Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-06-28
WORCESTER
WEDNESDAY. JUNE ss, 1871



The HeIig0Iand Question.
Recent cable dispatches report that Bismarck
has opened a negotiation with the British gov
eminent for the purchase of Heligoland, a small
island in the North Sea, near the coast of Ger
many, about twenty-eight miles from the mouths
of the Elbe, Weser and Eyder. 1t is added that
the British have refused with considerable ANNA
ton, to sell the island. Bismarck wants He'll
goland for two reasons, probably; first, it could
be used to defend the German coast; and, sec
ond, in the hands of foreign power it has been
used as a station for smugglers. But the island,
of itself, is of no value to Great Britain or any
other power, excepting Germany, save as
a station TO aid a fleet blockading the
German ports near it. The French found
it useful during the late war, and
it would be useful to the English in war with
Germany, But this is not the chief reason for
the curt refusal to sell it. There is in England
an underlined but very positive jealousy Of the
new German empire, which stands in the way
of such a negotiation. The English govern
ment is not just now in a mood to entertain the
question; and, very likely, it is not indisposed
to enjoy a little self-assertion, the question be-
ing a small one, and the opportunity unex-
pected. There is no danger that the question
will lead to war, although it may be treated in
such way as not to sweeten the already not
very sweet relations between the two powers.
Some of our contemporaries assume that the
German attempt to buy Heligoland comes from
the arrogance of power, and has in it neither
right nor reason. They 90 SO far even as to as
sert that the island never belonged TO Germany,
and that its inhabitants are not Germans. These
assertions show a singular forgetfulness Of his
tory. From the time of Charlmagne, Heligo-
land belonged to Germany, as part of the
Duchy of Hostein. Itwould belong to Germany
now, if it had not been seized by the English,
in 1905, and kept under their control ever since.
The Duchy of Schleswig-Holstein has always be-
longed to the German Confederation. 1t had no
connection with Denmark until the year 1923,
when Frederic |, Duke of Schleswig Holstein,
was made king OF Denmark, very much as, in
1714, George, elector Of Hanover, was made
king Of Great Britain; and the subsequent rela-
ton of the duchy to Denmark was precisely like
that of Hanover to England. By special agree
ment, they were not TO be incorporated with the
kingdoms which their sovereigns had been called
to rule; they were to remain as they were, and
be governed by their own laws subject to the
German diet. At different times, Denmark
sought to disregard this agreement, but could
not succeed. Some twenty-three years ago, the
people of the duchy rebelled against one of these
attempts. 1t was this which finally led to the
war between Denmark and Germany, and re-
moved the Danish king from his ducal Office.
Heigoland, being part of Holstein, was as
much German island as the Isle of Man is an
English island. 1t belonged TO Germany when
the English seized it; and the English were al
lowed to keep it, because they had been fore
most in the overthrow of Napoleon Bonaparte
who had done so much to turn Europe upside
down. We see it stated that the people of that
island can not be Germans because they use
Tristan or Low German dialect" This rule
would exclude from Germany a considerable
portion of its provinces and people. The Ger
mans still use variety Of dialects quite differ
ent from the language of German literature.
These dialects were classed as "high" and
"low," only because one family of them was
more prevalent on the low lands towards the
sea; but neither class can be traced to a common
origin. They are simply varying dialects of the
same people, still used, although destined to
give way at last to the German language of lit
erature, which is now used everywhere,-in
Heligoland, Holstein, and Westphalia, as well
as in Berlin. Max Muller says Though at
present people write the same language all over
Germany, the towns and villages TEEN every
where with dialects, both high and low"
In Heligoland, as in Schleswig-H olstein,
"Platt-Deutsch" is still in use; but the language
taught in the schools, used in the pulpit, and
read in newspapers, is the language of Luther,
Leasing, Schiller, and Goethe The people use
their old dialect just as old dialects are used in
every part of Germany, while the actual Ian
guage OF both island and duchy is what " cali
German; just as English is the language of Ian
cashire, Notwithstanding the Lancashire dialect.
Speaking of the duchy, Max Muller says the
people cling to their old dialect more or less,
"but they read their Bible in High German; they
write their newspapers in High German
and it is in High German that their children
are taught and their sermons preached, in every
town and in every village" The condition of
language here and in the island, is similar to
that found in almost every part of Germany
English hospital nurses thoroughly versed in
German found themselves unable to understand
the dialects most used by many of the Swabian,
Westphalian, Brunswick, Mecklinburg, Olden-
burg and Hanoyerian soldiers. Yet they were
all Germans, and German was the recognized
language of all the communities to which they
belonged. Westphala is no more German than
Hegoland, SO far as relates to language
Therefore, Bismarck has sufficient reason
for desiring to restore Heligoand to Germany.
Its nearness TO the German coast, and the uses
made of it in the hands OF foreign power,
would furnish reasons, if il were not occupied
by German community. The inhabitants Of
the island very naturally desire the change, for
their trade and their communication of every
kind is almost wholly with Germany. Bis
marck, however, proposes only to buy the island
of Great Britain. The British government re-
fuses, with some sharpness, to sell it, There
upon, beligerent relations between the two GOV
ernments are predicted; and the German is ae-
cused, as usual, Of great arrogance" and the
like. But there will be no war about Heligo-
land, although the question will, doubtless, be
beard of again more than once Meanwhile,
to avoid talking at random, those who look on
should endeavor TO understand what it means.
shallow Mystery.
Wooster, Ohio, has been the scene of some
alleged spiritual manifestations, that have ex-
cited the wonder of a great many credulous
spectators. A family named Hoffman were APP
parently the victims of the spirits, whose malice
or caprice manifested itself in unusually eccen-
trio forms. The mysterious noises and rappings