The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-08-20
acknowledgement.


Yr.tcrJay was the occasion oil cere-
uopy to which the people Of Germany
have ior years looked FORWARD. win IN
n,,,,t. namely, the unwilling Of the mon
gmrnt erected near Detmoli, in the niue
principality Of Lippe, to the memory Oh
Hermann, the hero Of ancient Gerhany'
II MA, also the anniversary oil the battle
'i,,rayelotte, and whether it was on that
,r.,upt chosen for the ceremonies con-
Ind with the solemn dedication OF the
m.nument and its presentation 70 the
,,,rnan people or not, the coincidence
v,, at least a happy one and very slgnlt-
,.,nl Great preparations have long been
,,,tip, for the attendant festivities, and
,s,L,yr no doubt that they were in every
r..r.,, worthy Of the occasion, Accord
;,, I'm the latest mail accounts, more than
r'-,, thousand persons had announced
:, In, magistracy OF DetmOld their
mention oi being present, and tO-day's
,,l.,raphir dispatches inform us that
,hrttl4tlumber actually took part in
,be festivities. Among these were the
Emppror William, the King Of Saxony
and other royal personages. The Ger
man prinrg5 aud senator's OF free cit
wrr, invited guests, and grand review
nfroop. was announced to take place IN
,br,r honor. s cantata by Ruhl, the
",srm,nia OF Lowe and Reinhardts Ma
,iou,l Ilymu were to be given by a chorus
n m,l, vI.cs and orchestra, while the
Turner were to contribute to the enjoy
mont Of the occasion by their athletic eX-
rrri.c-. The monument itself Is colos-
sJ .n,in ninety feet in height Of the
German chieilain, and stands on u lofty
prl,.tal which crowns the GrOtCnburg'
i,i4 the result Of the life work OF TN!
sculptor Won Banded, and is a work oil
ant u great excellence.
But in honor Of whose memory have
princes and people from all parts Of Ger
many tim. gathered together in the little
Wcsiphalan city Of DetmOnd? To ans
wer the question we must go back to the
very beginning Of the Christian era, when
Germany was covered with vast impene'
trabc forests and morasses and sCantily in
habitcd by brave, independent, but rude
and uncuItvatcd people. Rome was
mistress Of Western Europe and Of the
countries south Of the Danube and the
Nhm aud the institutiOns,' the language
and tie manners OF the COnQuerOrs were
rapidly .upplanting those Of the conquer.
ed and LAYING the foundation for the deep
racc.lsiincIions OF later ages, The proud
eagles Of the empire were pressing on
even beyond the Rhine, and in the north
Roman officers began to admins
ter Roman law among the free
Germans, and with the law, to intro.
ducc also the language Of the ancient city.
The last bulwark Of freedom threatened
to give way and u province Of Germany
wn, already talked OF. But the sapling
which was one day to grow into the great
rccoi Anglo.SaxOn liberty and indepGnd-
encc was not thus to be cut of, and Rome
herself had trained the future cOnquGrOr
oihcrarmics. Hermann, or Arminius a.
the Romans called him, was n Cheruscan
prince who, like many others Of his class,
had learned the artol war in the imperial
armies and had proiitedb by the advantages
ii a Roman education. Returning to his
native country, he saw the progress OF the
Romans with Indignation, and, rising at
once to the necessities Of the case, he went
from tribe to tribe, urging all tOaction and
organizing q league--the first precursor OF
the North German Union OF our day. The
people were with him heart and soul, and
not long nitcrwarl the Roman army under
Varus, fifty tlonsandstrong, was attacked
unall .ilelin the wild TcutOburger forest.
The Romans attempted to retreat to the
Rhine, bul after little more than two days
Of furious fighting they were overcome,
and nearly all were killed or captured. |
The statue Of Hermann marks the place |
where Varu5 met this terrible defeat,
which put an end TO all hopes Of Il Ro.
man conquest Of Germany. When the |
news reached Rome the city was thrown
into COnfusiOni and Augustus, almost be-
side himself, beat his head against the
wall, crying "Varus, Varus, give inc back |
my lcgions" The guards were doubled,
and Tiberius hastened with troops to the |
defence Of the Rhine. But the Germans
had accomplished all they wished for at
that time, In the course Of few years
the brave GcrmaniCus made three cam.
paigns in Germany, but after each one
was obliged to retreat to the Rhine. Ar.
minus next turned against Marbod u
powerful neighboring prince who had
refused to take part in the late strng.
gle. Conquered by Arminius and
banishcd from his kingdom, Mar
bod fled to Italy, and not long after.
ward died nj Ravenna n pensiOner Of
Rome. Arminius remained until his
death the most powerful and patriotic
prince Of Germany, All We know Ofhim
we learn from Roman writer's but the
evidence thus given by his enemies Is
enough for us. Tacitus says that "hc was
without question the liberator Of Ger
many" Not always victorious inlbaLtle,
he was never conquered in war, and his
countrymCn still sing songs in his honor.
From that day to this they have contin.
ued to honor him. In erecting a statue
to the memory Of a hero eighteen hundred
and fifty years after his death, and in Cele.
brating its unwilling rs great popular
fcttivnl-Onc which appeals to the pa
triotism aud sympathies Of all-Germany
hasdOne that which we can scarcely think
Of AZ possible In the case Of any other ma
tiOn. 'rH .
But in no country, perhaps, Is the
sense Of the historical continuity Of tlena-
ton so strong, and In no other has that
feeling 30 firm foundation 6f'iact to sup.
port it Us in Germany. No other race In
Europe has preserved itself for two thou
sand years free from foreign 'hdinixtufe;
whether arising from immigration or con-
quest. Bnt even in Germany such hearty
enthusiastic popular hOnOrS as were rem.
IerGd yesterday 10 the great hero Of the
earliest days Of the nation would have
been impossible II that same spirit which
moved him and his followers had not
equally influenced theirdesrendants. Her
mann u to the Germans OF modern times
The representative Of the iden Of national
unity and independence; and II is for this
reason that their interest In the event Of
Yesterday was 80 deep and universal; and
II is because Of the evidence thus given Of
The spirit which animAtes that powerful
people that the ceremonies and festivities
possess much interest for lis and for all
other nations.