The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-09-25
EUROPEAN DEMOCRATS AND THE PREsT-
DENTAL ELECTION.
STOCKHOLM. AnO. IL ISlI

STOCKHOLM, dag. IL, 1856.
Is it known in America how anxiously The
coming Presidential election is watched in Eu-
rope? Everywhere people ask you about the
chances.
Within a few DAYS, Professor in the UosuIa
University-almost the leader of the legal pro.
tesslon in Sweden, and known to many of our
lawyers at hOme-said to me " EuyODe looks
on your election as the most I'm orta,,t erent for
freedom fIs his last quarter of century. If
MIR. Fremont is defeated, it seems here as If
Slavery would triumph forever in your Repub-
he; then our Liberals must give up all hope
from The West. i confess, sir, If the.
Republican party is defeated, many among us
VIII Despair OF the continuance of your Union
as free Government"
| This gentleman is remarkably well Informed
on American affairs, but 80 l find many even
Ia the remote parts of these countries The
papers are iutl OF articles on our internal poIi-
| tics and our dangers. An editor Of GottenburO
SAID TO me lately: "1Ou know how anxiouslv
we watch your affairs Every outbreak and
trouble with you-such as these outrapes in
your Parliament-is used by the aristocrats
and Princes against us. They argue tha, the
system OF universal suffrage has proved n fail
ure-and If your free North is beaten this cleo
tion, we shall be obliged to own that to a de-
gree IL has-your Confederation then will most.
ly represent Slavery
gave him, IN reply, the usual views of our
Northern people---tAat strictly, even If tba
Union was broken up by the question of Slave
~, u would prove nothing against the principle
OF self.government; that these outrages and
brutalities were mostly the fruits of system of
Despotism, against which We of the free States
were struggling.
lie SAID, further, that it is only within a few
months shat people in Europe had really begun
70 understand the immense Importance of the
question OF Kansas. Now, they saw the import
OF 1t. Within two years, he said, he had had
an opportunity at one time of sending out a
thousand Swedish emigrants. Mr.. Marcus
Sprlng had advised him to send them to Kansas.
"a fo 'o%'a Vu0Hy horo done SO, but ha Rad yot
'neh clearly understood the object. Tber vaDt
mostly 10 Michigan, and had suffered nucb from
.ne cliinate and other causes. Te had SO often
h. very man OF theD., sir, would have stood
g. yUeF hee part, with body and vote. A
cannon even understand how il is possi-
ore pie 10 ho''.. a slave You may not know that
", c1 "ere the first country in Europe to abolish
such sentiments as these are universal among
intelligent people here. The fact is, that the
knowledge of American affairs has increased
Immensely within the last five years. Even the
peasants understand the fearful question we
nave 10 settle, and know something of the strug-
gle which is going on.
believe, as so many have said to me. that
Il tins election is regarded by intelligent men in
Europe, as the most important event since the
iormatlon OF our Government for the freedom
Oh the world. People see that it is the old En-.
ropean contest transferred to the New World
Liberty and Despotism, stripped of DISCUSSES,
meeting In death-struggle; and a contest ON
scale so grand as to dwarf almost all other
evolutionary strifes. "If America fails, every
hlng must fail one hears so often. 1t seems
!! Almost as If the oppressed and oppressors of
europe were breathing little from their des-
'erate war, to watch the even grander struggle
IN the battlefield of America, where the fate
1t Liberty, for ages to come, was at dangerous
ssue.
am speaking of the sentiments Of foreign-
IS. Such as those above are especially shared
tue democrats OF Germany. How disgrace
II That the Democratic emigranls in America
Mould be so false to the old causel
VI course, 1t Is not spoken here of the MANY
Ie'Ilgent AntiSlavery Germans in our State.
ut do say, it is shame and stain on the
ooie fame of Germany, that so many of her
ms IN this approaching election in America
III support the cause Of bloody and unprin.
pied tyranny.
1t must be, with many, sheer ignorance, The
war cry of Democrat has beguiIed them,
our Republican Committees should strain
cry nerve to set this matter right. The Ger.
ans Oh pennsylvania may turn the election.
ny not NJ once select intelligent high-mindeJ
'rhahs In New 1ork-men above anv sus.
daon OF wlrc-pulling or office huntino-snJ
he free Sfsaitth Sfattlhd documents in black and white
hat these Republican ~ Light is what is want,
enetrated the heavy German faniasm through
RS, and only find the mistake when Bucstist-
elected.
The oppressed of distant lands wa.ch breath
essly YOUR votes, which shall this autt.an de-
ide between Liberty and Despotism.
G. l.. 3.