Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1860-10-10
CARL SCHURZ.

We find in an exchange the following inter.
estlng sketch of the life of Carl Schurz. He
was porn 81 years ago, in Bonn on the Rhine
In the Prussian dominions. In l849, he join.
eu the constitutional army, and sharing In its
| reverses, was sentenced to death for high
treason. For three days and nights, after the
Prussians had entered Rastadt, he lay con-
cealed In shed, on a beam or rafter, Just
vide enough to conceal his person from the
| eyes OF those who stood below. A guard of
some kind was stationed in tie very house to
which this shed belonged, and every night the
soldiers assembled on the floor beneath his hi
| ding place, and danced to the music of the
| trumpet. On the fourth night heavy shower
OF rain gave him the first opportunity Of at
tempting an escape, and he jumped from the
roof upon achicken-coop,w which broke down un-
der him with loud crash, though without at
tracting the notice of the sentry who was, or
ought to have been, but few wards off. By
the assistance of his friends he reached a sew
er, and thus obtained the outside of the forti-
hcatlons. Even here there was sentry, but,
by following closely behind him as he walked
by, he managed to gain a cover before the
sentry turned on his beat. He made his way
to Paris, and remained there a considerable
time, in the vain hope of favorable turn in
the affairs of his native country. In little
book published by the chief spy of Bona
parties police, he received honorable mention
as ''the most audacious and most adroit'' of
the eXiles, who, while constantly active could
never be ensnared into any act furnishing a
pretext even to the liberal conscience of a
Bonaparte for his extradition. At this time
the public opinion of Germany was much a.
reused by the cowardly vengeance wreaked
by the PruSsian Government on Godfrey
kinkel, townsman of Schurz's, professor,
who had joined the constitutional movement
al the same time with himself. This man, a
poet, OF delicate frame, highly educated, and
accustomed to all the refinements of life, was
imprisoned at Berlin, dressed as a convict,
his hair cropped short, and forced to labor at
wool-carding, and to room and mess with
felons. Schurz, having determined to rescue
him, repaired to London, collected the means,
and made the arrangements. With a forged
passport he travelled direct to Berlin, left his
papers with the police over night, obtained a
rise for some other town the next morning
and instead of proceeding, took lodging in a
boarding house. There he remained for six
weeks, going to Spandau every day, and re-
turning late at night, when the policeman was
always so obliging as to unlock the door of
his boarding house for him. All the arrange
ments having been completed, he carried off
Kinkel in coach one rainy night, together
with his keeper. Relays of horses were in
readiness from station to station, until they
reached the sea shore, where pilot boat re-
ceived them. They landed at Hull or Yar-
mouth long be fore the government had the
most remote idea of the prisoners whereabouts.
In 1851 Mr.. Schurz came TO this country and
took up his abode in Philadelphia. He was,
at that time, almost ignorant of the English
language. The necessity of learning our
language became at once obvious, and the
German exile set to work reading nothing but
English. To his constant perusal of the daily
papers, Mr.. Schurz attributes much of his
success in learning our language. He now
speaks it with perfect fuency, correctness of
pronunciation, and familiarity with phrase
ology. With the exception of Rufini, the l.
Italian writer. and Kossuth, no foreigner has
more completely mastered the English. At
ter remaining in Philadelphia three or four
years, Mr.. Schurz removed to Wisconsin, and
commenced the practice of the law at Milwau-
kee. His residence is, however, at Water
town, some distance in the interior of the
State. 1t is only two three years since Mr..
Schurz made his first political speech in En-
glish. in one of the Western towns. He was
successful, and since that time has spoken fire.
quentiy, in all parts of the country. His
speech delivered at the Cooper institute was
written on Lake Erie steamboat, during
days detention at Detroit by storm.