The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-07-19
THE zAENGERFEsT.

The Dutch have taken New York !!
The capture is complete. For three
full days have they been revealing in the
halls of Gotham, unrestrained in the use
of their silvery accents and unrestricted
| in their use of lager, switzer kaase and
pretzels. What a jollytime these round,
red-faced Teutons and their buxom
frows must have had. What rich har-
vest for the vendors of lager. They
swarmed from the hills of the East, the
plains of the South and the valleys of
the West, and vice versa, to join in fra
ternal greetings, sing the sweet songs of
their fatherland, and drink theirnation-
al beverage, which has become so uni
versally admired for its admirable sober
ing and unintoxicating qualities. What
loss to the world had the great German
nation never been created! And what
could we do were it suddenly to be swal-
lowed up, blotted out, extinguished?
What power it is in the land, and what
necessity! A nation of musicians, of
poets, of dreamers, of metaphysicians, of
smokers, of lager beer consumers, how
philosophically aud joyously they pass
theirdays. Bidding dull care avaunt, they
give themselves up to the enjoyment of
life with acharming abandon. Pleasant
and genisl as companions, warm-hearted
and true as friends, supplemented and
unsuspicious, they seem to have had
their blood trained by their own native
wines to benevolence and good-humor.
Nothing cold, calculating or selfish in
their nature-they make money only to
spend it in the pleasures of life-in ad-
ding to the present happiness and COM
fort of themselves and friends. For the
last few days they have paradedand per-
vaded New York, on the occasion of an
old biennial custom, to join their voices
in song, and their souls in convivial for
getfulness of the tolls and sorrows of
life. They have sang sweetly and drank
deeply, have had gloriously jolly good
tlme they have rejoiced over the tri-
umphs Of their adopted country, to
whicn they have so freely contributed
nave recounted the legends of their
native land, and they will soon return
nome 70 the sober and quiet walks of
INDUSTRY 10 renew their great labors of
adong 10 the nations wealth, prosperi-
ty and grandeur. We need not saw let
JOY accompany them-for low never de-
serts one of this race. Serenity is ever
seated on his brow, while mirtb and
gladness fill his heart. Who ever saw a
misanthropic, melancholy, an ascetic
a dyspeptic, detected, quarrelson,a
German one Indifferent to the
pleasures of the present
This occasion has proved a great sensa-
ton to New York, something that is an
absolute necessity in that city at all
times. How weary would life be in the
great metropolis, if a great war, great
fire, a'great celebration, procession, re-
ception, or humbug, could not always be
on hand to amuse the people, and keep
down the disposition to agreat riot or a
great panic. The people and the papers
consequently seized upon this gathering
of our German fellow citizens in their
city, to make as much capital out ofitas
possible-the people by supplying the
necessary entertainment for their guests,
the papers by filling their columns each
day with sprightly and interesting ac-
counts of the origin, history and design
of the feast, and full reports of their
singings, sayings and doings. The World