The National tribune., 1882-05-06
The Mnre fhR nTnrrirr.

During the month Of March $4,000 immi-
grants arrived on our shores. OF these,
$4,000, or nearly one-third, come from Ger
many; and II 900, or about one-sixth, from
Canada; while ireland furnished 5000; Eng
land and Wales nearly as many more; Italy
4,000, and Sweden nearly 5000. But Sal
immigrants were accredited to France.
1t will be observed that these figures are
indicative, to a great extent, of the COM
parative social and industrial condition of
the various European nationalities. The
large influx Of Germans, for instance, IS q
natural result of the odious military system
Of the empire Compulsory service in the
army, and the excessive taxation necessary
TO its support, tend constantly on the one
hand to increase the popular discomfort, and
on the other to diminish the means of allay-
ing it. The peace Of the country is assured
at the expense of its industrial develop
ment, for the army absorbs the youth and
energy of the nation, and productive labor
is taxed to support that which is kept idle.
1t is not TO be wondered at, therefore, that
& country like the United States, which has
no expensive military establishment to keep
up, where liberty Of thought and action is
recognized as an essential right of citizen
ship, and no restriction is imposed on indi-
vidual effort, should possess irresistible
attractions for q frugal, thrifty, and indus
tri0us people The French, on the other
hand, enjoying, under the republic, the
blessings of good government, moderate
taxation, excellent schools, and protection
to native industries, see, in the inducements
which America holds out to the toilers of
the old world, only such advantages as they
already possesS-and are content to remain
ut home. OF all the continental countries,
France is the least likely to be depopulated.
Including Ireland and Scotland, Great
Britain sent Us II 600 workers during the
month She can i'll afford to spare them,
but SO long as she clings to the old landlord
system she must expect to see her brains
and muscle seeking more promising fields Of
employment.
In nearly every case, whether the immi-
grant be English, Irish, German, italian, or
Swede, it VIII be found that back Of the OBJ
vious material motive prompting emigra-
tion-the desire to earn comfortable live
lihood-there is another and more potent
one: the natural craving Of oppressed hu-
manity for moral and intellectual freedom.
1t is not altogether because land is cheap
here, the soil fertile, and labor well remun-
Grated, that the people of the old world flock
hither by the thousands, but because, in our
institutions they see their own dreams of
equality and fraternity practically realized.
The fact that here the poorest country lad
may aspire to the Presidency Of the Republic
. is big enough to account for all that is occult
in the origin of this vast hegira from the old
world.
Where will it stop and what is likely to
be its effect upon the future Of the country?
Judging by the way in which the season has
opened, the total immigration for the year
will reach the startling figure of one million
souls, and there are those who look upon
this immense accession to our population as
a source of danger to the Republic. They
distrust the ability of the Nation to assimi-
late such Il large foreign element, and fear
lest something of the distinctive character
of our institutions may be lost IN the strr'g-
gle For our part, we are disturbed by no
such apprehensions. All experience is
against the probability OF such a result. In
the first place, while the immigrant always
brings with him the language and customs
of his country, the necessity Of adapting HIM
self to his new surroundings, invariably COM
pels him, sooner or later, to abandon them
entirely. If this does not take place with
the first generation, it is sure to do so with
the second, as witness our thousands of citi-
zens of German extraction who speak moth
ing but English. Indeed, the testimony is
all concurrent on this point, and it is worthy
Of note that our naturalized citizens, so far
from endeavoring to engraft foreign ideas on
American society," are quick to imbibe our
own IDEAS, aud accommodate themselves to
our customs. 1t should be remembered,
too, that enormous as the volume OF our i'm
migration has come to be, it is distributed
over an immense territory, and among fifty
millions of people. One new conner in every
community of fifty would not, under any
circumstances, we fancy, be likely to seri-
ously disturb the existing order of things
But really, this phase of the question is
scarcely worth a moments thought So far
from the steady increase of immigration
being matter for regret, it is a cause for