The Delaware gazette. [volume] (Wilmington [Del.]) 1809-1810, 1809-10-21

cf Maryland, when their whole possessions III
our middle states, called fae Ntw Netherlands,
we're conquered by Great Britain in 1868, and
were divided under charters to the American
provinces of Connecticut, New-York, New
Jersey, Pennsylvania and the lowerterritory OF
York and Penn. known at present as the De-
laware state. The influence of the Dutch, al
ter this conquest, continued to be such that
there were seven governors of New York OF
that stock, and one of New-Jersey. There are
at this time not less than eighty Dutch Calyanis-
tic churches in the United States. They are
as jealous friends of religious liberty as the
rest Of the Americans, and the New Iork and
New Jersey legislatures in which they are most
numerous, corrected the English law OF de-
scents, as soon as the separation from Great
Britain enabled them to give to the laws the
proper spirit Of our nation.
The German people, having little csncern
in navigation, there has not been, at any time,
a commencement Of separate German colony
within our present dominions. But great num-
bcrs of the natives Of the protestant and ca
thols states of that immense conie'lerated EN-
pire have migrated hither in search IF liberty 81
conscience, and establishment in life. William
Penn made an early visit to the continent Of
Europe, with view to inform the German
people Of his new and liberal establishment.
The agitations of Europe in consequence ofthe
struggles of the followers of John Husg, Lu-
Their, Calvin, Memo and others of less note
in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and
of the counter exertions Of the church Of Rome
and its powerful supporters, rendered even the
wilds of America more lovely than the most
cultivated scenes of prosecuting Europe. In
regard to the prospects OF a comfortable cstab-
lishment, fair accounts of this country seemed
to render it second land Of promise. The vast
number Of German emigrants which have re-
| sorted to our shores in term of more than one
hundred and twenty years, has exhibited the
! persons, the language the habits, the churches
/ and some of the spirit Of the laws of that great
and ancient empire. 1t is not ascertained whe
Their the wise and excellent founder Of Penn
| syvania derived from his own wisdom and vir-
tue his celebrated modification of the law Of
descents, or whether bis respect for the law
| Of Moses or his visit to Germany, where he
found the great opposition between the English
law and the Justinian system in that respect
occasioned him to adopt the idea. Certain il
is that in this respect, as well as in their pur.
suit of religious liberty, the migrators from
Germany must have attached themselves to
these two objects, which are SO conspicuous
and influential in our national character. The
Germans. like the Swedes, had no participation
in sugar colonies, were consequently Tree frarn
interest and practice in the slave trade, ant
were ready to cooperate in its decided arrcsta
ton. From this stock, we have had an illus
trlous President Of our Philosophical Society
eminent professors in the medical department
Of one Of our Universities, ministers of nearl,
two hundred churches Of the Lutherans, Cal
vnists, Roman Catholics, Menonists, Mora
VANS, Thinkers, and SONS other religious so
cetes. a governor and vice. president of
state, many generals Of the militia, speaker
of the national and state legislatures, and othc
members have also been drawn from the native
Of Germany or their numerous descendants
The theology, the language, the arts, tn,
manufactures and the typography of the Ger
mans are very conspicuous and widely extend
ed In the United States Of America.
i COLUMBIANUS.