1880 November 17, Montrose, to Lilly
Item Description
Member of
Description
The author shares his opinions of the worth of Irish immigrants.
Linked Agent
Author (aut): Cope, Alexis T. (Alexis Thomas), 1850-1883
Addressee (rcp): Cope, Elizabeth S. (Elizabeth Stewardson), 1848-1937
Physical Form
Genre
Date Created
1880-11-17
Subject (Topic)
Subjects (name)
Geographic Subject
Language
Extent
1 item
Resource Type
Internet Media Type
image/tiff
Digital Origin
Institution
Library
Shelf Locator
HC.MC-1170, Box 2
Collection Guide
Local Identifier
hsc1070
PID
hc:104318
Record Content Source
Rights Statement
Transcription
Montrose, Nov. 17, 1880.
My dearest Lilly:
I feel as though I were getting quite behind in my correspondence since the arrival of thy letter written on First-day,--the second I have rec'd since writing to thee. I am glad thee can look on the domestic upheaval with some degree of philosophy. It would be exactly in accordance with Kate's fickle Irish disposition to be led off by the others, but I would not raise a hand to persuade her to stay any more than the others,--only show a proper degree of dignified disapprobation, and make a neutral resolve never, except in exceptional cases, to take an Irish girl into thy house again. I say, down with the Irish! There is no people on the face of the earth more unsuited to make satisfactory "helps" in American households. Their characters are too untutored, too mercurial, to breathe Republican air with any degree of acceptability to their employers. They never go out of their way to avoid a row, but on the contrary find nothing more congenial to them. This has been especially forced upon my attention since I have had dealings with the Yankees. I have been obliged to change my style of business in quite a marked way. At Philadelphia all intercourse with those who work for you is carried on under the old-world notion that there is a difference in rank and social condition which makes one party necessarily take the position of superior and the other of inferior. In my opinion there is not a particle of justification for any such idea and the logical result of persistence in it will be communism of the worst type. There is no aristocracy more dangerous to this country than the aristocracy of mere wealth. What is McNab-town but a community of these same wretched Irish who look with envious eyes on their rich neighbors and think it perfectly right for them to start what they can, and who are only kept from open plunder by fear of the policeman. Now when the policeman comes to be appointed by a mayor taken from their own ranks or elected by their votes, the rich neighbor is going to be an unenviable person.
The Yankee on the other hand, though he may be just as poor, feels himself the equal of any man and is sturdily independent. He is consequently a reasonable creature and all your dealings with him are on the easy footing of equal with equal. And this very sense of independence acts as a powerful restraint on the old Adam within him, on the principle of "noblesse oblige".
Now having gone thus far with my essay, I will just take breath to say I was quite delighted to hear thee had some prospect of getting Lizzie back. I trust it will really come to pass. I should advise thee to take her younger sister too. I can't quite gather from thy last letter whether Eliza is gone or not, as thee had said in the previous one that both she and the cook were "about to leave".
I find on looking at my watch that it is nearly 10 o'cl., I must shut up. Expect to be home next Third-day.
You were very stupid not to have the carriage mended. Tell William to take it when he pleases.
Thine lovingly
A.J.C.
The snow, the beautiful snow has come
My dearest Lilly:
I feel as though I were getting quite behind in my correspondence since the arrival of thy letter written on First-day,--the second I have rec'd since writing to thee. I am glad thee can look on the domestic upheaval with some degree of philosophy. It would be exactly in accordance with Kate's fickle Irish disposition to be led off by the others, but I would not raise a hand to persuade her to stay any more than the others,--only show a proper degree of dignified disapprobation, and make a neutral resolve never, except in exceptional cases, to take an Irish girl into thy house again. I say, down with the Irish! There is no people on the face of the earth more unsuited to make satisfactory "helps" in American households. Their characters are too untutored, too mercurial, to breathe Republican air with any degree of acceptability to their employers. They never go out of their way to avoid a row, but on the contrary find nothing more congenial to them. This has been especially forced upon my attention since I have had dealings with the Yankees. I have been obliged to change my style of business in quite a marked way. At Philadelphia all intercourse with those who work for you is carried on under the old-world notion that there is a difference in rank and social condition which makes one party necessarily take the position of superior and the other of inferior. In my opinion there is not a particle of justification for any such idea and the logical result of persistence in it will be communism of the worst type. There is no aristocracy more dangerous to this country than the aristocracy of mere wealth. What is McNab-town but a community of these same wretched Irish who look with envious eyes on their rich neighbors and think it perfectly right for them to start what they can, and who are only kept from open plunder by fear of the policeman. Now when the policeman comes to be appointed by a mayor taken from their own ranks or elected by their votes, the rich neighbor is going to be an unenviable person.
The Yankee on the other hand, though he may be just as poor, feels himself the equal of any man and is sturdily independent. He is consequently a reasonable creature and all your dealings with him are on the easy footing of equal with equal. And this very sense of independence acts as a powerful restraint on the old Adam within him, on the principle of "noblesse oblige".
Now having gone thus far with my essay, I will just take breath to say I was quite delighted to hear thee had some prospect of getting Lizzie back. I trust it will really come to pass. I should advise thee to take her younger sister too. I can't quite gather from thy last letter whether Eliza is gone or not, as thee had said in the previous one that both she and the cook were "about to leave".
I find on looking at my watch that it is nearly 10 o'cl., I must shut up. Expect to be home next Third-day.
You were very stupid not to have the carriage mended. Tell William to take it when he pleases.
Thine lovingly
A.J.C.
The snow, the beautiful snow has come