The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1856-11-26
The Journal and the Germans.

some political aspirant whose hopes of
obtaining Office being frustrated, has de-
termined to rend his spleen on the Ger
mans to give himself relief.
This same journal, Notwithstanding its
professions of Know Noshingism could
not refrain, before the election, from at
tempting to deceive the Germans into the
notion that the Republican party was the
proper place for them; now, since the cleo
ton is over and they have failed in their
attempt, they do just what might be eX-
pected-abuse and slandcr them. The
article in the Journal is from the pen of
some narrow-minded, illiberal bigot, whose
selGshness prevents him from seeing good
in anything that does not contribute to
his individual interest We will give
specimen from it:
THE PRESENT PROSPECTS.
Our county is completely under the con-
troll of the slave Democracy, and more
than likely will continue so, as there are
some twelve or fifteen hundred foreign
voters in this County, with whom the
word Democrat is their political princi-
pal; and if candidate for any office calls
himself Democrat" no difference what
his principles are, that is sufficient for
them They are controlled by the Woods
field clique and Dutchman or two in
each township, and vote iu herds-and
are of course managed like other herds,
under the control of skillful and expe-
rienced drivers
Besides this, there is nothing that a
Dutchman loves like an opportunity to
tyranize over somebody; and nothing that
he hates like a negro. Having been the
subject of oppression i'll his own country
all his life, his only notion of liberty here
is that he can treat somebody else in the
same style.
We will not undertake to disprove the
allegations in the above extract separately;
every one who reads them knows them to
be untrue. For the Journal to undertake
to tell the people here what the character
of the German population of this county
is, is little worse than folly. In the first
place the people here have just as good
. means Of knowing as the writer of the
article in the Journal; and in the second
place, ninety-nine out of every hundred
are not so narrow-souled but what they
can Judge with some little fairness The
Germans, 1t is well known are proverbial
for their industry and frugality. There
are rot more peaceful, quiet and law
abiding people in any country. They
pay their taxes cheerfully, and compare
lively few among them ever seek after
office; and so far as intelligence and edu-
cation is concerned, the editor of the
Journal should blush to speak of them.
They are almost without exception good
readers, writer's and arithmeticians, and
many of them are acquainted with the
intricate sciences of photography and
grammar which are such profound mystic
rieS to certain men who talk and write ol
their want of intelligence. The charge
of ignorance will provoke smile in every
one acquainted with the source from
which it comes.
1t seems to afford the Journal editor
infinite satisfaction to find an opportunity
to call our German population "Dutch. y
He repeats it over and again as though
there was some reproach in the name; the
truth is, that it shows in the editor an ig'
norance which should make the subject o
intelligence very delicate one for him tc
tamper with. That the Germans are con-
trolled 10y any other motive than honest
patriotism, is sheer falsehood, and the
editor of the Journal knew it when he
was appropriating his editorial. 1t is
because they refused to be controlled by
a clique, and because they could not be
deceived by Abolition fawning, that this
exhibition of petty malice is displayed in
the Journal Because they could not be
caught in the Know Nothing Abolition
trap they are called ignorant; because
they would not be humougged by false
hoods, they are charged with want of in
tellIgence; because they would not aid {
set of fanatics to endanger, and prohabl.
destroy our Union, they are called tyrauts
The whole resolves itself into this: tn,
self-styled Republicans one-half of whom
still retain the smell of Know Nothngism
! endeavored to cheat the Germans into tn
support of themselves or their candidate
for Office, and, finding their fawning an
1attering in vain, very naturally go t
slandering and abusing them. This
the whole Foundation Of the selfish, il
liberal narrow-minded growing of tn
!