Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-10-15
GERMANS, AIDED
In DEVELOPMENT
[Continued From First Page.l
factors in the scheme of civilizing and
building the American nation.
Brought Good Qualification

Il
'"They brought to the work the
characteristics and qualifications to
! which they were born or to which
! they were educated in the Fatherland.
They brought these as a willing sac
/ ritice to offer absolutely upon the al
tar of their new home and country.
| They did not love the government of
the Fatherland, for many reasons, but
| principally because of the servile idea
| in 1t, it's restriction of their personal
/ liberty, its political oppression, and
| its policies which expelled from their
| lives every hope of undisturbed pos
session of a home of peace and con-
tentment in secular or religious life.
| BY their voluntary departure from the
| land of their nativity or former adop-
| ton, they renounced their old alle-
! glance forever. What their homes
should have been in the old land but
| for political unrest and disturbance,
with congenital determination they
| began to make them here, chiefly in
| Pennsylvania, yet not confined to this
section of the country alone. BY de-
| grees they became throughout the set
tied parts of America, by their fos-
| tering of agriculture, their industry
as craftsmen and tradesmen by the
TRANSMISSION of the educated thought
of their leaders into the learned pro-
fessions, and the arts and sciences, and
later by a tardy but practical and
efficient part in governmental affairs,
the great cohesive element, the mighty
bond that has held in place the other
elements standing forth the sub
stantial citizen who Influenced by his
natural longing for a peaceful home,
by his Heaven bestowed gifts of thrift
and industry, laid the earliest and
most durable foundations of rational
settlement in America. 1t cannot be
denied that this cohesive element was
the impelling force in the gradual
amalgamation of the people.
An Amalgamated People
I'VE Americans have become and
must continue to be, Notwithstanding
the death threatening blows which
have fallen, an amalgamated people.
The British Isles. although under one
form of government. are not an ANAL
gamated people and, God help them,
in this first decade of the twentieth
century the apotheosis of civilization,
the nations in the heart of Europe,
many of them with a common lang
uage, and from a rational standpoint
! a common political interst, are not
and never can be an amalgamated
people.
England, Holland, Sweden, France
and Spain planted colonies or at
tempted to establish forms of gov
eminent in America; but these have
|,
succumbing under the infieXible laws
upholding civil liberty and self gov
eminent
Germany founded no colonies in
America and these twentieth century
days are too late, and the times are
out of joint for the attempted inplant-
ing of such seeds, or the broaching OF
any specious arguments which hint
at, much less recognize even a thought
of divided allegiance in any of the ori-
ginal units which to-day amalgamated
are the people of the United States
But, in common with those ma
tions Ehich did attempt colonization
Germany although making no such at
tempt, gave to America in part its law
of being.
1--WE are the descendants of Ger
mans who at the beginning of the ma
ton, came here to be American citi-
Zens. Imposed upon us is the obli-
cation to perform the civic duties
which they performed in the past
The impress of their characters and
sterling love for the country, in the
establishment of which theirs was a
large part is in part upon the whole
people. The results of their activi-
, ties are manifest not only in Penn
sylvania, but upon proper analysis IN
, the nation at large. 1t has been well
said by a prominent German divine:
The Pennsylvania Germans are not
confined to the Commonwealth OF
Pennsylvania. Let it be remembered
they are to be found in every State
, of the union, nor do all Pennsyl-
vania Germans speak the German
language, and many more can and dc
not wish you to know it =" (Dr
Weiser)
Wants Name Changed
rs there not therefore some rea-
son for regretting that the Historical
Society of this great unit of pioneer
settlers in America and their descend
ants should not bear a more illuminat.
ing and comprehensive title and name
than we bear? One less subject tc
the sometimes ill-natured comment OF
the superficial critic. In the gen.
eral field of American historical re-
search this organization is not under
stood as it should be in it's wider
scope, in it's comprehensive aim and
purpose. However honorable the
; limitation may be, this organization is
frequently viewed simply as a con-
ventional representative of the Ger
man sectarian communities still exist
ing in parts of Pennsylvania; pre-.
serving their own language and theiI
ancient habits and customs. These
kinsmen have our love, respect and
veneration, and nothing herein said
|
gree derogatory of them.
Some may say, why pay attention
to these ignorant and superficial views
of the functions of the society? The
answer to that question is that many
a superficial and untruthful state
. ment made with persistency and with
show of authority, in time, in the alb
sence of persistent refutation cry
stallizes as fact. You members oi
this society accustomed to historical
research will understand this.
THE writer has felt constrained tC
make these utterances on this sub
ject for what he considers to be fol
the future good of the organization
| There is another view of the inaptnes
| of this name of our society, hardl.
| worthy of mention, perhaps for it OBJ
tains only among the ignorant.
| "In these sad days when nations o
the old world, mad with ambition ant
political hatred, numbering with th
| weapons and methods of modern war
fare their fellowmen by the hundred
of thousands, and presenting a spec
! tacle of horror to all Christendom, tn
once innocent custom, never question
| ed or misunderstood in the days o
| peace, prevailing among American