The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-10-07
MR.. LOVENSTEIN'S WORDS.
ENGLISH GRAFTON OF GERMAN
DAY CELEBRATION.
A Careful Compilation Of Historical Facts
-Growth of the Nation in this Country
Features OF the Colonies Outside OF Viz

A Careful Compilation or Historicsi se'
Growth Of the Nation in this Country
Features OF the Colonies Outside OF Wiz
ginia.
The English grafton OF Hon. William Low
enstein. delivered at the German-Day cere
monies in the Exposition hall yesterday
will be found below:
Ny friends, feel that can thus address
YOU. for since my early manhood and nrs'
advent into public life you have honored
me with your confidence and warm sup
port: and when a short time ago your com
mittee. by their unanimous and enthusiasts
tic action. requested that ] should delivel
the English discourse on this occasion,
felt that had no right to decline, althoug
oratOry il not my forte and this duty coui
have been assigned TO ADLER nanus. iet
can assure you that 10 no one could 1t have
been assigned who could more highly ap
preciate the honor or whose heart beats
warmer i'm response TO the sentiment which
prompts your action as "German- American
citizens" in celebrating this day. Borr
myself upon Virginia soil, and entertainin
that lust pride which every son OF Virgin
feels for his native State, yet am none IN {
less proud of my German ancestry, ana tn'
German blood which flows through my
veins, for my parents were born in the good
old Fatherland and emigrated TO this coun
try in 1899.
We assemble to-day, my friends, TO cele
pirate the two hundred and seventh ami
yersary OF the landing Of the first German
colony in America, and the question mighl
be aptly asked, Why was 1t not celebrated
in the second centennial, in 1SS3! know
Of no reason except that it was overlooked
and probably, with the exception OF Phila'
delphia, no general celebration took place
at that time. 1t might have been overlooked
now had not the suggestion come from the
NestOr of the German Press In Virginia
friend Hassel, and been acted upon promptly
by YOU. Mr.. President, and your colaborers
At this time the day is being celebrated in
various parts of the Union; and what more
place could be selected for a
than upon Virginia soil and IN
Virginia's capital citvy For we stand with
in al-shOt Of that memorable spot whence
Nirginia's great orator pronounced
those ringing words which aroused
the American people, and called
them forth to battle for liberty
and freedom. We are citizens Of that
State whose great son, himself the embodi-
ment of personal liberty, penned that decla-
ration Of freedom which proclaimed this
country free and independent. ana wei
coined men from every cline ana snOre,
to them freedom OF thougnt,
freedom Of conscience, and freedom oil reii-
gious worship. We are citizens OF that
State whose immortal SON led the American
armies to victory and final Independence, and
who, in his own person, was an enthusiasts.
tic supporter of the arts and sciences, and
an admirer of the German people. We are
off Commonwealth whose great
statesman gave us the bill of rights under
which we now live.
We are loyal sons Of State renowned
not only for her patriots and statesmen,
but for her liberal and enlightened laws,
the stranger TO her portals ana
him i'm his rights without impos-
ing harsh, stringent. and unnecessary re-
strictlOns. We are for the most part citi-
zens of a city whose wise administration,
orderly and peaceful government, and en-
terprising and.prOgressiye citizenship, make
rs rejoice that we ar, part and parcel oil
his community, and have contributed our
share in its development and progress.
PROM GERMAN LANDS.
We should celebrate this day, for among
the earlier settlers Ofthe Commonwealth we
lind men and women of German birth.
whose descendants are scattered throughout
IL length and breadth. and who have made
A lasting impress upon its government. We
should be proud Of the opportunity OF
acknowledging ourselves natives ana de-
scendants from natives Of the German land;
but in acts, words. and deeds, a portion OF
his great American republic, and loyal to
It's mandates and its laws.
| am indebted to several OF my friends for
the sketch which | propose to give OF the
first German settlers IN this country, LOT
there is no complete history extant, ana
il is due to their research and
foreth0ught that am able to give what !
hope will prove interesting TO you.
The German in his individual capacity
appears almost simultaneously with the
irst settlers Of the country, but colonlsts do
not appe6r TO have arrived in large bodies
until the latter part Of the seventeenth
century. The first colony was established
At Germantown. Pa, in 1853, arriving there
on the 9th day of October 2OI
years ago this day. Ii was established I'M
Ter the auspices Of PastOrius, to provide, as
il was termed, a "pellace" Of refuge from the
judgments impending over the world and
to Christianize I'VE naked-going savages.'
They were citizens Of the "Palatinate,'
that portion of Germany now divided
among Bavaria, Rhine provinces, Prussia,
Baden, and Hesse, and were driven from their
homes by the intolerance and cruelty OF
Louis XIV. of France. Proud, the Pennsyl-
yania historian, writes that IN l6S2 ana lo>i
arrived ships with passengers from London,
Bristol, and Germany. Among those from
Germany were some Friends or Quakers
H..aha.,, for from WnrnFS-
in the Palatinate. They had been early
convinced of the religious principles OF the
Duakers by the preaching Of William Ames,
an Englishman, and attracted by the liberal
charter of William Penn, they settled
at Germantown, which is now one
of the suburbs of Philadelphia. And
their removal TO and settlement IN this
do not seem 10 be without dlspen-
satiOn of Providence, for not long after this
war ensued in Germany. when the falltin-
ate was laid waste and destroyed; towns
and villages were swept away, thousands OF
killed, and whole families be-
reft of their possessions and reduced "a
poyerty. Among the first Of the German
town settlers was Dennis Conrad ana the
first religious meeting ever held was in his
house in 1858. In 1886, according 10
PROUD" another lot of Germans ar
rived in Pennsylvania and settled
among their friends. The charter OF
was granted in lG9l,
day of the third month by VIII
liam Penn TO Pastorius, civilian; Jacob
Telner, merchant; Derrick lsaacs Optegraft,
linen-maker; Herman lsaacs Optegraft,
town president; Abraham lsaacs Optegratt,
and several yoemen and others. From the
names it would appear there were some oil
the .schosen people" among them, and we
take it for granted it was thriving place,
or they would not have been there. The
declaration We find in the character Is:
''rheys shall be one body politique and cor
porate. aforesaid. in name, and by the name
Of the Bailine, Burgesses,, and Commanality
of Germantown" etc., etc. Some idea OF
the spirit and feeling OF the earlier settlers
is given in the Deseriptio Of Pennsylyaniae OF
Thomas Maxim, Philadelphia, written In
1929. The following is an extract from 1t:
Its fame TO distant countries far mas spread
And some for Deace and some TO- ptont led,
Born in remotest climes. Ia settle here
They leave their native soil and all that's
dear,
And still will flock from far here To be free.
such powerful charms has lovely liberty"
Tire first paper-mll on this continent was
built by the Germantown settlers, and as
early as 1886 they brewed their own beer,
and the council OF the city prescribed that
only halt quart should be sold to any one
person on any half day. "What would We
a. IN thi. pra.erintian IN the mart uf OIL