The Irish standard., 1910-05-28


Immigrants were kept by this govern
ment until 1920, and we are kept In
more or less doubt as to the exact
number of our people who came here
previous to that time. We have, how
ever, historical evidence that this
number was very large. Wilson In his
History of the American People,"
speaking of the early years of the
Eighteenth century, says, 'For several
years after the first quarter of a new
century had run out Chat is after 1889
immigration from the North of Ireland
came crowding in twelve thousand
strong to the year. In 1929 quite five
thousand of them entered Pennsylvania
alone. From Pennsylvania they passed
along the broad inviting valley south
ward, into the western part of Vir-
ginia.
Thomas Bond, British consul at
Philadelphia from 1887 to 1912, who is
described as the most efficient Of the
British officials of the United States,
writing to the Duke of Leeds, head of
the English foreign office, in 1889, says:
THE immigrants hither since the
peace, my lord, that is since the con-
clusion of the war in 1888, have been
much greater from Ireland than from
all other parts of Europe. OF 25,166
passengers, redemptioners and serv-
ants imported since the peace into
Pennsylvania, 1888 only were Ger
mans, the rest consisted of Irish and
very few Scotch. Of 2,167 already
imported in the present year, ia only
were Germans, the rest were Irish.
have got yet been able to
obtain any account of the number of
Irish passengers brought hither for
any given series of years before the
war, but from my own recollection !
know the number was very great, and
have been told that in one year six
thousand landed at Philadelphia, Will
mington and Newcastle upon Della
ware"
Ramsey, the historian, writing in
this same year (17S9) says: 1.-The
colonies which now form the United
States may be considered as Europe
transplanted. Ireland, England, Ger
many France, Holland, Switzerland,
Sweden, Poland and Italy furnished
the original stock of the population and
have been supposed to contribute to it
in the order named. For the last 70
or 80 years no nation has contributed
so much to the population of America
as Ireland"
This is significant and valuable tes-
timony to our numbers in the years
preceding the Revolution and justifies
the statements that have been made
that the Irish element formed one third
of the population at the close of the
Colonial period. Doctor Lynch, bish-
op of Charleston, South Carolina, says:
1.-THE Irish immigration almost took
possession of the state. Irish fam
lily names abound in every rank and
condition of life, and there are few
natives of the state in whose veins
blood"
Sims Life of Gen. Marion" says:
"The people of Williamsburg were
sprung generally from Irish parentage.
They inherited in common with all
the descendants of the Irish in Amer
lea a hearty detestation of the Eng
lish name and authority. This feel
ing rendered them excellent patriots
and daring soldiers wherever the Brit
ish lion was the object of hostility.
"The most numerous name in the
first census Of South Carolina is MUIR
ply, there having been fifty distinct
families of that name, although the
48 Kelly families gave them close
race. The Gill and McGill families
run nip and tuck with the O'Neills and
Nealls; there were "a of the former
to 33 of the latter. The O'Briens and
O'Bryans ran the gauntlet IN many
changes. The census enumerators
failed to appreciate the significance Of
the regal prefix o. so they wrote the
name Obrient, Obriant, Bryan and Bri-
ant. There were SO of these in South
Carolina in 1890. The Celtic Macs
make great showing. There are
upwards of 1000 of such families in
all. When we consider that in 1890
the total number of free white males
of 16 years of age and upward in
South Carolina was only 1876, we can
readily understand that 1000 heads of
families with their wives and children
must have constituted large percent
age Of the population. Among the
Macs are McCarts, McCarthys, McMa-
hon, McClures, McMullens, McNeills,
etc. Then there are Al distinct fami-