Innovate,

I think it a myth to think that the Irish found it a land of milk and honey when they came to America. Just before the Civil War the Know-Nothings and the Native Americans (the latter were a group opposed to immigrants, not Indians) caused them all kind of grief. In St. Louis in the 1850's there was a running battle over a few days between the Irish on the one hand and the anti-Catholic, anti-immigrant Know Nothings and Native Americans, which only ended when the mayor enlisted 700 armed citizens to put it down. (The German population stayed out of it, apparently because they didn't like either side.) In Massachusetts, at one point, there was a meddlesome inspection held of Catholic schools and institutions due to some foul book then current about alleged abuses in Montreal nunneries.

As to the Australians, if they are as republican as they claim to be why do they still have the Union Jack on their flag, nearly thirty-five years after even we snoozy Canadians got rid of it?:)