The Knights of St. Patrick of San Francisco, an organization of
gentlemen of Irish birth or descent, has recently affiliated with the
American-Irish Historical Society, whose purpose is the investigation,
recording and presentation in appropriate literary form of the influence
of the Irish element in the upbuilding of the Republic.
The Knights undertake, as their special share of a large and commendable
work, an investigation of the historical place of the Irishman in
California.
Each of the races claiming to form part of the primal stock of the
Republic has its own historical association and has traced the movements
of its own blood by special historical investigation. We have the story
of the English, the Dutch, the Huguenot, the Spaniard. The story of one
of the largest fractions of the parent people of the Republic, the
Irish, is being written.
These special researches are admittedly of the highest value to general
history. They can be prosecuted with the greatest success by particular
work in each state. To this end, the Knights of St. Patrick desire to
initiate a thorough, solid, sober investigation of the Irishman’s part
in the life of California. Not to satisfy a prejudice or mere pride of
race, but laboring for right and truth to impartially set forth the
facts of its racial life, that they may “supply omissions, correct
errors, allay passions and shame prejudice.”
The pioneers of this state, the men who made history, are rapidly
disappearing. With them go the original sources of the most valuable
information. If the work above described be not undertaken now, our
posterity will face the same difficulties that confront our Eastern
brethren in their present search for authentic information.
The Society, therefore, desires to begin its investigations at once and
to extend them to every part of the community, placing them under the
conduct of names that, assuring painstaking research and impartial and
discriminating judgment, will certainly present the results of their
labor in attractive literary form; so that the work, commanding the
respect and attention of the community, may have a definite and
permanent historical value.
The work of investigation is to be influenced neither by political nor
religious divisions. The race is paramount. Whether it came from this
part of Ireland or that; whether it worshiped at this shrine or that, is
but a qualifying incident. We seek the life and labors of the race; to
record its arrival, its participation in the civil, political, and
military activities of the state, “to try truthfully and fearlessly to
record its achievements.”
To this end, we invite and request your coöperation in procuring facts
bearing upon our subject. You may possess original information or know
from whom or where it may be obtained, the location or character of
relics that would be of interest or value. You may be able to suggest a
line of inquiry that would aid our purpose. Historical information flows
from a thousand sources. A reminiscence, a relic, an old newspaper
clipping, a letter, a bit of unwritten biography, may be a clew to
important evidence or the prolific source of many unsuspected facts.
In a word, we ask for any light, however small, that may assist in
illuminating an important subject.
Above all, we ask you not to carelessly cast aside these words. It is
the earnest request of earnest men, seeking truth for its own sake and
wisely providing for the historic vindication of their race and name
from the possible aspersions of future ignorance and prejudice.
The Society will, of course, bear any expense that may be entailed in
the collection, transmission or publication of information proper to our
purpose.
Address all correspondence and any requests for further information,
which we will be pleased to give, to
R. C. O’CONNOR,
President, Knights of St. Patrick,
Hibernia Bank,
San Francisco.
JAMES A. EMERY,
Secretary, Historical Committee,
1101 Pine Street,
San Francisco.
_San Francisco, Cal., 1900._