GERMAN TRAVELLERS ON NORTH AMERICA. * WHEN so much is done
by English travellers of all grades of opinion to diffuse a knowledge of American peculiarities—when, thanks to the gossiping book, and the files of very national journals, that so often cross the Atlantic, we have such characteristics of the genus Yankee that we can define it almost more accurately than thegenus Cockney, we should hardly go to Leipzig or Dresden in search of new information on the matter. It was not, therefore, to find new objects that we referred to the volumes of Herren Naumann and Ziegler, but to learn the effect which such objects might have when impinging upon the German mind. When you cannot vary your actual landscape, you may at any rate vary your point of view.
The first of the two books is a voucher for the reports of those Eng- lish travellers whose animadversions have so greatly stirred the bile of Brother Jonathan. The very peculiarities which offend Herr Naumann are those which have been found most offensive to the British visiter. With a true Trollopian sensitiveness, he shrinks from the tobacco-chew- ing, the hat-wearing, and the feet-upon-the-table-placing, which he has found so prevalent in the United States. Accustomed probably to some easy German church, which jogs on with scarcely any faith at all, he sees little to admire in the religious toleration of America, where people are at least in earnest about their creed, and where fanaticism exists in the multitude though not in the government : and in this respect he doubt-
* Nordamerika, seta Yolksthum mid seine Instittitionen. Von Jakob Naumann. (North America, its National Peculiarities and its Institutions.) Leipzig. Skizzen einer Heise durch Nordamerika und Westffidien. Von Alexander Ziegler. (Sketches of a Journey through North America and the West Indies. By A. Ziegler.) Dresden and Leipzig. less feels more strongly than an Englishman, who perfectly understands the sentiment, though he may wonder at its exaggeration. The violence of popular outbreaks, the too frequent impotence of laws, the recklessness of speculation, all come in for their share of censure ; and he has a due European horror of Negro slavery. Here he is greatly solaced by the fact, (stated by a work published at Philadelphia in 1836) that not- withstanding the German settlers in the United States amount to many millions, some of whom have acquired large fortunes, not one was ever known to speculate in slaves.
To the Americans this book may prove so far useful, that they will see that the observations made by the English on their manners and customs are not solely to be attributed to national animosity. Here is a German, whose nation has had no quarrel with our relations, who goes to look at the country as a place of settlement for his compatriots, and returns with precisely the same animadversions which have been made by Englishmen over and over again.
Herr Ziegler, the author of the second book, seems to have visited America with a more immediate design of finding a locality for poor Ger- man emigrants, and comes back much better pleased with his tour than Herr Naumann. The new State of Wisconsin, with its city of Milwaukee, the first settlement, especially fixes his attention as a desirable point for emigration. The rapid advance of this State strikes him with amazement.
"In the second year of the foundation," says he, "in June 1836, the city of Mil- waukee already numbered 1,200 inhabitants, who in September 1843 had increased to 7,000, and now exceed 12,000. No country upon earth can exhibit such as- tounding results in the increase of population as America,—that youthful, fresh America, which ever sends forth new blossoms. Rochester, in the State of New York, was formerly regarded as the city which exhibited the most rapid increase of population ; since, having been founded in 1812, it numbered in 1820—namely after a lapse of eight years-1,500 inhabitants. Milwaukee, after the lapse of the same period from its foundation, contained above 6,000 inhabitants,—more than four times the population of Rochester. The Germans in this city carry on a considerable business. The trades and professions are fully employed; artisans and daily labourers earning from three-fourths of a dollar to a whole dollar per day, and work being never deficient. German landlords do a thriving trade ; and the peasant, in my opinion, can select no place of settlement more favourable than Wisconsin."
Still more is he in favour of an immigration of German women to this infant State.
"In the newly-settled countries the want of marriageable women is first dis- cernible, since in them, including Wisconsin, males only settle first, and endeavour to gain a subsistence. Most of the men—and there are several of tolerable edu- cation in Milwaukee—have a business which supports them, and possess all that they desire except a wife. Of young and especially educated women there is a great want; and I do not doubt that an emigration of female candidates for ma- trimony, under careful superintendence, would have a successful result, and pro- duce beneficial effects in Wisconsin. I assume that Germany is sufficiently pro- vided with such women ; as I do not doubt, though I would add the proviso that they must be young. The census of 1840 gave in the Territory of Wisconsin (not than a State) a male population of 18,600, and a female population of 11,900. The German girls, on account of their industry, their modesty, and their domestic cha- racter, are highly prized throughout America ; and if they can heighten their own intrinsic attractions by some proficiency in the English language, they may easily make the most brilliant conquests. The respect, or rather reverence of the Americans for the fair sex, is renowned all over the world ; and the women will more easily than the men find a paradise on the other side of the Atlantic. The American ladies have beauty and grace to the highest degree; and every- where receive the greatest attention and gallantry on the part of the gentlemen: indeed, a lady, protected more by the general respect than by laws and constitu- tion, may travel unimpeded from one end of the Union to the other, without en- countering anything unpleasant from the other sex."
Notwithstanding the various habits that appear uncouth to Europeans, we hope this estimate of American gallantry to the fair sex is not exaggerated.
Previous page
