The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1860-10-24
Letter from mr.. Stern 70 mr.. schurx.


affairs, would ask of you the favor of meeting
me during your visit, for the purpose Of h,vng
public discussion of some OF the most Lromi.
hent dogmas in the creed of the Republican
party, to all of which have reason to believe
that you subscribe.
I would not have intruded on you, sir, espe.
cially, but for important reaso.s. Sir, you have
been heraded throughout the country as an
eminent exponent and defender Of the Repub.
lican creed. and ali ardent supporter Of Mr..
Abraham Lincoln for the Presidency Of the
United States, a candidate representing only a
section Of the States composing this confetler.
acv. More than this, you are put forth rs the
representative of the sentiments of the great
majority OF the "intelligent" adopted citizens
of German birth or extraction.
Now. sir. expect that you will accept this
challenge more readily, when inform you
most respectfully that am also nm adopted
citizen, and, like you, an exile for political
reasons ; that have labored for the cause OF
. free and united Germany as much as any
other man, and that have sacrificed lucra.
tive position and the society Of my nearest re-.
lativcs and dearest friends, to live and die a
freeman.
Having been an eye witness and actor in the
whole epoch Of l646 and 1S49. have learned
enough tn be here con. eruatire, whereas !
was ut that time Il repoluti0nist. | sanction ed
attempt OF the people to 80. ~ s-thO.e rights
and liber rites of which tue. 1850 ae privcd BY a
system of absolute molarchism and sham con.
etitutionasm In March, lS4S, the German
people gained their liberties and rights. The
representatives of German knowledge, science,
literature. jurisprudence and Craftsmanship,
were delegated to form united Germany
Germ my with no Austria, no Prussia, no Ba
varia, no Saxoria, but a united Germany. Did
h0D nIt1ot sok,6 .xct 81 L.
in that famous cithedra' (Paul's Kiche) dur
ing the existence OF that parliament; sat in
= the Roman Saal (RayseraaD during the whole
existence of the Committee of Fifty II sat in
the "Vor Parliament" Oh! could l assemble
all the victims oftke crazy management with
which y's afflicted the good people OF Germa-
ny; could l gather the thousands of patriots
here, r'would show them the very men who
destroyed every hope Of constitutional liberty
IN the fatherland. and have already commenced
the same work of destruction here.
When, in le4S, the kings were pr6ssrate in
dust when the army, the children Of the
t00Ple, were almost won over to the popular
caeeeiswhat did you q mean your p,rty) and all
those now swarmng in this country, and their
high authority and influence do? Sir, instead
OF sconsOlidutiny the distracted elements of
Germany into coniederacy Of sovereign States,
you talked about the independence OF Italy and
Poland, ana all the nations Of the world, while
you neglected your own affairs. The army was
insuted-"the army must be abolishcd"-and
instead of avang yourselves of the favorable
position, and striking quickly, you sat in the
Fmnkturtcr Parliament and made long speeches.
till the footllold gave way, and you and all Of
US went again into Egyl tan darkness.
Having wasted the time for action, and re-
stored darkness and despair ut home, YOU come
hither to bless the people of this country with
your grand dogmns and theories to repeat pre-
cisely the same exploited experiments and ub.
surdities. When your own house was on fire.
instea, Of rushing to the rescue Of its in hates,
you sounded the big trumpet of q universal
republic" 1--WE must free Poland" 1--WE must
free Italy, ""all the world must be free.' Such
were your valorous shouts But your own
houses were burned to the foundation, your
wives and children were made no meless, while
Poland is yet ensaved, and Italy is freed, not
by your aid, but by her own excrtions, unaided
by Frankfurter Parliaments and German doc.
tors and philosophers. Instead OF tlleorizing,
instead OF talking about SOCIALISM and com.
monism," and = division of property, the Itali.
ans have acted, and therein lies the secret of
their success.
But to return to my proposition. Although
not reared like you, sir. in college Or univer-
sity, and having but plain and limited educa-
ton, am learned enough to understand the
Constitution OF this country, which teaches me
that this republic is Il contcdtracy OF independ-
ent sovereign States, each entitled to enact its
own laws Tor the proper management of its own
local affairs, without dictation from any other
State, Or rom the { Onsr So of the United
st ties fiqstn Ma,
ton OF such tate. In proposing myself us an
opponent to you, hope you will be too gener.
ous to class me with those Germlns whom your
party CHI raes with following the Democratic
banner tlnpu hienorance Against this charge,
which has been repeatedly maize by your D ,rty,
/ most sOlemn'y protest. and still further do |
protest against the untOunded boast that u ma.
joritv OF the adopted citizeas-iul by "cti.
zens," mean men who have right to vote
have any sympathy with the dogmls OF the Re-
publican party. The industrious mechanic
knows only too we'll that his labor will be re-
warded properly only so long as we maintain
the Union, an that he will gain nothing by
letting loose horde Of Aric IN negroes, with
no aspirations, and no wants familiar to the i.u.
.ropean or American Mechanic He knows too
well that all the cries about the s.ponr boni.
m IN" are "Iiy protlcrcd in the hope of obtain.
ing fat offices thereby: because he has the un-
deniable fact bef're his eyes that no man, even
the most fan,,ic, abotioni-t, associates with
the African, even it he is free born nun
The people know too well that the negro il
nothing but the stirrup from viii ch the negro
worshipper means to vault into the seat of pow.
err. ~ -
In point of fact, nearly all those of our coun.
trymen who make SO much noise about this sa
very question are the yOun: immigrants, the
majority not able to speak the English language,
and not yet entitled to vote. Sir, these are the
nasses WIN form the mij',rty of the '.in,elli-
gent Germans you and your party SO loudly
proclaim as your supporters. hut, sir, the mas
scs OF the German adopted citizens who have a
right to uofe, are loyal to the Constitution
transmitted to Ia by the Fathers of the Ameri-
can republic. and consider that sacred instru-
ment as the magma c!taria OF our political rights
an | liberties, and not. rs your associates do,
San agreement with DEATH and u covenant with
hell" The majority OF the German adopted
citizens will follow no leader who will not up.
hold the flag and keep step to the music of the
Union. Ia union OF slave States and free
States, uniOn formed by the people Of twelve
slave States an but one free State.
We declare further that we hold only to that
kind Of "higher law" which has its foundation
in the Constitution and is il perfect harmony
with that instrument, and not to the kind OF
higher law which, originates in the brains Of
theorists, expcrim "ntali>ts, and utopians.
II 1t does not suit yon to meet me in Boston,
which appears to me the most fitting place. am
willing to meet YOU in any town or city this or
the other side of Mason ard Dixon's line
Philadelphia. Milwaukee, Richmond, Va, or
New Orleans, L..
Sir, 1t took you the other day, in New York,
three hours and II half to abuse one man with.
out evenprovins on point against his doctrines
Ito which. let me tell you, do not fully, in
all their details, subs .ribe; bnt |, plain, hum
Bile, uneduc't d m n, Originally mechanics
cabinet maker) propose to demolish the whole
structure Ut the Republican party in fifteen
minutes, provided you will answer the ques-
lions shall pat to you, fairly and squarely.
hope you will receive this communication in
the same kind spirit in which it is rendered
you, and have the honor to subscribe myself,
Yours respectfully. SAMUEL STERN.