The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-12-25
Herman ID. Ncir,

| has recently arrived from Germany, Wltn tlle
intention Of making Charleston his home: TIC
was born in the year 1889, in OstenoorI, Lane
Haue!n. O province of the late kingdom ol
Hanover. His native place, situated, as it is
on The banks Of the River EIbc, and about ten
miles from the mouth OF the same, is the last
asyum and buiwark OF ancient Augio-Saxon
!, freedom. 4.
His youth passed in INDECENT circumsta- COS,
but, happily for him, under the guidance anu
highly distinguished by his religious and
scientific complishments-the Rev. N. tt.
Schultz. who still lives to see the fruits OF his
| labor bestowed upol young minds. IS him
he was prepared for college, which he visited
at Hldesheiue in his thirteenth year, being
ready for the university when sixteen years OF
age, fact sufficient, to show that ne was
Young man OF extraordinary talents.
The teachings OF his pious and Christian
mother. and his own inclinations, led him tc
choose the study of theology fol- his avoca.lon::
| But il was then the era OF bony aud perverted
rationalism, and one Of its champions at the
University of Gottingen was Professor H..
Ewald, under whose guidance, among others,
the youn, man was to be prepared fer the MN
could our friend endure the obnoxious dec
| trines propounded to him. The spirit and
| teachings of his beloved mother, having shown
him the true path OF Christian lie, had taken
root too deep and lasting to be thus easily
eradicated. Although bes:t by the fallacious
reasoniugs and temptations Of the skeptics,
he left Gottingen at the end OF one year In dis
gust.
He then visited the University of jena, and
there applied himself assiduously to the stud
les of philosophy, bellies lettres and philo'ogy,
which he completed in 1885, when eighteen
years OF age. ,
Now followed the political excitement of '48,
which shook the old fltherland from the Alps
to the ocean, and old and young wcrc electri-
lied by the noble ideas of liberty which proved
eventually to have been so very fallaciouS and
premature. But one of tho nobler fruits of the
excitement was tho progress made towards the
liberation OF Schleswig- -Holstein. from Danish
oppression, aud our young f.leni was found
one of tho first champions on this glorious
battlefield. He fought ao volunteer IN the
CORDS OF and under this immediate command OF
the gallant Won der lam, now Lieutenant
General of Bavaria, received his epauettes as
lieutenant at the battle of Fridericia, and was
severely wounded BY q ball in the side and a
sabrc-cut across the knee at the battle OF
Idstedt.
After his recovery, the war being at an end,
Mr.. Meier received al appointment as q prl-
vate teacher in o nobleman's family i'll Ponc-
rauia. He finished the education OF the son OF
his patron, aud then travelled with his pupil
for nearly year through NIL Germany, Poland,
Switzerland, It"ly and France. Tlls was, rs
we may truly Gail it. the school OF life for INN.
In 1853 he passed through the necessary OK
animation OF professor, and rccelveu tne ap-
polntmcnt as such at Bresau in SilcsI@. Here,
and subsequently at Ludingworth and Obern-
dorf in Hanover Ito which place he had to re-
turn in erdor not to lose his privilege to reg
u!ar appointment ~ ro,ation), he devoted all
his leisure hours " study and to tho expansion
Of his mind anI knowledge, until nc received
call by Professor Ii. Graefc, LID, one OF the
most renowned scholars OF GermGnv, to super
intend and conduct high school Iof young
ladies' in Bremen.
After laboring assiduously and successfully
for nearly year at this institute, Professor
Meier passed through the examination FRO
Rectordtn, AID took charge Of q department
in which neglected and unman@geable boys
and youths were TO be reformed and III
structed.
This severe task and labor Of love. philan-
thropy and sacrifice was blessed with une1-
pected success. During the five years 1880
1861 OF this tho hardest work OF EIs life,
which brought him many bitter moments,
but no peculiarly rewards worth while to speak
of, he succeeded, by the blessing OF God, III
recalling near two hundred young minds,
ycuths and young men from Rreincn a3 well
as from various foreign places, from the road
OF ruin and ignorance 10 the paths of,rtfsue
and Intelligence; aad il MY be stated as q
most remarkable fact, that he only tailed III
his efforts with just two young men IN one
hundred and eighty coDfded 10 hin.
The va uc promises OF proper pecun'ary re,
ward upon which ali. Meier had relied and
laburcl faithfully, remained but so mary pro-
misses, aud he gave up the position in disgust,
poorer than he haG entered upon 1t, and he
accepted Of u cai as manager OF the high
school at Wremen, Hanover. l. was here
where he received the title of royal school
director from the Piussian Government.
Very soon after Hanover was annexed to
Prussia in consequence OF tho war OF lo6G.
Professor Meie, hailed this event with JOY as
a great step towards his long cherished pa
triotic wish for the unity and consC lidatlon
of Germany. Was it wonder that ne became
an object OF displeasure to tho numerous
friends of the old regime OF Hanover, the
Guelphs. They knew how to make bis posi-
ton among thcm SO inSupportablc to him that
he, in 1867, changed his residence to E'shcth,
Oldenburg, where he originated the publlca-
ton of the Understanding, journal
strictly conservative in politics, endeayoring
at the same time to build up 4 true 1a:lonal
party, and to advocate some Chris,ion p1inci-
pies, as many OF our German residents Will
well remember, copies OF tue paper having
been received in Charleston up to Dir. Meicr's
departure from Germany for this his new
home.
In E'sfeth town on the Weser, where Ship
building is carried on to a great extent, he
Lad occasion to notice with sorrow the de-
pressed and impoverished state to which the
pocr mechanic and working man was Lrought
BY the tyranny of capital, ard he cndoayored
to raise their fallen hopes aud prospects by
teaching them TO ceonomiZe their means by
temperance and industry. founded upon the
teachings of Christ and HIS Apostles. us the
o !ly true standpoint Tor pure and ernobling
democratic principles. hr. Meier ropressed
among them all violent aRd improper mea"
sures to gain their rights as fathers and Chris
tians for the sustenance of their families, snd
recommended as ths ultimate means for bst-
tering their condition the emigration to this
great and rich country, advocating particularly
the emigration to South Carolina-haylug had
occasion to become acquainted with the pecu-
liar advantages OF our climate and soil, through
communications with the Commissioner and
Agent OF Immigration of the State.
The advocacy Of this pr1uciple in coun,-
try like Germany, where the want OF good
working men and mechanics is beginning to be
felt by the constant drain made upon them by
emigration, and the generally exhibited ami
mostly towards the Southern States, which MIR:
Meier endeayored to countcIac' by word and
deed, which office, together with the emigration
scheme, he performed without the slightest
remuneration, simply from feelings of sympa-
thy for the balnlv South and its warm-Icarted