| Title: | Extract of a Letter from Philadelphia. |
|---|---|
| ID | 3891 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | 1781-90/5 |
| Year | 1783 |
| Sender | unknown |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | merchant |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Philadelphia, Penn., USA |
| Destination | Belfast, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | unknown |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | re emigration |
| Source | The Belfast Mercury 28th November 1783. |
| Archive | The Linenhall Library, Belfast. |
| Doc. No. | 9407176 |
| Date | 24/09/1783 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 02:06:1994. |
| Word Count | 325 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Extract of a letter from Philadelphia, to a merchant in Belfast, Sept. 24 1783. "I have not experienced much civilities or attention from any of my introductory letters here this however you must not think singular as I am not alone in this remark, it is the treatment almost every Irishman has received. Hospitality and friendship, the former characteristic of America, has fled the land. The merchants are jealous of evory [every?] person that comes here who has the appearance of setting among them, and it is incredible how reserved they are in conversation, and with what duplicity they guard themselves on any matter of trade. I despise them for attempting to discharge their army without paying them three years arrears now due, or making any provisions for those disabled in service. The soldiers took the alarm and rose to pay themselves, but where [were?] quelled by fair promises, which perhaps may be their only reward at last, in short the wealthy part of the people are a selfish ungrateful set. "It is very distressing to see so many of our brave infatuated countrymen of every description crowding here daily, in expectation of making a fortune in the land of liberty, almost on their arrival; but, poor deluded wretches! did they calculate right, they would find that living here runs off with the extravagant wages they receive, and a stranger coming here runs a risk of starving if his purse is light, before he meets with employment. The exportation of servants from Ireland is shocking; they can have no choice in their matter, and very often they are treated little better than negroes during their their servitude; for a master may, for the smallest offence, put his indented servant into the work-house and feed him there during his pleasure on bread and water, without the servant having the smallest redress; In short, if a man has prudence, he may live better and enjoy more real staisfaction on 100l [?] a year in Ireland, than on 500l. [?] sterling here." |
