The bosom of America is open to receive not only the opulent and respectable stranger, but the oppressed and persecuted of all nations and religions, whom we shall welcome to participate in all of our rights and privilegees, if by decency and propriety of conduct they appear to merit the enjoyment.
- George Washington, shortly after the Battle of Yorktown, addressing Irish immigrants
(Quoted in Roger Daniels, Guarding the Golden Door, 2004, p. 7)
No comments:
Post a Comment