The journal of the American-Irish Historical Society, Vol. IX, 1910Various
History
The journal of the American-Irish Historical Society, Vol. IX, 1910
Various
American-Irish Historical Society -- Periodicals; Ethnology -- United States -- Periodicals; Irish Americans -- Periodicals
I was very much impressed by the last speaker, Judge Fitzgerald, when he
emphasized the fact that whether we are Irish-Americans or
American-Irish, we are part and parcel of this great country. It
reminded me of what I had heard a great thinker in our own city say a
few years ago (the late Mr. Edward Atkinson) upon the subject of
restricted immigration. He, with two other very representative men,
discussed this question of restricted immigration before the Beacon
Society of Boston. His opening salutation was: “Fellow Immigrants, the
Beacon Society of Boston.” It is needless to say they were surprised at
this unexpected and novel introduction. It was sufficiently explained,
however, when he said: “Some of your forefathers may have come over in
the ‘Mayflower,’ some of them fifteen generations ago, some of them ten,
some of them perhaps not more than three or four; but you must remember
that the space of time between the landing of the first immigrant and
those of today marks but a short period in the lifetime of a nation, and
therefore we are a nation of immigrants. We have no more right to say
today to the immigrant landing on our shores that he must not land, than
your forefathers and mine had to forbid the landing of the immigrants of
their day.”
I believe, Mr. President, that it would be well for us to appreciate Mr.
Atkinson’s statement that this is virtually a new country, a land of
immigrants, and that we are all Americans. As Americans, we are
interested in everything that concerns the well-being of this great and
glorious republic, being mindful at the same time of the priceless
inheritance it is to every man of our blood to sacredly treasure what
has been accomplished by the people of our race in the history and
development of this new world. I am glad that these papers are to be
published in order that they may be preserved as a fruitful means of
inspiration for future generations. It shows the great field of endeavor
that is open to this worthy association.
MR. MARTIN I. J. GRIFFIN: Mr. President, as these papers are to be
published, it is essential that no known errors should appear in them,
that is, in the papers published in the name of the Society.
In the last paper read, it was stated that James Logan was more tolerant
than William Penn in the matter of the celebration of Mass in
Philadelphia. I know that not to be a fact. The speaker has
misinterpreted what he alleges to be a fact. William Penn did not object
to Mass being celebrated in Philadelphia, and therefore James Logan was
not more tolerant in allowing it.
The Episcopalians objected to the public celebration of Mass in
Philadelphia. William Penn was in London at the time, and was notified
by the English government of the fact that Mass had been celebrated.
Thereupon Penn wrote to James Logan, his agent, to send him the fact of
the matter. He did not say anything about the “scandal of the Mass,” but
that Mass was celebrated in a “scandalous manner.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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