Year: 1874

u


set aside large tract of the public land for
the use of the Mennonites of Russia, and to
reserve such lands for two years. at lne emu
of which time, if they are not occupieu py lhe
benefciaries, they are to revert 10 INC uni'co
States. The purpose of this reservation iS W
assure the Russian Baptists of place OF resi-
dence, if they come, and to give tneih tlihe W
dispose of their present possessions II 10 no'
certain that the passage OF the DilI VIII hiahc
the immigration certain In case they dlu ho'
como. the vicious legislation would nave Deeh
thrown away.


There are the best reasons for doubling that
the massage of the bill would be followed by
n considerable movement of this people. They
ore among the most moral, orderly and thrifty
of the Russian population. They settled III the
south of the Empire near the close OF the last
century, and under special grant from the
Emperor Paul, which guaranteed them per-
petual exemption from military service. they
have lived in peace and prosperity ever since,
and their numbers have been largely increased
by continual accessOns from Germany and
the Baltic, of those who had been driven
from their homes by persecution. They
claimed, some fifteen years ago.
strength of over $4,000 Ii is now understood
that the immunity from military service which
they have formerly enjoyed is to be taken
from them, and that they prefer to emigrate
rather than to violate their conscientious con-
victiOns against war. The advocates OF the
bill under discussion do not pretend to ask
that the same immunity will be given to them
here. 1t is highly probable that IL the bill
should pass, the Russian Cabinet, rather than
lose so considerable and so valuable an ele-
ment of the population, would take Immediate
measures to prevent it, either by forbidding
their departure or by removing the causes OF
their discomfort.


But this is merely an incidental considera-
ton. If we could transfer bodily the whole
membership of the Mennonite community from
Russia to this country and settle them upon
the lands which Mr.. Window wishes reserved
for them, there would not be sufficient in
ducement in this to outweigh the grave objec-
tons which lie in the way of such action We
are not in such desperate want of population
as to violate the fundamental principles of
our political system for the purpose ol
securing a few thousand immigrants, no
matter how pious or thrifty they may
be. A precedent like this would be



quoted on occasions much less irreproachabe.
| The eyes of the oppressed or the rebellous
minority are always turned toward the United
States from every quarter of the world. When
Rogue Barcia saw his instruction falling to
pieces in CartagenG, he addressed proclama-
ton to the universe in general, declaring his
intention to annex the citadel and its defend
ers to the United States. The Commune
of Paris would have liked to come
over to Minnesota much better than to
be shot at Satory or transported to
New Caledonia. But although it is our
habit and our duty to give the widest hospi-
tality to all who come to our shores as indi-
viduals, it is directly opposed to all our tradi-
tons to invite populations, societies or sects
to come over in solid masses and to settle In
isolated communities, devoted to building up
an essentially foreign organization in the
midst of us. Still less is it justifiable for us
to alter our own administration of the public
lands by exceptional statutes passed for such
a purpose.