| Title: | Letter from an Irish Emigrant to his brother in Magherafelt. |
|---|---|
| ID | 3949 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | 1841-50/12 |
| Year | 1843 |
| Sender | unknown |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | unknown |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Philadelphia, Penn., USA |
| Destination | Magherafelt, Co. Derry, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | unknown |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | brothers |
| Source | The Vindicator, Saturday, November 25th, 1843. |
| Archive | The Linenhall Library, Belfast. |
| Doc. No. | 9310630 |
| Date | 28/09/1843 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Action By Date Document added by C McK., 21:10:199 |
| Word Count | 413 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | EXTRACT FROM AN AMERICAN LETTER OF AN IRISH EMIGRANT TO HIS BROTHER NEAR MAGHERAFELT. "PHILADELPHIA, 28TH SEPTEMBER, 1843. – As for the affairs of this country, there is a change in business for the better; trade of every discription has revived greatly for some time back. This is principally attributed to the American tariff, which, without a doubt, if continued, as I expect it will, must drive a nail in the coffin of Englands trade. Provisions are very reasonable. Flour, five dollars per barrel; beef, 4 to 8 cents per lb.; butter, 12 to 20 cents per lb. What think you of the great question that is the principal subject of all the civilised world - Repeal? We know the most of what occurs. Thank God and a free constitution, we have a free press here, that tells us all that passes even in the retreats of depots. We heard of the meetings you had in Ballinderry, Toome Strand, and at Ardboe; also the meeting of Orangemen at Curran, and all the demonstrations throughout Ireland. Still we should like to hear something from you in a letter, and to know the sentiments of all our old friends and neighbours." [The following sentiment, which we put in italics, does credit to the generous heart of the exile] :- "I trust in God, at this important time you are not backward in your country's cause; if I thought you were I should utterly deny you as a brother. I am a Repealer here since its first commencement. Perhaps you might wish to know of a little turn that the question has taken in this great republic. There is not a state in the Union that has not interspersed through it Repeal Associations. The greatest statesmen in the United States are agitating the question; for instance, the President, his eldest son, Mr. Robert Tyler, Colonel R. M. Johnston, who is a candidate for the presidency in 1844; also, half the members of Congress, governors of states; in fact, the whole talent and influence of the people are in its favour. A convention of delegates from all the states is sitting this week, in the city of New York, to devise the best means of assisting the cause, and to establish a general American Fund * * * * On hearing the warlike threat of Peel, and that degenerate Irishman, old Wellington, in May last, the week after the arrival, no less than 2,500 dollars were contributed in this town; also, in New York, 60 merchants offered to subscribe 1,000 dollars each, should emergency require it." |
