The Irish in America

Preface

CHAPTER I

Difference of the Position of the Irish in the Old Country, and the New—Difference in the Countries—Power and Dignity of Labour—The Irish Element strong in Halifax—Their Progress—The Value of a 'Lot'—No Snobbishness—The Secret of Prosperity—The Poor's Asylum—Cause of Poverty—Catholic Church in Nova Scotia—'Sick Calls'—A Martyr to Duty—No State Church—Real Religious Equality—Its Advantages—Pictou—My Friend Peter—Peter shows me the Lions—At the Mines—Irish everywhere—A Family Party—Nova Scotia as a Home for Emigrants

CHAPTER II

Prince Edward Island—How the Irish came—Visit to an Irish Settlement—Prosperity of the Irish—A Justice of the Peace—The Land Question—What the Tenant claims—The Tenant League and the Government—'Confiscation' profitable to the Government, and beneficial to the People—A Scotch Bishop's Testimony to the Irish—The Irish and their Pastors—The Sisters of Notre Dame—A graceful Gift

CHAPTER III

Scene in the Lords—The Irish Race despaired of—The Settlement of Johnville, New Brunswick—We enter the Settlement—The First Man and Woman—The Second Man and Woman—Celtic Energy—Jimmy M'Allister—Mr. Reilly from Ballyvourney—How the Man of no Capital gets along—One Cause of Success—Mass in the Forest—Neither Rent nor 'Gale'—Other Settlements

CHAPTER IV

Irish who settle on the Land—Their Success—Their Progress in St. John—Three Irishmen—A small Beginning—Testimony of a Belfast Independent—Position of Irish Catholics—The Church in New Brunswick—A Sweet Bit—Missionary Zeal—Catholicity in St. John—Past and Present

CHAPTER V

The Irish in Quebec—Their Progress and Success—Education entirely Free—Montreal—Number and Position of the Irish—Beneficial Influence of good Priests—St. Patrick's Hall

CHAPTER VI

Upper Canada—Number of the Irish—How they came and settled, and how they got along; illustrated by the District of Peterborough—Difficulties and Hardships—Calumnies refuted—What the Settlers did in a few Months—Early Trials—Progress and Contrast—Father Gordon—Church-building in the Forest—An early Settler—A Sad Accident—A Long Journey to Mass—A Story strange but true—The Last Grain of Tea—Father Gordon on the Irish and their Love of the Faith

CHAPTER VII

Woolfe Island—Jimmy Cuffe—A Successful Irishman—Simple Pat as an Agriculturist—The Land Question in Canada—Wise Policy of the Canadian Parliament—Happy Results of a Wise Policy

CHAPTER VIII

The Irish Exodus—The Quarantine at Grosse Isle—The Fever Sheds at Grosse Isle—Horrors of the Plague—The 'Unknown'—The Irish Orphans—The good Canadians—Resistless Eloquence—One of the Orphans—The Forgotten Name—The Plague in Montreal—How the Irish died—The Monument at Point St. Charles—The Grave-mound in Kingston—An illustrious Victim in Toronto—How the Survivors pushed on—The Irish in the Cities of Upper Canada—The Education System—The Dark Shadow—The Poison of Orangeism—The only Drawback

CHAPTER IX

Newfoundland—Monstrous Policy—Bad Times for the Irish Papists—How the Bishop saved the Colony—The Cathedral of St. John's—Evil of having but one Pursuit—Useful Efforts—The Plague of Dogs—Proposal to exterminate the 'Noble Newfoundland'—Wise Legislation—Reckless Improvidence—Kindly Relations—Irish Girls

CHAPTER X

The Irish Exodus—Emigration, its Dangers by Sea and Land—Captain and Crew well matched—How Things were done Twenty Years since—The Emigration Commission and its Work—Land-sharks and their Prey—Finding Canal Street—A Scotch Victim—The Sharks and Cormorants—Bogus Tickets—How the 'Outlaws' resisted Reform—The New System—The Days of Bogus Tickets gone—A Word of Advice—Working of the System—Intelligence and Labour Department—Miss Nightingale's Opinion—Necessity for Constant Vigilance—The last Case one of the Worst

CHAPTER XI

Evil of remaining in the great Cities—Why the City attracts the new Comer—Consequence of Overcrowding—The Tenement Houses of New York—Important Official Reports—Glimpses of the Reality—An inviting Picture—Misery and Slavery combined—Inducements to Intemperance—Massacre of the Innocents—In the wrong Place—Town and Country

CHAPTER XII

The Land the great Resource for the Emigrant—Cases in Point—An Irishman socially redeemed—More Instances of Success on the Land—An Irish Public Opinion wanted—Irish Settlements in Minnesota and Illinois—The Public Lands of America—The Coal and Iron of America—Down South—A Kildare Man in the South—Tipperary Men in the South—The Climate of the South—California an Illustration of the true Policy

CHAPTER XIII

California of the Past and Present—Early Irish Settlers—Death amid the Mountains—Pat Clark—But One Mormon—The Irish wisely settle on the Land—How they Succeeded in the Cities—Successful Thrift—Irish Girls—The Church in San Francisco—What a poor Irishman can do

CHAPTER XIV

Drink more injurious to Irish than others—Why this is so—Archbishop Spalding's Testimony—Drink and Politics—Temperance Organisations—Hope in the Future

CHAPTER XV

Poor Irish Gentility—Honest Labour—The Miller's Son—Well-earned Success—No poor Irish Gentility here—A Self-made Man—How he became a Master Baker—The Irish don't do themselves Justice—How they are regarded—Scotch-Irish

CHAPTER XVI

Remittances Home—Something of the Angel still—How the Family are brought out—Remittances—A 'Mercenary'—A Young Pioneer—A Poor Irish Widow—Self-sacrifice—The Amount sent

CHAPTER XVII

The Character of Irish Women in America—An Unwelcome Baptism—The Universal Testimony—Shadows—Perils to Female Virtue—Irish Girls; their Value to the Race

CHAPTER XVIII

The Catholic Church in America—The Irish—The Church not afraid of Freedom—A Contrast—Who the Persecutors were—The American Constitution—Washington's Reply to the Catholics—The First Church in New York—Boston in 1790—Universality of the Church—Early Missions—Two Great Orders—Mrs. Seton—Mrs. Seton founds her Order—Early Difficulties and Privations—Irish Sisters

CHAPTER XIX

Bishop Connolly's Note-book—'Laity's Directory' for 1822—Dr. Kirwan previous to his Apostacy—The Church in 1822—Progress in 1834—How the Faith was Lost

CHAPTER XX

Dr. England, Bishop of Charleston—Bishop England's Diary—Bishop England's Missionary Labours—The Bishop's Trials—Bishop England's growing Fame

CHAPTER XXI

Bishop England's diocese—'Music hath Charms'—Preaching by the Wayside—William George Read—'Mister Paul'—Taking a Fresh Start—Father O'Neill's Two Hundred Children

CHAPTER XXII

Dangers from within and without—The Lay Trustees—A Daring Hoax—Burning of the Charlestown Convent—A Grateful Ruffian—'Awful Disclosures of Maria Monk'—Protestant Verdict on Maria Monk

CHAPTER XXIII

Bishop England's Devotion to the Negro—The Frenchman Vanquished—The Bishop stripped to his Shirt—Bishop England's Death—Spiritual Destitution—As late as 1847—The Sign of the Cross—Keeping the Faith—Bishop Hughes—Bishop Hughes and the School Question—A Lesson for the Politicians—The Riots of Philadelphia—The Native-American Party—The Bishop and the Mayor—Progress of the Church

CHAPTER XXIV

The Know Nothing Movement—Jealousy of the Foreigner—Know Nothings indifferent to Religion—Democratic Orators—Even at the Altar and in the Pulpit—Almost Incredible—The Infernal Miscreant—A Strange Confession

CHAPTER XXV

The Catholic Church and the Civil War—The True Mission of the Church—The Church speaks for Herself—The 'Sisters' during the American Civil War—The Patients could not make them out—The Forgiven Insult—'What the Sister believes I believe'—The Chariot of Mercy—'Am I to forgive the Yankees?'—Prejudices conquered—'That's she! I owe my Life to her'—An emphatic Rebuke—'We want to become Catholics'—Sister Anthony—The Catholic Chaplain—The Irish Catholic soldier

CHAPTER XXVI

Catholic Education—The Catholic Church in Advance of the Age—Catholic Teaching favourable to Parental Authority—Protestant confidence in true Catholics—The Liberal American Protestant—Catholic Schools—The Sister in the School and the Asylum—Protestant Confidence in Convent Schools—The Christian Brothers—Other Teaching Orders—From the Camp to the School

CHAPTER XXVII

Juvenile Reformation—Opposition to Catholic Reformatories—The two Systems Illustrated—Christianity Meek and Loving—The Work of the Enemy—Solemn Appeals to Catholic Duty

CHAPTER XXVIII

The Second Plenary Council of Baltimore—Protestant Tribute to the Catholic Church—Progress of Catholicity—Instances of its Progress—The Past and the Present—The Church in Chicago and New York—Catholicity in Boston—Anticipations not realised—Number of Catholics in the States—Circumstances of Protestant and Catholic Emigrant different—Loss of Faith, and Indifferentism

CHAPTER XXIX

The Irish in the War—Irish faithful to either Side—Thomas Francis Meagher—Why the Irish joined distinct Organisations—Irish Chivalry—The Religious Influence—Not knowing what he preached on—Cleanliness of the Irish Soldier—Respect for the Laws of War—A Non-combatant defending his Castle—Defended with Brickbats—'Noblesse oblige'—Pat's little Game—Irish Devotedness—The Love of Fight—Testimonies to the Irish Soldier—The handsomest Thing of the War—Patrick Ronayne Cleburne—His Opinions—In Memoriam—After the War—The grandest of all Spectacles

CHAPTER XXX

Feeling of the Irish in America towards England—A Fatal Mistake—Not Scamps and Rowdies—Who they really are—Sympathy conquering Irritation—Indifference to Danger—Down in the Mine—One of the Causes of Anti-English Feeling—More of the Causes of Bad Feeling—What Grave and Quiet Men think—If they only could 'see their way'—A Grievance redressed is a Weapon broken—The Irish Element—Belief in England's Decay—War with England—Why most Injurious to England—Why less Injurious to America—The only Possible Remedy

APPENDIX