, and a ship
building concern which has turned out
som9 of the inasC ocean steamers ahOat,
and Respectfully be it said) 1T has also
the greatest number OF churches OF ally
city of it's size in Europe. ALI these
wonders the intelligent tory will tell
you, and tell you with degree Of EN-
phasis that is almost appalling in it's
sOlemnity, are due to 'No~POparY and
| the Unlon." The scarcely less-intelli
gent whig, who prides himself upon
The superstition that, though born in
Ireland, that there is nothing really
Irish about him, will inform YOU, with
a. pomp and Windlness which are i'll
tended to uverWhelm or bewiider
zneaner mortals. that they are due to
the anglo Saxon" energy Of its peo-
pie, and their appreciation OF the tact
that Brittanna rules the waves, and
Britons, on no consideration whatever,
legal or otherwise. will ever consent TO
be slaves; while. now and again. per
haps you will meet with some sepulch-
raj philosopher, who whispers in ycur
ear that the above are both wrong. and
that the prosperity of Belfast does not
depend on either of these causes. but
upon some theological doctrine, more
Or less startling, such as perhaps Wig
orous belief in that phase of fatalism
known as predestination.
The tory. however, talks nonsense
when he attributes Belfast's prosperity
to the absence of POpery, TOR there are
at least $4,000 distinctly marked and
strictly. observant "Papists' among it's
population, some Of them IN the fore
most ranks of it's traders, aud he attri-
butes it to the Union. for Belfast was a
rising and thriving community be.
fore the Union, was thought of, and,
from an intelligent point of view, far
superior before that event TO anYthir g
it has ever been since, while the gas
!
logical theories a solution for every 80
cial mystery, is less away from the real
explanation than the theological Rosi.
crucian who can decide every thing by
an appeal to the shorter catechism, or
the Westminster confession of faith.
The fact is that Belfast is prosperous
because it has had opportunities Of be-
coming 50 which no other town in IRE
lana has had; but whatever its oppor-
| tunitles, or from whatever complication
of causes its prosperity may have
arisen, we're Ireland as ireland should
be, and were she not So systematically
robbed In almost every instance Of the
honor which is her due. the element of
Irish industry and genius would not be
disregarded in looking for an exnlana-
/ ton.
/ 1t is not, however, Of the overgroWn,
wealth ridden, tuft-hunting Belfast of
the present that desire to speak. /