Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-09-21
Speech of Carl Schurz at Nashville,
Tenn.

Nashville, Tenn, 20. Carl Schurz made
his promised speech at the capitol to-day to
a. immense audience representing all parties
and all sections of Tennessee. His arrival
in the hall was greeted with loud applause.
He began by stating that Notwithstanding
captious remarks relative to his accepting an
invitation from prominent men who had been
rebels, he was happy to meet all steadfast
union men, and equally happy to stretch out
his hand to all men who had stood against the
government during the war but are now ready
to work the restoration of universal peace,
harmony, friendship and true brotherhood.
He thanked unionists and confederates, re-
publicans and democrats, native and adopted
citizens, white and black, for the friendly
welcome extended him. He had no selfish
aspirations, his audience had nothing to give
him, he had attained the highest, and political
position attainable to foreign born citizens,
under the constitution. He would utter nat
ural convictions of his mind without fear and
impartiaDity. Proceeding to discuss the pres
ent condition OF public affairs, he said that
general amnesty should no longer be post
poned, it would tend to dispel the feeling of
alienation caused in the south by the
the results of the war. just. generous and
concilatory policy should be adopted; it was
necessary to return without delay to sound
practices of constitutional government, local
self government should be restored to that
freedom which belonged to it. Great abuses
had grown up to civil service and must be
corrected; our system of import duties needed
a change; taxes must be reduced, return to
specie payment must be made, corruption in
high prices rebuked, influence of corportions
of tremendous power guarded against and
sanctions of grants Of public lands stopped.
These were, he said, the problems to lie solved
and his views were shared by millions of lib
eral republicans at the North; some Of them
were of special interest to the South. He i'm
pressed upon his audience the Importance of
the South laboring for reform. SO long
disorders prevailed the North would not
Weld to its liberal and progressive impulses.
He said that was not caused by antag
onsm between slavery and free labor but
slavery brought on the rebellion and caused
its defeat, it isolated the South from the
world. France and England dared not enter
fere against free labor. The South should
profit by the result of the struggle which was
hopelessly lost, and can never be reversed.
He referred to the change in arairs at the
South, and the necessity of change of the
social and political organization based on
a principal of equity The reconstruction
acts were not the offspring of hatred and vim
dictiveness but of stern necessity, to protect
those both white and black who stood by the
union, and to prevent reaction and future
troubles. The Southern people would resort
to all possible experiences except that of
free labor in its true form and free labor mus
and would be maintained, secured and devel-
oped on the struggle, would be fought over
tor their political privileges by which freemen
maintain their rights,
He asked if the South was placed in the po-
stion of the North, would it have done less2
He was emphatic in his disapprobation of
the policy of the present administration, and
in his expressions of apprehension of the re-
suit of our republican institutions to follow
its power only of deliverence from which he
considered to be through the cooperation of
the sincere patriots of all parties in political
organization, which would insure the aboli-
ton of sectional bitterness from national pol
itics. Such organization would command the
confidence and secure the hearty cooperation
of those who would support it in preference
to the administration party, but could not
conscentiously act with the democratic party.
Such movement would secure the support
of the entire German element of the nation,
and true patriots of all parties, ald result in
genuine restoration of the Union.