Evening star., 1926-05-30
Text of President Coolidge's Speech
At Ericsson dwelling Exercises

taught morality and the Christian
religion besides the further
propagation Of the holy gospel"
Were Pioneers Here.
while it was under new charter
that Swedish colony finally reached
the Delaware in 1898, they never lost
sight Of their original purpose, but
among other requests kept calling on
the mother country for ministers,
Bibles and psalm books. Fortyone
clergymen came to America prior to
1879. One of the historians of this
early settlement asserts that these
colonists laid the basis for a religious
structure. built the first flour mills,
the first ships, the first brick yards,
and made the first roads, while they
introduced horticulture and scientific
forestry into this Delaware region.
ut was not until after 1843, when
the restrictions on leaving their own
country were removed, that the large
movement of Swedish immigrants be-
gan, which with their descendants are
now estimated at nearly 1900. 900 peo-
pie. Stretching into our Northwest
ern States they have cut down the
forests and brought the wide prairies
under cultivation over an area of
more than 100000 acres. The
building Of nearly 1900 churches and
nearly as many schools stands to their
credit. They have established about
20 higher institutions of learning; set
up large number of charitable or
ganizations and more than thousand
societies for public welfare and mu.
tual benefit; written thousands of
t,1 1ttt,1 nf
newspapers, among which are some Of
the leading journals of the country.
Always as soon as they have provid-
ed shelter for themselves they have
turned to build places of religious
worship and founded institutions of
higher learning with the original
purpose OF training clergymen and
teachers. Augustana College, Gus
tavus Adolphus College and Bethany
College are seminaries Of learning
which stand to their credit.
Fought i'm Revolution.
Though few in numbers during the
period of our Revolutionary War,
they supported the colonial cause, and
it has been said that King Gustavus
III, writing to a friend, declared eff
were not king would proceed to
America and offer my sword on behalf
Of the brave Colonies" One Of the
signers of the Declaration Of Inde-
pendence was John Morten or Morten-
son, and it has been claimed that
Betsy Ross was of Swedish descent.
No less than IA Swedish officers serv-
ed our cause in the Army or in the
French feet which took part in the
Revolutionary campaigns. After the
close Of the war the Swedish minister
at Paris called upon our representa-
tive, Benjamin Franklin, and offered
to negotiate a treaty Of commerce and
amity, thus making Sweden the first
European power which voluntarily
and without solicitation rendered its
friendship to the young Republic.
This treaty was ratified by Congress
in July, 1888. The title of president
Of the United States in Congress AS
sembled' was first held by John Han
son of Maryland, in 1871, who after.
ward installed George Washington as
the first President who was chosen
under the Constitution.
"As these Americans Of Swedish
blood have increased in numbers and
taken up the duties Of citizenship
they have been prominent in all
ranks Of public life. They have beer
distinguished in the public service of
the States, filing many Of the offices
from the governorship down. I shall
name but one of the public officials of
the Swedish race who have served
our country SO faithfully as repre-
sentative Of the great legion whose
names spring to our thoughts, q
learned lawyer, blessed with great
ability, possessed Of high character. a
seasoned parliamentarian with a rec
ord Of prominent leadership in the
Legislature Of his own State and In
the Congress of the United States, q
man endowed with the old Morse
| spirit, a true American, the senior
| Senator from Wisconsin, Irvine L
Lenroot. Others of the race have
set in the National House and Senate
and been prominent at the bar and or
| the bench. Their painters were
| among the earliest and have produced
picturee pf upAt xuer1ts but Of al tn