Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1863-09-05
The Pennsylvania Germans.

The following is an extract from an
address delivered by Hon. GEORGE W.
WOODWARD, on the occasion of laying the
corner stone of monument in honor of
SKUNK, at the Trappe, in Montgomery
county, soon after the death of that hon
ored patriot 1t contains we'll merited
tribute to the Germans of Pennsylvania
and we make room for it with pleasure
"Here, too let the monument of this
man be built. To carry out its express
ion and appropriate associations, this is the
place for it. The monument to the Swiss
who fell at Paris defending the King in
1890, is in the very heart of the land
whose children they were, and in which
their talthulness was taught and cherished.
1t is cut out Of their native crags, in the
/ midst of their beloved mountains. The
same law Of association locates Shunk's
monument here. While its shadows fall
softly on his grave, let it mark also the
place of his nativity, and where he imbibed
those noble sentiments and affections which
so strikingly illustrated and adorned his
life.
Undoubtedly Governor Shunk's Ger
man blood and language helped his ad-
vancemont in public iavor. Germans,
attracted at au early day by the fame of
Penn, came in great numbers from the
father land and settled in Pennsylvania
and have already formed large and
most respectable portion Of our population
Though mixed with people Of different
habits of thought and action, who have
displayed in Pennsylvania all the activity
energy and enterprise that belong to the
Scotch, Irish and Yankees, yet the Ger.
mans have maintained their ascendency
both in wealth and in social and political
influence. Love of country patient in.
dustry-sound judgement, and infexble
integrity are characteristics of the people
and how these qualities have impressed
the people of other extraction in Pennsyl-
vania, may be seen in the fact that our
chief executive Office has been entrusted to
German for mole than half the time
since the adoption Of the Constitution oi
1870. Snyder, Hester, Shultz, Wolf
Ritner and Skunk were all Germans and
so is that estimable man recently nomina.
ted by acclamation, Col. William Bigler
In our Legislative halls and in government
tai departments the Germans have always
had large representation. In the devel
opment of the agricultural resources Of
Pennsylvania, they have led the way, and
done more to demonstrate the wisdom ant
proftableness of good farming than any
other class of our people. They love goot
land and they know how to make good
use gift. Where on our ontinent-whert
in our world, will you find more irdepen
dence, contentmenr and solid comfort thar
in the German families of our limestone
valleys? 1t is pleasant thought that a
race of Governors has been nurtured amid
the rich luxuriancs and. the exemplary
virtues Of these valleys-a pleasing though
il is too, that we have come at length, tc
erect in the bosom of one of the lovelies
of these valleys, monument to one of th'
noblest of those German Governors. Tht
people may well love Skunk and homo
his memory. for he was an exponent-ar
embodied expression of the characteristic
Of his race-and they may look on thi
monument as peculiarly theirs-as a me
mortal of what they have done for Penn
sylvania--a concrete tribute to the virtues
the manly independence, and the sterl
republicanism OF Pennsylvania Ger
mans"