Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-11-01
THE FIRST PROTEST
Against Slavery in America Came
From the Sturdy Germans.
A LITTLE COLONY OF MENNONITEs
Whose influence for Good Can Scarcely Be
Underestimated.
THE HOWARD BLOCK OF PITTSBURG
WRITTEN FOR THE prspArcH.J

1He reCoIuS Oh the beginning OF tne OeF-
man emigration to this country, had it not
been for the industry of Prof. Oswald
Seidensticker and Judge Samuel W. Penny
packer, Of Philadelphia, and one or two
other gentlemen of antiquarian tastes,
might have remained scattered and un-
known among the dusty and forgotten
things of the past. But, thanks to their
efforts, the records are tolerably we'll pre-
served, and it is possible from them to give
brief outline of few of the most promi-
nent men among the emigrants, by and
through whom the characteristics of all
their companions may be judged.
October 6, 1888, there arrived at Phila-
delphia on the Concord" of 500 tons
burden, 13 heads of families numbering in
all SO persons, who left their homes at
Crefeld and Krisheim. towns on the lower
Rhine. Their names were as follows:
Lenard Arets, Abraham Op-den-Graeff
Dirck Op-den-G Graef, Herman nOp-den-Graef,
Wilhelm Steypus, Thones Kundus, Reynier
Tyson, Jan Siemens, Jan Sensen, Peter
Keurlis, johannes Bleikers, Jan Siecken
and Abraham Turies, many of whom were
connected, either by ties of blood or of
marriage. They were "Mennonites, or
followers of "Menno Simon" a reformer of
the sixteenth century, and had been visited
in their homes by William Penn, who,
finding them holding essentially the same
views as the Quakers (into which sect they
ultimately merged) and of thrifty, moral
and industrious habits, induced them to
settle in his Province of Pennsylvania" at
or near Philadelphia
HAD SUFFERED FOR coNscIENcE's SAKE.
To be free from ecclesiastical oppression,
the sea voyage OF months duration, over
an almost unknown ocean, to an almost un-
known region, peopled by savages and wild
beasts, was gladly undertaken by this little
band, for they and their ancestors had been
imprisoned and burned for ''con-
science sake" They were met at Philadel-
phia by Francis Daniel Pastorious, man
of much ability, learning and position, end
one of the original group OF em!grants at
"Crefeld" who had been selected to precede
them at Philadelphia to arrange for their
coming.
Six days after their arrival a warrant was
issued to Pastorious for 200 acres of land
on behalf of these purchasers. Thomas
Fairman measured off IA divisions of land,
and the next day the immigrants drew lots
for choice of location, and at once began to
build their caves and huts for shelter dur
ing the coming winter. This settlement
was called Germantown, q name it still
bears and perhaps always will, although
now and for many years it has been part of
OF this period Pastorious writes: sIt
could not be described, nor would it be be-
lieved by the coming generations in what
want and need, and with what Christian
and persistent industry this
started" In confrma-
ton of this the late Abraham Updegraf, of
born in 1907, in sketch of
his fathers life printed in 1881, speaks of
having "from childhood listened to his
with o sweep of memory
over nearly 80 years rehearse the
stories of Germantown and its early set
,lers, of their privations-their patience of
hope and labors of love, with creed broad
enough to embrace all religious wayfarers
md wanderers as we'll the negro as the
indian, making Germantown Mecca of the
mind 10 him."
BEGINNING OF THE CARPET INDUSTRY.
md it was not long before they had set up
n their trade. Thus they formed nucleus
round which their waiting relatives, friends
md co-religionists at home might gather
vhen these, too, should flee from persecu-
ion. October II, 1856, there arrived at
in the Francis and Dorothy,
rom Crefeld, Hans Peter Umstat, Peter
Gerhard Hendricks and Henry
3ucholtz, who, with their families, num-
'ered II persons. They located likewise |
t Germantown. Emigration continued and |
he little settlement grew. May 81, 1851, a |
harter was granted naming Pastorious, |
'ailiff; Jacob Telner, Dirk Opdengraff, Her |
nan Opdengraff and Thomas Kunders, bur- |
esses, and Abraham Opdengratf, Isaac Van |
sebber, johannes Kassel, Heivert Papen,
herman Bonn and Dirk Van Kolk, commit
eemen, with power to hold q court and |
market, admit citizens, impose fines. and
make ordinances. That ignorance of the !
aw should be no excuse, it was ordained
hat con the 10th of first month in each
ear the people shall be called together and
he laws and ordinances read aloud to
hem."
As early as 1854 negroes were held as
laves in Pennsylvania, both by the Quak-
rs and Menonites, and Jacob Born in q
etter to Rotterdam, dated October IL, 1854,
ays: 81 have no regular servants except a
egro whom bought. 1 have no rent or
lxes or excise to pay" As the people of
ne Province" increased, the purchase and
lie of negroes as slaves increased. They
ere brought from the Barbados" and
sewhere as merchandise. In 1854 the rare
nd isolated presence among them of negro
aves, excited little notice; but its growing
equency and visible hardships soon ap-
ealed to the conscience of the more
loughtful and considerate members of the
ct. In 1858, the pent up Indignation at
.e practice of slavery found expression in
, unanswerable protest against it, being
THE FIRST PUBLIC PROTEST.
,ainst negro slavery ever made. Quaint
its orthography, language and construc-
on, no subsequent written or printed con-
of the evil, either in truth,
gument, illustration or pathos, has been
her than its elaboration. 1t is in the
Ind writing of Pastorious, and is signed
? Gerhard Hendricks, Dirk Op-den-graff,
rancis Daniel Pastorius and Abraham OPP
:n-graff.
AS an illustration of how slowly great
forms proceed, it will be of interest to
How this "protest," and the reform it en-
died, to its end. 1t was delivered by
ese signers to the monthly meeting"
1ich reported:
We having inspected ye matter above
entioned, and considered it; we finde it so
eighty, that we think it not expedient for |
10 meuOle WIFI II mere, put oo ratnerl
mitt it to ye consideration of ye quarterly |
Getting, ye tenor OF it being nearly related !
ye truth.
The "Quarterly meeting" at Philadelphia {
nsidered it and referred it to the "yearly l
.eting" with instructions to the ''above {
ID Dirk and the other two mentioned j
erein to present the same to the above |
id meeting, it being thing of too great
light for this meeting to determine. The
arlv meeting at Burlington July 5,
80, disposed of it in these words: