Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1898-08-27
They Took a Very Prominent Part in
the Early Settlement Of the
Country.
The Coming OF the Irish Has Enriched
and Enlivened Our National
Character.
THE PART THEY TAKE IN POLITICS

fro1. L. spencer Baluwln, OF Boston
University, told the audience that assem-
bled to hear him in the Old South meet
ing house last week that Ireland had
contributed more to the making of Amer
lea than any other country except En-
gland, the mother country. The lecture
was the fifth in the Old South course for
young people, and Prof Baldwln's object
was to tell what Ireland has done for
America.
"To appreciate what Ireland has done
for this country" he said, I'VE need to
know something about Irish character
and Irish history" He then proceeded
to describe the Irish people and their in
fluence in immigration, speaking in SUBJ
stance as follows:
"The Irish are a pure Celtic people,
made up of three different bands of i'm
migrants that successfully took posses
sion of Ireland in very early times. The
typical Celt is person of poetic temper
ament, frank, impulsive, easily impressed
by new ideas, yet lacking iii persistent
devotion TO a single aim, disincliped to
order and prone to discussion; somewhat
given to ostentation and of extreme So
ciability. AS contrasted with the Saxon,
the Celt is particularly susceptible to
emotion. The Celt is dominated by SEN
timent, the Saxon by reason.
"lrish history" continued the speaker,
"throws flood of tight on Irish char
acter. If the Irish people, as is charged
against them, are idle and turbulent,
their history furnishes an explanation.
1t is hardly to be expected that people
with such a history should possess all the
virtues. An Industrious, contented, def
erential and law-abiding people is not
produced by such a calamitous schooling
as the Irish Celt has received
when did the Irish begin to come to
America? The common notion that the
Irish took very little part in the first set
tlement of America is quite mistaken.
Large numbers came to America during
the 18th and 18th senturies. Two things
may be said about the prerevolutionary
Irish immigration. 1t was very extern
sive and it was not localized 1t poured
into all the colonies from Massachusetts
to Georgia. In the revolution the Irish
bore a prominent and honorable part. |
Nine signers of the Declaration of indie
pendence were Irish.
GAS regards the extent of Irish immi-
grafton during the present century, sta
tistics show that from 1920 to 1897, out |
of a total of 1S,50O,0 600 foreign immi-
grants nearly 100000 came from Ire
land. The only country that has sent us
more immigrants than Ireland is Ger
many. The Irish represented in 1890 20 |
per cent. of the entire foreign-born popu-
lation. Persons of Irish parentage con-
stitute per cent of the total popula-
ton.
"The bulk of the Irish population is
found in the cities, especially in the great
cities of the Atlantic seaboard. Over
one-fourth of the total Irish population
IS found in four cities--New York, Phila-
ielphia, Boston, Chicago. The Irish set
lied in the cities because they had no
money to get farther west; because there
was a demand for unskilled labor; be-
cause they are a clannish and sociable
people.
"What occupations have the Irish pre-
ferred1 Fifteen per cent. are engaged in
agriculture, l.6 per cent. in professional
service, AZ per cent. in domestic and
service, Is per cent. in trade
and transportation, 25 per cent. in manu-
Grace characteristics have had some
hing to do with the Irishman's choice of
but necessity more. AS a
rule, the immigrant is not fitted for the
skilled trades, so he has to turn too often
% odd occupations, such as hack-driving,
and what not. America
mas received great addition to its labor
orce through Irish immigration. And it
s labor force that has been pretty in
lustriously applied. Whatever they may
De at home, the Irish are not idle in this
country.
''The political importance OF the Irish
population is out of all proportion to its
ictual numbers. They are concentrated
n the cities, where they control the
'oreign vote they nearly all go to the
polls, their vote is always cast solid.
These things combine to give them great
influence in politics.
"The Irish have rendered important
service in aiding the material develop
nent of the country; they have performed
he heavy work in laying the material
foundations of national greatness. But,
above all, the coming of the Irish has en-
-iched and enlivened the national char
soteruby liberal infusion of the warm
of the Celt. The mixture of Saxon
and Celtic elements in the American
stock has produced gifted nation,
stronger by far than either of the COM
ponent races"
II