Muscatine journal. [volume] (Bloomington, Iowa) 1849-185?, 1854-04-22
For tho Journal.
For the Journal.
The Germans and the Whisky Traffic.

Ghe Germans and the Whisky Traffic.
The sympathies of the American people
have been awarded to the down.trodden
and oppressed of foreign lands with an un-
.sparing hand. The privilege of settlement
and the rights of citizenship have been
placed within their reach on most liberal
terms; and am proud that she has so cor.
daily welcomed them to her bosom, but !
am not so we'll pleased at the position q
portion of them have assumed. 1t is ex-
pected of tn EN- that they will conform to
the institutions Of this country and obey its
laws when those law. do not conflict with
any of their rights.
1t is time that we had some definite in
formation and explanation in relation to
the position which the Germans have as
.sumed en- mass upon the Liquor Traffic.
Nine tenths Of our doggeries are kept by
Germans, and they have the almost united
countenanco and support of their country.
men in the nefarious business. They have
Aisobeyed and violated righteous law Of
the land; they have, in solemn convention,
refused to support the man for Office who
was pledged to enforce that law; and in the
face of an overwhelming majority in favor
of that law are continuing to violate it
openly in this city by selling liquor. Are
we to understand from this that the Gers
mans are not law abiding class of menu
or that they understand what tends to the
peace, happiness and good order of our
community better than other men?-or that
they have peculiar afinities for that low,
degrading, demoralizing business?--or is it
exemplifng the old principle, "put beg
gar on horseback and he will ride himself
to death2'
have been in the habit of locking upon
the Germans as the best race of foreigners
who sought our shores, but l confess that
recent Developments stagger my faith.
presume they have bad advisers; that men
in whom they confded have given them bad
counsel; that they have been made CATS
paws to draw out the public feeling, and
that they have not considered we'll the
course they have been pursuing. Awar Of
races, even in feeling, is to lie deprecated,
and especially in this country. No feeling
should be harbored nor conduct persisted
in but that which tends to harmonic the
discordant elements and produce the kind
est fraternal feelings.
4 1t is to be regretted that anything like
ssNativs Americanism" should find coun :
tenance in this "home of the oppressed,' -
but it is more to be regretted that in the
wicked perverseness Of foreigners an appar-
ent reason should be found for such an or
ganization; and SO long as they disregard
the laws of the land, the moral sense of the
community and the plainest dictates Of
common sense, just SO long will they fur
nish their enemies with weapons to perplex
and annoy them, paralyze the efforts of their
friends, and weaken their hold upon the
sympathy of the community.
The conduct of the Germans in this city
for the last few months has been what l
would have expected had they been wish
ing to strengthen the "Native Americana
feeling. Surely they do not wish to make
themselves strangers in this land--to cur
tail their civil privileges, nor to array
against themselves the prejudices and the
opposition of a people far their superiors
in practical liberal ideas, in energy, perse-
verence, and the arts of civilization. To be
Americanized should be considered by ev-
cry German as high honor as well as a
great privilege, and when he lands upon our
shores, he should make the business of his
life to unlearn his old ideas and imbibe
those congenial to this soil.
tits to be hoped, for their own good as
well as the peace and good order of the
community, that they will reflect upon their
position, ponder well their policy and be
sure that they are right before they proceed
farther in introducing their beer drinking
habits into this community. / think we
have progressed too far for that. ~