The Irish standard., 1910-01-01
IRISH JOURNALISTS

1n10xl JOO Nm AAx01 LID
Prominent in the History Of the United
States.
Michael Edmund Hennessy, Bos-
ton newspaper writer, has taken con-
siderable time and pains to show that
many men of Irish birth or blood have
attained distinction in the field Of
American journalism. His work has
passed into history as part of the
records of the American-Irish Histori-
cal society.
Presumably the older generation ia
acquainted with many facts set down
by Mr.. Hennessy, but the younger
folks are probably not aware that
1rishmen were among the pioneers in
the establishment Of the early Ameri-
can newspapers. 1t would be interest
ing indeed to follow one by one, step
by step, the career of men Of Irish
blood who more than one hundred
years ago braved blood prejudice and
established newspapers which did 50
much for American freedom, and labor
ed so hard for internal improvements,
the developing and upbuilding of the
great American republic. Space will
not permit this but we can give a few
of the great editors of American jour-
nails as set forth by Mr. Hennessy.
1rishmen, too, were among the
first paper manufacturers in Amer
lea. Prior to the Revolutionary war
many 1rishmen were engaged in the
printing business. They naturally
drifted into publishing newspapers.
Among the very earliest newspaper
enterprises was that of Hugh Gaine,
in New York City. Gaine was a
native of Ireland. In 1852 he be-
gan the publication of the Mercury.
Hudson, in his history of American
Journalism, says of the Mercury that
it was one of the best in all the COL
onies in the collection of intelligence.
Game pr6spered as an editor and
publisher.
Charles Carroll, of Carrollton,
gave financial and moral aid toward
launching the Maryland Gazette. The
first man to suffer under the alien
and sedition laws was an Irishman,
Congressman Matthew Lyon, of YER
mont, native of Wicklow. He
despised everything that smacked Of
Federalism, and for one of his ed
itofials was indicted by the United
States court Later he was fined
$1,000 and imprisoned for three
months. After his death the govern
ment refunded the $1,000 fine to his
heirs. Lyon has the honor of being
elected congressman from three states,
Vermont, Arkansas and Kentucky, Lyon
county in this state is named after
him. His contemporaries in congress
described him as "a peppery, red-hair-
ed Irishman"
In those days, too, Attorney Gen.
eral James Sullivan, of Massa-
chusetts, and afterward a. congress-
man, wrote an able paper entitled
"A Dissertation on the Constitutional
Freedom of the Press" 1t was
crushing blow against the iniquity of
the alien and sedition laws
John Daily Burke, editor of the
Time-Piece. published the first daily
paper in Boston. He was a Trinity
College man. but had to leave Ire
land on account of his contributions
to Dublin papers. He came of the
family of Edmund Burke. He also
wrote a history of Virginia.
Another Irish pioneer in journalism
was Andrew Brown, graduate Of
Trinity College, who published the
Federal Gazette in Philadelphia just
after the war. Brown fought on the
American side at Lexington, Concord
and Bunker Hill. John Dunlap, ed
ftor of the Pennsylvania Packet, was
naive OF Strabane, Ireland. Another
prominent Philadelphia journalist was
Matthew Carey, a native of Dublin.
William Duane was renowned as an ed
itor both in London and Philadelphia,
In later years may be noted James
McCarroll, Fitz James O'Brien, Col,
James Mulligan, Robert Shelton Nc.
kenzie, Thomas Kinsella. John D.
Phelan, Joseph B. McCullagh and
a host of others. 1t is not generally
known, but it is a fact that Horace
Greeley was born of Irish parents.
In these times there are men of Irish
blood writing on all the leading daily
papers and for all the great magazines
in America.
For Happy Death.