Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-06-07
AN INDoMIrABLE PEOPLE.
characteristics of a People With Won
derful History.

newly arrived Dutch colonists at MERGED.
Edward Curtis. representing the State Board
of Trade, delivered an address, in which he
said:
We have met to welcome to Jour goodly county
a new emigration from land famous for the
colonies it has sent out into every part of the
civilized earth. Holland is land famous in
other ways. Her people were known abroad
before Christ came. julius Cesar mentioned
first people acquainted with the use of the
precious metals and with the manufacture of
fine tissues. The first satins, yelvets and broad
cloths were made in Holland. Tacitus said that
they were allies, not subjects of the Romans
Inhabiting a country they wrested from the
ocean, of smaller size than the neighboring
Dutch country has had. Charlemagne was
proud to rule over them In the ninth century
and Queen Elizabeth sent her army in defense
of the Netherlands the year Shakespeare was
born. Her fayorite, Duke of Leicester, and
Walsingham were also stationed in Holland.
Through all the ages until this century Holland
has been the prize over which the greatest
diplomats and statesmen and Kings of the Old
World have contended. The Dutch have stood
unmoved between the iron bulldog of Central
Europe on one side and the mercurial irascible
French on the other. Surrounded by marching
armies and revolutions, they have remained
the same plain, cleanly, Straightforward, kind
hearted, freedom loving, law-abiding citizens
When the invaders pressed them too savagely
dQu Win overwhelming tQey
dikes and drowned the enemy.
The greatest statesman and benefaetor of
Holland was undoubtedly John Dewitt Under
him the fires OF liberty were relighted. never to
go out again. If William the Silent was the
Washington of Holland, Dewitt was its Frank
lin 1t was during his administration that the
great powers united to crush the Dutch repub.
lie. He met and successfully commended with
the ablest rulers and skilled Cabinet Ministers
in England, France, Spain and Sweden While
to-day Holland is governed by King, he is one
OF the mlldest that ever sat upon throne. The
sturdy Hollanders would tolerate no other
Frugality, Thrift, modesty and staying qualities
are the strong characteristics of the Dutch
Chauncey Depew, himself of Holland ancestry
says: THE Dutch have never been driven from
any place where they sat down. All powers of
ancient and modern Europe, backed by the
force of old ocean itself, have had their proud
waves stayed and their limits fixed by the stay
ing powers of this little and indomtable people
The Yankees conquered them in New York; the
Irish rule them; the Italians, the French, the
Germans and the Hebrews crowd them, but here
we are"
The wit of Mr. Depew is sometimes at the ex
pense of facts. The Yankees have not con-
quered them in New York. The Dutch were
not only the founders of New York, the second
city OF the world, but they and their descend
ants have always maintained supremacy in the
political, commercial, manufacturing and trans
portatlon interests of that imperial city. What
names so prominent TO day in the business con-
sentative and social circles of New York as the
Nanderbilts, the Goelets, the Bleeckers the
Brevoorts, the Van Rensselaers, the Rooseyelts
the schuylers, the Havemeyers, the Opdykes
and the Van Shacks-every.one Of them a de-
scendant of Dutchman. Martin Van Buren,.
the best politician and the first President of the
United states ever elected from New York, was
OF pure Dutch stock. His ancestors came over
from Holland in the steerage of a ship, and
were poorer in purse than any of you who have
arrived here to-day in palace cars. Perhaps we
will have President or the United States from
California some day, and it may be descend
nj n- vim
are here to greet. 1t is the GROWING glory of
American institutions that the humblest boy
has an equal chance with the highest born TO
rise to exalted station.
Ladies and gentlemen, late of Holland. now
of California, the State Board that l represent
welcomes you, The county of MERGED welcomes
you The State OF California welcomes you.
We could ask for no citizens more desirable.
verbal for honesty 1ngrained. integrity and
good habits Your ancestors fenced out the sea
at a cost of 81 500, 000, 000-a sum greater than
our national debt-and the people of Holland
are maintaining those dykes at a cost of g 0O0,-
600 annually. Here we do not have to pay such
a price for the privilege of living. Here we
have oceans OF land to till instead of oceans of
water to fight This very valley through which
you have ridden to-day. if it was all cultivated,
would produce enough to feed every man
woman and child in Holland, Belgium and
Switzerland, and give each of them bottle of
wine with meals besides.
We are glad you wanted to come here and live
among US. We shall be your friends. We have
not forgotten that the ancestors of some of us
when driven from their homes by persecution
and bigotry, found rest and shelter in the
Netherlands, and that it was from Deft- Haven
in Holland, that the Mayfower sailed with the
Pilgrim fathers. We have had an infusion of
Dutch blood in California before, and it has
done US good. One of our early Governors was
a son of a Hollander. He was called Honest
John Bigler," and was the only man ever re-
elected Governor of this State. In 1858 Corne-
Illus X. Garrison, whose ancestors were from
Amsterdam, was elected Mayor of San Fran
cisco after residence of six months. 1t don't
t take Ion for good Dnt:hman to find promo
yer, another descendent of Holland family. is
now distinguished member of Congress from
this State and was elected only three years after
he took I'D his residence among US. One of our
Federal Judges is of Dutch descent Judge
Hoffman is proud of it. The De Freymers, the
Blankmans. the Guildermisters and other PROM
inent families in this State, came from Holland
, some from Amsterdam, which is the only city
in Europe where lady can walk out by herself
without danger of being insulted.
AS you good people have just come from a
country that is ruled by mild monarchy, let
me say that we have no titles of nobility. Ev-
cry man is his own lord here. We don't have
many armories in this country, but we have a
good many school-houses. know you come of
great fighting stock. but we don't have much
use for soldiers in this country. Your sons will
not be drafted into any army. The only slaugh-
tering you will be called on to do will be the
slaughter of golden wheat fields. The only
blood you may shed is the blood of the grape.
And you have located in climate and in To-
cality where the plumpest wheat and the juici-
est grapes are grown. Those turfy mountains
yonder, where live nibbling sheep. will furnish
you with health and clothing. The jeweled
waters that flow down from the royal Yosemite
will irrigate your lands and turn the wheels OF
all the mills you can construct. And now, in
this delicious atmosphere and amid sunshine
and flowers, may you prosper as you have never
prospered before.