Nebraska advertiser., 1868-07-30
The German Element.


A few days since we published q
translation of the resolutions passed
at German ratification meeting, held
at Turner Hall on last Saturday eve
ming. The resolutions breathed the
true spirit of Republicanism, and one
especially should be needed by Re
publicans-that which demands for
the German element full recognition
at the hands of the party with which
they act. They furnish us with
several hundred active, earnest, in
telligent voters, and are entitled to
representation on the ticket to be sup
ported at the November election. The
Germans have men among them cap
able Of filling and Of the positions of
which they may aspire, and their
claims are such that it would be suicidal
policy, as well as great injustice, to
ignore them. The German element
Is quietly, bat surely, making itself a
power in the country. Men not yet
old can remember well when the pres
enee of an emigrant from Central
Europe was not a common thing In
many of the larger towns, and per-
hapsi in some Ofthe larger cities. Forty
years ago, there probably was not a
German resident in st. Louis, and
certainly not in Chicago, unless he
was a wandering trapper, led to the
western wilds by the spirit of adven-
ture. In less than half that time the
TeutOnie element in Boston, aside
from a Jews, was hardly noticeable.
In fact, aside from the few representa-
tives left behind of the Hessian sold
iers at the close of the Revolutionary
war, and a liberal admiXture in the
settlements of Pennsylvania, the
aggregate of German people was not
enough to hardly justify remark in
the deeennial census.
Now, after the lapse of generation,
how changed the condition Of the
country in this respect! The great
central hive has sent forth its vast
swarm of living muscle and brain,
till the Northern, Western and Mid
die States, actually teemes with the
new importation of Europeans. And
they have not brought Ignorance, in
dOlence and vice with them as house
hold treasures, nor have they as a
general thing come empty handed as
to pecuniary means. The German
is a self-reliant individual. Personal
independence, is bred in the bone,
and he does not believe in begging
his way through the world. He does
not fear hard work, or personal hard
ship. He is as brave as he is strong,
and as shrewed as he is brave. He
has education. He knows how labor
can be turnedtO wealth, and he never
''puts his hand to the plOW and looks
back" Perseverance is written in
every line of his face, and imprinted
on the muscles of his hands. The
females heartily second the labor Of
their husbands, and eontentedly delve
that penny may be laid away for
the "rainy days"
The result is, that in every COM
munity where these people have lOcat-
ed YOU see thrift. With ordinary
health, the German people march on
to certain prosperity. In many towns
in the Middle States, where there was
not a dozen Germans twenty years
ago, there is now a large number, and
they hold, in many cases, more than
half the real estate and personal prop
erty, and probably not one of them
brought over a thousand dollars with
him into the country. In the same
towns the morals have been improved
by their coming; there are better
schools; more churches greater var
iety of business better mechanics ;
more enterprise, and more public
spirit. Let a German only see the
profit from a certain course or a cert
ain enterprise, and he is ready to in
vest and go ahead. There is no deny
ing the fact that they are an invalua-
BILE people to the country, and more
especially to the West. Their strong
arms will subdue the broad prairies,
develop the varied resources, and help
civilize the wilderness.
There is a small amount of intemper-
ance among them, andin the line of
great crimes they are as free as anypeO-
pie living Their intellectual culture
is offs high order, and is seen in their
influence ON politics, art, religion and
mechanics. Who can be named that
will make q better speech than some
of these men? Or who left better
record on the pages Of history written
by the rebellion than mUltitudes of
these? They are with the Union
party to-day, with rare exceptions.
They know the value of Union, OF
freedom, of equal rights, and they do
not shirk the cost of fighting for them
when they are endangered. Give us
eight or ten millions more Of this peo-
pie, and we shall have the elements
of a conglomerate race, that will,
when mixed, defy the world at large.