Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1854-06-24
eEnMASs VS.. rn1slr.

The Journal Of Commerce publishes an
elaborate editorial on the subject Of our Ger
man population, in the course Of which the
writer sketches their character as a class,
and concluded that, "as much as we fear the
Irish, we fear the Germans more" The
chief reason gives for this conclusion is the
asserted licen,iousness and infdeity (religi.
ously speaking) Of the Germans, particularly
in the West, as indicated by the tone OF their
most widely circulated papers.
II is true that large class of our German
citizens have not that reverence for the Sab
bath which distinguishes our native, and por-
tions of our adopted population, but we De-
lieve this an evil TO be overcome in the resu.
lar order Of events. |; is confineJ chiefly TO
the generation Of emigranis, and is only a
habi, Of the, Faherand. ......l.
The Sabbath on the Continent, is the great
holiday, and the Germans are people slow
TO rid themselves Of national habit. Their
children, however, will come to regard,
more reverenily, the prevailing institutions
and observances of the adopted country. If
the Germans were less thoughtful and in.
telligent people, we should have more fear
! OF their permanent adherence to practices
that are evil, according 10 our habit Of
thought and action. Let them be convinced,
as contrast must convince them, that their
social order is not the best, and they will
abandon il. i. n Fft
Beyond question the German is a more
powerful element than the Irish, in this coun-
Try. No, perhaps because of numbers,
though for the las, few years the German
emigration has been greater than the Irish
but because the German character is, in
every respect. more substantial. The Ger
mans can boast Of their intelligence and in
dus,ry over any other foreign class. They
have, too, bond of power in their foreign
I tongue, the preservation of which is fosiered
by press, numbering about one hundred
and twenty journals, published in their owr
language. ..-...
In Pennsylvania, their language has beer
kept from fussion with ours for over a centu
| y oy ueithdH press aHu ocitudu schooiS
And this is, to our mind, the chief ground o
complaint agains, the Germans. They q
not seek TO coalesce with our people BY TAX
ing TO our language, though they have, in al
other respects, proved themselves good ant
patriotic citizens.
The Germans have, indeed, very freely dis
cussed what they conceive to be faults Of ou
institutions and government, and have, noy
and then, put forward radical declaration.
but every year they grow wiser aud quiete
as the influence of Fa,herland wears of, an
whatever they may say and do among them
selves: they do not hold themselves poll,
cally marketable, nor have they ever com
in conflict with, or made themselves obno,
ous TO good Americanism. They com
here in earnest, and beiake themselves
honest pursuits and in short time are ind,
r pendent. As a class they are Of high,
S and better order of emigranis-,han CON
e from Ireland. Few Of them, comparaiivel
lodge in our cities, aud those who do a
=, peaceful and industrious. When has the
been breach Of peace by Germans
According to the last census there we
, (and we hope those concerned, will pond
|. the fac,) in