The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-06-29


bI't ana acts awkward and insecure
be az. soon as he learns to realize thai
fea. an and must stand on his own
bis us us sell consciousness awakens.
serts {+lfsse rises, and his strength as
he -eoslI' ana ne gradually grows to
man. a manly man, whose Dbvsi-
cal development has kent naca 1,,itb
1 me broadening of his mental horizon
me ne German has, besides, the advan-
Oh MS inbor1 love of liberty.
o "nicn, having been fettered by a mon
lCiildl government, harmonizes so per-
ITGtIy with our American institutions
ms impulse for success now has a
MlGer scope, and his industry and thrift
yleld him richer fruit.
put we should be fair enough to adj
mt tnat the American German has
largely prohted in still another direc-
eioH' AS the faults of the individual
Iequehtly the results of his edu-
So aeloa, SO are the shortcomings and
ueIects OF nations the evil consequences
OF unjust treatment on the mart Of tbeir
rulers and governments. No European
natlon Is free from such defects. and
the Germans, we must admit. are no
eAception TO the rule. But it is lust
as true that the Teuton, by contact
win The fair-minded, tolerant and
generous American, has weaned him
sen OF the worst of those faults, and
even IN this respect has under the
stars ana Stripes become a more per-
Iect man. In one word: From the
cruclole OF American experience Ger
man genius has emerged as pure as
gold, refined and free from dross and
air and sun.
Is it possible that the use of the Ger
man language is in any way inconsist-
ent with loyalty and patriotism for the
ADOPTED country? Let us see. 1t is
the tongue of Goethe, Schiller, Less
ing, and humboldt, to forget whom
would mean to depopulate the world
OF IDEAS and impoverish the literature
OF all nations. 1t is the mother of
English and, like it, has been import
ed INTO this country more than two
centuries ago. During this time it
mas become dear old acquaintance of
even those who cannot speak it. 1t
is the idea. emanating from heart and
mind which alone counts, not the mere
vehicle of it's expression. If the kind
OF speech of person could derogate
from his patriotism, then even the
most peaceful Indian would be a men
ace to society because he, as the most
genuine American, has to learn Eng
fish before he can make himself under
stood in his own country. Though
printed in a so-called foreign language.
no more powerful factor for American
izing immigrants exists to-day than
the German American press, because
1t acquaints the newcomer with our
institutions and laws and with the
habits and customs of our people.
1t should be borne in mind that our
American Germans have not only
merged their political identity with
the United States, but they have also
brought across the sea and placed at
the shrine of Columbia all of those
splendid traits of character inherent
to the race, which are the very jew
els of German genius. There is that
jewel called "Freigheitsliebe," repre-
senting that love of liberty which has
induced most of our German-Ameri-
cans to choose this glorious country
as their new home. With this tails
man they went into the Revolutionary
war and helped to shake off the tyr
annicai yoke of the Britons. From
.Oriskany to Yorktown they followed
the colors of the colonists, and so true,
so inspiring was their enthusiasm for
the cause of independence that the
Father of the Country, as a special
mark of confidence, surrounded him
self with a bodyguard exclusively
composed of Germans Then there
is that jewel "Persoenliche Freiheit,"
personal liberty. with the shadow of
intolerance trying to obscure it. 1t
is a constant struggle between the
two, but the final outcome cannot be
doubted. The genius of our institu
lions is on the side of the Germans,
who believe in music, and song, and
dance, and life's innocent pleasures.
They have added to our American
daily diet the fragrant spice of public
sociability and popular festivals.
Sill another jewel is that old Ger
manic virtue "Ehrlichkeit," honesty in
private and public life. 1t is not the
monopoly of any nationality, but
truthfulness impels the statement that
the German American worships at its
shrine with unusual fervor, and visits
the contempt of the race upon the head
of him who violates its injunctions or