The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1871-04-29
FRsk LEIPzIG. Z
LsrPzIa, March Il, 1871


TO the Rds.or q NE woaxwssAss ADspassn.
So we have peace then-cn paper.
Cannons were fred. when the glorious
news came, bells set in motion, illumin-
stious srranged and no pcpslas en-
thusiasm produced. The peace, like
the taking Of Paris. had been discount
ed in advance, and when the slow fast
reached the goal where swift wish had
arrived long before, the Illusions were
either gone already, or not in their 6rst
bloom any more. And one thought
was uppermost in every mind: this
peace cannot last h svsry misd This
10 no exaggsrstion, it is the simple.
plain truth. which you may see reflect
ed in our newspapers You know the
part these latter have been playing in
the present war how they dashed the
people on, and tried to stife the voice
OF humanity and of common sense.
We'll, there ID not one political paper
IN Germany-never mind of what col
or-which did not, with more or lees
frankness, express its conviction, that
the peace imposed upon France 10
frsught with the seeds Of fresh war |;
and that we must prepare in time for
the coming war, which viii probably be
harder still than the one just past. Our
press 10 exclusively the property Of the
privileged and national Tor patriOtic)
classes and If, nevertheless It makes
this admission in the teeth of official
jubilstion, you may conclude, in wha.
frame Of mind the unsophistiCated mas
ses must be.
And it really seems that Mr., Bis
marck had had the intention, to man
age matters 80, that q reconciliation
between France and Germany is not "a
be thought Of. The triumphal entry
of the Prussian soldiers in Paris is q
wanton insult Paris not having over
come by the Prussians, there was even
no reason Of etiquette for . measure
which is deeply humbling for FrA-ce,
without being Of the slightest advant-
age for Prussia, and can indeed not be
explained. unless We look upon it in the
light Of IN international insult. By the
by Bismarck is an old enemy of Paris
HE hates it, like al Germans, especi-
ally Prussian Younkers becauseAit is the
centre of revolutionary ideas and he
hates it besides on his own account,
because it 10 the largest town Of the
European continent, aud Mr.. Bismarck
is Of opinion that the largest towns are
breeding corruption" and ''faIse civ
ilization" not in accordance with q
Yonker's political notions, and must
therefore be destroyed-the larger the
town the sooner. When he gave utter.
ance to this sentiment (which my coun
tryman and your fellow-citlzeB, Senator
Schurz, will not fail to admire duly Al
coming from such "great and truly
liberal statesman" he had been pro
v0ked by the pregressists inhabitants Of
|, Berlin, who then-it was about siz
years ago-showed a great dislike -
Younkerdom. They have grown more
practical since, and are nov kissing the
rod, they are beaten with, are kissing il
from love, no. fear, since others have
been beaten with it as well. Such ID
human nature md this is the polit-
ical maturity of our middle-Olasses-foI
Of these alone / am speaking. The
workingmen Of Berlin, though they
have much to learn, still have never
forgotten the principles Of democracy
see, your President has in his last
message mentioned the successes o.
Bisma .ck's policy in q manner which
must produce painful establishment in
the heart Of every friend of liberty
The full text of the document is moi
yet known to me- but from the short
abstract published in our newspaper
} the tenor and purport may be guessed
pretty exactly. That Mr.. Grant recog
nizes the Prusso-G German Empire, 10 IN
act of international courtesy, perhaps o
duty, for which no man in his senses will
blame him. But to use this OppOrtuui.
/ ty, to frown upon the men, who, after
enslaving Germany, have waged bar
barous war for the sole purpose o.
overthrowlng the French Republic -
! that is no behavior worthy Of the frs;
magistrate of free people. To exeus.
his Gndigni6ed proceeding, Mr.. Gram
takes an old dull joke Of Mr.. Bancraft'i
as pied della kttas, literal, and wanti
you to believe in right earnest, that The
, constitution of Bismarck and Germany
10 In the essential points. similar 10 the
constitution Of the United States
Either Mr.. Grant has not the faintesI
; idea &C the Prusso- German constitution
or he has not the faintest idea of the
v lifted States constitution. In the lat
: ter case be is bad citizen, in the form
er certainly not fit President. Does
Mr.. Grant not know, that he, 40 al
American President, 10 bat o simple
citizen, forced to obey the law, AND
powerless against the people 2 And
does he not know that the King o.
Prussia commands one of the largest
standing armies ia the world? Doei
Mr.. Grant not know, that the States
forming the American union have uni-
ted by their own free win, while the
States of Germany have been subjected
to Prussia by the swordf Does Mr.
Grant not know that in the American
union the people are all, and that in thu
German mock-confederscy they are
nothingP That there, Law and liberty
rule, while here the sword il domineer'
ing with its: might 10 right
Mr.. Bismarck's "blood and IRON
constitution, similar in essence and
spirit to the glorious work Of the foun
ders of your commonwealth ! Aye,
both constitutions would be alike, II
Count Bismarck's famous prOtotyped,