The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1871-07-20
from the Iowa State Regisiter.l
HARLAN AND THE 0BRN8AN1

(From the Iowa state Rsgisiter.l
I HARLAN AND THH oHRsMANS.
II will be remembered that the Ad-
dress recently issued to the German
Republicans of Iowa, by D committee
appointed by the German gentlemen
in attendance upon the late RepubIi-
can StateC Convention,i in discussingithe
question Of our next Senatorial sue
cession, went 80 far as to commit the
Germans in the Republican party as
unanimously opposed to the re-elec-
ton Of Senator Harlan. This OK
preston, since the Address has OBJ
tanned general circulation, has been
emphatically disavowed by largo
number Of those in whose name it
profeesed to spcak, while many of the
Germans who are opposed to Mr..
Harlan have not been slow in char
actcrixing the statement as unau
thorized and injudicious. In circles
not German, the avowal created sur
prise, for thinking men know and
can conjure up no reason why tho
Germans, simply "a Germans, should
be against Mr.. Harlan. As citizens
of the, State in common with all ma
'tionalities and natives, as members
of the Republican party like with
native and foreign born, it is to be
presumed, and the presumption is
most reasonable, that they, like 9TH
or men, would Judge of candidates as
individuals and not as mass. There
is no Germany in America, and, as
to citizenship, no Germans in Iowa.
The men who were born in Germany
and now live in 10 va, SO far as law
and classification IN either State or
partylis concerned, are Americans as
much rs the men born in New England.
There is no reason for, no excuse to
justify them, in preserving a German
clan in politics or in anything else of
q public nature. No difference what
they have been, or where born, they
are now Americans and not Ger
mans. There is here no limo separa-
ting them from other people, there
can be no line. To attempt to draw
this line, is not to recognize tie
genius of our institutions, and run
counter to the purpose and object of
our Government.
These things being true, the Ger
mans, as mass, not only recognizing
their force. but approving them as
wise aud good, emphat;cally depre-
cate all attempts at making the Ger
man citizen or German Republican o
different person from any other per-
son of the same class or affiliation.
United on common principles and on
measures of party policy, the Repub.
lican who may have been German
born can have no interest, politically,
separate from the Republican who is
Iowa, born. Believing this, and hon.
oring it, the German Republicans
have quite generally not only depre-
Gated but disavowed the expression
by which all Of them in the party in
this State were announced as opposed
to Senator Harlan. Farther than
this ono of tho rigncrs of the address,
Mr.. +. A. Steinn etz of Council
Bluffs, publishes card in the Non
paries, in which he states that the
Committee issuing gave no author
ity to the gentleman writing the Ad-
dress to insert the anti-Harlan clause.
We quote his own words:
endorse all the points made in
this call, with the exception of the
last one, to.wit: in reference to SEN
ator Harlan; and l do most emphat.
icall deny that Mr.. Harlan's name
was mentioned in any way, shape or
manner whatever, in that Conven-
ton. Mr.. Theodore Guelich, of Bur-
lington, Chairman of the Committee,
was instructed by the Committee to
issue an address to the German Re-
publicans Of the State of Iowa, and
certain points were given to him to
embody in this address, and then
sign, among other names, mine to
this address. This gentleman over-
stepped his instructions, and used
the name Of Senator Harlan without
any one Of the Committee having
given him authority to do SO; and,
moreoveE as / have mentioned here.
tofore, the name Of Mr.. Harlan was
not brought forward at all in the
Convention o. Committee meeting.
For my part, should not have en-
dorsed the action of tho Convention
or Committee had a resolution been
passed Of the nature of the one ap-
pearipg in the aforesaid address
When | vote for man do not ask
to what church be belongs, nor what
is his religion, but what are his poll.
tics, and what is his standing in soci-
city, and his moral character. These
are tho only questions on which l
satisfy myself, and in this regard
the character of Mr.. Harlan stands
above reproach.