Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1900-08-24

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State OF ours, and the first object
noticeable when entering tho beautiful
hsrbor OF the ,..City by the Sea-" and
also tho ono here in Walhalla, whose
golden jubilee we are celebrating, are
silent but also eloquent evidences of
the piety of the German American, as
also Of his sacrifices and noble deeds
May, therefore, our dear German
churches. with their heavenward point
ing spires in this State. and especially
IN this country, for many years, yea,
also to the distant future, when once
the star of emigration has ceased, and
probably the mother tongue, like in so
many German churches, is estranged
to our prosperity, stand here as the
monuments of the sacrifices, tolls and
piety Of our fathers, who in their love
to God, affection for the old Father
land, and fidelity towards the new
home, formed the most noble type of
the German American citizen.
TO judge from what has been said
and seen, that if anyone has a right to
be proud of his descent and Fatherland
the German can. The German nation
is truly great nation in history. For
what is it that makes nation great =?
This is it that becomes in Gods hand
al instrument to open now doors for
mankind. AS the German nation first
entered upon the arena Of history ut
the migration of peoples it was the
hammer with which God dashed the
dcmornlized Roman Empire to pieces,
put became also the material and
foundation for new Christian period
of history.
The ancient Germans bowed them
selves under the cross and were for
several hundred years the undisputed
bearers OF culture in the Western coun-
tries. The German nation stood at the
head of all European nations. And, as
komc had again erected Il spiritual
tyranny over the Christian world, there
il was again the German nation whom
God chose as an instrument to bring
the nations through the Reformation
TO the light and liberty Of tho Gospel.
That the German nation was not
destroyed in the thirty years war is an
evidence of its indcs,ructible power and
influence of the fear of God and the
plcty which the Reformation kindlcd
IN The hearts of men. Yea, in the time
of the deepest humiliation under Napo-
leon, who played with kings and
nations rs with doll-bnbics, the much
oppressed nation arose like one man
and overthrow the tyrant. Once more
French pride and arrogance challenged
Germany to battle in arms. And the
nation, united in arms, 80 completely
conquered the Western sworn enemy in
1870 that the victories Of the Germans
grace the pages of history without par
allclS and rivals. What shall we say
more W Germany's greatness in arts
and science, of the character of the
people and their faithfulncss and unds-
ScmblCd picty, the most beautiful crown
OF o'r fathers? OF it, its greatest
statesman, Bismarck, the restorer of
the old Empire in its original grandeur
and beauty, says: I'VE, Germans, fear
God and nothing else"
And as we are considering all this at
this fifty years celebration Of Wnlhallu,
and while Germans in strange land
can never forget the land whore their
fathers and pioneers were born, where
they learned to utter the sweet name
of father and mother, whore they
received their education, which enabled
them to take up the battle for life,
therefore they fitted themselves up
according to German custom and called
this place Walhalla, after the temple of
the ancient Germans. In this sense
this town has been founded, Il piece Of
the old home in America.
Therefore III" old Moritz Arndt said
IT" live German is rs much as to live
holy and chaStc and to seek and cult
waite what is beautiful and honest the
quality of being German includes all
the virtues of the Observation-Disclosures
justice, purity, truth, modrsty and the
holy fear Of God. After this quality Of
being German we must strive; we must
cultivate and preserve it,
And now, in conclusion, permit me
to say that German blood and German
brains and Drawn have made n deep
impress ON this country that one need
not quote History to prove that the
race have been notable that their Oft
tested patriotism has been unfailing;
that their clear common sense and con
scrvatism have often erected bulwnrk
against fanaticiSm
Eloquent with golden traditions and
radiant with the llutter of ilame- like
banncrS, one may trace on the broad
canvas OF the centuries, as one may see
in the blended colorS Of the two nations
that sweep across its face like the deep
rose Of dawn, the development Of race
that perhaps less than any other en-
dcnvorS to maintain its individuality,
its prcjudices and its old home habits
when once it has forged the indissoluble
links that bind it to the great Republic.
Let us, therefore, strive to perpctuntr
I he memory of our forcfathers, especial
~ men like Wagcner. Wictng, DR.
Mueller, Franz and Alexander Melchers
and host OF others The monument
which we intend to unvcil to-day is
step in the right direction and should
be encouraged. Not pompcys Pillar,
nor rrojnn's Arch, nor the Arc de Tri-
unphc of Napoleon should stand IA our
models. We commemorate to-day not
tho, sp"ils of conquest, nor the lust of
We strive to pcrprtuatc the
memory Of men who had nothing in
common with the tyrnnts Of mankind
but it is my earnest prayer that we may
build new monument, which, like
Mcmnon'S statue, breaking into music
with every rising sun, shall speak in
inspired accents to the sons and daugh-
tcrs OF Walhalln, to our glorious Pal
mcito Stntc-ycn, to all the generations
OF -prociniming the toll, the
dangers, the sacrifices, the virtues, the
principles and the achievements of our
SircS.
The speakers would frequently in
their speeches point to the handsome
oil painting Of Gen. John A. Wage
ncr and the photographs of Capt. j.
G. II. Clausscn and j. III. Whur-
mann, which together with the Ger
man and American flags, made up
the main decorations of the stage.
On the rostrum were Chairman,
J. NJ. Moss, who presented the speak
crs of the day, Capt. Il. w. Wagner,
Licuts. j. III. Puckhabcr, Heinrich