The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-01-17

JOSEPH BLOCH,
And others. (?)
Mobile, Oct. &c, 1855.
Turn Zeitung, Cincinnati, Nov. 70 1855.
CONCLUDING REMARKS
All these statements and reports, quoted from
the IaIn-Zeitung, the public organ of the Ger
man Turner'S in the United States prove that
neither you, Mr.. Greeley, nor any other people,
have moral right to consider and to treat the
Germans in general as Friends of Slavery"
which they are by far less than your own ma
tive American fellow citizens show themselves
to be, in principle and in practice, as it is cor
roborated by an unfortunate and sad reality,
Notwithstanding all your virtuous declamations
1t is unfair and indelicate, on your part to con.
meet by mere innendoes, Witaout any facts, Ger
man Turner's with slavecatchers in rivalry
with bloOdhounds," in work exclusively done
by americans, according to an american law,
In an american country. Refute this, logical
ly, if you can. The honor of the Germans is not
violated by those whom you denounce in your
article, because IL is unimpeachdble, as the
honor of generally we'll educated and well in
structed, cultivated, and enlightened people,
"Save-catcher, slave holder, slave-;rader,
slave-breeder," &C., are all Americanisms, no
GermdnismS "slavocrats are americans,
no Germans. Therefore, you should not sound
against Germans, who would only initiate Amer
leans, if they should once become "slavocrat.
ically Americanized," or christened in the
name of "Southern State Rights" according
to which those German abettors of Slavery -
mot NORTH and South," as you say, but only
South, would merely he kind of {" Border
Ruffians," which denomination is also an
"Americanism," like "Rotcdy" and 4" LOofer."
You have the great merit of representing,
by your valuable, MISUNDERSTANDING, aud inhu-
entail Tribune, the noble principles of Northern
Anti-Slavery philanthropy, and of iberality in
general. But, MIR. Greeley, allow me, an obscure
individual, your humble servant, to tell you,
modestly: have also publicly written, like you,
and ecea before you wrote and published your
Tribune, against American Slavery; and have
influenced against it thousands of Germans, who
have read my Appendix to Taylor's Universal
History of the United States of America" pub.
lished by Ezra Strong, New York, 1888. Mr.
John Hills, bookseller at Lancaster, Pennsyl-
vania, sold several thousand German copies of
that book in Pennsylvania. At Baltimore
alone, while was there in 1888 and 1899, his
brother, Mr.. Lord Hills, sold in consequence
of my own recommendation 525 copies of the
same, at $3.50 each. In l847, when was in
Europe, new edition of that book appeared
in New York.
Thus l have written my historical "Appen-
dix" and operated by it, before goa did by
your Tribune, against Slavery in the United
States, and even to the appreciation of the ven
ure of presenting to him, personally, in March,
1889, German copy of that work 1 beg
leave here to quote the following sentences from
my historical Appendix:
"Who should believe, that in this blessed
and praised land of Liberty, in the fatherland
of Washington and Franklin-the greatest and
noblest philanthropists of their age-that in
the gloried free States of North America, there
are more than t,co millions Of slaces ?"
Truly, these sad facts stand in sharp con-
trast with the glorious principle of the Declara-
ton of independence, "that all men are created
equal" &C.; for, even the most furious defend.
ers OF Slavery can at least not prove (although
they may pretend) that the negroes are no
men. How long this black cloud shall darken
the stars of American Liberty, is rather difficult
to say; but thus much is certain-if the wise
Congress cannot or aciU not soon unite this
Gordian Knot by degrees, it shall at once be vio-
lently broken, or cut asunder, by some black
Alexander. The history of Hayti (l790-lS04)
should teach the Americans to make virtue
of necessity, to act at last according to Justice
and philanthropy"
After having thus publicly expressed my
sentiments against Slavery, l have since that
time lived for about FIVE years among slave
holders, in Maryland, Virginia, and the District
of Columbia, without any fear, in consequence
of the publicity of those sentiments. | have
again expressed them in several thousand copies
of my English and German paper, the ADaeri-
can WOrkmen's Gazette, which wrote and pub
lished in New York in l848. The following
sentence, quoted therefrom, must prove my
| mr. nj 70 ba, IL
same then, in l84s, which they were eighteen
years ago, and are still at present:
Let every workman do the first step towards
a reform, by refusing his vote to all who are
shareholders, or who .facor Slavery; for, ,.eper
q shareholder, or an ddherent TO SlQrehOlding
principles, wiU be q real friend TO acOrkmen
Here declare, in truth, that do not person
ally know any Abolitionist and that do not
write under the influence of ANYBODY, but
merely according to my own independent prin-
ciples. "-AmeriOan Workmen's Gazette, NeU
York, September 9, lS48.
AS you have, Mr.. Greeley, probably long
ago forgotten my obscure little paper, copy
of which l forwarded to you at that time, |
will now herewith send to you another copy Of
the same, in confederation of the truth.
You will thus perceive that, although / be
not your equal in writing and operating against
Il
concerning it but l am more liberal and tole-
rant than you are, which | will now show.
philanthropical philosopher or philosophical
philanthropist, like you, Mr.. Greeley should not
have disregarded, but fairly considered, the
several features, which this question concern
ing the Turner's presents.
To write and to publish a paper against Sla-
very is, for many obvious reasons, easier and
less dangerous in Boston and New York or
Philadelphia, than in Baltimore and Washing
ton; easier and less dangerous in these latter
cities, than it would be in Richmond, Charles
ton, Savannah, Mobile, and New Orleans, in the
midst Of slaveholdng population. Just so it
is for the same reasons, with the German Turn
ers Proclaiming Anti Slavery principles in the
North and in the South. Northern Abolition
for taking Abolition chestnuts from the hot en-
bers of Southern Slavery; but you, Mr.. Greeley,
should not grow angry at those Germans, if they
decline doing the dangerous job, and would rath-
er be excused.
There is certain rule prevailing, more or
less modified, but in fact general that is to say:
~ sing the song of him whose bread eat"
Not even editors of newspapers deviate from
this rule: We sing the songs of those for whom
we write" And others sing other songs for
other considerations salaries and wages, votes
and fees, customers and sales, favors and servi-
ces, aims and contributions for churches, for
missions, and Temperance purposes, &C.. and
ofhce-hunters even cry songs for those who
shall give them "pap." The same rule pre-
walls everywhere in social transactions, as in
grammatical conjugations I" 1 am" and ",ce
are" always the first persons.
The Germans in America must not be treat
ed as if they had no knowledge Of the A B C,
or the first elements of Republicanism and Lib