Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1857-07-31

"
Thore must be many honest men
In the Seventeenth Ward Of this city
who would be very angry were the
name Of Americans" denied to them,
and who still persist. in spite Of the
palpable anomaly, In calling them
selves Germans. They insist on
being Germans in their habits, man.
ners, customs and language, and clan
nish in their social arrangements.
We know how hard IL II, OF once TO
shake of all the associations, memo
rios and attachments Of birthplace;
and no one could be more tolerant
than we are, Of an innocent indul-
gence in such feelings. But the me-
rest tyro must understand the wide
difference between political duties
and social pleasures. When Germans
seek New York, when they become.
by virtue Of solemn obligations, AM
erican citizens, they have no right TO
consider themselves as anything but
Americans. How are our institutions
10 exist for n single year, II we are to
have petty and exclusive nationali-
tics established and maintained, and
more especially, II we are 10 have
them, thus constituted, defying tho
legal authorities2 And yet look at
oil the disgraceful troubles we have
had in tho Seventeenth Ward? These
riots are all reported In the news
papers, and spoken Of on the streets
and in the public meetings, as Ger
man riots. How discreditable IL that
TO the German name! How deep a
stain does II cast upon mon Of no
BILE originl II il true that John Null
Ter, the man who was unfortunately
shot, was by birth a German. But
he was, nevertheless, by choice and
adoption an American. He was no
more wronged than any American
would have been, who had been kill
led in the Same way. And yet, mark
the whole style Of the subsequent
proceedingsl HE neighbors insist on
avenging him, not as an American,
but AZ German martyr. At once
German mobs are organized TO des-
troy those who are falsely supposed
10 be tho murderers Of Muller. IL il
insisted upon that tho Coroner, who
is TO investigate the death, shall APP
point majority of Germans upon
his Jury. AT his funeral the same
nationality is kept up. One report
or, not our own, says.
"At four o'clock the hearse arrived
and tho crowd concentrated in the
vicinity Of the house. At this junct
ure an elderly gentleman came on
on the doorstep and commenced Al
address in German, which our repor'
tor was unable to understand; but il
effect upon the audience was alarm
ing"
Over the corpse was carried whit,
flag. inscribed in German, "VIcrD
OF THE METROPOLITAN PoLIcE." Al
the procession moved, the Language
of Germany filed the air. Then W,
have the following call issued;
} "All the German citizens of thu
: Seventeenth Ward, are hereby re
, quested to attend general meeting
( to take place on Tuesday, the 14tl
inst, at Eustachi's Garden, No. SIS
Fourth street, near Avenue A. Tn
object of said meeting is, to deliber
ate what means and ways are givel
to us, to resist further murderous ut
: tacks Of the Metropolitan Police, an,
to bring the murderers to punish
ment." Signed.
, At this meeting, which was held il
1 German theatre, Mr.. Sohenecke
{ we are told, concluded an eloquen
? address, by expressing q hope tina
: ''at the next election the German
would take the matter in hand, an,
: vindicate their outraged rights" 4
Mr.. Untschell, a German, declares
that claws were utter nonsense an,
q folly" A DR.. Merkle said: 9Th
= Germans must not bear Indifferent
f ly."
v Now, where is all this to end?
a is not, it cannot be for q moment
l pretended that Muller met with an,
!. misfortune as q German, which b
would not have met with had he bee
Of American birth. And yet hi
death calls forth, not merely socis
= expression of sorrow on the part {
= his neighbors, but a political demon
K stration, in which Germans as Ger
J. mans are called upon to oppose cer
1t tain laws Of the State, just Is if thos
Q laws, admitting them to be oppree
II sive, did not bear just as heavily UP
q on the native.born as upon the fol
y eign-born. At this rate what en-
4 will there be to factions, and whs
= resource from anarchy? And nov
we ask, in the name of common sens
} is the stamp of American citizenshi
. to be indelibly and unmistakabl
= impressed upon any immigrant,
q these two-fold political relations NJ
: to be maintained When will tn
q different races occupying our broa
territory become assimilated, as the
II must be if we are to be happy an
}, great, If every one shall insist, upo
Q. every occasion, in asserting its ow
individuality?
Whenwe consider the political evil
which the Germans have suffered, W
. are astonished and mortified at tn
n loose and Incorporate way in whic
: they talh here, about tyrany and
violation of their rightsl How muc
worse off are they here, than whe
y all Germany was trampled under tn
!, feet Of the first Napoleon-when tn
: whole Empire was dismembered-
when French garrisons occupied tn
d cities Of Vienna, Berlin and Ham
! burg-when universities were dir
9 solved, and the people beggared
= sustain the glory of military Moloc
! when men like poor Palm wer
/ shot for no crime-when State afte
g State was absorbed by the swolle
S Empire of France, and when the gres
al