The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1904-05-13
ASTORIAN PUBLISHING COMPANY.
is IRELAND A dying NATIoNi"


The Anti-Irish Emigration Society of ireland
has issued an earnest appeal to Irish people in the
United States, begging them to sending money
to Ireland in order to bring relatives and friends
over to this cuntry The appeal points out that the
greatest danger that threatens the English isle today
is the extinction of the Irish race within her own
Shores and it closes with an entreaty to Irish or.
carnations in the United States to help hold Ire
land as the cradle-land of the race"
There be no doubt that the danger to the Irish
that is here pointed out is very real 1t would
be an exaggeraton to say that the native population
of Ireland constitutes dying nation, but it il
certainly fast dwinding in numbers-a fact that il
rendering constantly more improbable the Relation
of the dream of Irish national independence. Since
1S41 the population of that country has fallen off
from 100000 to 100000, and this depletion in
numbers is still going on In that period about 4,
100000 persons have emigrated from Ireland. In
the meantime the population of England and Wales
and of Scotland has steadily increased that of the
former from 100000 to 32,500,O00 and that of
Scotland from 100000 to 100000
Let us put the matter in another way: Sixty
years ago the Irish constituted 80 per cent of the
population of the United Kingdom; today they con.
sttute but little than 10 per cent. In 1841 the
relation of the population of Ireland to that of Eng
land and Wales was as to and to that of Scotland
Al to 13 today the population of Ireland to that
of England and Wales stands practically as / to 6
and to that of Scotland as l to l. While the popula
ton of Ireland in this interval has diminished so
per cent, that of England and Wales has increased
130 per cent and that Of Scotland 80 per cent These
are mournful figures for IriShmen to contemplate
who cherish tender attachment for the 'ould sod "
1t is to be borne in mind that Irish emigration
to this country-and the great bulk of Irish emi-
grants has sought American shores-tends steadily
to the extinction of the distinct Irish strain Descend
ants Of Irish emgrants land often Irish emigrants
themselves intermarry with persons of other ma
tonaties and in three or four generations the Irish
strain is SO mixed and blended to become practi
ealy lost and about all that remains are Irish names
lin a multitude Of cases not even these, What IS
True Ol the lrlSn III tLlS TeSpecI 49, VI coso tluo VI
most other foreign immigrants, only in the latter
cases the population of the country from what the
immigrants come is constantly increasing, thus re-
plenishing the loss caused by emigration.
1t may be questioned, however, if the appeal of
the Anti-Irish Emigration Society will have much
effect in checking Irish emigration to this country
The Irish emigrate hither to better their condition
and any decided check on this outflow if Irish popu
lation would only result probably in making the
struggle for existence in Ireland harder than it in
Still it is impossible not to sympathize with the
motives that prompt this attemp to hod Ireland az
he cradle land Of the race.