Weekly Trinity journal., 1864-10-29
A German to his Countrymen.

In the telegraphic dispatches this week APP
peared an item of terrible significance to Ger
mans,-an item which shows what we may eI-
pect from Democratic friends if peace is made
Democratic basis. Here it is:
The guerrilla Todd "a General in Prices
nv entered the German settlement in Lafayette
county on Friday night and murdered twenty
eight Germans. He fired their houses and COM
PEELED the women to remain in them until the
roofs were about to fall, when they were allowed
to escape"
Germans how do you like this picture? The
scenes which transpired during the Indian mas
sacres in Minnesota in 1862. were mild compared
to this act of heightened, chivalrous General
in the rebel army. The Indians killed their vic
tins and then fired their dwellings, but it remain
ed for the rebels of Missouri to teach them and
US that they were but noyices in the art OF cru
city What intense sati sfaction it must have
been for the rebels after numbering the twenty
eight Germans, to see their wives Gagged up IN
burning houses, and hear the shreks OF despair,
to see their garments and hair in a blaze ana
to witness the agony of a mother, who h1vng
seen her husband murdered in cold blood, now
feels herself and children doomed TO hrey
death But what was the crime OF these Ger
mans that such terrible vengeance was visited
upon them
! | will tell you. They were Union men-rnen
who having sworn fea!ty to our Government
thought their oath too holy to break. And they
were unfortunate enough to be countrvmen OF
Sicel. Osterhaus, Which, Max Weber, and 9TH
er German officers we'll though not very favora-
/ bly, known in rebeldom That was Their CRIME,
"a crime which the Democratic outlaws OF Price 5
rrnv saw fit To DuniSh with death to the men.
and punishment worse than death TO the wo-
men and children.
Was there a Black Republican or an . Abb
olitionist belonging to the murderous crew who
dyed their hands in your brothers blood Is
there doubt that every one of them will vote the
| Democratic ticket that every one of them cur
ses Lincoln and bases his hopes on Mcclellan
election and the triumph of the Chicago Plat
form And still YOU called upon by your
leaders-and their cheeks ought to blush with
! shame-to receive those very men with open
arms--to make peace with that mnrderous brood
of blood -hounds-to give them full liberty and IL
censc to kill every German in Missouri who be-
lieveS it his duty to vote the Democrdttc tick
ct! Shame upon vou Germans if You have no
more maniness than to bend your knees to the
tyrants, although labeled = Democratic. And
shame upon You if you do not reject with scorn
and contempt any other peace than one winch
will subiugate or if necessary extcrmlnate, such
demons rs the rebel Gen. Todd : guerrilla force.
Price is again driven from Missouri, and many
of his men viii find their way to California 1t
NAV be that in due time some of Todd murder
ers will find their way to Trinity county. In
such case you will find them regarded as heroes
bv your Democratic leaders here they Will be
the lions of the day-the prominent men Ill your
conventions, the speakers at your meetings your
candidates at election. And you who perhaps
had friends perhaps relatives in Lafayette coun-
IL. i r,.h
men, and no shrinking back will be allowed, for
they are good Democrats. They curse the Adj
mnistration and declare this war to be a wicked
crusade against Il free people. What better
proof do you require that their Democracy is
sound True they have murdered a few Dutch.
but what Of that? The ID Dutch have no
business to be anything else but Democrats, say
they: if they happen to think differently they
must be punished. Sound rebel logic, is it not
Germans Of Trinity remember the fate of our
countryncn in Missouri show your adherence
of the cruel dastardly act by uaitiug yourselves
firmly with Il party whose aim and only aim it is
TO restore our Union, to give peace and security
to every citizen. no matter what ticket he votes.
and which alone can and will save our brethren
in the States from the tender mercles of rebel
guerrillas That party is the Union party. Al
over the United States you find the Germans i'll
the front ranks of the great Union party. Let
US of California notla behind All the German
newspapers of ability fight for the Union cause
the few that do not are edited by men fifty
characterized as the "Lanzknechte der deut
schcn Prcssc--men who advocate Democratic
principles for bread, and who will sell them
selves to the Devil if he only bids high enough.
In old Fatherland Austria and Prussia were
forced by public sentiment to make war against
Denmark to wrest two German provinces from
the Danish king. The people of Schleswig-liol-
stein fought for Union with the other German
States. Every German looks sorrowtuly upon
the pitiful condition of his mother country, di-
vided as it is into little petty States, and signs
over the want of unity. They see their eoun-
try, which by right ought to be, as it was in
times of yore, the first empire of Europe, by
word and reproach among foreign nations. Why
is it so? What has brought about such a dcplo-
rIbe state of affairs Is it not because our
country is divided-bccause our forefathers for
got that sin Union there is strength" If you
wish to your adopted country in the same
condition vote the Democratic ticket. IT, how
ever, experience has made you wise.--if You
wish to live under great, free Government,
powerful at home, and feared and therefore re-
spected.abroad, vote the Union ticket with Abra-
ham Lincoln at its head. Democracy means the
Chicago P.atform-the Chicago Platform means
submission to the rebels, and cowardly surren-
der of all we have fought for,-t means disso-
luton of the Union, anarchy, and all its horri- |
bic consequences.
You are left to choose-choose wisely. Not
alone fate, but the fite of universal liberty,
the fate Of freedom in Germany and all Europe
depends upon it. Let not the name of Democra-
CT hold you spel-bound, but the sth of No.
vember show that you fit to be free and indie
pendent citizens of our adopted country.
A GERMAN.
To UNION MEs.-Next week we shall publish