LIBRARIAN-ARCHIVIST
]
Several others were also present, but, coming in later, their signatures
to this agreement were not obtained. They included Hon. Thomas J. Gargan
and Osborne Howes, of Boston, Mass.; Charles A. De Courcy, of Lawrence,
Mass.; Dennis H. Sheahan, of Providence, R. I.; and Thomas Carroll, of
Peabody, Mass. Of these, Mr. Gargan, Mr. Howes, and Mr. Sheahan were
among the signers of the call for the meeting. All expressed themselves
in favor of the organization and a desire to be identified with it.
* * * * *
The following constitution was adopted:
_Preamble._
Believing that the part taken in the settlement, foundation, and
up-building of these United States by the Irish race has never
received proper recognition from historians, and inspired by love
for the republic, a pride in our blood and forefathers, and a desire
for historic truth, this society has met and organized.
Its mission is to give a plain recital of facts, to correct errors,
to supply omissions, to allay passions, to shame prejudice, and to
labor for right and truth.
While we, as loyal citizens of this republic, are earnestly
interested in all the various phases of its history, we feel that we
should be false to its honor and greatness and recreant to our own
blood if we did not make a serious effort to leave to those
generations which will follow us a clearer and better knowledge of
the important work done by men and women of the Irish race on this
continent. People of this race—men and women born on Irish soil—have
been here from the first, prompted in their flight by the motives
common to all immigration, dissatisfaction with the old order of
things, and the resolve to obtain a freer and better life in the new
land under new conditions.
And so we have come together—natives of Ireland, American sons of
Irish immigrants, and descendants of immigrants even unto the
seventh, eighth, and ninth American generations—to duly set forth
and perpetuate a knowledge of these things.
In the days to come, that lie in the womb of the future, when all
the various elements that have gone and are going to make the
republic great, are united in the American,—the man who in his
person will represent the bravest elements of all the old races of
earth,—we desire that the deeds and accomplishments of our element
shall be written in the book of the new race, telling what we did
and no more; giving us our rightful place by the side of the others.
To accomplish this is the purpose of this organization; it is a work
worthy of the sympathy and aid of every American who can rise above
the environment of to-day and look into the broad future. Fidelity,
truth, honor, are the watchwords of such a purpose, and under their
noble influence should our work be done.
_Article I.—Name._
This organization shall be known as the AMERICAN-IRISH HISTORICAL
SOCIETY.
_Article II.—Objects and Purposes._
The objects and purposes of this society are:
(1) The study of American history generally.
(2) To investigate, specially, the immigration of the people of
Ireland to this country, determine its numbers, examine the sources,
learn the places of its settlement; and estimate its influence on
contemporary events in war, legislation, religion, education, and
other departments of human activity.
(3) To examine records of every character, wherever found,
calculated to throw light on the work of the Irish element in this
broad land.
(4) To endeavor to correct erroneous, distorted, and false views of
history, where they are known, and to substitute therefor the truth
of history, based on documentary evidence and the best and most
reasonable tradition, in relation to the Irish race in America.
(5) To encourage and assist the formation of local societies in
American cities and towns for the work of the parent society.
(6) To promote and foster an honorable and national spirit of
patriotism, which will know no lines of division, which will be
based upon loyalty to the laws, institutions, and spirit of the
republic to whose up-building the Irish element has unselfishly
contributed in blood and treasure, a patriotism whose simple
watchwords will be true Americanism and human freedom, and which has
no concern for any man’s race, color, or creed, measuring him only
by his conduct, effort, and achievement.
(7) To promote by union in a common high purpose a sincere
fraternity, a greater emulation in well-doing, a closer confidence
and mutual respect among the various elements of the Irish race in
America, that, by putting behind them the asperities of the past,
they may unite in a common brotherhood with their fellow-citizens
for the honor of the race and the glory of the republic.
(8) To place the result of its historical investigations and
researches in acceptable literary form; to print, publish, and
distribute its documents to libraries, institutions of learning, and
among its members, in order that the widest dissemination of
historical truth may be obtained and placed within the reach of
historians and other writers and readers.
(9) To sift and discriminate every paper, sketch, document, bearing
on the society’s line of work, before the same is accepted and given
official sanction, in order that its publication may be a guarantee
of historical accuracy; to do its work without passion or prejudice,
to view accomplished facts in the true scientific historical spirit,
and, having reached the truth, to give it to the world.
_Article III.—Membership._
Any person, of good moral character, who is interested in the
special work of this society, shall be deemed eligible for
membership in the same. No tests other than that of character and
devotion to the society’s objects shall be applied to membership.
Every applicant for membership shall be recommended by two members
of the society before his application shall be considered by the
Secretary-General, and the application shall be accompanied by the
dues in the amounts laid down in the by-laws.
Members will be elected as follows: Candidates may send their
applications—for which blanks will be furnished—to the
Secretary-General, accompanied by the fee as provided in the
by-laws, and each application must be endorsed by two members of the
society. The Secretary-General shall submit the application to the
Executive Council, and a three-fourths vote of that body, by ballot
or otherwise, will be necessary to elect the candidate.
_Article IV.—Classes of Members._
The society shall comprise life members and annual members who shall
pay dues provided by the by-laws. The society may also choose
honorary and corresponding members who shall be exempt from dues but
shall not have the right to vote.
_Article V.—Officers._
The officers of the society shall consist of: