Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1864-03-25
The Radical Germans and the
PreSideMCy.i "'

e. Much satisfaction is expressed by Copper
head newspapers at indications Of an ire
concilable element in the Republican party
e against President Lincoln's reelection. The
b" Radical Germans. they say, are determin-
q ed to run Fremont if Lincoln is pominated at
: Baltimore. But in this they are mistaken
The Germans will never assist, directly or in
directly, in fastening Copperhead Admin
istration upon the country. .s-, w
a. We admire the deep and firm attachment
for free principles exhibited by our German
friends. Manyof them periled their lives and
sacrificed their property to establish their cher
ished opinions in their native land. Their fun.
damental doctrine no rat,onalman can dispute
1t is, that, as this war was caused by slavery,
which is in total conflict with liberty and our
free institutions, the nation cannot be perms-
nently saved under free institutions except BY
entirely roofing out the slavery system and
adopting the theory that all mankind are
created equal" and government has no
more right to make a slave than a king"
This is good doctrine for propagandist, but
. has not been until recently, if it is yet, good
policy for the statesman. The statesman
should always have ., clear perception of
what ought to be done, but at the same time
he should not forget to inquire how much of
what ought to be done can be done. He need
not compromise his principles he only aims
at as much as he may conceive Of possible &C
complshmert. Mt so with the mere p1opa.
gandist.o He asks no such questions. He
should not attempt to thrust his extreme
views upon the people unless there is a ma
jority to sustain him. By so doing he may
lose the advantage he has already gained, and
give the enemy triumph.
o. The objection of the radicals to President
Lincoln is that he did not at first move off in
tho right direction-was too slow to under
stand and apply the remedy for the nations
calamity. Had the Administration attempts
ed, ;, at the outset, to act upon the doctrines Of
these radicals, we verify believe the whole ma
ton would to-day be under the dominion of
the Southern traitors. The people of the
North were not then ready to sustain such q
policy. They have been slowly but surely
brought to believe in the efficacy Of confsca-
ton, emancipation and the employment Of
black troops-measures which were generally
condemned when first proposed. e5i
The German radicals are beginning to un.
derstand that from all the utterances of MIR.
Lincoln, as we'll as from the steady steps he
has taken in the positive march of public
sentiment, he thoroughly sympathises with
them, ard has regarded their views like a
statesman who asks for wha. can be done
toward the work that should be accomplish
ed. We have evidence of this in a letter just
published, written by Mr.. g. G. Eisemyer,
prominent and intelligent German citizen of
St Clair county, Illinois. He says President
Lincoln is acceptable to him and to a great
portion of the Germans, and declares emphat-
ically that we must all act together and
support the nominee, whoever he may be,
regardless of private interests, feelings and
opinions"
This is the correct doctrine. The march
of public sentiment is steadily onward to.
ward the establishment of the Union under
free institutions, and whoever shall be the
choice of the, majority Of the party will truly
represent the progressive spirit of the age.