The Ottawa free trader., 1860-10-13
Letter from Mr.. stern to Mr.. schurz

p ton during this Presidential carnpaigr, II
II the purpose Of addressing the public upo
e national affairs, ! would ask of you III
:, favor Of meeting me, during your visit, II
8 the purpose oi having public discussio
g of some OF the most important and prom
l nent dogmas in the creed of the Republ
can patty. 10 all Of which have reason I
: believe that you subscribe.
would not have inrruded on you, si
; especially, but for important reasons. :?
you have been heralded throughout til
country as All eminent exponent and de
fender OF the Republican creed, and an ar
. dent supporter of Mr. Abraham Lincoln
for the Presidency of the United States,
candidate representing only a section o
the States composing this confederacy-
More than this, you are put forth as tn,
representative of the sentiments of the
great majority Of the intelligent adopted
citizens of German birth and extraction
Now, sir, ! expect that you will accep,
this challenge more readily, when inform
4 you most respectfully that anf a4so On
adopted citizen, and, Ike you, an exile fol
political reasons; tlIst have iabored fol
the cause OF a free and united Germany as
much as a Y other man. and that ! have
sacrificed lucrative position and the so
ciety Of my nearest relatives and dearest
friends, To live and die freeman.
/ Having been al eyewitness aad actor il
! the whole epoch of 1913 and lSi4, | have
/ learned enough to be here a conssrGa,i,e
/ whereas was at that time reuolHionist
! sanctioned and supported the revolution,
I because IL was an attempt of the people to
strike for their rights and liberties Of
/ which they were deprived by system of
I oh Int i.tS, nd
/ ticnalism In March, 1873, the German
I people gained their liberties and rights
J Tho Representatives ot German i-uow edge,
! science, literature, jurisprudence and states
. manship, were delegated TO form united
Z Germany-a Germany, with TO Austria. no
J Prussia, no Btvaria no SaxoHia but, d tut;tc5
Germany. Did they realize the wishes OF
the people! | sat III that famous cathe-
drsl Paul kIrche.) during the existence
Of that parliament ! sat in the Roman
SIal (kayScasaa!) during the whole exist
/ encc Of the Committee Of Fifty; sat in
the Eor Parliament Oh! could ] As
senbie all the victims of the crazy man
agernent with which you afflicted the good
people Of Germany, could | gather the
thousands Of patriots l.ere | would show
, them the very men who DESTROYED every
hope of constitutional liberty in the father
p land have already commenced the same
woi \ Of destruction here.
When, in !SiS, the kings were PROSTATE
in the dust; when the army. the children
of the people, were almost won over to
the popular cause, what did you mean
( your parity and all those now swarmin@
i'll this country, and their high sutiI oritv
and influence dot Sir, instead Of consoli-
dating the distracted elements Of Germany
4. RI of
YOU talk about the independence Of Italy
and Poland. and all the nations Of tho
world, while you neglect your own affairs
The army was .nsuted-the army must
be abolished and instead of aya.liug
yourselves OF the favorable position, and
striking quickly, you sat In the Frantur-
ter Parliament and made long Speeches
till the foothoid gave way, and you and all
! of US sent again into Egyptian darkness
Having wasted the time for action and
restored darkness and despair at home,
you come hIther TO bless the people OF
this country with your grand dogmas and
theories; 10 repeat precisely the same eX-
ploGed experiments and absurdit!es When
your own house was on fire, instead OF
rushing 10 the rescue OF its inmates, YOU
sounded the big trumpet OF universal
republic, we must free Poland we
must free Italy, all the world must be
free. Such were your yaioroUs shouts But
your own houses We're burned to the
( foundation, your wives and children were
made homeless, while Poland Is yet en-
slaved, and Italy is freed, not by your aid,
I but by her OWN exertlons, unaIded by
Frankfurter Parliaments and German doc
tors and philosophers. Instead of thcori-
/ sing, instead of talking abon. "socialisIn
and commonism, and a division of pro,
perty. the Italians have acted, and therein
lies the secret Of th@.r success.
! But to return to my proposition al
/ though not reared like you, sir in a col
! lsge or university, and having but plain
and limited education, | am learned
enough to understand the Constitution oi
| this country, which teaches me that this
republic is a confederacy of Independent,
sovereign States each entitled to enact its
own laws for the proper management OF
! its own local affairs, without dictation
! from any other State, or from the Congress
1 OF the United States, or from any power
1 outside the jurisdiction Of such State In
! proposing myself as an opponent 70 you,
hope you will be too generous TO class me
with those Germans whom your party
charges with following the Democratic
! banner through ignorance. Against this
! charge, which has been repeatedly made
! by your party, most solemnly protest,
and still further no l protest against the
unfounded boast that majority of the
adopted citizens-and by Citizens
I mean men who have right to vote, who
have any sympathy with the dogmas of
! the Republican party. The industrious
| mechanic knows only too we'll that his li.
/ Dor will be rewarded properly only so long
! as we maintain the Union, and that he will
gain nothing, out letting loose a horde of
African negroes with no aspiration, and no
wants familiar to the European or Ameri-
can mechanic. He knows to well that all
the cries about the poor bondman,' are
only profiered in the hope of obtaining fat
offices thereby: because he has the unde-
nable fact before his eyes that no man,
even the most fana,ical Abolitionist, asso-
ciates with the African, even if he is free
born man. Thepeople know too well chat
the negro is nothing but the stirrup from
which the negro-worshipper means to vault
| into the seat of power.
! In point of fact: nearly all those Of our
countrymen who make SO much noise
about this slavery question are the young
immigrants the majority not able to speak
/ tho English language, and not yet entitled
| " Ntte or, tNeSc are the masses VINO
| form tie majority of the Intelligent Ger
mans, youanh your party SO loudly pro-
| claim as Your supporters. But, sir the
masses of the German adopted citizens
who have right to ross are loyal to the
Constitution transmitted to us 10y the
| Fathers OF the American republic, and
consider that sacred Instrument as the
magma charta OF our political rights and
| liberties, and not, as your associates DO,
IAN agreement with death, ana cove
! nant with hell" The majoY1ty Of the Ger
man adopted citizens will follow no leader
who will not uphold the flag and keep
step to the music Of the Union union
of Slave States and free States union
formed by the people OF twelve States and
but one free State