• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

SEPTEMBER 1933 VOLUME XVII NUMBER 1 PUBLISHED QUARTERLY BYTHE STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF WISCONSIN IMIIIIIMIiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitllllllll^MlllllllIUIlllllllllllllllUlllllllllltllllllllllltMllllllllltllllllllllllllllHIIIIlllllllHIIIIIMIIII""!*!!*^ THE STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF WISCONSIN THE STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF WISCONSIN is a state- aided corporation whose function is the cultivation and en- couragement of the historical interests of the State. To this end it invites your cooperation; membership is open to all, whether residents of Wisconsin or elsewhere. The dues of annual mem- i bers are three dollars, payable in advance; of life members, thirty dollars, payable once only. Subject to certain exceptions, mem- bers receive the publications of the Society, the cost of producing which far exceeds the membership fee. This is rendered possible by reason of the aid accorded the Society by the State. Of the r work and ideals of the Society this magazine affords, it is be- I lieved, a fair example. With limited means, much has already | I i been accomplished; with ampler funds more might be achieved. So far as is known, not a penny entrusted to the Society has ever i E been lost or misapplied. Property may be willed to the Society in entire confidence that any trust it assumes will be scrupulously | TiiiiinimiiiiiiHiiiiii| executedM. I I THE WISCONSIN MAGAZINE OF HISTORY is published quarterly by the Society, at 116 E. Main St., Evansville, Wisconsin, in September, Decem- ber, March, and June, and is distributed to its members and exchanges; others who so desire may receive it for the annual subscription of three dollars, payable in advance; single numbers may be had for seventy-five cents. All correspondence concerning the magazine should be addressed to 116 E. Main St., Evansville, Wisconsin, or the office of the State His- torical Society, Madison, Wisconsin. Entered as second-class matter, January 1, 1927, at the post office at Evang- ville, Wisconsin, under the act of August 24, 1912. VOL. XVII, No. 1 September, 1933 THE WISCONSIN MAGAZINE OF HISTORY PUBLICATIONS OF THE STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF WISCON- SIN. JOSEPH SCHAFER, Superintendent and Editor CONTENTS MEMOIRS OF WILLIAM GEORGE BRUCE 3 DOCUMENTS : The Journal of Mrs. Peter Martineau 72 EDITORIAL COMMENT: Social Prognosis . 77 BOOK NOTES . 93 THE SOCIETY AND THE STATE . Louise Phelps Kellogg 95 PROCEEDINGS OF THE EIGHTIETH ANNUAL MEETING . 103 The Society as a body is not responsible for statements or opinions advanced in the following pages by contributors. COPYRIGHT^ 1933, BY THE STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF WISCONSIN Paid for out of the Maria L. and Simeon Mills Editorial Fund Income Previous numbers of the Wisconsin Magazine of History are indexed in the International Index to Periodical Literature to be found in many public libraries. MEMOIRS OF WILLIAM GEORGE BRUCE CHAPTER III ALT-MILWAUKEE TO TYPICAL AMERICAN CITY REAMERS and Idealists. The stream of German immi- D gration, which poured into the United States between the fifties and eighties of the last century, and which, during that period, assumed considerable momentum and propor- tion in Wisconsin, and particularly in Milwaukee, brought also those with peculiar conceptions and notions of new- world opportunities and possibilities. The German is es- sentially a dreamer. His inner life is accentuated with strong idealism, which, at times, transgresses the domain of the probable and reasonable. Intellectuals of that type found their way to Milwaukee. Among the German students, who fled from their native country in 1848, was found also the idealist, the dreamer. His love for liberty in thought and action led him to dream of the fulfillment of his plans and purposes. He saw in the great number of his countrymen, which he found on every hand here, the foundation of a new German Empire on the American continent. He saw the rise of splendid institutions founded upon the fraternity, justice, and liberty, whose halls would echo and reecho with the glorious achievement of a Teutonic race in every field of human endeavor. But, alas, his dream was but an air castle. The free in- stitutions of the New World were too securely founded to permit the rearing of a new empire, or even a new republic within a republic. The latter had been wrested from an op- 4 Memoirs of William George Bruce [September pressive mother country at a cost which involved vast treas- ures and precious human life. The German-American, while clinging to his mother tongue and to his native customs, readily adapted himself to his new environments and had imbibed the spirit of Ameri- can institutions.1 While he was a German in his home and social life, he had becojne a full-fledged American in his po- litical views, and in his commercial, professional, and indus- trial activities. Again, we might refer to the hardship, which befell this contingent of immigrants who came to a new and strange land. The educated and refined student frequently found himself compelled to accept arduous manual labor in order to keep body and soul together. We find instances where a college professor was obliged to work as a common day laborer digging trenches for railroad construction, or a youth- ful, delicate student working in the pit of a coal mine. But where there was an honest incentive to work and an intelli- gent direction of human effort, the ambition to succeed was gratified. Moreover, the idealist discovered that the German ele- ment could not be united into one compact controllable body, nor could they be herded into one or the other of the great political parties. They found their way into the parties that most nearly met with their political views. The German Lutherans in the main joined the Republican party, and the German Catholics allied themselves with the Democratic party. Between them there was always a vote that shifted from one to the other party in accordance with their accept- ance or rejection of campaign issues. 14<The German has become familiar with the external life and the achieve- ments of his adopted country, but he has not as yet discovered the American— the living, breathing, whole-hearted, and whole-souled man who supplies the vital- izing energy which moves the nation." Extract from lecture by William George Bruce, delivered April 2, 1905, before the Milwaukee Literary Club, as reported by the Milwaukee Free Press. 1933] Memoirs of William George Bruce 5 A Wave of Atheism. In my childhood days, I heard much about the Freidenker movement. It proclaimed an open attack on everything religious. The information which trickled down to our child minds was the claim of the Free- thinkers that the priesthood was seeking to stifle intelligence and that all churches would be abolished. Our reasoning power was, however, too limited to enable us to absorb the real issue or to understand what it was all about. These things were not discussed with children. It was only through the fragmentary comments of our elders that we learned in time something of the Freethinker movement and its at- tempted inroads upon those who had professed Christianity. In later years, I secured a better perspective of the situa- tion and learned something of the bitter attacks made through the press and upon the rostrum against religious in- stitutions and more particularly against the Catholic church. The Freethinker clubs were organized in every neighbor- hood, while the German Turner societies also espoused the atheistic movement. This movement had its origin with the German intellec- tuals and was fostered by them with all the eloquence and power of argumentation at their command. They were, as a rule, forceful writers and convincing speakers, and pro- ceeded upon the thought that true liberty as espoused in the New World cannot tolerate religious allegiance in any form. Their rhetoric was attractive, sarcasm and ridicule were em- ployed with telling effect. The atheistic movement made per- ceptible gains and eventually became boldly aggressive and decisive. In all this, however, the intellectuals who espoused athe- ism and combated the religious institutions with a vengeance, encountered a peculiar situation. About the time that they had secured a footing in their anti-church endeavors they were confronted with the Know-nothing movement, which 6 Memoirs of William George Bruce [September had swept over the country. The "America for Americans" slogan was directed against all foreign-born regardless of re- ligious affiliation. It made no distinctions between Germans, Irish, or other nationalities. It included the intellectuals as well. Thereupon they felt themselves called upon to condemn in unmistakable language the Know-nothing idea and to proclaim for the adopted citizen the same rights which the native enjoyed. This implied the right of suffrage, or free- dom of press and speech, and absolute equality for all citi- zens, foreign or native, under the law. Thus, while the intel- lectuals were in an attitude of opposition, they were also on the defensive. The inconsistency in their attitude gradually became ap- parent. They espoused political equality and freedom, as guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States, and denied the freedom of conscience and the exercise of a re- ligious faith, guaranteed by the same constitution. If the Know-nothing movement was unconstitutional, the move- ment to deny the liberty of conscience was equally so. With the passing of years, the Freethinker movement as well as the German Turner societies declined. Their institu- tions have been reduced to a minimum. The attempt to crush out religion had failed. At the same time, the churches and chapels, covering many religious beliefs, have been multi- plied a hundredfold throughout city and state. In many in- stances these edifices exemplify the most beautiful in modern architecture. Their contribution to an enlightened civiliza- tion needs no comment at my hands.

Load more

  138

Copy Link