Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-04-16

About Carl Schurz.
In 1885, when Carl Schurz was a candidate
for the seat he now occupies as United States
senator, be found that the democratic party of
Missouri were speculat ting upon local discussions
IN the republican ranks to help them in getting
coutrol of the legislature. In view OF this dam
ger, be wrote as follows:
1T frequently happens that men whose per-
sonal expectations have been disappointed, mag
nifty their grievances in their own mind, and,
by assiduouS persuasion, arrive, finally, at the
conclusion that those who have been more fortu-
nate in obtaining recognition by the party, or
gaining popular favor, must necessarily be bad
and unworthy men. Our watchful opponents
are apt to take advantage of this sort of
mental disposition, and to bend all their en-
ergies upon fostering the elements of discord
In this way men, who originally meant to do
right, are led 10 cooperate with them in dam
aging the cause which is entitled to their sup
port. Every man who has the least regard for
the great objects The radical party is to achieve
onght TO be well on his guard in this respect,
10 become a tool in the hands of the common
enemy IS about the lowest point of political re-
spectabiilty member of the radical party can
reach IN this crisis, whatever his personal
grievances may be-"
Schurz can hardly COMPLAIN of being judged
out OF his own mouth. What was true of pc
ntleal morality in 1868, is surely not antiquated
IN 1Sl2.-N. Y. Times
views from which this passage is taken, he was
seeking very earnestly to have the republicans
of the Missouri legislature elect him United
States SENATOR and it was true, also, that, up TO
that time, he had talked, acted, and been exces-
sively praised, as a republican. He was elected
United States senator; but some of those who
worked infuentially to secure his election, did
so with considerable miSgiving. A few days
after he was elected, we met in Washington two
prominent and influential Missouri republicans,
intelligent men who have never BETRAYED a
trust nor dishonored their principles, and said
to them: You Missourans have done good
thing in eecting Carl S.hurz senator: he will
do good service A conversation followed, in
which their views were expressed substantially
as follows ''lt seemed best on the whole
TO elect Mr.. Schurz, but we don't feel about
him just as you do; some men are praised
too much and some not enough; we fear Mr..
Sehurz has been praised more than he deserves:
in fact, some of us doubt whether he can be
trusted"
This talk surprised us, for we had known
Schurz well, and-admired bis ability and what
we supposed to be his superiority to unworthy
motives. He came to this country as a political
refugee, after the attempted German revolution
Of 1913. He was web educated, had gift fol
oratory, and very naturally became a republican
IN politics. Il was easy to praise him, TO believe
in him without much inquiry, and to assume
that his moral greatness in dealing with public
questions was even superior to his intellectual
ability. And yet it is true, as our Missouri
friends pointed out in the conversation to
which we refer, that he has not really done
anything, since ms arrival in this country,
to justify the praise so freely bestowed upon
him. He has sought constantly to secure pub
lie attention and gain some important official
position, Pursuing this object, he has changed
his residence from one state to another Mos
of us remember his struggles and failures in
connection with desired nominations for the
goyernorship, and for some other offices, in
Wisconsin. 1t was commendabe in him TO be
republican and advocate republican princi-
piles; but, on the other hand, it was due entirely
to the eager good will of republicans that he
was so excessively praised, and became so gen
orally known, and not to anything he did,
Finally, the Missouri republicans made him
United States senator; and within fifteen months
after being elected to that Office he joined con-
spiracy to betray them. He acted with Gratz
Brown and others to form a combination with
the democrats, which defeated the republican
party of Missouri and elected Frank P. Blair,
Jf., senator. How he could do this we have
never been able to understand without taking a
view OF his character wholly different from that
wi ,n9
In his case, something may be due to lack
of sound judgment, and something to
mental habits acquired in the school
of European reyolufionism. 1t can be seen,
also, that too much praise has given him an ex-
travagant over estimate of his own personal
lmporta nee. Still, how could Carl Sehurz,
without even the slightest provocaton or show
of good reason, so basely betray the Missouri
republicans who had just elected him TO the high
est position to which he can be elevated in this
country? How could he do it? Certainly, the
two Missouri republicans to whom we have re-
terred, saw him more clearly than we did, and
formed a much more accurate estimate of his
character. There was reason for doubling
whether he could be trusted
The course pursued by Carl Schurz, during
the last year, shows the same turn of character
and the same inscriptions treatment OF princi-
pie, which appeared in his shameful behavior to
the republicans Of Missouri. His treachery has
placed him in a very awkward position, from
which he sees no way of escape, unless his Gin
cinnati mass meeting can do for tue whole coun-
try what he and bis fellow conspirators did in
Missouri. The extract from his utterances in 1865
fifty describes and rebukes the motives of the
proposed pilgrimage to Cincinnati. No expla-
nation Of these motives can be more exact, no
rebuke of Schurz himself more pertinent or more
richly deserved. If he would do as well as he
can talk, he might be such man as we former
ly supposed him TO be-