The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1856-12-17
From he Philadelphia Ledger.
THE GERMANS OF rENvsrLvAriA

<@A@A-rT~-~'~
A Buffalo newspaper, in a late dsiels ou
the German farmers Of Pennsyisauis, iu- Z
forms the world that they Gre hardly nncFs
intelligent or independent than tho ferfs Of .
the FatherIaud century and a half aso.--
"The immigrants came over here with their
Priests, - ii says, "a fragment Of the middle
ages, uneducaisd and uncuitivated. Whist
is The consequence We see before ID tho
petrificaiion Of a social and mental condition
which has long since disappeared from Ger.
many. We behold picture Of the dark and
gloomy middle ages." .
No one familiar with the German farmers
OF Pennsylvania need be told thai ihisiis
stupid and ienorsnt libel. lie author has si-
lhsr never travelled through our State, OF hs
has maliciously misrepresented what he saw.
So far from our German farmers being on Z
level with the serfs Of hundred md City :
years ago, they are vastly iu advance Of CO. :
temporary German or French farmers, OF
even Of English farmers Of similar means.
On this point we need 60 no further for au-
| thority than 10 Mr.. Munich, the fellow Ia.
borer with Herder 10 the late campaign,
who, though hostile ia politics to ouf Gef-s
man farmers in general, was forced, during
his tour through Pennsyivsnia, 70 sdmis their
| sterling worth. Mr Munich is IA expsfieti-s =
ced and practical agricultural, and not4msfs.s
| ly a speculative man Of letters, 90 ihst his
judgmene.pn such question Is worth that
Of score OF visionary, ilI.informed, preju.
deed, disappointed denasosues or partisan
editors. After eulogiziug The pietusesqus
naiural feaidres Of fthe isndscape Of our Cor
man coun,ies, praising the excsIlen. taste }
which has preserved the woods on The hIli.a
sides, and extolling the appearance Of the
farms, this gentleman adds significantly that
he found the population Of Va genial, solid
and respectable stamp, enviably circums,su.
cod in compsrsou' with the European far
mel, and very far bis superior in intelligence
and morals, rass ss ssszssse
/, is time thai lrnth shonid be spoken, and
justice done TO our German population. We
are willing to go q, far as any one in testify
ing 10 the value OF books, newspapers and
schools; we are willing 10 admit that our
German farmers, as class, have cared less
for these things than they ought but We are
not yet silly enough 10 say thai man is ne
cessarily bad farmer, a disordefly citizen,
or d prohgate husband, because be does not
speak English, is not crammed with book
learning, or does not take in halt q. dozen
journals. Our Germsu farmers prove the re-
verse. Whether denizeH OF State be val.
liable to it on account Of what he annually
adds 10 the realized wealth Of the commu-
nifty, or for his faithful obedience TO the laws,
or for The sacredness with which he pre-
serves the family compact, our German
farmers certainly neriiy as much as any
other class for the practice. Of either OF
these virtues, or indeed for the harmonious
exercise of ALL Even their intelligence 10
popularity unceraieG AS Mr.. Munich has
said, they are Of "genial, solid and respect.
able stamp ~ there is no false mental gilt
Ter about them in word, they are rather
men of sound Judgment, than brilliant rheio-
ricians or one sided iesologisls AlIpersons
who have had transactions with our German
farmers, learn to respect The excellent sense
they display in the ordinary concerns OF life.
II 10 only when political differences. arise,
that our Germans are stignsiizsd as dos.---
Wonldit moi be more copsisten,, moi to say
liberal, to give the Germans credit for equal
honesty and shrewdpess, in public affairs, as
in private B. Are those who denounce the
Germans, because Of their votes, possessed 4
Of a monopoly ofihe intelligence and patriot.
ism ofthe republic So
| But we are willing TO waive this part Of
the question. There are other things, be-
sides political sonndness, valuable in cili.
zen. In many particulars, German farmers
surpass even the people OF New Eng
land, who, Of late have put IN q claim, Il
would seem, 10 be the ne plus ulira in all
things They understand, or il they do not
understand, they observe The laws of health /
better than the rural population Of Mass.
achusetts; and the result is that they are re-
ally the ilnest race Of men, physically, TO be
found within the borders OF the United States.
In certain favorable localities of Kentucky,
or on the frontier, where, from beng domi-
nant caste, or from the immediate vicinity
Of unpeopled wildernesses, the inhabhants
live a half nomade life, there are as fine,
perhaps finer specimens Of men 20 be seen;
but there is no where, In all America, an
agricultural population, the members Of
which personally nIl the soil, tl,at has such
thews and sinews. such q healthy Develop
mens, or such generally prolonged life, a.
our ufueh-abused sPeansylvania Dutchmen.'
To be plain, il some Of on. oro,chetty, one
idead, dyspepiic, ihiu, eadayerons New Eng
land brethren, would emieats 70 our Gsrs
man countiesj follow, for gsusntiou on
two, The open air life Of olr Gsrman farmers;
and last Of oil, inteimsny into our vigorous,
anti-hy ypocEondrlscai German families, they 8
would soon cease to die BY such scores Of
consumption, to complain that there wsrs Z.
no longer any healthy women leii, ana Ia
amuss ssnabIs peopls with such silly vara- i
rles as Brook farm associations, Psniheism,
OF the Thousand and one inieilsstusl vaeariss