Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1852-04-13

proper name should be used exclusively for the
Teutonic race North and East of the United
Provinces. That proper name existed already
and became prevalent; it is that of Germans I;
but still in England and the United States the
one is often indscriminately used for the other.
As have stated before, we belong to the
common stock, of which the Anglo-Saxons
deem it an honor to be branch, and the Neither
land Provinces were in the middle-centuries part
and members of the German Empire. How
loose the connection often may have been, VIM.
ii, count of Holland, was about the middle of
the 18th century elected King of Rome and fail
ed only to be crowned as Emperor of Germany
by his untimely death in a warfare against the
Frisians In later period, 20 years before the
so years war for independence, June Goth l54S,
the provinces were in name and in fact by SOL
emn treaty for ever separated from the Empire.
Long before the last named time, in the 18th
and 18th century, the Netherlands had already
their own literature and their language was al
most as different from the High Dutch Of those
days, as it is now from the modern German
That language has been carefully cultivated by
one of the most steady and learned nations of
the earth, and its richness and purity is highly
valued by men as Jacob Grimm, the German g-
ant in linguistic. The different climate of the
country, its situation on seashore, the pursuits
Of the people, its continual intercourse with diff
erent nations had given peculiar stamp to the
character of the inhabitants of the Netherlands
or Low Countries, widely different from that Of
the higher lands East and North.
When night or dim twilight still hovered over
the interior of middle Europe modern civilization
had taken its rise along our shores. Wealth
and affiuence gave birth to taste and refinement,
to modern literature and science Martin Opitz,
the father of better taste in German literature,
in the middle of the 18th century, says in his
poetical address to Daniel Heinsius, one of our
minor poets:
81 tell it open, free,
That yours the mother is of all my poetry"
Numbers Of the best authors Of that country
in all branches Of human science wrote and
worked in the 10th, 18th, and 18th centuries,
most in latin tongue, for the advancement of
human knowledge and were the teachers of
mankind. Thomas, Kempis, Eratmus, Grotius,
Spinoza, Huygens, Musschenbroek, Boerhave,
Albinus, Alb. Schultens, Gerh. modulus are a
few of the illustriOus names, that will live
among the learned and scientific of all nations
and centuries, so long as Philosophy, learning
and criticism shall be respected over the world.
They are but few, who know those names and
profit by the works of those great masters or of
their humber followers and who give credit to
the country, which raised them, for the received
benefits. In q country, in extent about as large
as one seventh part of the State Of Wisconsin,
there were seven Universities of which Leyden
alone at one time numbered its foreign students
by hundreds. Utretcht, Groningen, Franeker,
Deventer, Harderwijk and Amsterdam were
counted among the most celebrated seats Of
learning OF the world. And all those Universi-
ties were established during the 80 years war.
But it is not possible here to enumerate, what
every well written history Of science and ltera-
ture Of the nations more fully develops.
will refer now for few moments to that
great struggle Of 80 years $50 justly celebrated
by one of the greatest poets of Germany FIR.
Won Schiller) against the world dominion of
Spain under Philip II and his successors. 1t
was not war for power or extension ofdomin-
ion, but against political and religious oppress-
ion, against exacing cruelty for old and well es-
tablished rights and liberty of conscience. The
people of the United Provinces were devoted to
agriculture, commerce, manufactures, literature
and science they were peaceable, honest and
industrious and maintained hon0rably their rank
among the civilized nations. Persecution soon
developed higher qualities, the latent energies
VI tHSH IIIllluS, d VI IOlOeo MOSc,
statesmen, scholars!
They defeated Alba, Farnese and Spinola, re-
nowned as the first Generals of the age! On
the waves they were soon the victorious CON-
petitors of Spain and Portugal and took the
sway Of the ocean in their own more worthy
hands. Soon one single Holland Commercial
establishment, the East-Inda Company, could
equip a fleet of fifty sail of the line without
building single new ship. The Spanish and
Portuguese establishments in Africa, in East
and West-Inda fell with few exceptions one af-
ter the other in the hands of the bold and brave
navigators from the Provinces Of Holland and
Zealand. Every year new discoveries were
made in East and West among the number
New Holland, New Zealand, Van Diemens land.
At the same time factories of all kinds, the con-
stant concomitants of commerce and navigation
arose and fourished. The worlds fair was an
every day happening at the great commercial
Emporium of Amsterdam.
In the fine arts the Upper Province had only
one great rival, Italy; all other nations were
thrown in the shade. Among the painters, en-
gravers and sculptors Of that period every Sec
ond name is that of Dutchman.
In l64S the peace of Munster was concluded
Spain was poor and humiliated and never arose
again from the received strokes; the United
Provinces stood there happy and great repub-
lie, free and acknowledged and in the zenith of
glory. few years thereafter they fought glo-