The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-01-26
German Newspapers In the United States.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD.

German Newspapers In the United states.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD.
The general character of the German immigration
70 the United States has undergone q remarkable
change during the last five years. While formerly
it was almost exclusively the desire to better their
material condition that led the Germans to the hos
pitabe shores Of America, the revolution of ls4s
drove large numbers Of people away from their home
who, either prosecuted by the mnions Of TYRANNY or
disguised by the dreary spectacle OF expiring free.
dom, sought, in immgrating to America, more for
the enjoyment Of its political institutions than for
mere substance. A much larger proportion Of
those who came under such ci cumstances and &C
tuated by such motives belonged to the better edu
Gated classes Of Germany. 1t could not be expected
that the last named class would forget their father
land as soon as the older immigrants, who most
generally had left nothing behind them but misery
and desolation while in this country they found not
only the means Of subsistence, but in many cases
wealth and prosperity Those who have come here
since lS4S had in their own country seen at least
the dawn Of brighter morning, and the thought Of
the country they had left not altogether discon
nected with cheerful hopes. Thus, even while trying
to acclimate themselves to the political and social
atmosphere of this country, they could not forbear
sending longing thoughts back to the country that
gave them birth, and this became manifest in their
tendency to construct the policy OF America always
with powerful direction to the old continent Add
to this that the social customs and manners Of the
American people are SO vastly different from those
Of the fatherland that the seeming frigidity and
icy GOODNESS of the Yankee" at the first access
almost invariably chills and freezes the highly
ceptibe heart of the gelshltche (sociabe) German;
and last though not least that the large number o
the immigrants diminished the necessity, nay, even
the opportunity o. their mingng among the native
population; and it will easily be perceived how and
why the Germans, recently arrived have 10 greater
degree their own specific nationality, and have been
less influenced by the assimiatve influences OF the
American national character, than the older German
population.
These simple facts go far to explain the remarka-
bic changes which have occurred in the German
newspaper press of this country.
Since the year le4S there has been imported
much larger amount OF literary talent than within
any score of years before, while on the other hand,
the number Of those Germans who take lively in.
terest in newspaper reading was at least doubled.
Hence it il that In very short time the number of
German papers increased in an almost incredible
proportion, and that simultaneously their general
style and character improved in most remarkable
manner. Before the year lS4S most German news
papers led q miserable existence, halt starving for
want of patronage and the time is yet within memory
when one Of the pioneers of the German press, Mr.
Hartmann, blew out his brains from sheer despair
German literary men at that time had the ullest OPP,
portunity of testing the truth Of those beautiful
wsr ME sen Brod nit Thraa.n ass GorrHu
The larger proportion OF the then German populs-
ton having In their own country belonged to the less
educated classes and never taking interest in the
literature Of Germany, were indeed, not very apt to
play the part ct A@cenas. Used as they had been
in the old country to mistrust all well educated men
af <ho;rr fhAu hnro
INDUCED in sneerDg and ridiculing all those Of their
countrymen who had not belonged TO their own class
and who proved to be their superors in mental cut
walton and intellect.
These were sad times for German editors in Ame
RIGA, and poor sheets were their papers, With few
exceptions they consisted Of awkward and buDder.
ing TRANSACTIONS from the Amerc IN newspapers, full
collections Of all the MURDERS suicides and
occurring in the country, the whole spiced now and
then by o stale joke taken from old alnanacs. Edi-
tors and printers used to labor under the continuous
pressure Of the nightmare of unpaid whitepaper bills
| and lost subscription moneys.
That time has happily passed. There are now
German papers published in this country which, not
only in size the number of advertisements, but IN
their original reading matter also, may safely vie with
| the better English papers. Authors who in Germany
earned lasting name on the field OF literature are
low conducting newspapers in this country; and II
their number is limited so much larger is that Of
literary men who at least acquired good and solid
reputation as journalists. or course there remain
plenty of inferior sheets, and there might be men
toned even one the editor of which continues in Q
sad conflict With the photography OF his own language;
but generally the more prominent of the German
dailies and weeklies can compare favorably with
their contemporaries in the old country.
But besides this fact there remains another TO be
stated. 1t is not only the competency of the editors
in which a remarkable change has been effected, but
more go even in the tendencies Of the German
press. If large majority OF the German papers
are unanimous in acknowledging the wonderful
superiority Of the political institutions Of this
country, compared with those Of the Old World,
still, on the other hand, they deem themselves en-
titled to find fault with some Of the social customs,
they see fit. Thus, for instance, all the German
papers in this country with one solitary exception,
| (among 200,) are dead against all and every pro-
hibitory Temperance law and at least ninetenth. of
force the celebration of certain weekday, which q
certain religion sets apart for praying. II may as
well be mentioned in this connection that even those
Germans who frequent churches are not in the habit
of approving the American style of keeping Sunday.
On the other hand it would be idle TO deny that
Atheism, or rather Deism, has many friends among
| the more recent German immigration. There appear
some papers advocating this creed, and in some
larger cities there are societies OF " Freemen, as
| they call themselves, or free communities, Cree
Gameinden.) But it remains to be proved ii toe
diffusion Of their ideas can really cause mischief as
regards the political institutions OF the country; the
more so several of the fathers Of this republic
Thomas jefferson among them-were avowedly dis
believers in the dogmas Of Christianity.
As to abo!tionism, there is scarcely oneten.h Of
the German newspapers advocating it, while nearly
all concur in the wish of speedy removal of slavery
by the action of the single sovereign States 1t may
! be added that there are many German editors who
would advocate aboltionism If they could safely do
! so without fear of being deserted by most OF their
subscribers for the fact must not be overlooked that
ninety per cent of the German Americans are the
most regular democrats"
We tubjoin a list of the German papers
published ia this country, appending some remarks
regarding the political character style, and ability,
to the names of the more prominent. The crcula-
ton could OF course not be ascerained with any de-
gree Of safety but in the aggregate it may pretty
near reach TO 80 900 copies OF the daily papers and
perhaps, zoe, 900 Of the tri-weekles semi weekes
and weeklies The largest circulation is that Of the
New York papers the Democrat and the Abend
Zstung have 5000 each; the Reform probably 1000