The New York herald., 1870-05-19
Our Scandinavian Immigration.

Among the many new features that have
marked the enormous influx Of people from
European countries to the United States dur
ing the last three or four years the augmented
number of Scandinavians is especially rem ark
able. The Swedes, indeed. figured impor-
family In the early settlement Of Eastern Penn
sylvania, and our aspiring sister, the city of
Philadelphia, traces some Of her Oldest family
stock to scandinavian origin; but during
whole centary past the delegation coming to
us from the shores Of the Skagerack and Cat
tegat, the Sound and the Baltic, had been
comparatively feeble until within the last ten
or fifteen years, when Danes, Swedes and Nor
wegians began to appear in goodly proportion
on the lists at Castle Garden. Quite recently
their numbers have increased 30 rapidly as to
merit special remark, the quota coming in dur
ing 1869 amounting, in various channels to
more than twenty thousand.
Hitherto Iowa, Wisconsin and, above all,
Minnesota have been the States most favored
by their choice. The latter beautiful region
has been the particular pet Of the Swedes, who
find in its noble pine forests, its romantic hills,
its rich verdure and its numberless sparkling
lakes, enchanting reminders OF S0dermania
and others of the middle provinces of their
own picturesque country. Now the compa-
triots Of Gustavus Wasa and the descendants
of the ancient vikings are looking nearer to
the sea coast Of our Northern States for their
new homes, and, as we noted few days ago,
a very considerable colony of Norwegans will
this summer settle in Maine. Meanwhile
other projects are on foot to bring out hun
dreds of families direct from the Danish ports
to New York, and thence convey them west
ward and norihward together. A Norwe-
gian line of steamers, just started and running
from Christiania to Havre, France, will largely
feed this channel OF Immigration. Only last
week more than one thousand FIVE hundred
Swedes and Norwegians landed at this port
and during the summer the aggregate will be
raised beyond any previous season.
In these facts we ind a fresh source OF con-
graduation. Throughout Scandinavia, but
particularly in Norway, the system of popular
education is such that ignorance Of the rudi-
ments Is an exception, and these sturdy Morse
men come to US, not only with the hale,
hearty constitutions Of their northern cline
and rugged nurture, but intelligent and well
informed mentally; sound and clear in morals
and politically imbued with an unconqucrable
love of free institutions and manly independ-
ence. They are seldom without a fair supply
of means for immediate establishment and
rarely linger in our great cities. In fine, they
are most worthy, desirable and welcome
citizens. Beneath skies less stormy than
those that inspired the traditions of Thor and
Odn they will find broader development for
the solid virtues that have ever distinguished
the old Morse race, and no doubt while
largely augmenting our material wealth as q
nation will discover incentives enough to put
forth the same scientific, literary and artistic
genius which has made the universities OF
Lund, Upsala and Copenhagen renowned and
has given to modern times Linnaus, an
Ghlenschlager, Thorwaldsen, the graceful
pen Of Christian Hans Andersen, and to
America the practical skill of Ericsson, the
engineer.