, 1881-05-13
THE VAST Immigration.

The davs Of lhe Flood nave come
again, and this time it IS a food OF
population, which is pouring upon
our shores. The immigration from
Europe, which has set in with the
opening of Spring, is beyond prece-
dent. Over two thousand landed at
Castle Garden one day recently.
Were these multitudes fleeing from
dreaded and deadly epidemics, from
such narrow verge of trembling
and dea h as Scio, or from the rigors
OF an universal conscri ption into ac
tive military service, We could un>
derstand the movement. But with
all Europe at peace, and other things
remaining much as they have been,
the mighty current which has set
upon our shores is unexplained by
anything We can discern abroad.
The first quarter of the new year has
ended, and the arrivals exceed those
of the corresponding period of last
year by l0,S6S-enough to found
iloarishing city. During January
last these arrivals were S,OS2, as
against 5,G.1 for January 1880. Feb
ruary, 1880, brought 1904, while
during the same month of 1881 there
were landed 9,753 persons; and in
March of 1880 2l,O94 persons passed
through Castle Garden, as against
29,7OS for March of the present year.
1t is thus altogether probable tina:
the immigration of the present year
will much exceed that of 1880 (which
WAS the largest for any one year in
the history of our country, amount
ing to 1871 persons, or enough to
found such city as St. Louis in a
single twelve months. The indica
tions now are that half million will
be landed at Castle Garden the pres
eut year. Some thousands will also
come to other ports.
While we welcome aud make room
for these many strangers from Ger
many, Ireland. Holland, Sweden.
ETC., We can but ask " hat is likely
TO be their influence on our people
and our institutions? They do not
come seeking for freedom to worship
God; they do not come with the
heavy burden of establishing a ne"
State an d a new order Of things; to
fell the forests and endure the hard
ships incident to earlier days; even
the competition of slave labor is now
thing OF the pas, so that they may
be said to share at orce in the cons
mon wealth of all that has been
achieved by the toll and blood of the
hundred years gone. 1t is safe to
say that such opportunities for rapid
material advancement were never
offered to strangers before since the
world began. The whole land is
open before them where to choose.
The better classes of these immi-
grants, however, seek the West and
Southwest, the Germans distribut.
irg themselves pretty widely in those
60 the State Of Michigan, and the
Scandinavians settle in Minnesota
and Wisconsin.
No Christian patriot can contem-
plate such a vast influx OF popula-
tion without anxiety az TO the result
upon the future welfare of our coun.
try. They intend us no harm, but the
mass of them are too ignorant to
know just what they do, and thus
they become the plant material OF
demagogdes.
But these obstacles, if they make
our difficulties the greater, will only
make success the more glorious. So
instead of being discouraged we
must only put to more strength.
Such, we doubt not, will be the spir
it and action OF all our Christian dc.
nominations, and as the result we
believe that all the elements of pop
ulation in our country will be blend
sd together. and the America of the
future will not only he the most free
and most enlightened, but the most
Christion nation in the world.
THE Star route contract swindles
are being SO vigorously and COM