| Title: | Letter to the Belfast News-Letter on Emigration. |
|---|---|
| ID | 3882 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | 1771-80/50 |
| Year | 1774 |
| Sender | unknown |
| Sender Gender | unknown |
| Sender Occupation | unknown |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Ulster, Ireland |
| Destination | Belfast, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Belfast News-Letter |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | letter to newspaper re emigration |
| Source | The Belfast News-Letter, Friday 18 to Tuesday 22 February, 1774 |
| Archive | The Central Library, Belfast |
| Doc. No. | 1200316 |
| Date | 18/02/1774 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | LET |
| Log | Document added by LT, 19:12:00. |
| Word Count | 420 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | BELFAST. Mr. Printer, Be so kind, through your useful paper, to convey to my countrymen the following facts, which are as baneful in their effects, as damnable in their intention. THE spirit of emigration that has so long been predominant in this country, has laid the people disposed to go abroad open to the grossest impositions, from masters of American vessels, and their colleagues, the skew-bankers. The general practice of men in this trade (and even your laurel'd gentry of this class) is on their arrival here, to open all letters, except those to a few merchants, to see if they contain any accounts of America, but such as would encourage the correspondent or his acquaintance to emigrate; if they do, it is immediately altered, or another substituted in its stead. Where a paragraph mentions the death of a parent, or an esteemed friend or relation, caused by uncommon labour, hardship, or the heat of the climate, this is put into oblivion by the dash of a pen, and a more pleasing picture introduced: or if it mentions a doubt of the propriety of leaving their native country, this is also put to utter darkness, and something of our modern Serjeant [Sergeant?] Kite's is presented, shewing the riches, happiness, ease and liberty of the people; and above all the never-to-be- neglected postscript - " If you come, be sure come with captain such a one, for he will use you well." - In short, the honest unsuspecting countryman, fond of change, listens to the pompous accounts, - so intoxicated, rashly resolves on his departure; and, heated with the flame, communicates it to all around him:- Houses and property are immediately sold, which, if they produce what pays their passage, all is well, and so far answers both parties: the captain gets the gleanings of their poverty; - hopeful harvest! to gorge those vultures, for which all that is worthy in man is factificed - benevolence, justice, and honour! It is an undoubted fact, that the emigrations of this kingdom are a loss to the landed gentlemen as well as the community at large, and it may be conjectured this hint is originated by some such; I must observe I have not an inch of landed property in this kingdom; it is wholly owing to a recent instance of this sort of baseness, which, if it was necessary, or hereafter should become so, I would stand forth, and offer such satisfaction (as to the facts) as would put it beyond a doubt. Ulster, 8th Feb. 1774. HIBERNIA. |
