New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-05-11
RUSSIA.
PROSPECTIVE EMIGRATION TO AMERICA.


ST. PETERSBURG, April 19.-The United States
seous likely to receive large emigration RON RUSSIA
dnrtne this or the ensuing year. The Mennonite colo
,.s which are situated in the south OF RussA, near
HerdIansk numbering 10000 souls at least ana
estimated at more than twice that propose removhgih
body either 20 the United States or to Canada In order
10 escape from the obligations OF military service winch
h contrary 20 their conscience aud religious DeneI III Is
said that they have already presented petitions to tho
American and British Governments asking on what con-
djtions they will DO received AS the emigration OF such
large body OF people, all connected together by reli-
gion friendship and blood, and who would virtually
desire to settle in place, Is matter OF considerable
Importance IL will be well TO tell who these Mennones
are and what are their character and circumstances.
At the time when the Anabapists and other mystical
and protesting 1ourished most in the Low Conn-
tries Memo simonis, q Catholic priest, abandoned
Catholicism and united many Of these Grant sectaras
into "Communes OF God" "poor and deienseless
brotherhoods" This teaching very simple, and In
many respects resembled that Of the Quakers' one
great doctrine was, that was unlawful and military
service sinful The effort Of these communities was TO
restore the Apostolic Church To It's primitive simplicity
Memo died in 1901 and about this time there was Largo
emigration of his ock who had taken the name Men
nontes" to East Prussia, in the regions Of DantziS
Marienburg, and Elbng. Their Dutch neatness ana
Dutch industry made these desoate and sWalhpy
regions to flourish bike garden In 1890 ana lI52 tho
Mennones threatened with expatriation' On ac-
count Of their refusal to In the army; but inc
storm passed by and in 1910 King Frederick H. gave
them new privileges. which resulted in new
immigration from Holland. Still many arbi-
trary measures were taken from time TO time,
and in 1889 they were forbidden to purchase hnded
property Catherine the Second already in lTS Invited
the Mennontes TO Russia, along with other German
colonies and in 1889, 22S families arrived in Russia ana
between 1898 and 1876 there immigration of ns
ta1 anhnn
of the lower Dniepcr below Tekaterinoslav
The conditions which they came to Russia were; Pro
lection from all attacks, freedom OF Worship GIT vi
lands TO the Of 100 for each family eXemp
ton from all aud imports for 10 years, money lot
their tourney and money wood with which to esab
sh themselves freedom Of trade and manufactures inc
administration Of oaths in their own way, and eXemp-
ton forever from military service. These privileges
were confirmed by the Emperor Paul and extended TO
all MennOnItes who should come thereafter. In spite,
therefore, OF tho repeal and mitigation OF the severe
laws against in Prussia there was acOntnued ana
large Immigration OF ennOnites into Russia up TO tho
year 1871 These colonss settled near their brethren IN
the Government Of Taurd, in the region between the
rivers Mootohna Dnieper, and Tokmak, not far from
the town OF Berdansk.
From that time the Mennonites have gone on increas-
ing and prospecting unfil they now number ABOUT 4OoVO
souls They been always protected and favored by
the Government, that they have almost entirely gov
character ana institutions intact This they In great
part owe to the character aud efforts Of Johann Cornie
who ND to his death in 1913, exercised very powerful
influence over them, though he held no office ana no
rank. Titles and orders several occasions,
offered to him by tho Imperial Government, which
highly appreciated his services but they were always
refused His advice was several times asked by the
Minister OF Domains, and the GoyernorGenera OF New
Russia rarely took an important without first
consulting Comics. These Mennonites settled IN waste
steppe, where the land was rich enough, Out suffered
much from want Of water. They began To lrri
gate and have raised agriculture to higher
point than anywhere else in Russia. They had
no wood and they began to plant trees Tho introduce
ton of treecuure the steppes is entirely owing to
Them They have not only large orchards % excellent
fruit trees but large and productive woods or forest
trees and also extensive plantations or mulberry trees
by means OF which they produce considerable quantity
OF silk As they not averse TO improvements their
methods and implements are all good and they Use ma
chnery largely in their agriculture. They are also large
raisers of sock-horses, cattle, and sheep Though the
MennOnites originally agcuturists they have en-
deav0rcd supply their wants in manufactured ar
cles and 1S5l they had in activity $50 mills and lac
tories including clothm water and grst-nills' dye
ing and printing works breweres, distieres, silk-spin
nerles brick and tile works. potteries &c, and among
their villages there exercising nearly every
known trade
That the Mennonites are thrifty, industrious, and
economical, their prosperity Is sufficient proof They
are beside this. very Clean neat. and orderly Il lady
could go into every PEASANTS stablel ana quiet, CON
tented honest moral aud deeply religious. There Is no
drunkenness FOR gambling among them. Crime is ex-
ceedingly rare The latest statistics can find are dated
1884, and those show that for 81 years there were only
6s crimes in the Mennonite colonies on the MoOtchna
including about 1900 people OF these crimes, sDrang
from the sexual relation. and nine thefts all the
rest minor oenses, such as disobedience to the
authorities Beside all this. the Mennonites are edu-
Gated. Every child knows how to read and write.
and in every village there Is school, Tho
Bible and other religious books are. Of course.
To DO found in every house. These Mennonites were
visited by Uaxthaen in 1913, and by PetZhOldt in 1865
and both travellers bear testimony to the worth and tho
prosperity OF the cOonist PeZhOldt says: ut my
firm con yicton that Russia possesses more ndustr
ous or more useful citizens than the MennOnites" Up
to this time Mennones have always been loyal sub
ects to Russia. They have been remiss IN their
taxos aud during the Cmean sent large voluntary
gifts of grain and prOyender TO the beseged army 1t
only because the privileges granted to them In
fringed and they will DO compelled to enter the army
against their conscience that they wish 70 emgrate
from Russia.
1t readily be that it viii be of great import
ance for United States TO obtain the accession OF
large and compact body OF educated and Intelligent
colonss connected together by ties of blood and re-
ligon and SO thrifty industrious. and moral Nowhere
else in Europe such immigrants be found. These
10000 Mcnnontes would be worth 100000 Germans from
the Black Mountains Wurtemberg. because their in
teligence morality and thrift stand much higher.
Their success in tree-culture arid steppe points
naturally to the Western prairies as their future home
Should they 20 TO Utah. they would be mos. valuable
eroise to the Mormons for they have all and
than all the good qualities Of the Saints" and none OF
their bad ones What the Mennones asked in
their petitions TO the American and British Gov
ernments was whether they could obtain land free or at
low prices for their whole colony; whether they could
have exemption for themselves and their descendants
from military servfce NJ avery kind.