The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1890-08-02

would ever raise mis- hand or tomshawk
against q Swcde.
William Penn arrived on this continent
In 1882, forty-four years after the swedes.
He landed near the site of Fort Trinity,
within the limits of New Sweden. It was
the Swedish settlers and their children who
received the good Quaker, welcomed him
to the new world, and entertained with
kindness and hospitality. 1t was the
Swedes also who acted as Penn's inter-
prefers with the Indians. How could it be
otherwise than so keen an observer as Penn
should learn from his hosts and interpreters
their name of dealing with the red man,
and be impressed with its success. Pre-
cisely 40 the Swedes had lone before him,
Penn acquired land of the Indians by pur-
chase, treated them kindly, and kept faith
with them. Penn had been Justly praised
for his peaceful and humane policy toward
the red men. I would not pluck q leaf
from the laurels with which America has
crowned the great Quaker. But "honor to
whom honor is due" Impartial history
records that the honor of originating this
policy on this continent il due, not TO
William Penn, but to the Swedes of New
Sweden. Penn, in q letter, mentions his
kind reception by the Swedes and praises
their industry and their respect for author
ity. He goes IN to say: "As they are q
prople proper and strong of body, so they
haze fine children, and almost every house
full; rare to find one of them without three
or four boys and as many girls; some six,
seven and eight SONS. And I must do them
right see few young men more sober
and industrious" Verify a keen observer
was the COED Quaker! Strong, industrious
lads, fine looking girls, and houses full of
children. These VIC all recognize as char
acteristic of the Swedish race.
The French have q saying, ut is the
first step that costs. This is true. 1t is
the first step also which is memorable.
The beginnings of things most excite ~
interest and admiration, and it is to the
founders of empires that history assigns
the first place. New Sweden will ever DC
cupy a post of honor in the annals of this
country, because it was the first step in a
scandinavian immigration to America
which has now become alike grand in pro-
portions and beneficent in results.
How much influence New Sweden has
had upon this immigration it is difficult to
say; but surely the fact that there existed
in America a colony of Swedes founded by
Sweden's greatest king, must have had its
effect upon Swedish thought and action.
Yet throughout our entire colonial period
and indeed during the earlier decades of
the republic Swedish immigration was in
significant. In the ten years from 1920 to
1880, the entire number of alien passengers
arriving in the United States from both
Swedengsn Norway was ninety-four,-less
than ten persons a year. from both coun-
tries. Since the number of S~candinavians
seeking homes in America has, with some
fluctuations, rapidly increased; but # was
not till 1s63-only twenty years ugo-that
the emigration from Sweden began to pour
in upon us, with that mighty tide, which
constitutes one of the marvels in the move
ments of races of men upon this globe.
ITO be continually