The Sun.
London, England, 1870-06-02 00:00:00

OUR SCANDINAVIAN IMMIGRATION.

Among the many new features that have marked the
enormous influx of people from European countries to
the United States during the last three or four years the
augmented number of Scandinavians is especially re-
markable. The Swedes, indeed, figured importantly in
the early settlement of Eastern Pennsylvania, and
our aspiring sister, the city of Philadelphia, traces some
of her oldest family stock to Scandinavian origin ; but
during a whole century past the delegation coming to us
from the shores of the Skagerack and Cattegat, the
Sound and the Baltic had been comparatively feeble until
within the last ten or fifteen years, when Danes, Swedes,
and Norwegians began to appear in goodly proportion on
the lists at Castle Garden. Quite recently their numbers
have increased so rapidly as to merit special remark, the
quota cominc, in during 1869 amounting, in various chan-
nels, to more han twenty thousand. Hitherto lowa, Wis-
consin and, above all, Minnesota have been the States
most favoured by their choice. The latter beautiful region
has been the particular pet of the Swedes, who find in its
noble pine forests, its romantic hills, its rich verdure and
its numberless sparkling lakes, enchanting reminders of
Sodermania and others of the middle provinces of their
own picturesque country. Now the compatriots of
Gustavus Wasa and the descendants of the ancient vikings
are looking nearer to the sea coast of our Northern States
for their new homes, and, as we noted a few days ago, a
very considerable colony of Norwegians will this summer
settle in Maine. Meanwhile other projects are on foot to
bring out hundreds of families direct from the Danish
ports to New York, and thence convey them westward
and northward together. A Norwegian line of steames,
just started and running from Christiana to Havre, France,
will largely feed this channel of immigration. Only last
week more than 1,500 Swedes and Norwegians landed at
this port, and during the summer the aggregate will be
raised beyond any previous season. In these facts we
find a fresh source of congratulation. Throughout
Scandinavia, but particularly in Norway, the system of
popular education is such that ignorance of the rudi-
ments is an exception, and these sturdy Norsemen come
to us, not only with the hale, hearty constitutions of their
northern clime and rugged nurture, but intelligent and
well informed mentally ; sound and clear in morals and
politically imbued with an unconquerable love of free
institutions and manly independence. They are seldom
without a fair supply of means for immediate establish-
ment and rarely linger in our great cities. In fine, they
are most worthy, desirable, and welcome citizens. Be-
neath skies less stormy than those that inspired the tradi-
tions of Thor and Odin they will find a broader develop-
ment for the solid virtues that have ever distinguished
the old Norse race, and no doubt while largely augment-
ing our material wealth as a nation will discover incentives
enough to put forth the same scientific, literary, and
artistic genius which has made the Universities of Lund,
TJpsala, and Copenhagen renowned, and has given to
modern times a Limeus, an Ehlenschlager, a Thorwald-
gen the graceful pen of Christian Hans Andersen, and
too America the practical skill of Ericsson, the engineer.—
New York Herald.