| Title: | The Land Question - Rev. Mr Mullen |
|---|---|
| ID | 2273 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Rev. Mullen/9 |
| Year | 1852 |
| Sender | Rev. Mullen |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | clergyman |
| Sender Religion | Catholic |
| Origin | |
| Destination | letter published in The Belfast Commercial |
| Recipient | |
| Recipient Gender | |
| Relationship | |
| Source | The Belfast Commercial Chronicle, Wednesday, 28 April, 1852 |
| Archive | The Linenhall Library, Belfast. |
| Doc. No. | 9807242 |
| Date | 28/04/1852 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 07:07:98. |
| Word Count | 1988 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | THE LAND QUESTION - IRISH EMIGRANTS IN AMERICA - LETTER OF THE REV. MR MULLEN. (From the Evening Freeman) A very remarkable and important letter has been received from the Rev. Mr. Mullen, late curate of Clonmellon, on the state of the Irish emigrants in America. It will be recollected that the Rev. Mr. Mullen, who has long been identified with every effort calculated to note the interests of the Irish people, and whose interests in the popular cause are familiar to every reader of the Freeman, was recently sent on a mission to America, on behalf of the Irish Catholic University. - This mission has given him peculiar opportunites of observing the state of the Irish population of that great country, and the results of his observations, as regards the dangers which await the poor Irish emigrant beyond the Atlantic, is given in this important communication. We can only find room for the following extracts from the rev. gentleman's letter, which we need hardly say, demand the most serious attention not only on the part of all those of our countrymen who entertain any project of abandoning their native land for the far west, but of every Catholic clergyman and every layman who values the prosperity of this land and of its people and the interests of Catholicity. Leave the Protestant establishment to fester in its rottenness for a time; it is a sore, all the appearance whereof indicate proximate suppuration; it is better to leave it so for a time. The "ecclesiastical titles bill" can well afford some delay, particularly when millions are perishing in Ireland from want, hundreds lost spiritually, and multitudes of your countrymen and former parishioners swallowed into hell here, and a from the barbarous system of land tenure in Ireland. Are all the energies of the new association to be directed to prevent the proselytism of a few? Is there to be invoice raised, no hope held our, that will keep the people at home, and thus save millions from spiritual destruction! I say millions; here are my facts:- The present population of the United States is about 15,000,000, and of these the Catholic church claim only 1,980,000. From the year 1825 to 1844, 1,250,000 left Ireland one million of whom came to America; the portportion of Catholics amongst them may be very fairly estimated at 800,000. Since that perios to the present the numbers who emigrated here from Ireland at the lowest calculation were 1,500,000; and taking Catholics as above, we will have in nine years 1,200,000. A large number (say half a million) came from Germany, some from Italy, France, Belguim, and other countries, during the last ten years, half of whom were Cathilics, say 250,000. Twelve years ago America had a Caholic population (according to Dr. England, Bishop of Charleston), of 1,200,000. Calculating the increase of this number by births, and the very small number of 500,000, and adding for [con---?] in the larger cities and towns 20,000, we have the following total:- Catholic emigrants from the year 1825 to 1844 800,000 Catholic emigrants from the year 1844 to 1852 1,200,000 Catholic emigrants from other countries 250,000 American Catholic population twelve years ago 1,200,000 Increase by births since 500,000 Number of converts 20,000 Number who ought to be Catholics 3,970,000 Number who are Catholics 1,980,000 Number [faded] the Catholic church 4,950,000 Say, in round numbers two million. You, priests of Ireland, knew that irresponsible land [faded] Ireland's curse; that it robbed and plundered classes, obliging them to live on one root you knew that drove millions here - that it forced other millions into pauper prisons, to perish slowly you knew this, and preached patience incessantly to a famishing people, and in many instances, without explaining the privilege of the natural law of taking what would support life in extreme want. Ireland's monster evil was landlordism - cruel, unjust, irresponsible. - You, priests, said it, knew it, and felt it, even in your own straightened circumstances, -and yet there was no universal shout of execration against it - no cry that would frighten a minister to remedy so great an evil. The thousands driven out by landlords came here, and what became of them? Multitudes settled in the suburbs of the large cities, where thousands of the most depraved and abandoned of every sect were congregated, where infamy was sweltering, and crime of every species abounding. The poor emigrants were simple, with souls uncontaminated by enormous sins; it might be said of the majority that their hearts were pure as crystal - green as their own soil - they knew not the ways of seduction. The old people (a great many, at least) persevere (if not in virtue) at least in retaining faith, and many times wept on beholding their children carried down the rapids that lead to destruction; yes, they wept and thought of Ireland, its village churches, its priests, its religion, constituting happiness, even amidst privations and poverty. They died remembering the land they loved and with faith, though in many instances without religious comforts. Priests of Ireland, who now deplore so much the loss of a few hundred and are anxious to turn the whole influence of the new association to remedy it think of the millions of our countrymen lost here, and think of the multiplied millions that will be lost unless you contrive to keep them at home. Now, let me remove any grounds for supposing the fault was here, either with the American priests or bishops. No, for in the universal church there is not a more apostolic prudent, zealous, self-sacrificing body, than the American bishops. Whilst paying due respect to men in authority, they are never courting their smiles or soliciting their patronage. They never permit the result or their deliberations in council to transpire until its manifestation is necessary or useful. It was, therefore, neither the fault of bishops or priests here that "the faith died out" in so many millions. No; and though it may be as unpalatable to you as it is to me, I must say that their loss rests with the Irish priests, and perhaps bishops too, who tamely permitted hundreds of thousands to be banished here when it was impossible to raise sufficient churches for theit accommodation or to have a priesthood sufficiently numerous for years. There [faded] other class who made no effort to save the people - clergymen of nice manners (suave, I believe the French call it); men who would consider God against the oppressors of His poor, and who were always anxious to pay court to those possessing wealth or titles. They would not by any harch language (sometimes used by a Chrysostom) displease Lord Pincer, Sir Jeremy Flint, or the Honorable Mr. Screw, who lived in their parishes. Poor human nature! God forbid I should include many of the priests of Ireland in this description. No, the great majority were true to their trust; but influenced by a "mysterious terpor," they made no combined effort - and hence the people perished. A good many were deterred by fear of the exercise of undue authority themselves, as it is clear by a speech from one, published and praised as a pattern by the Cork Examiner, in which he advises a concordat between Whiggery and Rome, between Lord Russell and Pio Nono, and accuses the Holy Father of injuring the church on a point of etiquette. Well, there is no use in idle regrets about the past. What is to be done now? Combine all classes, farmers, traders, peasants, and priests, and make one great effort to have the land laws changed, holding out to honest industry the prospect of remuneration. By doing this you will keep the people at home, you remove teh fruitful source of proselytism at home, and you save millions from perverses here. Let the titles bill rest and allow the Protestant Church a longer day; settle the land question, and you may make the people comfortable, and they will despise the bribes of those who would tread on their poverty. Turn the attention of the association to this at once, and let it employ its funds for the success of a tenant bill, and it will thus effectually prevent the monster evil complained of. You never had so glorious a prospect or better opportunity of success. England is threatened with invasion all the continental kingdoms hate her, and would gladly lend a helping hand for her destruction. France thirsts for an opportunity to wipe off the disgrace of Waterloo. Louis Napolean is anxious to make his position strong and tenable, and sees no better opportunity of carrying out his designs than by indulging the national pride and gratifying the desires of the French to humble England. He will most probably do something of the kind, to make himself, like his uncle, the idol of the army and navy. Such is England's position in Europe, and if she looks to America, how stands the case? An American minister at St. James's may flatter England by promises of an union; but this I know, that such an union will never take place; it would be the signal for revolution here. One-third of the population is Irish, or of Irish descent; they hate England with an intensity of which you have no possible conception. Half the American army is Irish, and nine-tenths of her navy are jolly tars from Paddy's land, who would whoop, and halloo, and jump as Indians at the prospect of a dash at the boasted wooden walls of wicked England, which crushed, and robbed, and plundered their country and made themselves exiles. Such is England's position, such here prospects here and at home. Remember O'Connells saying - "England's difficulty is Ireland's opportunity" and of a truth her opportunity is [faded]. It remains with you not to allow it to be thrown [faded]. You are on the eve of an election; for God's [faded] and the people's sake don't throw the chance of success away by returning incompetent members; members who will use the parrot-cry of "civil and religious liberty," and talk about the Protestant church and the titles bill, in order to walk into parliament, and betray the interests of the landholders and the poor of God. If you confine your selections of members to the landlord class, you deserve to be betrayed and spat upon. They have ever been Ireland's greatest enemies; the English garrison, oppressing the people and living on the plunder of unjust rack-rents. I tell you, moreover, there are men now joining the people, and there is every reson to apprehend their motive is not to save or assist, but to promote their own ambitious interests, using the new association as a stalking-horse to ride into parliament. Elect no man who is not for tenant-right - for full tenant justice, as embodied in Mr. Sharman Crawford's bill, with its additions made by the League. Take no man that will not go at least to the full extent of that bill. Remember how the men of your choice betrayed you after the last election. I know in my own country one man who attended a tenant meeting previous to his election; he was then a real tenant's friend, but since that period he has never opened his lips except to ridicule the League, and those zealous men who were endeavouring to serve the country; and you have many like him. Now, if the bishops or priests of Ireland lend their influence to elect such men, I say it deliberately, they betray their highest trusts (the interests of God's poor,) and assist (as far as in them lies) proselytism at home and the perversion of millions here. Priests of Ireland, don't return Whigs or Tories; use all your energies to have honest tenant-right men returned, and you will thus fulfil a high and sacred duty and do much to secure for your order taht high character invariably accorede them, "friends of the people." |
