New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-10-17
Impotent Effort 10 rurn the Tide.

Government OF the German Emperor Is TAX
| ing serious alarm at the increasing number
of those of its subjects who renounce their
allegiance in order to settle among us and
become American citizens. 1t is stated now
that an arrangement has been made with the
Bey Of Tunis for the object of securing spe-
cial privileges as an inducement to German
citizens to settle in that country, at which
intelligence the French are greatly aroused,
as they imagine that their own African colo
MES would be seriously threatened by so for
midable a neighbor, and some of their jour
nalists have raised their voices in angry pro-
test. Whether these statements are correct
or not, it seems certain that emigration to
this country is looked upon decidedly unfa-
vorably by the Imperial Government, and
Mr.. Frederick Kapp, who is endeavoring to
insinuate himself by defaming our Republic,
is at work to Brighten emigrants with horrid
pictures of "what he knows" about the
United States; yet it seems hardly credible
that statesman as shrewd and acute as Bis
marck, should be short-sighted enough to
undertake that which is impossible. He
might as well attempt to dam up Niagara as
to divert the westward current of emigration
by artificial means into other channels. En-
igration to the United States...is a necessity
for Europe, a safety-valye against revolution,
as well as the only salvation for the hundreds
Of thousands Of starving, down-trodden peo-
pie in Ireland and parts of Germany, who
are still bleeding from the consequences of
their glorious war, in the shape of an unpre-
cedented advance in the prices of all the ne
cessaries of life, without a corresponding rise
conservative Scandinavian turns from the
ungratefnl task of wasting his strength on
the cultivation of largely sterile soil, which
even in the best case repays him but shah
billy, in an ungenial climate, which renders
even that poor yield uncertain, in order to
better his fortunes on our rich lands, under
the fostering influence of warm sun and
unfailing summers. 1t is true, soil and eli
mate quite as desirable may be found in dit
ferent parts of the world, but what of that?
plants, that will thrive where these condi-
tons are favorable. There are advantages
here which are not met with anywhere else
on the globe. Our unequaled facilities for
accommodating wealth, or at least for earning
"a comfortable livelihood our railroad sys-
tenn, which opens market in almost every
locality, the certainty of tho rising value of
the land are the great attractions, and more
than anything else our institutions, and the
well-founded confidence in their durability !;
the blessings of liberty and equality that the
Republic guarantees to its citizens, the strong
protection it affords to them, the liberality
which places the highest positions of honor
within the reach of the naturalized citizen,
the absence of the terrible obligation of mill
tary service, the chief disturber of domestic
happiness in many European countries, the
absence of a State Church, and Of religious
restrictions. These are advantages which
outweigh any allurements that European
Powers can possibly hold out to their SUBJ
jects. Many experiments have been made
with such view, as for instance in the South
of Russia, and in the Danubian Principalities,
but they never were attended with success,
and the idea that enlightened and intelligent
people as the Germans generally are, could
be made to settle in country whose ruler is
a vassal of the furnish Emperor, either under
the supremacy of the Sublime Porte, or
under the gracious protection of the Emperor
William, in preference to the United States,
is simply ludicrous. Even on the other side
Of the ocean, people are coming to the con-
clusion that no country equals ours in respect
to political happiness and material pros
perity, and they will come, therefore, with
the consent Of their Governments if they
can, without it, if they must, and impedi-
ments and obstacles in the shape Of oncrous
regulations, if resorted to by narrow minded
rulers, would prove utterly powerless against
the current of the tide which for thousands
Of years has been rolling westward. France
may, consequently, spare herself all uneasi-
ness on that account.