Графични страници
PDF файл
ePub

of the Irish immigrants were of that class. For example, the Custom House records at New York and Philadelphia of the years 1771 to 1774 show that there were 576 sailings of passengercarrying vessels between Irish ports and New York and Philadelphia. Of these vessels 135 were with the port of Cork; 124 with Dublin; 96 with Londonderry; 87 with Newry; 39 with Belfast; 29 with Waterford; 25 with Galway; 14 with Coleraine; 10 with Larne; 17 with Sligo, Killala, Dingle, Kinsale, Letterkenny, Killybegs, Drogheda and Limerick. So that during this period 247, or 43 per cent. of the vessels sailing from Ireland for America were from northern ports, and 329, or 57 per cent., were from those parts of Ireland where the old Irish element are in the vast majority, thus shattering the ideas of historians that nearly all immigration from Ireland before the Revolution was "Scotch-Irish."

This chapter also deals with the extent of the trade between America and Ireland before the Revolution and shows that all the linen, canvas, cloth and butter used by the Colonists came from Ireland and much of the beef, cheese, and other foods and manufactured goods. By logical inferences the figures indicate that there was such close familiarity between the peoples of Ireland and America at that period that, after all, there is nothing astonishing in the statement that the population of the Colonies was so largely Irish and that the army of Washington had such an extensive Irish field from which to draw.

The book will contain from 300 to 400 pages, exclusive of several hundred footnotes and the reproductions of the supporting documents before referred to. Several competent critics have read the manuscript, and if you will kindly overlook for the moment this apparent, but unintentional, attempt to praise the work, permit me to say that all have pronounced it the best attempt yet made along this line and, if published, the most important book on the subject ever presented to the public. Some work of this sort should have been brought out long before now, but it is not even yet too late. Our President-General, than whom there is no more competent critic-has read the manuscript and has favored me by writing for it a most enthusiastic foreword which I am sure will be an added incentive for people to purchase it and will go a long way toward increasing its circulation.

I present these facts for the consideration of the Society in the hope that it will deem them of sufficient importance to justify an appropriation, if our resources permit, to guarantee their publication.

MR. CLARKE: Gentlemen, I am prepared to entertain a motion regarding that magnificent report which we have just heard read.

JUDGE TIERNEY: I move that the report be received and placed on file with an expression of thanks from the Society. (Motion carried.)

MISS LEVINS: I would like to have it appear upon the record that if this contribution of Mr. O'Brien's to history cannot be financed by anyone else, and if our Society feels unable to give the necessary money, I place myself on record to say that if it is not more than $1,000 I would like to offer that sum to Mr. O'Brien to publish his book. (Applause.)

MR. CLARKE: I wish to express the Society's thanks to you for your offer.

MR. CLARKE: The next business in order is the report of the Nominating Committee, and in advance of the report, of which I have naturally cognizance, I may say you will find that I am renominated for the President-Generalship of the Society. A year ago I announced that 1917 would be my last year of service on two strong grounds: one, and the greatest, that I did not think it was good for a Society, a living, breathing, moving Society of intelligent and intellectual men to have the same set of officers continuously in office. No matter what vim is put into the matter there is always liability to incrustation of effort and movement, and a tendency to take things as a matter of course and not to strike out into new fields; that in a Society like ours there are many men capable and available for the position and all official positions and that we should give room in time to such as those. The other reason, which was a large one, was that the state of my health did not warrant my taking the effective interest I have tried to take. Happily although that condition has not quite passed away, the hour still finds me on deck, and in spite of my endeavors to find in advance some one to whom I could trustfully turn over the reins of office, I found on the part of the Nominating Committee absolutely stubborn insistence that I should,

for this year at least, consent to resume the presidency, and I am inclined to bow to that decision in the hope of being able to carry it out and with the warning in advance that it may be necessary for my health, as I am informed by my doctor, to seek the Southern climate almost as soon as possible after the beginning of the year, returning, perhaps, not before April. With those limitations, if the Society thinks they would be right in accepting my services, why, I am very willing to offer them.

MR. DALY: Gentlemen, before this report is received I also have a self-conscious sentiment about it and I was certainly pleased to have the Nominating Committee ask such an old timer as I am to remain in office. The pleasure of being associated with President Clarke is one of my excuses for continuing. MR. BARRETT (who had recently entered the room): Mr. President, as you well know, some time ago I came to you and asked if I could not be relieved of the Treasurership of this Society, having been elected the first time when I was not present. I have tried to fill the office as best I could, and if there is any one here who would like the office, or if the President knows of anybody who would like to fill the office, I am perfectly willing to resign. I want to say, however, that it has been a great pleasure to be associated with Mr. Clarke and Mr. Daly in the work of the Society, but if there is any one here who would like the position, he is entirely welcome to it.

MR. DALY: I do not know what Mr. O'Connor of San Francisco would say if he were here, but the report of the Nominating Committee is as follows. (Reading.)

REPORT OF THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE.

To the Executive Council of the

American Irish Historical Society:

The undersigned, members of the Nominating Committee, appointed by the Executive Council to make recommendations for candidates for the various offices to be filled at the annual meeting of the Society to be held on January 5, 1918, do hereby report the following names of members selected by them to fill the following offices, namely:

President-General, J. I. C. CLARKE, New York City.
Vice-President-General, R. C. O'CONNOR, San Francisco.

Secretary-General, EDWARD H. DALY, New York City.
Treasurer-General, ALFRED M. BARRETT, New York City.
Librarian and Archivist, CYRIL CRIMMINS, New York City.
Historiographer, MICHAEL J. O'BRIEN, New York City.
Official Photographer, Miss ANNA FRANCES LEVINS, New York
City.

The above and

EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.

Hon. Chas. M. Scanlan,
Francis J. Quinlan, M. D.,
Patrick F. Magrath,
Thomas Addis Emmet,
James L. O'Neill,

Stephen Farrelly,

D. J. McGillicuddy,

Patrick Cassidy, M. D.,
Thomas S. O'Brien,
Thomas Z. Lee,

Patrick T. Barry,

Thomas B. Fitzpatrick,

R. J. Donahue,
John J. Lenehan,

Milwaukee, Wis.
New York City.
Binghamton, N. Y.
New York City.
Elizabeth, N. J.
New York City.
Lewiston, Me.

Norwich, Conn.
Albany, N. Y.
Providence, R. I.
Chicago, Ill.
Boston, Mass.

Ogdensburg, N. Y.
New York City.

J. G. Coyle, M. D.,

New York City.

[blocks in formation]

Indiana,

Iowa,

Kansas,

Kentucky,

Louisiana,

Maine,

Maryland,

Massachusetts,

Michigan,

Minnesota,

Mississippi,

Missouri,

Montana,
Nebraska,

New Hampshire,
New Jersey,
New York,
North Carolina,
North Dakota,

Ohio,
Oregon,
Pennsylvania,
Rhode Island,

South Carolina,
South Dakota,
Tennessee,
Texas,

Utah,

Virginia,

Washington,

West Virginia,

Wisconsin,

Wyoming,

Canada,

Dist. of Columbia,

Ireland,

Australia,

Philippine Islands,

Very Rev. Andrew Morrissey. Rt. Rev. Philip J. Garrigan, D. D. Patrick H. Coney.

James Thompson.

James A. O'Shee.

Charles McCarthy, Jr.

Michael P. Kehoe.
Wm. T. A. Fitzgerald.
Thomas J. O'Brien.
C. D. O'Brien.

Dr. R. A. Quin.

John Baptiste O'Meara.

Wm. Scallon.

Rev. M. A. Shine.
William E. Chandler.
Col. David M. Flynn.
Edward J. McGuire.
Michael J. Corbett.
E. I. Donovan.
Thomas Plunkett.
J. P. O'Brien.
Edward J. Dooner.
Michael F. Dooley.
William J. O'Hagan.
Robert Jackson Gamble.
Joshua Brown.

Richard H. Wood.

John Joseph Galligan, M. D.
Rt. Rev. D. J. O'Connell.
William Pigott.

[blocks in formation]
« ПредишнаНапред »