Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-10-07
SENATOR LoveNsTe,N's GRAFTON.
Tn Choice English lie rrcseats Volume
of Historical Facts.


of historical Facts.
vicc-President Miller in presenting Sen
nfor Lovenstein rose equal TO the occasion,
and. after making the introduction IN Ter
man, remarked in English take plea
sure in introducing TO you onr honoraope
senator. William Lovenstein.' At this the
well-known form of the Senator advanced
10 the front of the platform, He was en-.
Enthusiastically received. which compliment
being duly acknowledged, the speaker
said 81
NV Friends.-I feel that can thus ad,
dress YOU, for since my early MANHOOD anu
first advent into public life you nave nom
ored me with your confidence anu VAIN
support; and when short tune ego .pu'
committee by their unanimous ana eh,nu-
siaStic action requested that should de-
liver the English discourse on TINS 0cca-
sion. I felf that had no right to decline,
altbouch oratory IL not my forte and TINS
duty could have been assigned TO abler
hands. Yet | can assure you that 10 no
ono couid IA have been assigned who could
more highly appreciate the honor or whose
heart beats warmer IN response 10 the SEN
timent which prompts your action as Uor-
man American citizens" IN celebrating
This dav. Born myself upon Virginia SOL,
and entertaining that Just PRIDE whlch
every son Of Virginia feels for his native
State. vet am none the less proud OF my
German ancestry, for my parents were
born IN the good old Fatherland ana emil
grated 10 this country in 1889.
We assemble to-day my friends TO ceie-
brate the huDdred-and-seVenln hnhl-
yersary of the landing OF the hrst German
colony IN America. and the questiVn
might be aptly asked. why was ~ nol ~, cet' :
brated al its second centennial IN 1888
I knots ~ no reason. except that II was
overlooked. and probably with the excep-
ton of Philadelphia no general celebration
took place az that time. IL might nave
hecn nverlookcd now had not the sugges-
ton come from the nestor Of the German
press in Virginia, Friend Hassel, and been
acted upon promptly by you, Mr.. Presi-
dent. and your cO-labOrers. AT TINS tlfne
tho day is being celebrated in various parts
of the Union, and what more appropriate
place could be selected for celebration
ibanupon Virginia soil. IN Nirglnla's capital
cityg For we stand within ear-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 embodiment
of personal liberty. penned that declara,
ton of freedom which proclaimed
tins country free and independent
and welcomed men from every
cline and every shore, guaranteeing 10
them freedom of thought, freedom OF con-
science. and freedom of religious worship.
We are citizens Of that State whose lmlnor-
tai son led the American armies 70 victory
and final Independence, and VINO IN nls
own person was an enthusiastic supporter
Of the arts and sciences and an admlrer OF
The German people. We are residents OIL a
Commonwealth whose great statesman gave
us tie Bill of Rights under which we now
live.
LOYAL SONS.
We are loyal sons of State renowned
not only for her patriots ana statesmen
Int for her liberal and enlightened laws,
welcoming the stranger to her portals and
protecting him in his rights without M
posing upon him harsh, stringent, ana un-
necessary restrictions. We are Tor the most
mart citizens Of city whose wise admins
tration. orderly and peaceful governments
and enterprisng and progressive cltlzen-
ship make us rejoice that we are part ana
parcel Of this community, and have contrl;,
hu,ed our share in Its development ana
progress.
We should celebrate this day, for among
the earlier settlers of the Commonwealth
we find men and women OF German blrtn,
whose descendants are scattered through
ont ITS length aud breadth. end who nave
made lasting impress upon ltsdoVerh-
ment. We should be proud OF the oppor-
tuDity Of acknowledging ourselves natives
and descendants from natives OF the Ger
man lands. but IN acts, words, and deeds,
portion of this great American republic,
and loval 10 its mandates and ITS laws.
am indebted TO several of my friends
for fine sketch which | propose to give OF
the first German settlers in this country,
for there il no complete history eXtant,
and consequently it is due TO their research
and forethought that i am enabled TO
give what hope will prove interesting 10
you.
The German in his individual capacity
appcars almost simultaneously with the hrst
settlers of the country, but colonists do
NOT annear 10 have arrived in large bodies
until the latter part of the seventeenth
century. The first colony was established
at Germantown, Pa, in 1888, arriving there
an the 9Th day of October 207 years ago
This dav. 1t was established under the
auspices of Pastorius TO provide, as
II was termed, "pellace" or refuge
from the judgments impending over the
world and to Christianize we naked,golng
sayages." They were citizens of the
Palatinate," that portion OF Ter
many now divided among Bavaria;
Rhine provinces, Prussia, Baden, and
Uesse. and were driven from their
homes bv the intolerance and cruelty
of Iouis XIV. of France. Proud,
the Pennsylvania historian, writes
that in 1859 and 1888 arrived ships with
passengers from London. Bristol, and Ger
many. Among those from Germany were
some Friends or Qua kers from Cresheim, q
town not far from Worms. IN the PaIati-
nate. They had been early convinced OF the
regihous PRINCIPLES OF the QuaAers py lhe
preaching of William Ames, an English
man, and attracted by the liberal charter
of William Penn they settled at German,
town. which IS now one OF the suburbs Oh
Philadelphia. 80,
And their removal 10 and settlement II
this country do not seem TO be without
dispensatiOn Of Providence, for not long al
ter this O war ensued in Germany, when the
Palatinate was laid waste and destroyed
towns and villages were swept away
Thousands of the inhabitants killed, anc
whole families bereft of their possession:
and reduced to poverty. Among the hrsl
OF the Germantown settlers was Dennis
Conrad. and the first religious meeting
ever held was in his house IN 1888. In 1856
according to Proud" another lot of Ger,
mans arrived in Pennsylvania and settled
among their friends, lhe charter OF Ger
pantown was granted in 1891, thirtieth day
of third month, by William Penn to Pas
torious, civilian: Jacob Telner. merchant
Derrick Isaacs Optegraft, linen maker
Herman Isaacs 0ptegraft. town presi
dent; Abraham isaacs Optegraft' anc
several yeomen and Others. From
the names il would appear there
were some of the chosen people.
among them, and we take 1t for granted
that il was thriving place, or they. would
not have been there. The declaration We
find in the charter is "Iheys shall bt
one body, pohtiQue and corporate, afore'
said. III name. aud by the name of Tho
Baihffe, Burgesses and Commonality OF
Germantown etc., etc. Some idea OF
the spirit and feeling of the early settlers
is given in the Descriptio Pennsylvania
of Thomas Maxim. OF Philadelphia
written in 1929 in Latin. The following L
an extract from IL:
"Its tame 10 distant countries fer has spread,
Aud some for peaes and some for profit led,
Born IN remotest climes, H. settle here
They leave their native soil and all hats dear
Aud siill will roek from far here 20 DO free,
Such powerful charms has lovely liberty
FIRsr PAPER-SuII.
The first paper-mill on this continent wa'
built by the Germantown settlers. and a.
early as 1896 they brewed their own beel
81 n a II A