The Portland daily press., 1871-02-18
Our Duty to Ourselves.

IGbhO AN LII lOt1s
Our Duty to Ourselves.
immigration is one of the chief questions
of the hour. The number of European i'm
migrants arriving on our shores annually
ammounts to nearly 100000, or about 600
day for every working day in the year.
Of ethis grand army of labor, 3Oo'ooo
strong, which every year sails over the ocean
to US, more than 100000 are working men-
1t is fully proved by Commissioner Wehs anu
others that the average cash value OF the male
immigrant to the State is Sl,OOU. Inc stream
of European immigration Is worth then to
the United States $10O,OO0,O00a year. And
this sum represents the annual tribute which
the monarchies of the old world are compell-
ed to pay to free America.
The expense of rearing our adopted citi-
zens, is all borne by the country which gave
them birth, while we reap the benefit of their
matured productive force. Europe at her
own cost builds and equips 100000 working
machines worth 81 600 apiece and is compel.
led to present them to lis as free gift each
year.
$lO0,000,OOO or any considerable portion OF
this sum, is indeed a prize worth striving for.
The Western States have long been keenly
alive to their interests ir this direction,
spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in
agencies and the distribution of information
advantageous to themselves. The Southern
States are also moving in this matter and the
new Dominion of Canada has now entered
the field and is striving for her portion of the
enricbing immigration stream. Maine, too,
} has at last awakened to her interests, and can
now point to a thriving Swedish settlement
on her public lands, where eight months ago
was al unbroken forest.
Much Of the European immigration would
be impossible and undesirable for our State
to obtain.
" The stream of humanity flowing to our
shores is guided by certain fixed isothermal
laws In obedience to which the emigrant
from Europe takes the same relative position
in the New World be occupied in the Old.
The immigrants born along the sunny
Mediterranean are to be found near the shores
of the Gulf of Mexico. The Germans from
central Europe are settled in Pennsylvania
Ohio and our great Middle States, while the,
Swedes from the cold Scandinavian peninsu-
lar, have made their homes in our nothern
tier of States. Maine forms one of this tier.
Swedish immigration naturally flows to us.
or the annual stream OF 100000 immigrants
$4,000 or over one-tenth are Swedes. They
settle in few States and these all northern
ones. Names fair quota of this immigration
is not less than 5000 year, worth at least
100000 to our State and this annual &C
cretion OF million dollars a year in labor
our State is now in fair way of obtaining, if
we are bus trne to ouyselues.
Wisdom, prudence and energy have in a
very short space of time diverted the first rin
o: the Scandinavian immigration stream upon
our soil.
Everything attending this movement has
been complete success up to the present
time, but its continued success must also be
rendered absolutely certain.
oOur Swedish colony arrlvedtoe late to obtain
crop last year. They worked like giants but
blackened fields filled with blackened stumps,
without kernel to eat, was all the result last
Autumn could give them for their labors
The State must provide them with food till
next September, when they will get the first
bread from the ground and become self sup.
porting. All provisions can be sold them and
payment taken in road labor at 81. day.
The food will thus be a loan, not gift.
1t will be also Necessary ior our legislature
to make appropriations, Tor printing and dis.
tributing information throughout Sweden to
increase the colnny, for finishing the State
store house in New Sweden and establishing
free public school there.
The State cannot afford to have this enter
prise failure. We are embarked upon it. II
is the last hope for the .speady building up
and settlement of our domain. If we fail
now after SO auspicous beginning, we may
never again hope to attract immigration to us
Tne settlers are of the right class and ma
tion. The colony has doubled within six
months. Swedes are attracted here from
other States as we'll as from Sweden. Lett rs
received by our Commissioner show that a
large tide will flow ia upon us with the open
ing of spring.
Our policy land we have at last a policy)
is original, active and successful, and all is
well if the present Legislature will immedi-
ately vote the necessary means for the further
prosecution Of this great enterprise. Abou,
this we hope there can be no question.
What our neishbors think OF our policy
and its results will be seen from the follow ing
telegram which appeared in the dailles of the
14th inst.:.
TORONTO, Feb. 18th.
The province of Ontario has voted $4,000
to encourage immigration, and $2O,OOO to
build houses and clear from three to five acres
OF land on number of free grant lots"
Our policy exactly. They have stolen our
thunder, aud voted $4,000 to start the very
enterprise which we commenced with 81 500;
but we are year in advance of them, and
can retain this advantage if we are wise.
Our present duty to ourselves is for our leeis-
lators to vote such supplies and assistance
that the Maine immigration enterprise shall
advance, symmetrically, surely and rapidly
Better appropriate fifty thousand dollars, as
our Canadian friends have done, than incur
the possibility of failure.