The Irish standard., 1899-02-04

CURED in the winter of 1634-35 off the
wreck of vessel filled with Irish
emigrants, on the the second day out of
their voyage to join, as was stated, the
Merrimac river settlement in New Eng
land. This straw of information is a
valuable indication in our current of
circumstantial evidence. 1t establishes
the fact, by another source, that an Irish
settlement was planted on the Merrimac
river as early as 1884. 1t also shows
that however intolerant the New Eng
land Puritans we're sometimes In their
immediate surroundings to the Catho-
lies, they did tolerate in this instance.
and likely in many others, the fighting
lrish,'' as they were termed. In fact,
they gave little thought to their relig-
ious belief so long as they remained on
the, frontier to fight the Indians. This
incident shows that e. emigrants sailed
from. the North of Ireland for this set
tlement, Notwithstanding it may have
been necessary to have commenced their
voyage from an English port, and it
also. proves that these people were
Catholics. The fact as to their religion
is established by knowledge of the
condition of the country at that particu-
lar time. as have attempted to describe.
The Catholic were fleeing in all direc
lions from the district of country which
had been laid waste, and in many in
stances they had to subsist on the
dead bodies of those who had preceded
them and who had died on the way from
starvation. None but the Catholics left
Ireland at this time, as every individual
in sympathy with the English was then
busy in lettering his condition by secur-
ing portion Of the spoils
There were number of Catholics, as
I have stated, sent out to New England
through the efforts of Cromwell, and al
though they may not have come at that
time as willing emigrants, their de-
scendants must afterwards have become
identified with the country
Prendergast in The Cromwellian Set
tlement of Ireland" states the follow
ing: LAS one instance out of many
Capt Vernon was employed by the COM
missions for Ireland from England, and
contracted in their behalf with Mr..
David Selleck and Mr.. Leader, under his
hand, bearing date Sept ID, 1853, to sup
ply them with two hundred and fifty
women of the Irish nation, above twelve
men above twelve Of age and under
fifty, to be found in the country within
twenty miles of Cork to trans
plant them into New England" These
New England at profit for the English
commissions. Prendergast further
states in this connections: How many
girls of gentle birth must have been
caught and hurried to the private pris-
ons Of these men-catchers none can
tell But at last the evil became too
shocking and notorious, particularly
when these dealers in Irish flesh began
to seize the daughters and children Of
the English themselves, and to force
them on board of their slave ships; then,
indeed, the orders, at the end of four
years, were revoked.
If we take into consideration the total
number of Puritan Fathers" in New
England at this time, it would seem not
improbable that these $50 young Irish
women. with many others sent over
from Ireland about the same time, must
have all eventually been transformed
at least into Irish Puritans. If so, their
progeny must in time have given quite
a Hibernian tint to the blue blood of the
descendant from the Mayflower l have
not found that the New England writer's
have noted these facts, but probably
they failed to do So on evidence that
they were not "Scotch-Irish" women.
From the time that William of Orange
possessed himself of the British crown.
and until the beginning Of our Revolu-
ton, steady stream of emigrants
passed out Of Ireland to this country.
The English government manifested a
determination to destroy utterly every
Irish industry. and this policy was
maintained until the volunteer move
ment, when for a period a portion at
least of the Irish people had charge of
their own affairs. William of blessed
memory" in consequence of the hatred
OF the Irish people, both Catholics and
Professionals, caused the destruction of
all wooden manufactures and other in
dustries Of the North of Ireland The
so-called "Scotch-Irish" were chiefly the
sufferers at this time, and as Il conse-
qence thousands OF them then emigrated
to France, where, with the assistance of
the French government, these people
established in that country wooden and
silk industries. which,. for nearly 200
years. have been a constant menace to
Englands trade.
At our last meeting, Joseph Smith, of
Lowell. in his excellent paper, "Ameri-
can History as. 1t is Falsifed," disposed
most effectually of the "Scotch-Irish."
He clearly showed that these people, so
designated, were not Scotch. and that
their ancestors came into England from
the continent. BY Plowden and other
writer's it can be proved that, whatever