The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-11-27
THE 1nrsH IN THE REroLUT1oN.
Every Third Man or Woman in This Coun-
try OF Irish Descent.

To THE EpTron OF THE SuN-Sir: Your cor
respondent. IAN American" asks you to adj
minister o species OF literary Knockout drops
to the Irish element and show that 1t consti-
tuted a very small part OF the carly American
stock. In q measure he Is right respecting
tho absence OF statistics OF immigration
prior to 1875, but there Is an abundance OF
American history which serves to give us a very
accurate idea OF immigration and population
before tho Revolution. and It shows that the
IrlshEAmericans were n predominant element.
When the Revolution against England began
the population OF the American colonies was n
little less than 100000. A distinguished
writer on the subject OF immigration declares
that about one-third OF these were people OF
English birth or descent. The remaining two-
thirds consisted OF people Of Irish. Scotch,
French, Dutch, Spanish. Scandinavian and
German birth. ancestry or descent. Let It be
remembered that immigrants had been coming
from all parts Of Europe long prior to the
Revolution.
Irish immigration into this country began In
1920. When the Cromwellian assassins OBJ
tanned control OF affairs in ireland they drove
thousands Of Irishmen to this country. AS to
the extent OF Irish immigration let me quote
this paragraph from the Maryland Journal and
Advertiser, dated Aug. 20. 1773 tthree years
before the Revolutionl: within this fortnight
$500 emigrants have arrived from Ireland"
Spencer the historian records that fact also.
In the early part of the seventeenth century
Irish emigration was very heavy. and it has 80
continued without a break until the present
hour. The British laws which were passed to
cripple the Irish woollen and linen industries
drove 100000 people from their native land. As
early as 1920 James Logan. William PENIS
secretary. wrote saying: 1T looks as ifIreland
was going to send all her people here. for last
week not less than six ships arrived: and every
day two or moro arrive. The common fear is
that II they thus continue to come they 1.-THE
Irish will make themselves proprietors Of the
province meaning Pennsylvania. "-Watson's
Annals Of Philadelphia.
In Philadelphia alone 5.655 Irish men and
women arrived during 1920.
Gordon the historian says that q law passed
by the Irish Parliament in 1873 drove thou
sands OF emigrants to America. Cromwell be-
gan in 1858 his work Of exiling the Irish peo-
pie from Ireland. Bruodin declares that over
100000 persons were forcedt to emigrate within
q short period. and Lingard. the English his
torian. states that $4,000 came to this country.
That was before the Revolution.
The Irish began to settle In the Eastern
colonies in 100. The father of Gen. John Sui
Ivan was one OF the thousands Of Irishmen who
settled in Massachusetts in 1923. The Irish
residents Of Boston were so numerous in 1897
that they established the amous Charitable
Irish Society. which still exists. That organ
ization furnished its quota OF distinguished
were Washington's ~favorite Major-General.
Henry Knox. also. Secretary Of, War and an
f Patriek. m snd also q aea sh Simon aTIsEfhiIlIo ott s Snd S e IS:
cGs sb shRes9N;e,I Hfps nsa. h hsselqrs Mscao oMegd, rf Ms&se.
Morehead. q Protestant minister
IG the year 17l9 one HUNDRED Irish families
desccndsnts are to-day to be found ali over Mas
sNash Ions stts seFm9dntt'h the aP Pfish Ss fSun asR BSblie:
n. H. Gen. john Stark. Gen. Enoch Poor. and
grants who settledfn and around Dublin.
Subsequently Belfast. Me-. was founded by
a asissm fIl;sh ap sstt BansSS and Wi ktiiis.sr{N; b M / be- a
signer of the Declaration OF Independence. was
descended from one Of the Irish settlers =
Y YerIn'S New og geFsey. Penn nySasi as'f pelaw nss
Kentucky. ,,Thousands Of I!rishmen settled in
South Carolina. all long before the Revolution.
s sTs h nis.Sr te stir unite ait a 1 reb thf SelFn ssiIn that ssa tihsy
England and provoke the Revolution.
An Irish fomily tina. did ye9Sman sGrvice for
q the many irish families who settled in this
200 years ago. The Clintons gave the country
Gen: James Clinton. vice-President George
ham Fac{ Capt M Ghf e s5 , on bA@K; 8; r1 1z74 VIZ
irish emigrants settled in Virginia, and Thomas
f fs1e ysiIey WI between tive, say ySe 'fBs Blue ,aRfE idg s0a and tSo
North Mountain. Three Of the richest land
S %en. na In thJs e Soi. JAMES at t Pst s5%e w ws6e o 5FisSi
10000 acres in Virginia: Henry Wileman; who
GSSnsat S0o: gSo a eTae q E iSma YSTs' t nna W n the
Mohawk Valley. tenanted by Irish people.
alrst colony Of them located IN 1887 near the
Bopulatioq Of WHOLE districts in Ireland; And
that OF all European countries none has fur
e. fat! 1hr''S podt fe ssat Sfssr, g saaD f thas tFe% a nos
crowded. All this refers to years and decades
long before the Revolution.
says that many thousands lsit Ireland and set:
by their zeal and Saior to the separation OF the
American colonies from England" Referring
f f77 he f4 msss and Of 1 iE5sh msrm Eh0 sh lSfs e Irslnna IN
from that country, was without a parallel, They
arrived IN America "at a critical moment,
separate that country from the British crown. -
carried q 1000 Irishmisn from three Irish ports
From 1929 up to 1775, or a century and a
half. there had been q steady stream OF Irish
emigration flowing Into this land. Being. a
prolific people It is very iair 70 assume That the
ment was very copsiderable, so that. instead OF
gan, the Irish-Americap element numbered
hundreds Of thousands. Why. Us a matter OF
cold fsct every third man or woman IN The
ssF pqbaSan.' P fs%sisA rt aRSnfG and }%aS skiniey rad bad
Celtic ancestors, Goyernor-elect Roosevelt has
Irish blood In his veins. 'vice-Prssidents Gin
ton, CalhoMn. Breckinridge., Wils9n, Hen
descent, not that mongrel breed known as
Scotch Irish. but irish irish.
mo less than thirteen Of the siRners OF the
Declaration OF Independence were OF Irish
birth or descent; Read the names: Charles
thew Thornton OF Limerick, Charles Thomson.
horn in Ireland. William whlpple, George
man by birth. Robert T. Paine. George Read,
Thomas Mexican. Thomas Nelson and Edward
The irish are withouta country, are scattered
| nil nyap tha world . NubV ottnmDf tn rnh than ~