| Title: | Robert McElderry, Lynchburg, Va. to Thomas McElderry, Ballymoney. |
|---|---|
| ID | 3820 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | mcelderry, robert/14 |
| Year | 1854 |
| Sender | McElderry, Robert |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | businessman (dry goods) |
| Sender Religion | Protestant (joins The Presbyterian Church At Some Point) |
| Origin | Lynchburg, Virginia, USA |
| Destination | Ballymoney, Co. Antrim, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | McElderry, Thomas |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | brothers |
| Source | T 2414/16: Copied by Permission of Dr. Helen Megaw, c/o 66, Malone Road, Belfast, 9. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9007076 |
| Date | 31/05/1854 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by JM 03:09:1993. |
| Word Count | 1313 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Mr Thomas McElderry Jn [Junior?] Ballymoney Ireland Lynchburg 31st May 1854 Dear Brother I have no doubt you think by this time that I have forgotten you altogether and that I never intend writing to you any more I ought to have written to you long before this time but kept putting off untill [until?] a more convenient season and as William has been writing to you regularly you have been aware that I have been well which is about as much as I can say at any time Since I last wrote (as you have seen by the papers I sent to you) I have gone into business with Mr Peters and Mr Stigler Mr S[tigler?] has been living with Mr P[eters?] about eight years We commence with a capital of thirty thousand dollars Mr P[eters?] furnishing that amount in goods and Mr S[tigler?] and myself each paying him five thousand dollars which makes Mr P's [Peters'?] part twenty thousand dollars and Mr S's [Stigler's?] and mine five thousand each Mr P[eters?] puts into the concern the additional capital because he does not give the business any of his attention The profits are to be divided eaqualy [equally?] Mr Mathews very kindly loaned me the money to enable me to enter into the arrangement We do a pretty large business sell more goods than any dry goods house in the city our sales amount to about seventy thousands dollars in the year A young man named Frank Divine left here the week before last or a visit to Ireland he said he would call on you Which will be some time this summer I gave him a letter of introduction to my father which he said he would present he was raised in the vicinity of Strabane he has been living near a near neighbour to me for some years & is a very sober steady young man he is a Roman Catholick [Catholic?] and a taylor [tailor?] by trade When he visits you make him stop with you a few days as I would be very glad to have him see you all so he could make a long report when he comes back I some time ago subscribed to the Citizen a paper published and edited by John Mitchell in New York and I do declare I do not know what sort of folks you all are in Ireland when you like such a paper as Gleason's Pictorial better than the Citizen The first charge I see brought against [Mitchell?] in the standard was for his truculent defence of slavery how little the [they?] know of what they are talking of when editing a paper New York and defending slavery is very much like going to Rome and fighting the Pope, he has by this course rendered himself unpopular with Northern people in the united states, so it cannot be a truculent defence as the Standard it [in?] its wisdom says The next thing I would say in his defence is that he is right the Bible recognises slavery preachers to contrary notwithstanding The institution existed among the Jews in days of our Savior [Saviour?] did he who continually reproved sin ever say anything against slavery, #PAGE 2 did not the apostle Paul send back a runaway servant to his master but times have changed since then and he who steals away a servant from his master is doing God's service Some preachers and others who denounce slavery on every occasion in Ireland had better come a little while to the slave holding state of Virginia and see how slaves are treated here and go home and treat their white servants better The next charge brought against Mitchell is because of his desire of the success of the Russian arms against the English and French, why does he wish so, he wishes so for no other reason than his intense hatred of the English gover[n?]ment a feeling which ought to prevade [pervade?] the breast of every Irishman and this for the reason that the English gover[n?]ment hate Ireland and the Irish with a perfect hatred The Irish are slaves to England, yes abject slaves. The English will not grant you eaqual [equal?] rights with themselves [At?] no the poor Irish people are not fit to govern themselves They will not grant you anything you may ask for no matter how reasonable Where is tenant right where are all the rights asked for by the Irish none are granted nor will be granted, as long as the Irish continue such abject beggars as they now are Would that the Irish people could be induced to rise up and by force break off that accursed union with England which keeps you in bondage to her It is the policy of England to keep the Irish divided among themselves so that they may be an easy prey Protanstants [Protestants?] are afraid of Roman Catholicks [Catholics?] and one sect of another and when there is no union there can not be much effected Learn to think less of no man because of his religious opinions whatever they may be for them he is only accountable to [his?] Maker Could you only witness for a short time the working of free goverment [government?] in this country you would not be long satisfied with that under which you now live I sent a few days ago to you a check for two pounds for Dan Gillon which you can hand over to him I hope Tommy Lyle, Sam Boyd and all the little ones are well don't let them forget their Uncle Robert tell Tommy Lyle to be a good boy to learn well grow fast and get ready to come out to his Uncle Robert William is well and wrote to you a few days ago he is getting along very well and seems to be satisfied with his situation William and myself sent our daugarietype [daguerreotype?] likenesses home by to you by Mr Divine William said he boasted in his letter to you that he was the better looking of the two but I am willing to leave it to you all to decide between us, Jane used to be a good judge in such matters and I am willing to submit it to her I received in the last letter I had from home a beautifull [beautiful?] book mark from Elizabeth for which I am under many obligation[s?] it was realy [really?] a very pretty one, in return for the mark I will promise this if Elizabeth is not in to [too?] much of a hurry to get married I will go home see it done and dance at her wedding #PAGE 3 I had like to forget to say to you that you need not put your selves to any trouble getting shirts or anything of any kind made to send by Mr Divine anything you would send is different from what we have here and dos not suit I say this least [lest?] you might be putting yourselves to trouble When I mentioned about Tommy Lyle coming out [to?] me I was not joking I realy [really?] want him to come as soon as he can be prepared to leave home if his mother will consent to it I have always thought that I would like to have Tommy come and live with me and if he does I will do all I can for him I reckon you will almost think me mad for writing such a letter I am not mad (Brother Thomas) but do speak forth the words of soberness and truth Though to think of such wrongs as poor Ireland has suffered and is suffering at the hands of the English goverment [government?] is enough to make one mad I no more to say at present but I hope to hear from you soon and that you are all well I remain Your affectionate Brother Ro. [Robert?] McElderry |
