The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1895-07-20
THE SCOTCH-IRISH.
A Strain of Blood that Has Made Telling
IMPRESSION in This Country.

lllpTtSSlOH Ill his JUuHIy.
In an immensely interesting paper read
before the Massachusetts Historical. Society
says the Boston Herald, Mr.. Samuel :.
Green, librarian of the Worcester Free
! Library, has called attention to the sngu
lar degree in which the Scotch-Irish have
| illustrated in America certain prevailing
traits of character and genius, Indeed, the
most careless reader of our national annals
must often, in lighting on the fact that
Jackson, Calhoun Perry, Greeley, Morse,
Sam Houston and no end of others, were
| all of this descent have raised in wonder
the question, "Has anybody ever done any
thing who was not Scotch Irish?" NJ.
Greens paper makes one raise this quest,
anew.
For centuries the Scotch were isolated in
their own barren and mountainous country.
! Then, when large numbers of them were
colonized in the north of Ireland, they
were kept equally isolated by position and
religion. In this way they piled up and set
in adamant certain fixed and salient chaI
acteristics Hard struggle to exc out
living had made them shrewd and canny;
hard struggle with fate had made them
heroic and indomitable. Their home.
whether in Scotland or the north of Ireland
was grand place to get starved in, and 5"
| ha fnraaI tn ap,iuratn so all Inrpnp
they became known as brave and ready
witted adventures. The Scotch Archers
the Scotch Guardsmen described by Walter
Scott in Quentin Durward, are the same
class of men as the Swiss Papal Guards.
In the war of Spain with Holland and Bel
GUM the Scotch linesmen proved a full
match for the terrible Spanish infantry
while under Gustavus, the Scotch pikemen
won Euro ean renown.
Sore beset in the north of Ireland by hard
times, failure of crops and hostile legisla
ton the part of England aginst their mate
rial success, early in 1900 the Scotah-Irish
began to emigrate to America. Such set
Elements in New Hampshire as Dublin and
Londonderry show them in the North.
But soon they were every where. Pennsyl-
vania, Maryland, Virginia, the Carolinas,
Georgia, found in them their leaders in
every enterprise. OF the tide of every en-
terprse. OF the tide of immigration into
| Kentucky Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri,
they were always in the van, fond of from
tier life, great Indian fighters, and then
equally ready to turn into seccesful farmers
or manufacturers. Light on Daniel
Boone and one may he sure without con-
sulting biographical dictionary that he
was Scotch Irish. But always they carried
ideas with them immesse believers that
they were in schools churches, debating
societies, political clubs and in religious
freedom.
Here then, was just the environment in
which to develop Il Patrick Henry, himself
but the highest crest of flame in furnace
that was burning in the breasts of all his
kindred. Here again ust the environment
in which to breed WitherS pooh, who
when the Congress faitered whether to
adopt and promulgate the Declaration of
independence, rose in his place and de-
claIed that ''as his gray head must soon
bow to the fate of all, he preferred that it
should 90 by the axe of the eXecutioner
rather than that the cause of independence
should not prevail" Equally when the
battles of the Revolution came, what list
of generals the Scotch-Irish furnished,
Knox, sullivan, Clinton, Howard, Camp
bell, Pickens, Morgan, Mad Anthony
Wayne, all as resolved as Stark at Benn-
ington, to win before night or make Molly
Stark widow.
Equally in the war of 1912, Jackson at
New Orleans, Miller at Lundy's lane
and Perry on Lake Erie were tie three who
did most to add lustre to the country.
And the same record holds true of the great
educators inventors and divines in the
land. Strong in body and strong in mind
self regulated in character, yet fiery in
passion, here was a strain of blood as tell
ing in its impress on the manhood of the
importation of the Arabian stock on the
racers, hunters and cavalry horses of Eng
land. And the women showed up as we'll
as the men. In their admiration for the
mother of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry
the farmers of Rhode island cried out when
the news came of the victory on Lake Erie,
! ''This is Mrs. Perry's victory"