The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1859-05-12
TRUE FALSE AMERICANS NJ
SPEECH OF CARL SCHURZ,
on WIS CONsIE,
OF FANEU HALL. BOSTON,
AprH 1911, 1859.

- last evening, 10 listen to an address from Gar
Schurz, Esq, the distinguished German ora
tor from Milwaukee who is now brie
visit to this city. The galleries were crowd
i eI, and contained large number of ladies
= The floor Of the Hall was about two-third.
! full. Our German fellow citizens were large
Z ly represented. Mr.. Schurz entered the Hal
t a. few minutes past 5 O'Clock, amid the
j hearty plsulits Of the audience.
H. said.
A few days ago. stood on the cupoa of
your Safe House. and overlooked for the
fist time your venerable city. and the conn
try surrounding it. Then the streets, and
hills, and waters around me. began to tenn
with the life Of historical recolleutions
collections dear to all maukind-and a feel
ing of pride arose Ia my heart, and | said to
myself /, too, am American citizen. (Ap-
pause. There was Bunker Hill. there
Charlestown, Lexington, and Dorchester
Heights. not far Of, there the place where
/ the old liberty tree Stood; there J5hn Han
cocks house. there Benjamin Fraknin's birth
place; and now | AID in this grand old hall
which so often resounded with the n,blest
appeals that ever thrilled American hearts.
aud where al. almost afraid to hear the
echo Of my own feeble voics. 0, sir, no
man that loves liberty, wherever he may
have first seen the light of day, can fail on
this sacred spot to pay his tribute to Amari-
canism. And here with all these glorious
memories crowding upon my heart. will Of
fer mine. /, born in foreign land, pay nv
tribute to Americanism? Yes, for me, the
word Americanism, true Americanism, com
prehends the nobIest IDEAS which ever swell
ed human heart with noble pride. Gap
plause)
Il is one Of the earliest recollections Of nv
boyh"od, that one summer night our whole
village was stirred by uncommon occur
renee. L say our village, for | was born not
far from that beautiful spot where the Rhine
rolls his green waters out of the wonderful
gate OF tie seven mountains. and then mean
ders with majestic tranquility through one Of
the most glorious valleys Of the world That
night our neighbors were pressing around a
few wagons covered With linen sheets and
loaded with household utensils and boxes
and trunks to their utmost capacity. One of
our nelghboring families were moving far
away across great water and it was said
that they would never again return. And |
saw silent tears trickling down weather bea-
ten cheeks. and the hands of rnneyh roasaHes
firmly pressing each other, and some of the
men and women hardly able to speak when
they nodded to each other last farewell
At last the tram came into motion, they gave
three cheers for America. and then in the
first gray dawn of the morning. saw them
vending their way over the hill until they
disappedred in the shadow of the forest
And | heard many man say, how happy he
would be if he could q to that great and free
country where Il man could be himself. APP
plause.)
This was the first time that | heard of
America, and my childish Imagination took
possession Of land covered partly with ma
Iestic trees, partly with howery prairies. I'M
measurable to the eve, and in.ersec,ed with
rge rivers and broad lakes, a land where
everyday could do as he thought best, and
where nobody need be poor, because every
body was free.
And later. when [ was old enough to read.
and descriptions OF this country, and books
on American history fell into my hands the
offspring OF my Imagination acquired the col
or OF reality, and began to exercise my brain
with the thought, W nat man might be and be-
come when left perfectly free to himsef.--
Aud still later. when ripenIng into manhood.
looked up from my school books into the
stir and hustle OF the world. and the trumpet
tones Of struggling humanity struck my ear
aud thrilled my heart, and | sas my nation
shake her chains in order 10 burst them, and
heard a gigantic. universal shout for liber-
ty rising up TO the skies; and at last, after
having struggled manfully and drenched the
earth Of Fatherland with the blood Of thou
sands of noble beings, | saw that nation
crushed down again not only by oyerwhelm-
ing armies but by the dead weight Of customs,
ana institutions, and notions. and prejudlces
which past centuries had heaped upon them,
and which a moment Of enthusiasm. however
sublime. could not destroy-then | consoled
an almost dcspoudent heart with the idea Of
a youthful people and of original Institutions
clearing the way for an untranmcled de1ei
apmeut Of the ideal nature Of man. Then
4 turned my eyes ins,inctively across the Al
+ lantic Ocean. sad America aud AmericanIsm,
as | faucied them, appeared 70 me a the las
repositories of the hopes Of all true friends
OF humanity. (Applause.)
+. say all this. not as though | indulsed in
the presumptuous delusion that my personal
feelings and experience could be of any in
terest To YOU, bu. in order 10 show YOU what
America is to the thousands OF thinking men
in tie cid world. who disappointed in their
faude>t hopes. and depressed by the saddest
experience cling with their last remnant Of
confidence Ia human nature 10 the last spot
on earth, " here man is free TO follow the road
Of attsinable perfection, and where unbiased
by the disastrous influence OF traditional no.
! tons. customs and institutions he acts on his
1 own responsibility. Tsev ask themselves
Was it but wild delusiou when we thought
that man has the faculty to he free ana gov
ern himself Have we been fighting, were
We ready to die for mere phantom. for a
mere product Of a morbid Imagination? This
question down trodden humanity cries out
;, into the world, and from this country thew
!. expect answer.
} As their advocate, ! speak to YOU I will
$ speak of Amerieanism as the great represeu-
: talive Of the reformatory age. rs the great
d champion of the dignity OF human nature. as