The Press., 1888-09-06
Issued Every thursday Evening.

10 the; compulsory three years military SER
vice of every fairly able-bodied young
man; the standing army is standing
grievance on the continent. This compul-
sorry service Is one of the most obvious
and egregious follies, idiotically rather
thanehildishly yshort-sighteda and impolitic !;
and marriage being strictly forbidden to
the common soldier during service, there
are some OF the very strongest indictments
for this GLASS, the hope and sinew of Ger
many, to seek their fortune elsewhere, as
soon as the age of service approaches, be-
tween 90 and 25 years of age. Their pa
rents cannot blame them, but approve OF
their making good use of these three of
the best and most important years of their
lives, instead of idling and lounging about
garrison towns, contracting evil habits for
life, besides keeping alive the spirit of war
and private feud, and besides immensely
increasing the expenses of government, to
be wrunR out of the peasantry who are
not OF military age. In Bavaria the peas
ants cottage has been characterized as
pig-sty in Nassau, as little better than
Indian wigwams, though the farmers of
Nassau are superior in their occupation !;
and often enclosing the cottage is the cow
yard the kitchen opens on the stable, and
is quite as dark. In the mechanical trades
another three years is virtually wasted in
iourneymanship for the fruits of their
workmanship will be found of one pattern
over the whole eastern half of Europe, and
westward TO the Rhine: while outside OF
Germany they would lose the aid of their
trades guild as il is, iourneymen some
times come TO begging. Every trade must
follow the old way. One reason for the
large number of musicians there is that
there is in this profession a chance to rise,
and the absence Of rivalry and competition
gives the artisan the necessary time for
practice. The lower classes regard Ameri-
can ideas and this country with favor, the
higher Glasses with the reverse. Here the
peasant woman is not obliged to perform
the grosser out door occupations, such as
are common there, of loading the cart,
driving oxen, working as hod-carriers,
drawing hand-milk- carts, partly because
the men are compelled, either by law or
custom, to waste so much time. The diff
ference between Catholic and Protestant
In most OF Germany is perhaps less than
anywhere else both churches are very
easy going; and members are not un.
churched by a certain amount Of social
drinking, card-playing or theater-going,
even if clergymen.
II we observe, for the sake of learning,
which provinces furnish the best class OF
immigrants and most easily assimilated
and Americanized, we can scarcely fail TO
choose the Northwest German, the houses
and ways Of living being in advance Of
those of South Germany. To specify
northern provinces, Schleswig, Holstein,
Westphalia, Oldenburg, Friesland, against
the southern provinces, Bavaria, Hesse,
Saxony, Silesia. The north German farm
er indeed may be able to teach us some
improved methods of agriculture, If we
can get him here for there, as elsewhere,
the most comfortable class do notso read
-ly emigrate. efet not all the habits Of the
rest of Germany are so fixed and constitu-
tional that their assimilation is hopeless
in the second generation, at least, they
may become Americans. The work Is one
of the most important in our times, from
the vastness and preponderance of German
emigration. Another nationality which is
entering the north west we can doubtless
assimilate more easily as being already
like the original settlers of New England
and the north generally, the Morse, in the
form of Danes, Swedes, Norwegians and
Icelanders. The latter people are now
compelled by calamities produced by Ma
ture to leave their beloved country to es-
cape famine; and the government which
facilitates the settlement Of this interest
ing, intelligent, and moral people is fol-
lowing the dictates Of a wise policy and
now is the time to do this for our own
present and future interest It is one of
the Teutonic nations which is to predomi-
nate in this country. Shall it be, as in the
founding, 80 in the building up the United
States the North -Teutonic principle of
freedom by constitution and laws, which
shall prevail? The strength and hope of
any country lies in the character of its peo-
pie. N. EMO.