Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-09-13


9 T. NJ the Auditorium will be a place
Of gayety, and all the grounds will show
thousands Of happy and merry faces.
Here the question arises: What is
the meaning OF all these preparations?
Are the Germans 10 celebrate the anni-
versary OF any OF Moltke's victories. or
the birthday OF one Of their poets. states
men. or philosophers? VIII Humbolt.
Bismarck. Schiller. or Goethe. Mozart.
or Beethoven be the inspiring genius OF
the fete. or will It simply be "Nolks-
fest" without any significance what
ever?
None Of these suggestions are correct.
German-Day is the Communication
holiday, on which all Germans rejoice
because they are true Americans, though
Americans Of German extraction. They
are not going TO erect an altar 10 Ger
mania" in order TO worship before her
shrine To Columbia" they intend 10
pay their homage. and from the eacred
fire Of enthusiasm that CLOVIS In Ger
manias" deep. blue eyes they will kndle
the pure flame Of their devotion 70 "Co-
lumb!a's" service. AZ the beloved
mothers bosom they always seek and
find those lofty Inspirations that help
them to serve In the most efficient man
ner the bride, the wife Of their own
choice.
THE FIRST GERMAN-DAY.
It was on the 9th Of October, 1888. that
the first German-Day was celebrated IN
Philadelphia and Germantown, Pa, FL
commemoration of the landing Of Franz
Daniel Pastorius with the first colony Of
German immigrants on the wood-coyered
shores of the Delaware. October 6. 1853.
They were thirteen families from the old
city of Crefeld, in the German Rhine
lands. The immortal William Penn wei
coined them with warm feelings. and
gave them a piece of land where they
founded Germantown. They were the
vanguard Of that great army Of German
immigrants who have done so much 90
cultivate first Pennsylvania and the adj
jacent territories, then the wide praires
of the West and Northwest. and to whom
the whole Union is indebted for the
prominent part they took in developing
the rich natural resources Of this great
country.
They came to stay and to become
Americans, not 10 establish separate set
Elements with Institutions of their own
a State In the Staten order 10 per-
petuate un-American forms of govern
ment. or TO put themselves I'm opposition
to the spirit Of liberty and progress.
that was TO lay the foundation for a
new era in human history. They brought
over the best elements and the ripest
fruits of a thousand years of culture and
civilization and made them serve 10 the
| development Of agriculture. industry. and
| higher education I'm their new homes
this side Of the Atlantic.
MILLIONS HAVE COME OVER.
Millions and millions OF healthy men.
women, and children have come over
from the Fatherland. In this century
alone their number is said TO be nearly
five millions, so there were in 1880 about
| twelve millions OF German-speakng or
! German-understandi people In This re-
| public. They never were among the
noisy and boisterous braggadoclos who
constantly boast OF their achievements.
| Their strict honesty prevents them from
| joining the swarm of drones, who, by
their INSCRIPTIONS speculations under
mine the welfare OF the nation. They
are contented 10 do their duty and TO
| enjoy the blessings OF liberty as peaceful
and loyal citizens. But, however patient,
unseliish, and enduring they usually are.
woe unto him would dare attack their
manhood or what they consider their
most sacred privileges as liberty-loving
|
! proverhial Juror teutonicus," that makes
them so formidable to their foes.
THEIR WORK IN VIRGINIA.
In the history Of Virginia is found a
most Characteristic illustration OF these
| last remarks. One hundred years ago
beautiful Shenandoah Valley was almost
entirely settled by Germans. Since li5Z
hundreds Of German families had come,
mostly from Pennsylvania. Up 10 the
| present day the names OF places and OF
their inhabitants bear witness 10 the
fact that German blood flows in the veins
OF most Nirginians who reside there. al
| though they do not speak anything
now but the English language. When
the war OF the Revolution broke out
| there lived in Woodstock. Va, an init
mate friend OF Patrick Henry and George
| Washington. He was Peter Muchlen-
berg. pastor Of the German congregation
Of that place. One Sunday morning,
when the church was filled with German
! farmers and their wives and children,
! Muchlenberg stepped before the altar.
and, with a solemn ring in his voice. ne
| closed his sermon with the following
words,
Dear brethren and sisters, am sorry
that have 10 tell you that these
| will be my parting words to you. still'
II God wills. / shall soon come back.
higher duty calls me, and / must FOL
| low. Our country, TO whom We owe our
wealth and our blood, is In danger; she
needs our help: she calls upon her sons
| to drive away the oppressor. You all
| know what we have suffered during the
last years; how all our demonstrations
have been In vain; how Englands King
| had only deaf ears for us. Holy scrip