Garrison responding to “Irish Address”
March 18, 1842
Here Garrison expresses confidence that the great number of Irish fellow-citizens in the United States will support abolition. “Until I am compelled to believe otherwise by evidence which it would be folly to dispute, I shall cling to the opinion that the great body of our Irish fellow-citizens mean to be found on the side of the oppressed (for is not Ireland oppressed? ) the world over. But it must be remembered that they are liable to be led astray by unprincipled politicians, by time-serving leaders, and by designing priests. We must be more active to disseminate light and truth among them, and to let them have a copy of the Address, every man for himself. They have come to this fair land to escape from the chains of British byranny; and now, will they, dare they, in their turn become the worst of oppressors, by helping to prop up the diabolical system of American slavery? Such apostasy is not to be tolerated as possible, even in imagination, for one moment. Let no Irishman claim to be a friend of O’Connell or of Ireland who is not an abolitionist. If such there be, Ireland and O’Connell will indignantly disown him. …” 1