The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-03-13
CARL SCHURZ.
The Nation of the World.

evening Dy our uer1lal ClIlZclS TO near
Carl Schurz deliver his lecture on "The
Nation of the New World"
ia As usual in the German course, the au-
dience were treated to music before the APP
pearance of the lecturer, who was greeted
with applause. Taking his stand at an ex-
temporized reading-desk, he stated he would
be obliged to read from his notes, as he
had not time to prepare a regular lecture.
His lecture was delivered in German.
THE PEOPLE OF AMERICA.
10 understand the people of America we
must look at the condition of things in Eu-
rope before the Reformation. The Middle
Ages were often viewed by us through q
vail of romance, but the life of the people
was ground down by priests and mobiles.
Despotism reigned everywhere. Every
movement of the human mind was fettered,
and the steel corselets of the knights ena-
bled them to ride triumphant over the
rights of the peasants.
GUNPowDER AND PRINTING.
But two great inventions destroyed the
old order Of things-the invention of gum
powder and the discovery of printing.
The first blew up the stone castles of the
robber chiefs, and the chivalry were no
IOuSCl IlldotClS III tllG oil Vi WAL. IIlG IlG-
formation was a protest against supersti-
ton, and the printing press, with its artil-
lery of metal types, attacked the strong
holds of error. But the progress of reform
wasi not uninterrupted. Civil war after
civil war swept over the Fatherland. But
to the two great discoveries which had
caused this great upheaval was added
third-the discovery of America. In this
time OF confusion, Adventures FASTENED to
this new land of promise. Drawn hither
at first by the greed of gold and silver, it
was not long before another class sought,
amid the primeval forests, the intellectual
and religious freedom denied them in the
Old World. The Puritans came to New
England, the Hollanders to New York, the
Quakers to Pennsylvania, under the guild
ance of William Penn, the Catholics to
Maryland, and the Cavaliers to Carolina.
The German emigrants were then few in
number and settled in New York and Penn
sylvania.
THE NEW NATION. ~.
Here was the beginning of new nation
which was not to be English, not to be
Dutch, not to be French, but was to fuse
and melt them all in the grand American
nation. ~
The Puritans came nominally to estab-
lsh religious freedom, but it was only
freedom for their own way ofthinking.-
Their religion had for its object
the benefit Of the Commonwealth, and their
government was founded on pure Democ-
racy. But all this is changed. The Ger
man is too apt to consider the Yankee as
an intermeddling bargainer, too sharp to
be honest. But we have some Yankees at
home, and the Prussians can well sustain
the part attributed to the New England
Yankee. Nowhere in the world is there so
much active, pushing, intelligent life, as in
New England nowhere is there so much
quick, skillful, brain-directed labor. Smart
men do not need to be too modest
But there are the Connecticut blue laws.
All /! well, men may kiss their wives now
in Connecticut without asking permission
of the town meeting. Nowhere do we find
so much practical Judgment as in Yankee
land, and when he emigrates and spreads
over the West, he BECOMES every where the
locomotive of progress.
FOREIGN ELEMENTS.
= Now let us glance at the foreign elements
in this country. There are only two that
are important-the Germans and the Irish.
The French, Italians, &C., are too few in
number to be considered, while the Swedes
and Norwegians, so numerous in the north
west, are essentially like the Germans.
There is sort of rivalry between the Irish
and Germans here. The Distinguishing
feature Of the Irish character is their de-
sire for national existence-a result per-
haps of the long years of slavery in which
they have been held. On the whole, the
Irish are like certain metals which are
worthless by themselves, but excellent to
alloy with others. Let us trust that not
withstanding the need of reform in Irish
New York, the Irish metal will fuse in our
great national melting pot to a harmonious
combination with the other ingredients.
Certain it is that Irish children born in this
country assimilate to Americans more
quickly than those of any other nation.
One of the national curiosities are the
original German communities settled in
Pennsylvania. They are practically closed
against the influence of American ideas,
and are better representatives of old Ger
many almost than can be found i'll Ger
many itself, still speaking their language,
adhering to their customs, and keeping
their gold tied up in an old stocking.
THE WAY FOR GERMANS.
But this is not the way we should live In
America. We bring to it richest gifts; let
us guard them well. Let us keep the MEM
cries of our Fatherland. Let lis keep its
love of freedom, of honesty, of sincerity,
of earnestness, of truth. We must not
give up our love of art and joyous freedom
of manners. Let our children become
Americans, but do not let them forget their
noble mother tongue nor cur brilliant lite
nature, admiration for which is so rapidly
spreading among Americans themselves.
Let us avoid the errors and join the virtues
of both nations, that both may harmoni-
ously unite and hold aloft the light of
many-sideds ciyilizationt to the world ,ssuch as
has already proved so fruitful in England.
But if we bring our art and our Ian
guage and literature as our best gifts to
America, let us never forget we are here
not to be Germans or French or English,
but mighty American nation, which shall
fill this virgin continent with its strength
and its intellect.
We stand on the banks of the mighty
Mississippi, and see the yellow Missouri
and the clear Father of Waters roll side by
side, but gradually they melt and unite in
one broad river, that bears on it's bosom
the commerce of world. So if for awhile
we seem as separate streams, yet soon we
shall all be as one glorious river.
And never let us forget that in the his
tory of the world no nation has ever
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