“THE IRISH WON FOR THE AMERICANS THEIR FREEDOM. ” Ch: 16
Chapter 16
“THE IRISH WON FOR THE AMERICANS THEIR FREEDOM. “
Irish-American in T.V. interview, November, 1982.
The Statement quoted above is typical of the misleading propaganda that is used constantly by Irish-Americans and like-minded people on the Eastern side of the Atlantic to boost their claims for support. In the case quoted it was to go unchallenged, because the interviewer had no Ulster background, and evidently little knowledge of that part of her history that had such an effect on the attainment of American independence and her future development. He was an official of the radio and T.V. media in Ulster travelling with a Northem Ireland Office delegation to America, whose knowledge was probably on a par with his own. The Northern Ireland Office is the British Government department in the Province, a part of the colonial-like machinery of administration, which in March, 1972, replaced the efficient, but much maligned and misrepresented Stormont Government that with its delegated authority had in fifty years steered the Province to prosperity.
As to the Irish-ans. The year 1897 saw the founding of the so-called Irish-American Historical Society. The “Historical” part of the title was largely a misnomer, because factual history was the first thing those who formed the society wished to misrepresent. The actual purpose behind its formation was to usurp for the Celtic or Roman Catholic Irish the credit rightfully due to people of Ulster Protestant stock for the major part they had played towards the attainment of American independence, in .the setting-up of the young nation, and in it’s expansion to its present territory. To achieve this dishonourable aim, it was necessary for them to persuade others that their ancestors had been in that country in substantial enough numbers to have played a decisive part in Revolutionary times and to have effectively aided the colonists. Since so many historians had written about the Scotch-Irish achievements in those times, one of their aims had to be, as they expressed it, “to deflate the Scotch-lrish myth.”
Surely such a wording brimmed with anything but goodwill, and revealed the malice motivating the society. They were to claim also that the people who went to America from Ulster in the 17th and 18th centuries were “Irish, not only in the geographical sense, but also in patriotism for Ireland and in biological heritage and culture.” It could only be people who had never been in Ulster who could have put forward such a preposterous idea. In their campaign they were supported by several writers notably OConnell, Bagenal, and Linehan. With such claims for a foundation, one could expect little truth in their statements and actions that followed. In endeavours to prove the presence in significant numbers of. Roman Catholic Irish in America in those vital years, writers like Flood and O’Brien grossly exaggerated their passengers emigrating. O’Brien went so far as to claim that in one important period before the Revolution, the number of “Celtic” emigrants was twenty times that of “Protestant Irish of possible Scotch descent” Departures from fact such as this were in complete contradiction of recordings by such reputable writers as Ford, Roosevelt, Hanna, Battershaw. Fumas, Maldwyn Jones, Thompson, and Morison and Comager.
This type of misleading ploy has not been confined to such writers as O’Brien and Flood of long-past years. The year 1976 was a most significant one for America, as it was the bi-centenary of her Declaration of Independence. In the production and issuing of that historical document it will readily be recalled that tour men of Ulster Protestant stock, Charles Thomson, John Hancock, John Dunlap, and John Nixon played most important parts. It was in the year in which Ulster people should have been reminded of all the achievements of the Ulster Scots in America. On this important anniversary a publication entitled “Notes on Ireland and Irishmen in the American War of Independence” was published on behalf of the Irish Association
for Documentation and Information Services.”
It was printed in Dublin, but was made available to Ulster readers through the County Library Services of the Education and Library Boards of Northem Ireland. It is full of gems of misrepresentation and gross overstatement to the misleading effect that:- somewhat more than half of the people emigrating in the pre-Revolutionary years from Ireland were from Ulster, that on several occasions Irish fidelity and firmness saved Congress and preserved America itself: that the Irish were to be found all over the Colonies, especially in the South and vitally in Pennsylvania: that most of the Irish were involved from the Boston massacre to the British surrender at Yorktown: that at least 16 Continental generals were from Ireland: that estimates of Irish participation was from 38 to 50 per cent, and so on.
Everywhere there is the wholly false equation of Irish and Scotch-Irish, or more correctly Ulster Scots. A real gem of this styly of propagandist misinformation is one to the effect that as soon as an Irishman sets foot on American soil he is accepted as and becomes an American – unlike the English and Scots who were distrusted. Evidently the writer was unaware of the widely displayed notice in such American
cities as New York, Boston, and Philadelphia in the 1850′s “No Irish need apply,” Probably the best answer to such blatant attempts to equate the two distinct races of Ulster Scot and Celtic Irish was that given by Rev. James McGregor, an Ulster Presbyterian minister shortly after his landing in America in the early 18th century. He and his companions had been referred to as Irish by an American official. His angry reply was
“We are people of the Scottish race in Ulster, who have given our strength, and substance, and lives to uphold the British connection there, It is hard to be identified with the very people to whom we have always been opposed.”
Every generation since then could have, and should have, given, and should now give, a similar answer to any attempted equation of these two distinct races. None more so, than the present generation of the British people in Ulster, who since 1969 have been subjected to all kinds of pressure from so-calledfriends, as well as declared enemies, to accept that there is little or no difference between themselves and the people of Southern Ireland and Republican minded supporters in the province.
Regarding the spurious claim that there were large numbers of people from the South of Ireland resident in America prior to 1776, it is completely unsupported by facts. Too many references have been made by reputable authors to the “Scotch-Irish” and the few remarks regarding “Irish” can be readily seen as careless allusions to people actually from this Province, Another term which has been used is “Presbyterian Irish”. Indeed, Dr. Marshall quotes another term for the Ulster settlers of those days, when he cites a statement by Owen Lister in his book, “A Straight Deal” He writes,
“We are being told in these days (about 1944) that we owe a debt of support to Irish independence, because the Irish fought with us in our struggle for independence. Yes, the Irish did. BUT IT WAS THE ORANGE IRISH AND NOT THE GREEN IRISH.”
Another writer, Arthur Young, a careful observer of18th century Ireland, during his 1780 tour wrote, “The Catholics never went (to America) they seem not only tied to the country, but almost to the parish in which their ancestors lived.”
AC Furnas also confirmed the vast disparity between the number of settlers from Ulster and those from the rest of Ireland, when he explained that the term “Irish” had been loosely applied to the “major influx” of “Scotch-Irish” and the “scattering” of South of Ireland Catholics. Opposition to the term “Scotch-Irish” has been a long-standing and fierce one, but it has always been from the same source. John Fiske, the historian, in his book “Dutch and Quaker Colonies” points out that although the strongest objector to it was the Irish Catholic, yet the same representative person was most anxious to claim the Scotch-Irish “deeds and trophies”, as simply Irish and to grudge to Scotland any claim on them. Fiske thought that perhaps the settlers from Ulster should have been called Ulstermen or Ulster Presbyterian’s. Henry Cabot Lodge was also damant regarding the distinction between the two races.
In 1891 when criticised for holding to the difference he wrote:- “I classified the Irish and the Scotch-Irish as two distinct race-stocks and I believe the distinction to be a sound one, historically and scientifically, The Scotch-Irish from the North of Ireland, Protestant in religion and chiefly Scottish or English in blood and name came to this country (America) in large numbers in the 18th century, while the people of Irish stock came scarcely at all during the colonial period and did not immigrate here until the present century was well advanced.” The sparsity of Celtic Irish in pre-Revolutionary America is confirmed in an indisputable way by figures relating to their religious affiliation. The bond between any Roman Catholic parish through its priest, bishop, and cardinal with the Vatican is a strong and effective one. This ensures not only to the most insecure parishioner, a sense of belonging to a vast organisation, but also a very large measure of control by the church authorities in Rome. This control is manifest in the day-to-day uniformity in religious observances throughout all parishes, and was clearly displayed on a much bigger scale by the disciplined response in different countries to the Papal visits of recent times.
It was consistent with this close association that, following the attainment of independence by U.S.A., the Roman Catholic churches in that country, unlike those of the Reformed Faith, maintained their link with the church structure in Europe. In keeping with the well established system of transmitting information to the Vatican authorities from countries in which its adherents were living, details relating to those would be ascertained and made known to Rome. So there can be little doubting that the number of priests serving in America as supplied by the Papal Nuncio in 1784 to no less a person that Benjamin Franklin would be in accordance with the actual figures. The number given by that ambassador during this crucial period was a grand total of 20. That meant that in the vast territory from the Eastern seaboard to the Mississippi that miniscule number of Roman Catholic clergymen had the oversight of adherents to that faith.
It could in no way be imagined that the number of parishioners was the large one of the previously mentioned writers outrageous claims. It has been recorded reliably that the most of these were to be found in Maryland and Philadelphia. Even an estimate of around 18,000 as quoted by one historian would seem to be a generous one. It has to be remembered also that in that country at that time there were also included English and French Roman Catholics as well as Irish. That was why appeals were made to the Pope for permission to select their first bishop about 1788, there was much disagreement among the peoples from these three countries. John Carroll of Baltimore was subsequently elected and his standing as bishop was ratified by the authorities in Rome in 1790. His diocese was the entire United States territory.
To place the number of Roman Catholics in proper perspective, it much be remembered that the population of white people in that country at that time was over 3 millions, and it can be taken that those who accepted no allegiance to Rome made up the vast difference between the estimate quoted previously and that total population. In 1785 there were at least 200 Presbyterian ministers of Ulster origin alone, more than that from Scotland, as well as very significant numbers for the spiritual oversight of Congregationalists, Methodists, Protestant Episcopalian s, Baptists and Quakers. The hollowness of all claims of huge numbers of Roman Catholic Irish people present in America in Revolutionary times is clear for everyone to see. Dr. W.J. Marshall’s statement is very well justified:- “The fact is that Southern Irishmen made no important contribution to American freedom. Why? Because they were not there to make it”
Nor is that the end of the story. Catholic Irish fought against America in its War of Independence. Factual evidence to support this statement is not hard to find. There is mention by several historians, among them Morison and Commager of Rawdon’s Volunteers of Ireland. They were known as “Green Coats”, and were infamous for their cruelty and ruthlessness which was only matched by Tarleton’s Legion. They played a part with Tarleton’s Legion in the defeat of the Colonial forces at Camden. Lord Rawdon had recruited colonists who supported the British cause from some of the colonies. People with this loyalty were known as Loyalists or more often Tories, and as can be imagined were not popular with the American patriots. For that reason battles in which Tories were involved were savage encounters, leaving much ill-will. Owing to losses sustained by Rawdon’s forces it was necessary to enlist more recruits. Lord North, called for 4,000 volunteers from Southern Ireland.
Eight regiments were formed and these were shipped. to America to serve under Lord Cornwallis in his powerful drive to overrun the Carolinas and secure a strangle-hold on the movement of Colonial forces in that region. However, this dangerous move was completely brought to naught by Ulster Scottish volunteers for the American cause. These had rallied to that cause from the Western border areas of the Carolinas and even as far afield as that became known as Tennessee and Kentucky. Under General Daniel Morgan and Colonel William Campbell at Cowpens and King’s Mountain respectively. they inflicted such heavy losses on the enemy that it made almost inevitable the surrender at Yorktown. The year 1787 was a most significant one in America. It was the year when was first coined the term “immigrant.” It was thus the year which separated colonists or settlers such as the Ulster Scots from all those. that as immigrants followed. It highlighted a significant distinction.
Those hardy pioneers who had in the 17th and 18th centuries landed and pushed forward into a strange. vast, and often unfriendly wilderness were the real founders of the powerful “independent something called America.” They discovered for themselves the land surveyed claimed. and developed it. They declared and fought for its independence. and donated to others the inspiration, courage and drive to proceed. They also devised the blueprint for a democratic system of expansion, that provided for even the latest colony within the vast commonwealth the same status, rights, privileges, and defence as the original thirteen colonies. Such was the vital contribution of the colonists or settlers to the development of the United States of America, and most prominent among those hardy, courageous pioneers were the Ulster folk and their descendants - “the first to start and the last to quit”
