Evening star., 1926-05-30

tdV AdOlph. Under the reign OF HIS
daughter, Christina, Sweden contrib
uted an important element TO the foun-
dation of the American Commonwealth
by dispatcl,ing the "kal'nar Nykter'
lthe Key of Kan,ar) to establish the
Swedish Colony on the Delaware. A
descendant Of these colonists was de-
fender of Fort Sunday. They were
among the first settlements OF Protest
ant and literate people from northern
Europe. who in 1927 settled the Della
ware Valley in what is now Delaware
and Pennsylvania
In a more recent aad vastly larger
Swedish contingent OF immigrants, who
helped TO settle our great Northwest.
their record OF illiteracy is the smallest
OF all those who seek America shores.
1t is difficult to appraise accurately the
share OF the colonial Swedes and their
descendants in the growth OF America.
ii Bancrofts estimates are correct. u
per cent OF the population OF the United
States are descendants Of the earlier
Swede, OF the Delaware Valley. In
the fifth canto OF his poem. "Eyange-
line" Longfeilow refers to one OF the
old Swedish churches in Philadelphia.
which churches always bore the iilscrip-
ton, GLORY to God" In the adoption
Of the Constitution III 1877 Delaware
was in the van. The sentiment OF the
Swedish descendants there was unam-
NOUS in favor of more perfect
Union
The New York Herald Tribune. OH May
70 published all Informing editorial. headed
New Sweden" recording the forming OF
the Swedish West India Company, at the
suggestion OF William Ullenix. who gave the
initiative to the Netherlands West India
Company. which founded New Amsterdam.
which is now New York. Gustav Adophs
great chancellor Oxenstierna, seu1 the eN-
pedtion i'll 1867 1858 which founded the col
ony at the head OF Delaware Bay This
same great Swedish statesman and man OF
Tod. OXcnstierna. was a pioneer IN edHca-
ton. who brought the great Moravian
scholar Conmsnius TO Sweden for the pur-
pose oi rcorgaiiYZing the school system. ne
result was the school ordinance OF lo4S,
with system OF instruction to which no
other country should show parallel. 1t IS
interesting to recall that Commenius I'm
1658) composed his celebrated The Visible
World the first picture book ever printed
for children
Peter Minuit the Walloon. who had led
the expedition which had purchased Man
haitian Island from the Indians, built Fort
Amsterdam and was the first governor OF
this colony. He had entered the swedish
service after disagreements with the direc-
tors OF the Dutch Netherlands. The ter
centenary OF Peter Mnults purchase was
celebrated this week at Battery Park by the
Greenwich Village Historical Society headed
by Mrs. Catherine Parker Oivette.
These pioneer settlements were founda-
tion stones OF America. as they established,
AI he
Viking qualities and demonstrated that what
is true OF the Swedes is equally true OF the
American composite. As if led by their
pathfinder. Americas discoverer. Lief Erics-
son. they took ther rightful place in the
esta bshment OF spiritual America TO the
Swedes we must give large credit Tor the
Commonwealth named after William Penn.
They laid the basis for the civil and religious
structure OF Delaware New Jersey ana
pennsyl, ania and made early settlements Ill
Maryland. They erected the hrst temples
OF worship in these colonies They estab-
lished the first schools translated Luthers
catechism in the Indian language and were
the first to begin missionary work among
the I.enapes Indians The Indians referred
to them as brothers They built the hrst
church organs south of Boston. drew the
first detailed maps OF their section. wrote
the first geography OF the Eastern states;
They made the first Astronomical and
weather. observations: they wrote the first
pathological treatises of the Lenape dialect
and made the first botanical study OF the
region. They established the first law courts
and first trials by jury. They laid the foun.
dation for fair and humane treatment OF
the Indians and thus saved Pennsylvania,
New Jersey and Delaware from the bloody
history of New England. New Amsterdam
and Virginia. They were the first to oppose
slavery.
No plan for colonizing America (save only
that Of the Puritan Pilgrms) was conceived
in nobler thought or dedicated to a higher
purpose than that OF Gustav Adolph and his
chancellor Oxenstierna. both among the
great men of all time. In the height. OF his
victories over the armies oi absout,sIn, Ill
church and state. this great minded ruler
drew up at Nuremberg, in northern Ger
many in 1852 d recommendation OF this col
ony As -the level OF his kingdom" Oxen
stierna far-seeing statesman. Protestant and
man of God. declared that the results OF the
colonization of America by men OF the
North would be Favorable to all Chrlsten-
dom, to Europe and to the whole world.
Sweden was the first country to offer us
aid after the Revolution. In the arts we are
greatly her debtor.
Sweden produced the first American
painter Of note. Gustav Hesselius. whose
SON John. was the teacher of Charles Will
liam Peale, father of Rembrandt Peale
John Hesseiius was probably largely respon-
sible for directing the elder Peale IN his
career as an artist.
The musical Developments through the
various singing societies and educational
centers founded by Swedes are vital con-
tribution to America. One of the most
notable instances is Lindsborg. No city Of
its size in America can be compared to this
little Kansas town in its musical activity.
Here has developed unique organization
chorus founded in 1882 for the purpose of
singing Handel's Messiah" In 1900 it at
tracted Nation wide attention. Nothing in
America can be compared to this achieve
ment, except perhaps the Bach Festival at
Bethlehem, Pa Bethany College is today,
ra~b,cs he tnosf iYnoort aut center