The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-04-19
Tn. Irish in the American Revolution.


: A remarkable amount Of intelligent and
interesting research is embodied In the vol
ume OF some $40 pages called The IriSh in
the American Revolution and Their Early In
fusnce in The Colonies. by JAMES HALTIoAN
Washington, P. J. Haltigan). The author
tells us in a foreword that having observed
among several recent historians q disposi-
ton to ignore the work done by the Irish
people in the foundation Of this Republic
he has aimed 10 restore 1t, 30 far az the
means Of investigation at his disposal would
suffice, to its proper place among the ma
tional records. He is careful. We note, TO
state the sources Of his information and TO
give full credit 10 the authors he quotes.
He does not profess, however, 10 present
an exhaustive c~onspeotus OF his subject.
On the contrary. he thinks that TO do full
justice 10 the theme a large volume should
be published for each State in the Union.
That this book was needed is evident
from the fact that an lately as October, 1895,
an article in the Atlantic Monthly by Presi-
dent Eliot Of Harvard recites that tire
eighteenth century provided the Colonies
with a great mixture Of peoples, although
the English race predominated. When the
Revolution broke out there we're already
English, Scotch, Dutch. Germans, French.
Portuguese and Swedes in the Colonies
| Remarking the omission Of any mention
in the article Of the Irish as constituting an
element in the mixture Of peoples who made
up the Americans Of the eighteenth century,
Mr.. J. D, O'Connel, who for thirty years was
one of the chief clerks Of the Bureau Of Sta
tistics in Washington, addressed a letter to
President Eliot calling his attention TO the
oversight. The letter was 30 orammed with
verifiable facts that it could not be con-
troverted or ignored. and President Eliot
felt constrained 10 reply: Il shall have to
confess that | omitted the Irish because I
did not know they we're an important ele-
ment in the population Of the Colonies in
| the eighteenth. century
The author Of the book before us finds it
hard to conceive how a President Of Har-
ward College could lack acquaintance with
notorious facts. He deems II hardly cred
lille that Mr.. Eliot had never heard OF the
Boston Charitable Irish Society. which was
| founded in 1881, OF that in his study OF the
Revolutionary period he never saw the
names OF Sullivan, Stark and KnoI.
BY many American writer's injustice has
been done 10 Inshmen and ther descendants
AZ regards their share in the Revolution.
To look for the moment at Pennsylvania
alone, it is ~indisputable that Bancroft and
other American historians have failed TO
render justice 10 the Insh-Ameroana who
formed such a large percentage Of the
States population. The fact il recalled
that Gordon in his history Of Pennsylvania
computes that from December, IT'S, 10
December, ITO. the immigrants n that
province we're a. follows: English and WelAh,
2e7; Scotch, ~; Germans (P~alattnaa), 2Gs;
Irish. A,S65. Thus II will be seen that at
that time the Insh o~utnumbared all other
immigrants combined by more than ten 10
one, Gordon goes on to say that immiRra-
ton TO America from I72s onward drew
more than 5000 persons annually from
Ulster alone. Most Of these immigrants
settled in Pennsylvania and other middle
States. According TO Proud's history OF
Pennsylvania before the middle Of the
eighteenth century nearly 1900 imm-
grants arrived annually from Ireland for
several years II wHs doubtless the pres
ence Of such large numbers Of Irish settlers
in Pennsylvania that led TO her strenuous
resistance TO the eIacions Of Great Britain
before the Revolution and 10 her subse-
quent firm support Of the cause Of indie
pendence. IL 10 at all events certain that
the dissfected and Tory sections Of her
people we're not Of Irish origin.
In answer TO the assertion lately current
that the carly settlers in Pennsylvania
we're Scotch-lrsh. our author insists that
they we're Irish 10 the backbone. The
Donegals. Tyrohes. DerTys and other ike
appellations Of localities in Pennsylvania
were obviously Irish names, not SCOTCH.
and we're bestowed by the early settlers.
who regarded themselves as true Iishmen.
Significant from this point Of view il the
history Of the sodety Of the Friendly Sons
Of 81. Patrick. the leading Iriah orEanEa.
ton in Phladelphs prior to and during the