Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1888-11-08

. luton vengeance fell swiftly, at length.
September %, 1865, Dutch troops, undsr
Peter Stuyvesant, appeared in front Of
uasistisnaham, fresh from the capture OF
FoTt oasimir, Ave milos away, on the
Delaware.
The little town was completely in
vested, and surrendered, Internationally,
on September 18th, 1856.
says the historian (Ferris) from whose
Work these facts are CLEANED: "Thus fell
New Sweden, and thus ended the
Swedish dominion in America It took
the sword, and persisted with the swordn
The conquered Swedss never revolted,
nor does II appsar that Sweden ever en- 1
tertained any plans for re conquest.
While the Dutch were flowing into
Delaware in limited numbers, the British
subjects in New England were encroach- T
ing on New Netherlands, and. capturing /
Manhattan in the summer OF 1861 sent q .
hset, which in October, 1864, captured I
onristianaham and oil Delaware, Penn.
sylvania and New jersey.
Dutch rule had been narrow and re- |
pressive In Delaware; but English rule !
was greedy robbery through export and |
import taxes maintained and executed |
vigorously for years. Dutoh government
OF Delaware had been that OF trading
company, which chiefly sought profitable |
trsde with the Indians through barter of |
Dutch goods for fur and skins. Chris
tlanaham was valued merely Hs o fortified
trading port. It's development as o set,
Element was disregarded. Extensive agri- |
culture and trade with other settlements
we're discouraged as enrichipg the settlers
instead of the company. Even the clear.
ing OF OF adjacent forests wBs forbidden
lest the supply Of fuel for the fort should
be endangered. THU, directly checked
in honest industry, the settlers resorted
to illicit trade, and despite every Fl ,rt
of the Dutch company, became extensive,
expert anngglers.
But with English rule this profitable
IL sit traffic was effsctualIy suppressed
while the burdens of the people were
lncreased.
CHARLES II. of England had granted to
his brother, the Duke OF York, all Dutch
possessions in America. With their cap
ture, the Dake made certain special
grants, but retsiaed control Of New York
and the territory on the west side OF the
Delaware. He was au ARBITRARY, oppres-
sive ruler, vih little regard for the civil
and political gifts Of the people
, The Swedts of Cbristianhsm were
specially oppressed By Cor. Loselace,
the dukes Representative.
Prompted by certain Swedish merceu.
aries In his following CIV. LoVelacs
wrote. "As for the poor, deluded sort,
think the advice OF their own country.
men i, not to be dssplsed, who. knoV q
their tompar we'll, prescribed me nod
. for keeping them ia order, which is
severity, aud laying such taxes on them
! q sYNtat n NIL "a 80 IN ANITA
tain any other thoughts but how to dis
charge them"
The adoption aud execution OF this
policy resulted in great hardship and
general discouragement at Ohristisnahan
Thu psuple lived in great quiet, bat
extreme Incidence. No agriculture, no
trade was pursued, more than was Deces
sary to supply their absolute wants" AT
length England and France made war on
: FL LELAND.
A Dutch feet swept the American coast,
recaptured oil New Netherlands in 1873,
I and once agqin Onristianaham was subject
to the Dutch. But on the restoration Of
peace, New Netherlands was coded by the
: Dutch to England, aud the British hig
again a9ttsrsd orsr the h0mesof tbs four.
times conquered Swedes OF Delaware,
though, since their frat subjugation by
the Dutch, they had remained passive
cttiZans, preserving their Language and
I des ictiye manners and customs.
There had been intermsrrlsges with the
: Dutch to a considerable extent, but
! Swedish characteristics were still domi-
nent and the Protestant Dutch worshiped
. in the Swedish churches.
With the arrival In America of William
Penn, in 1882 came great relief to the
Swedes. Said be. in his address, You
shall be governed by laws OF your own
/. making, and live free, aud, II you will,
sober, indus rlous people,"
They never had been otherwise than
"sober and industrious;" but, until
, Penn's advent, had had ii tla voice ia
law making. The town had always besn
repressed aud oppressed, and the Swsdes
4 especially so. Tue total European pcpu
I. lation was but 1900 in 1853, and three
quarters Of these were Swtdes, and in
1878 there wers not over 600 Swedes in
the town and it's outlying districts. Under
, Penn's wise disponsation, the whole valley
J of the Delaware prospered.
, A great event in O1ristianaham was
the laying of the CORNER stone OF the
grand new church, on MAY 28th, 1893. II
was dedicated in May, 1893.
Then, as now, the town was pre-emi-
\ nently religious one. Then, as now,
this church was hold in deep veneration,
mingled with jnstiti able, worldly pride. In
all It's quaint beauty and hoasy antiquity,
/, it is the special pride OF the Wilmington
' of to day. Standing amid the graves of
the earl ssitlers, the little cemetery being
ENCLOSED with the solid stone-work OF
ancient days, ii is but few rcds distant
from the point Of rocks, where the fore
fathers landed, and close TO the spot
+ where the fort stood. II is closely girted
on two sides by dwellings, old and new,
and along third side, rush the countless
trains OF the Pennsylvania railroad.
: The site OF the fort is within the yard
: of mammoth rolling mill, and all around
Ia the smoke and din of various naauufac.
tories. Bat from the church glimpse
o Of tue Christiann and the point of rocks
is obtanable; and within the church yard
:. there comes hush to the heart, If not to
q the car.
As one views The ancient church, or
: stands on the historic point of rocks
washed by the waters OF the stream, 10y
Ally named by the Swedesetter their child
queen, he cannot but regret that, in the
Q excitement Of "huilding boom !" the
historic. beautiful town. name of Chris
!, tianahan should have been abandoned
r for ona having no special Significance for
posterlty.
I; Thomas Willing evincsd commendable
enterprise in laying out the excellent, uu
+ improved laudi b4yond the Units OF the
old settlement. 1t does not seem to be
. recorded why this adoption OF the Phiia-
Y ielphia plan OF streets, Tor new section
n Of the town, necessitated tho exchange of
> the hallowed name of Chrislianaham for