The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1884-01-02
The Dutch SIDE Of Tar.heettna.

We have read with much interest a
pamphlet cora of Gen lsu'us Barr. :
gers address. at the Luther Commemo-
ration. in Concord. Nov. 10. SO. 4
large port on at talstrru- and Rowan
counties i settled by families OF Ger
man ,anIc and origin: such A. Barr.:-
GER. Bo>t. Ia u art. Bns',jm =. Bar
rier. Blackn elder. Phitcr. Prob> [. Meis-
enheimcr. sides. >tircwal'. aud the like.
Gen. i .rringer traces the influx of
tl,se German Pioneers, from the Dutchy
OF Wurtembur-. 10 Pennsylvania, and
on Southwark until they found homes
along the l-rti e banks OF the Catas ba.
The FIRST to arrive Gin l743) were three
Young '-REDEMPTIoNERs." Thu title
is thus eXplained:-
The term was first used i'll connection
with white indentured apprentices. 1t
was afterwards applied 10 a large class
of very poor immigrants WHO could not
pay their passage money 10 America 10
cash down but who Were willlu! 20 en-
ter in contracts of limited service, on
their arrival here. in order To reimburse
the funds advanced for that purpose.
Still again, ii was an artiul scheme aiten
resorted TO by the down troddcn of
Europe to escape the thraldom OF tue,ial
bondage.
At that time very few, il any,, Of the
peasant class, as such. could hold real
estate in Central Europe. On the con-
trary, they themselves were often bought
and sold with the Ian they wo. ked, and
had to serve their landlords a certain
number of days each week the year
round, and all through life. Tie Prot
estant peasants, naturally enough, be-
came FESTIVE under such hard and cruel
restraints and restrictions. And they
long sought in every possible way to
better their condition; only to find it
impossible to do. and still remain in the
country. But &c flee their homes was
also extremely hazardous. The right
of eXpatliation was not then fully re-
cognized. aud all sorts OF treaty stipula-
tons and alliances provided for their
recapture, reture to slavery, and, usual
ly. to a harbarous beating besides. But
go they would. and their safest course
was stealth. under this scheme Of inden-
ted apprenticeship. In this way, the
young men could gradually remove
themselves from one State or Pro-
vince to another, and, little noticed,
reach a seaport and. 81 escape to
America or some other foreign country
where life. liberty, limb. and land were
somewhat free. To US of this enlight-
ened age and free republican govern
ment, it is simply incredible that such a
state of things should have existed in
any Christian country, especially III the
English colonies, less than hundred
and fifty years ago. But SO it "a
White men MT only indented them
selves as apprentices, but gladly sold
themselves into long time limited sla-
very for the blessed privilege, or chance
of escaping feudal serfdom. But listen
while | read this advertisement from an
old Philadelphia newspaper, The 4meri-
can Mercury, ofdate November %, l72S:
Just arrived from London, in the
ship Borden, William fIarbert, COM
mander, a parcel of young likely Men
Servants, consisting of H~usbandmen,
Joyners. Shoemakrrs. Weavers. Smiths,
Brickmakers, Bricklayers, Sawyers,
Tailors, Staymakers, Butchers, Chair
makers. and several other trades, and
are to be sold very reasonable, either
for ready Money, Wheat, Bread, II
Flour, by Edward Horne, Philadelphia"
Among the classes thus named were,
no doubt, the ancestors of many now
high in the Free Citizenship Of this great
country, and possibly the ancestors Of
some of those present here to-day.
n IL H.
exodus from Europe under this process
was enormous so much so as almost
to depopulate certain German States
and countries, notably Wurtenburg,
where serfdom was so absolute and
u,in1ipn