Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-02-28
From the Pittsburgh Gazette.
THE GERMANS IN TEXAS.

| Among the many interesting and novel facts pre-
sented by the recent book Of Mr.. Omsted descrip-
tive of his Journey through Texas, we found none
| that possessed more interest and novelty than
those pertaining to the German population of that
vast State. They are estimated 10 have been at
the commencement Of the current year 35 600 Ger
mans in Texas of whom about 25 900 are settled
in the German and halfGerman counties of the
| Western portion of that State. In Comal, GILES
pie and biediaa csuusies nearly all the inhapta
are from the Fatherland. In Victoria aud Colara
do counties, Germans constitute about threeiourh
of the population la other counties they make
half, third, or fourth of the population. In th
principal cities and larger towns there is, ever
in Eastern Texas, a large per cent of this national
| ity. In the counties containing Galveston, UOuS
ton and Harris, there are about $500 Germans
Some authorities worthy of much confidence set
down the whole number in the Sta.e high as
40, 400, of which Western Texas has 81 700; Cen
tral ditto 10 200; and Eastern $500.
The earl immigration was Of a somewhat hum
bic and promscuous de cription, such as is found
in most of our cities, Of small means and of
Industrious habits Among these, doubtless was
mixture Of those guilty and vicious characters
"Nho left their country for their couutry's gooG,"
but the proportion Of this sort not large, and
such as there were found full vent for their evil
propensties in the rough and tum BILE Of border
life, among Camanches halfwild Mex cans and
those from all the states of the Union who had
found the "air of freedom in the presence Of the
law oppressive to the lungs"
After the events Of 1913, the immigration be-
came of a different and more valuable character
and including large proportion Of farmers ana
persons in moderate circumstances, who sought
hopeful future in the New World. But with
these came also that large number of patriots, ha-
tors Of slavery in all its forms and under whatever
name men who had forfeited their lives in the
great battle foI Freedom which ragged during that
eventlul year in all the lands from the western
fines of France to the Cars dominions. Many of
these were in their own lands men of the largest cul.
ture men who had studied all the systems of phlo.
sophy and whose theories of government and per-
chance Of religion were built upon the sublime
tractates of Plato and the other philosophers who
graced the palmy age OF Grecan literature. Nor
have they all left behind them the tastes which
were acquired in academic halls. We are TOLD
that there is something extremely striking in the
temporary incongruities and bizarre contrasts Of
the backw0ods life of these settlers. You are
welcomed" says Olmsted, "by figure in blue
flannel shirt aud pendent beard, q uoting Tacitus
having in one hand long pipe, IN the ether
butchers knife; Madonnas upon log walls: coffee
in tin cups upon Dresden saucers; barrels for seats
to hear a Beethoyen's symphony on the grand p
ano; a fowling piece that cost $500 and saddle
that cost 80; bookcase, half filled with classics
half with sweet potatoes"
Evidently we are just beginning to learn some
thing about this large and increasing population
which is giving tone to the State yet to be formed
out of portion of Western Texas At the pres
ent time the question first asked is what do these
people think and how do they act relative to the
matter Of slavery? New Brauniels is in Western
Texas, situated on a branch Of the Rio Guadalupe
in latitude 500 North. The population is almost
exclusively German and numbers about 5000 souls.
The Anglo American population docs not exceed
twenty. An American living in the town owns
negro girl and one negro girl is hhed by one of
the Germans as a domestic. There are no other
-, IL Il,,f ICp. IL,
folk cultivate lands upon the border Of the torrd
zone, where we have been told often that il is
impossible for any white man to labor? The an.
,wer is in one fact, to wit: these Germans sent to
market last year 500 bales Of cotton raised by
heir own care which at Galveston brought from
me to two cents per pound more than that pro-
luced by slaves, owing to the moro careful hand
ing of white and personally interested labor
The quantity is mere drop in the bucket, it is
rue, but the argument is omnipotent. We thank Il
Ir Olmsted fer this pregnant fact as.well as the
air-haired and industrious Germans who have
made it fact.