The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-08-20
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 1879
nc ImnIrrant sleanoaltea.


The Mcnnoniiss 70 whom frequent Ic-
lsrenes have been made The past lev
days Ia our dispatches, arc membes Of q
denomination Of Blpligts first organized
In Holland 10 tho earlier half Of the iGih
century BY S9MNn MEEHo Il Is q
question Of doubt among church hhto-
rians whether ARsSo founded the sect
which beSrs his name, or only organized
the concealed and scattered congregations
which he found holding the peculiar
views that dlstngaIlh tho sect. Like AL
new religiou organizations Wbose beiiet
or practices differed radically from those
around them, the Nennonltes were for 3
long time tho victims Of persecution,
chiefly in Holland and Germany. Mod
locations OF their organization Of length
brought them into more Amicable TelA-
tons With other protestant bodies, and in
Holland ln17O5 thOrighu enjoyed byoth.
or denominations were conceded TO them,
twas not, however, until the revolution d
1913 that full civil righs WCTo conceded
% them In Che German States ToWarda
the cloae Of the 1911 century, several
,.,l.66tS5ssand German Menn0nites eRigfated
to the south Of IInnia whore h0y were
received tolerantly, and where, averSioh
IN war being, as It Is with the Friends. a
prculhrl,y Of their faith, they secured
from Emperor PAUL charter granting
them freedom from military service. In
tie latter paIt Of the l7th century Men
nonllcs settled Ut Germantown and in
Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. They
have since spread over large part Of
tho State and are also found in Maryland,
Ohio, Indiana, New York and Canada.
In 1850, according TO leading Mennonite
journals, the sect numbered little less
than quarter OF million souls, diSlrib-
utcd In round nuniDcrs rs lollOWs: In
America $4,000, In Netherlands 5000,
ia Russia $4,000, In Germany 1900, in
France 5000, in Switzerland 5000, ia
Java 20 In doctrines and usagcs the
Acknowledgment in general with the other
Baptist churches, but like the Friends, as
we have observed, they arc utterly averSO
to war, 70 oalns ana 10 capital punish.
mcnt, which they consider as inconsistent
with the spirit Of christianity. They also
dillcr from other BaptisIs in the manner
ol baptism, generally bApIISing by sprInk'
ling instead OF immeraion. They observe
the ordinance Of icot.washing, and forbid
their members to be married TO any who
have not been united to the Church, The
sect are everywhere iavorably known for
their vlrtuGa and industry. Recently Rus'
sia has eXaCtOil military service from the
Mcnuonites In the Crlmea who have long
enjoyed exemption from 1t under the
charter from Emperor PAUL, but has
given them ten years TO leave the
country II they prefer; and they
prricrring exile to this Interference with
their faith are about TO cmlgrate 10 the
United States. Those who recently ar
rived at New York arc the advanced
guard Of these CrimeGn MennoniIes; and
when thcy have determined on a location
Tor the colony, they will be followed by
some forty thousand OF tacir religious
brethren, 1--WE thousand OF whom are
expected next May. Tho pioneers oil
this large colony have been iravorsing
several OF the Western and Southern
States. We have not heard ottheir being
in West Virginia, nor Of any effort on the
part of tho West Virginia authorities tol
attract them in thisdirection. These poo
plc would make most desirable citizens
and II 1t wOrO not that West Virginia,
since the restoration Of Democratic DO
minion, is considered finished, and that
her public men are wholly absorbed in
the grander pursuit Of iactional quarrelS
over petty spells, VIC might hope some
effort would yet be made to attract the at
tcntlon of these 10000 peaceful and indus.
trious people wanting homes to her rich
but unpcoplcd hills and valleys,