German Day

Our Germán citizens had an elegant day last Thursday for ttaeir annual celebration at Ypsilanti. Thcre we re several thousands present. The business streets were tastily decorated in honor of the occasion. The procession was formed just after 11 a. m. , at the corner of Hurón and gress-sts. It consisted as follows: Marshal and dcputy, YpsilantiK. O. T. M. Band, 16 pieoes; Co. G, M. N. G., 46 men; Allegorie Float, Mayor, Clerk and aldermen in carriages, Hose Co., No. 1, Ann Arbor Band, 10 pieces; Ann Arbor Rifles, 20 men; Ann Arbor Arbeiter Verein, Ann Arbor Schwaebiscben Verein, Chelsea Band, lö pieces; Chelsea Ar beiter Verein, Milan Band, 12 pieces; Saline Arbeiter Verein, Ypsilanti Verein. These were followed by the wagons of numerous business men. Ihe procession was a long one and was kept well in hand by those in charge. Addresses were made by Ex-Congressman Gorman, Mayor Wells, John P. Kirk and Louis J. Leisemer. The latter was the only address in Germán. As it dealt quite fully upon why the day is observed by the German-American citizens we give below a synopsis of the same. Mr. Leisemer said that Germán Day was not held for political or religieus pui-poses, but for the solo purpoïe oi eelebratiiig the landing of the first Ger man C'olonists on tho shores of America, whieh occured on October 6, 1Ö83, in the sbip Concord, of 5(X( tons burden. He said that the landing and Ihe deeds of those Germán colonists were known to uut few students of history, wnue the landing of the English piigrims in the Maytlowor was known to man; B'ranz Daniel Pastorious, the scholar and intímate friend of William Peau and leader of th"se Germans, was the first man in America bold enough to write a vvritten protest against the buying and selling of slaves, deelaring it an act irreconcilable with the precepto of the Christian religión. 'I he first Biblo printed in America was a Germán Bible. Politically and religtously, then, the Germans were the pathtinders in America. The, political and reHgioüa struggle against tho institution oi .slavery continued for years and finally turminated in a terrible war, in whicta a quarter of a million Germana took up arms against tho South to aid in Bettting forever in our land the question of property in man. Would this graai Union of the states, continued the speaker, hr, today the leader of nations without the great and heroic part v'blch Lts inhabitante oi Teutonic deÉent played in its formation in peace and in war? More numerous tlnui any other foreign element the (iermanAmericans had helped to clear the roighty forests, cultívate the lands and build railroads from ocean to ocoan: more numerous than any other foreign ment they helped to estabush the Union, and moro nnmerous than any other forein element they had bied for its preservation. There are 3,000,000 Germana in the United States and about 7.000,000 of its inhabitants speak the Germán tongue: the Germán population of New York is largor than the Germán populaüon of the city of Hamburg. Germany. It is said that somewherc in our land a society has been formed which has for its motto: "Jne ilajr, one country, one language." The speaker said that motto was wrong;. Itshould read: "One Hag, one country and all the languages one can master." F.very thinking and progreBaitemanigdesirous of aequiring anothei' lanuage beside bis owu. lie can see and think botter with the aid of two languages than witn the aid of only one. lie is like a man with two eyesaiid two ears, who can hear nul seo better than the individual witli only onu ear, ono cye and ono l&nguago. The niimbor of those who aro acquiri ïg a knowlodge of tho Gorman is uaily iuci-oasing in our schools and in the Belde of industry. Tho Knglish and Germán languages are dostined to becomo universal lanyuayes. Twothii'ds of the commerco of tbo world is cai-ried on in the language of the Tenton and tho Briton. So he who wants to keep abreast of the times in this grand a;jo of progresa and of learning, must strive to acquire at least the two great industrial and commercial languages of the modern world. Mr. Lisemer concluded by saying tliat the German-American coulü alwayg speak with prido of tho first German colonista wlio sailed in the Concord, because religiously and politically tbelr doeds outshine by far the deeds o( the Puritians who sailed in the Majdower : tnat the Germán-Americana should continue to be what they are, Aniericans; to Ibve labor and progress : to prize liberty, to love our glorious L'oion more ttian all elso: to obey its liws and tbe laws of God.