The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1890-10-14

short a 1dress to the achievements of
the German-American element upon
American soil. But to fully compre-
bend the significance of to-day's event
calls into play the heart even more
than the head, and whoever fails to
feel the meaning of our celebration
here pointing to the heart will fail
to be instructed by any words Of
mine.
Why, you ask, this mass demon.
stration of German-Americans on this
very dayf Is it a mere desire for
pleasure or a passion for an empty
show? That it is neither, we can
read from the faces of the participant
rejecting as they do, with sincerity
and manly dignity, and We can judge
it, moreover, from the fact that the
Protestant and Catholic and Jew
orthodox and Free thinker, Republican
and democrat, popr and rich marched
along side of each other. Common
festivals, as rule do not make such
strange bed fellows. This remarkable
unity then which exalts US as much IS
it puzzles al non-Germans, must be
born of more sublime motives than is
mere pleasure and amusement. Well,
to say it briefly To-day we celebrate
the birthday Of the whole German
American element of the United
States.
Two hundred and seven years ago
to-day, on Oct. 6 of the year 1853,
the vessel Concord landed with the
first German migrants in Phila-
delphia, namely thirteen families of
Crefeld "a city in Westphslis-who
were prompted by the travels
and speeches of William
Penn in Germany to leave
their fatherland and to seek refuge
from religious persecution on this
side of the Atlantic. Single Ger
mans bad come to these shores many
wears previous. of course, but those
thirteen families, headed by the noble
Pastorus, constituted the first collec-
tive German immigration, which ill.,
the still continuing stream
of millions of our cOuntrymen seeking
lite. liberty and happiness on this
new western continent. From this
event dates the real hist Try of Ger
man-Americans in this country. We
have chosen this date for eur celebra.
ton because of its significance for
America and we celebrate as loyal
for the purpose of empha-
sizing the ethical and economical and
social value of the German element as
factor of our civilization as we'll
as the historical part played by this
element in the shaping of political
events, and furthermore to caution,
merciful strength and political power,
auy prejudiced adversaries against all
unjust encroachments upon our rights,
habits and customs. We realize too
we'll the truth Of the old adage:
ITO count on others support,
Means help of neither sort,
Upon yourself rely.
We have reason to be proud of our
history on this continent, and since re-
respects are customary on birthdays,
We may be pardoned by our Anglo
American brethren for having set
part this day for the purpose of ex-
ourselves, our past and fu-
ure. For 1000 years the German is
lpon the worlds stage, but he does
lot, like many other nations,
represent a civilization removed from
outside influences, but to the contrary
he political division of his native |
and resulted in the peoples constant
Intercourse with the representatives
# other people and civilizations.
Thereby the Germans learned to ap-
,reciate the good qualities of others
nd his cultivation became cosmop-
'litical in character. He dances with |
he Frenchman, meditates with the
SnglishmaB, drinks with the Russian,
PRACTICES music with the Italian,
Ireams with the Pole and Spaniard,
'argains with the Yankee, and yet
links with and for himself. This
osmopolitical spirit especially fitted
i'm for a colonist and enabled him to &C
omplish in the United States what
re to-day claim he has accomplished.
)ther original qualities such as indus
~, thrift energy, love of law and
berty, of art and science
nd noble passion for intellectual
ctivity endeavor have placed the
Germans at the head of the European
atoms and while many of the people
7ho met the Teutons in wild war
are, and among others the Huns,
'ikts and Celts, have fallen as with
red leaves from the tree of humanity
be German race to-day, after the
r A.. ~.ll.-. Il