The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1868-04-02
:, i ,, '..g r For the St. Cloud Journal.
70 THE GERMAN DEMOCRACY OF
STEARNS COUNTY.

J. FEL1ow' C1T1zENs.-I desire to ad.
dress you on the political questions
which divide the people Of this Repub-
lie, and shall do 50 with greater pleas.
ure from, the fact that 1 am somewhat
acquainted with the history Of your na-
tive land and with the character of
the German people. Less ardent and
mcrcurial than the natives Of the south
of Europe, guided BY reason more than
by impulse, they are yet capable OF the
most heroic and patriotic effort when
the deep enthusiasm Of their thoughtful
natures is thoroughly: awakened nor
is there brighter spot in the history
Of Europe than the glorious uprising
Of the Germans in 1918, to vindicate
their oppressed, nationality and deliver
the ::Fatherland" from the lnbearable
tyranny OF Napoleon. As adopted cit
i iz4ns q Of this great republic, you are
distinguished nlss for industry, thrift and
perseverance,, and it is with deep regret
that sec, you iasthe ranks, of a politi.
cal party which is conservative merely
to preserve abuses, which is tho enemy
Of national credit and of national faith,
aud ~hichosympathizes via, those who
have recently been arr,yed in armed
hostility against the national unity and
life: Most Of you are doubtless famil.
lar With the causes of the late civil war.
I shall not therefore give a detailed nc.
count Of them. Neither shall proceed
to prove the ublawfulness of slavery,
since .hatis generally admitted through.
out the civilized world. The Republi-
eau party, in its inception and early
history, had no intention or desire to
interfere With the domestic institutions
Of the Southern States. Its object was
to prevent an evil, acknowledged and
dep!ored by the founders Of the Repub.
lic, from 7nlimited expansion, and to
preserve the vast territories of the
West: for free labor and free men,
This aroused the indignation of the
slave-holding aristocracy which ruled
the Southern people, and being beaten
at Presidential election, they appealed
to the sword to destroy the government
they cauld no longer control. After q
formidable and bravely contested strug.
gle Of four years. duration, the rebels
were thoroughly conquered and the in.
tegrity of the nation preserved. To
this glorious result the emancipation
measure, dictated by military necessity,
moaterially contributed ; nor could the
South justly complain at being aepriv.
ed of a species Of property, ros re'og:
nized. BY the lawfof nations, held under
our constitution and laws, after it had
taken, up arms 70 subvert both. A
still greater absurdity is contained in
the complaints ofthe Democracy against
the, Administration and the Union par
ty during the war, because a few fac
tious traitors were arrested aud impris.
oncd without legal tri,l. These bad
men we're aiding tho enemy while living
onier the protection Of our dag, and in
such an emergency the national prescr.
vation is and must be the supreme
law. The Constitution, excellent as i,
is, does not reach every possible contin-
gency, and it certainly never was IN.
tended asa strait jacket, to bind the
arms of freemen 6gk ting with rebels
and traitors to preserve the national ex-
istence, Since the close Of the war
the conquered rebels have been treated
With q leuity aud forbearanoe almost
without example in the history Of the
world. Not siugls individual has suf:
fered death for treason, and the bulk Of
| the, landed property of the South still
remains in possession Of those who but
1ecently were in ar,ns again.t the gov-
ernsnsnt.' The jus. and m,asggn,ninmtio, to,s
terms Of reconstruction offered by Con
grsss would have besn thankfully q, &C. .
oepted by the Southern whites, had no,
their hopes and :annimnosities been re-
awakened BY ! peradious aud reneead,
|oPresidcns, backed BY the Democracy Of
the North Congress aud the Republi.
can party are determ,ned that the freed.
men Of the South shall have the rish,
Of suffrage for two rcasons, viz: :.s be.
r. .stt e ~ s2s1ut9s E3tx 2EtF9a - = S-S
cause It ID both just anu necessary.tfel'
1ia just bsoause our government pro.
: claimed their freedom and invited them