The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-04-23
MONDAY, APRIL 20, 1866.
Are German-American Citizens Less
Moral Than Their NeighbOrs?

tragedy, which is calculated, in our opinion,
to do the greatest injustice to class OF Amer
ican society for whom we have the highest
respect. Our neighbor asserts that the great
majority of the murders committed in this
country are perpetrated by German emlgrants,
and deduces the broad conclusion that the
Germans as a people are more addicted to
homicide than any other of the nations of
Europe; that, in fact, the instincts Of the race
are naturally bad, and the taking of human
life is but the corollary to their metaphysical
faith and early training. For any American
editor to quietly sit down, and pass judgment
upon large and respectable class of his
fellow citizens, giving them character at once
infamous and inappropriate, exhibits an absence
OF both intelligence and conscience which
surprises us. For one man to accuse popu-
lation of thousands of a natural tendency to
murder, and include within his sweeping
assertion hundreds of thousands of the most
honest, industrious, and peaceable of our citi-
zens, is the assumption of judicial character
which we hardly expected any private person
would aspire to- Without, however, any pro-
positions from which to draw this conclusion,
we are told that the prevalence of crime is
due to the introduction of the German ele-
ment into our society.
Having always had desire to see justice
accorded to all, it is only natural that we ask
evidence to warrant such sentence. True,
we are told that of the murders committed in
our city larger proportion have been per-
petrated by Germans than any other people
And what does this prove? That out of the
dozen leading homicides which have Mortified
our community, say fifty per cent. are done
by natives of Germany, and OF all the murders
of which the authors are unknown. it is in
ferred that like proportion were performed
by this maligned people. Because within the
circumscribed sphere Of our observation a
slight preponderauce OF crimes ara justly laid
at the door OF a certain nation, have we any
right to conclude that the great body of that
people are less moral than their neighbors?
Should the crimes OF half-a-dozen villains
involve an honest and peaceable class of
society in their odium? We think that the rea-
son why such large proportion of criminals
are Germans. is found in the fact that of late
years it has been the policy of the Governments
OF Prussia and Austria especially, and probably
Of their smaller neighbors, to release convlcts
from prison provided they promise to emf
CRATE to America. The recent resolution
passed by Congress protesting against so
barbarous course, was especially directed to
the Germanic States, and proves that the GUS
tom was general PRoBsT was identified by
an acquaintance of his who had known him in
Europe, as coming from the neighborhood of
the celebrated penitentiary at Yheingen. If
such is the practice, need we be surprised that
the greatest criminals of the Old World should
continue their misdeeds in the Newe We be-
ieve that, if full data of the nationality of
the leading murderers were prepared, it would
be found that the number of Germans was
no larger in proportion to the current of
emigration, than that of any other European
n tion; that, in fact, the Italians would
rather exceed their northern neighbors.
The German-American population in
Pennsylvania is immense. 1t does not
coalesce and merge into the native element,
but is so extensive that its influence As dis
tinct society is perceptible in all our political
contests. The support of three German papers
in Philadelphia, whese circulation viii COM
pare favorably with that of any OF their Eng
ishcontemporaries, is evidence ofthe extent Of
this class of our community. In the interior of
the State whole counties are populated en-
tirely by them. A mingling of their native
tongue is the language in vogue, and through
out all the western part of our Commonwealth
we find the German TO be the controlling
element; yet we hear OF no excess of crime
in those localities. We are not shocked with
any number of great otienses; in fact, there
appears to be even less atrocious murders than
in other parts of the land; and if the national
character of the German was, as our con-
temporary states, so addicted to vicious deeds
surely we would see evidence Of it in those
places where they predominate.
The truth is, on the contrary, that the
German temperament is the very reverse o
what is asserted. 1t is sociable, jovial, warm
hearted, and honest, overlooking with hospi
tality, plain, simple, and quiet. There is NJ
nation more bound together, and nom
wherein stranger is more warmly received
The best evidence of their good feeling is tn
existence of so many German societies. Th
Old and the Young Menn@chor the Senger
bund, and number of minor associations
are all in active life. Picnics, parties balls
suppers, masquerades, and all of the socis
gatherings, are continually held under thei
management, and the love for their father
land is kept burning by constant eontac