The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-01-10
For the National Era.
DEFENCE OF THE GERMANS.
To the Editors Of The Ne,c York Tribune


DEFENCE OF THE GERMANS.
To the Editors of The Neuo York Tribune:
GENTLEMEN: In the name Of Republican
Justice, Equality, and Liberty, claim, as a ma
tive German, although since 1886 naturalized
American citizen, the right of answering, and
of trying to refute, your severe and rather
sweeping judgment of the German Turner's in
| particular, and of the Germans in general,
who form great and respectable portion
of the population of this country. Such a
| judgment you pronounce in your article head
| ed, q German Friends of Slavery published by
| the New lorl, Tribune of November %, 1855.
Your virtuous anger, excited by al anxious
zeal against Slavery, would be just, and not
| misappied or untimely, if it we're founded on
| facts, and if such facts were backed, or even
only countenanced, by the German Turner'S
Confederacy through its public organ, Die Turn
| Zeitang, or by the Germans in general, through
| any other public German paper in the I nited
States; which Is not the case, or else you would
| probably have taken the advantage TO mention
it; but you refer only 10 one single fact-a pub
| lie declaration OF few German Turner's at
Charleston. in favor of Slavery, who form, per-
haps, the very smallest association, among
| eigtfyeigLt associations OF German Turner'S,
whose number is Sir thousand in the United
| States thus averaging SiTty-eigAt members IN
| each association. The public organ of the
whole Contederacy of German Turner'S, Die
| Tdrn-Zeitlng, has denounced and absolutely
| condemned what the little ''insignifcant" Turn
ers' association of Charleston has done, and for
which neither the German Turner's in particu-
| lar, nor the Germans in the L nited States gen,
orally, are responsible. The said association
| Of Charleston has seeded from the Turner's
| Confederacy Simultaneously with its public
| declaration in favor of Slavery; but in conse-
quence Of that secession, there is no more
/" dissolution of the great German Turner's
| COnlederacy effected, than there q dissou-
ton Of the great American Union produced by
| little Cardinals Notification twenty years
| ago.
Before proving the correctness of my testi-
mony. in defence of the German Turner's, by
| quotations from their organ, De Igrn-ZetuRg,
| | will quote the folloSing principal sentences,
forming about one half of the whole article in
| question.
| FRAGMENTS
| From ar New York Tribune OF November y 1850.
German Friends of Slavery"
"The presidential breath Of Slavery destroys
| the Soundest social constitutions which il touch
es Of this, new evidence is furnished by the
dissolution of the Turner's, an organization of
the youthful and energetic part of the German
population throughout all sections of the Uni
ted States. 1t seems that it has been divided,
and is henceforth to exist, if at all, in two dis,
tinct bodies. Of course, where the poisonous
growth is greatest, there the corrosive infection
operates most potenty. lt is therefore the
branch of the Turner's Association in south
Carolina which has sounded the trumpet of
dissolution snd secession from their more lib
eral brethren Of the North. The reasons for
The steps are absolutely Pro-Siavery."
These bot;le-hoders of the negro-iashing
chivalry intend to organize a separate assoca-
ton of Southern Turner's. Go on Hasten
in this road of infamy Germans, who have not
vet rubbed of from your necks and souls the
marks of bodily and mental chains received
from European tyrants.'
We may vet hear of agility and strength
acquired BY the Turner'S gymnastic exercises,
~ employed in the work of slsvecatchers in
rivalry with the bloodhouDds in Texas and Ar
kansas"
We never desire foreigners to interfere in the
slightest degree with domestic questions.
But when they come to settle among us, when
their lungs begin to he eated by the pure air
Of liberty, when they take root in our soil, we
consider them ourselves, as members of the
same family, aud expect them to honor the
same principles for which some OF them suf-
tered in their original homes, and which ell of
them hoped TO enjoy reaching this country.
Among all others, we expect to find German
immigrants the soundest regards political
liberty"
" These German Secess0nsts, these abet-
tors of Slavery, North and South degrade thair
own social condition"
" In q word, these German devotees of patri-
archical bondage deserve to pass, in some way
or other. through a purifying fire, through
some political and social purgatory, before be
coming christened in the sacred name of Free.
dom. Their servile and abject manifestations
IN behalf of Slavery give fresh evidence of the
truth, that emancipated serfs often become the
most willing, ready, and heartess tools of cru
city and tyranny"
Before ] shall quote and translate from the
TarR-/eifulq, in reiutaton of the foregoing
will make some remarks on these sweeping
denunciations Of the Germans, by which their
character and honor, as such, are unfairly ex-
posed in a false light.
|. Z" The pestiiential breath Of iSlarery," de-
IS american. not German.
>. There is no dissolution of the Turner's"
but only a secession of very small portion
from the whole of their Confederacv, in conse-
quence of the almost unanimous resolution of
the latter against Sidrery, of which resolution
you do not mention anything, Mr.. Greeley
;. These bottle holders of the negro. lasting
chivalry" are less contemplate than the latter
itself, that commands the majority in Congress.
whose tar makes "slave-catchers" of all the
citizens of the United States, so that "agilty
and strength, acquired BY the Turner's gymnas-
tic exercises, employed in the work of slave
catchers, in rivalry with tie bloodhounds," If
any OF these Germans should ertr st0op to such
disgracetul work. according TO act of Congress
of September IL, 1850, they ,ro,td ouly hetp
americans 10 erscntean 4merican la,c, Honai
soft qui NAL q pease.'
1. " The presidential breath of Slareru," and
the pure (?) lair of Liberty are rather he
terogeneally monstrous and self-contrasting in
the Ner York Tribune and in the United
States. That "pestitentiai breath" begins al
ready n few miles below Philadelphia. and ex-
tends more than "A thousand miles down TO the
mouths OF the Mississippi. over regions where
comparatively reTy fer Germans reside. who
are generally Inferior in wealth and influence.
to their native American fellow citizens. That
OIL SHch Germans, more liberality and other
civic virtues are required, than of such Ameri-
cans, is very iiatterng for the former, but GER
tainly not for the latter
D. 1T such non-slaveholding Germans In this
country should have to undergo " some polti-
cal and social pMgdt0ry," the guilty wealthy
and influential slaveholding or Slavery flavor
ing Americans would deserve "some political
and social neil, "befOre becoming christeneA
in the sacred name Of Freedom. Their seryile
and abIect manifestations in behalf of Slavery
Acts OF Congress, 1920, 1874, 1913, 1850,
1904 give evidence of the TRUTH" that the
American Declaration of Independence, pro-
claiming the principle that ali men are ere.
lfaH 4