New-York tribune., 1901-06-30


NAL emigration TO the United States AS the
euthor justly remarks singularly little is known
of The magnitude Of this emigration except in
deed, as TO that part Of it that was directed
toward Pennsylvania. Thither went the great
LUX OF the German colonists; and their history
has been the subject Of considerable investiga-
tion. OF the settlements in New-York the Caro-
lnas Virginia, Maryland, Georgia and the i'll
faied colony OF Law the Mississppi. and
those in the State of Maine much less has haen
written Here is an interesting bywav in earl,,
American history that Miss Bittinger has ex-
plored TO good purpose. Her book is a minute
examination Of the various colonizing attempts
that brough: the Germans TO America and is an
excellent piece Of historical research
Religious persecution was the chief impulse
that sent the German colonists 10 America. as il
sent SO many of the English In the fermenta-
tive period following the Reformation and es-
pecally during the horrible sufferings of the
people in the Palatinate after the Thirty Years
War, an infnitude OF sects founded upon all
sorts Of eceentrcities and religious exaltations
grew up. Mysticism and pietism had their
homes on the Rhine, and their adherents were
--e victims Of endless prosecutions A study of
-.eir Teculiarities reveals a curious mixture Of
strange beliefs TO practise and perpetuate which
% aGht asylum in the New World There
-e th' Labadists, who settled in Maryland as
Early as l6s5; followers Of the Frenchman Jean /
p Labadie communists and composed only of /
--ose who could convince Labadie Of their per-
SOCIAL regeneration. Their settlement vanished /
l-aEing trace, and then followed them 10 the /
same tract the Woman in the Wilderness a
.,cle band Of Rosicrucians, whose creed was "a /
aixture Of this strange mystihcation from the
Aadala, with Jakob Boehmes vision Of the
Morning Redness, the Philadelphian doctrines Of
me- Leade and the first asoetic enthusiasm Of
,he most mystical Of the earlier pietists.'
They put up their log church. crowned with
r. Eosicrucian symbol, the cross within the
.eie so placed that the rising sun should flood
with rosy light; and therein practised all sorts
mystical rites. The last Of the group died in
-7t.]. and they too left trace The Mennon-
came TO Pequae Creek, in Pennsylvania
laint, simple people Of less extravagant
.eWs. Closely related to them were the Dun
aers. some of whose members soon came under
The influence Of that strange man, Conrad Beis-
~-l head Of the cloister al Ephrata, with an in
exrIlcable influence over men and women far
superior TO himself, who ruled his followers
with a rod Of iron, and scarcely whimper Of
dissent was audible" and who built UP a clois-
traI community Of three hundred inmates.
The Schweukfelder and the Moravians We're
other peaceful and industrious sects who were
added 10 the growing colony Of Pennsylvania
Less well known are the settlements Of the
Germans in the Southern States, the first OF
which was the unucky attempt OF Jean pierre
Purry. a participant in some OF Laws iridescent
schemes. Profit and not religious fervor led nm
10 bring a colony to the Savannah River, IN
Georgia one which was later removed TO South
Carolina. John Law himself was the protector
~ a colony Of Germans al his Duchy IA
I.ouisiana-one of the most unfortunate ones
whence after Laws fall, they Joined their more
PROSPEROUS brethren in Pennsylvania. Another
colony Of devout Lutherans came from SalZ-
burg 10 Oglethorpe's concessions in Georgia In
NeH-Eneland too there were attempts to settle
the German immigrants. The enterprlslhs
Waldo merchant and soldier Of Boston hlrTlseit
a German. promoted the scheme, with none too
much scrupIe in fulfilling his promises Ihefe
were troubles Of many kinds and there were
many defections; but the Waldoboro colony re-
taneG IT'S distinctive characteristics for genera
t.ons-the only Teutonic community IN New
England that did
Miss Bittinger has Interesting chapters Oi'
the mart taken toy the Germans in the frohtlel
wars and in the Revolution, and on the not IN
considerable work of the German press IN the
colonies The German patronage OF "erihah
newspapers and the production OF several hoId-
HE books. such as the Germantown biple anu
a.. the Euhrata Martyr Book Miss BIttinger au-
duces 10 show that the Pennsylvania Germans
v.era 80, CO IGNORANT stOlid and degraded as