American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-08-24
Senator Schurz 10 the Germans of
Chicago.

Senator SchurZ addressed a large gath
ering of Germans in Chicago a few even
ings ago. We give a synopsis of his re-
marks as taken from the Chicago papers:
The Republican party had given into the
hands of the free laborers of the South the
same power which their Northern brethren
had always enjoyed-the ballot, and il was
to be expected that the whites of the South
should endeavor to destroy this result, and
it was the duty of the National Government
then to protect the people and endeavor to
satisfy and content the Southern people with
the new order of things. 1t was to be ex
pected that the great political power placed
in the hands of the ignorant black people
would be at first greatly misused, and the
granting of a universal amnesty to the
whites of the South was necessary in order
to conciliate all classes with the new
order of things, and the Republican party
did not grant this amnesty until the Cincin-
natl Convention had written it upon its ban
ner and only granted it then because it
would have been dangerous to longer with
hold it.
The cause of the introduction of carpet
bag Governments was introduced and illus
trated, and North Carolina given as speci-
| men of such rule. \ debt of fifteen million
dollars at the close of the war, now
| thirty-fOur millions of dollars, of which six
teen millions, granted by the Legislature for
| railroad purposes, was stolen, with the eX-
| ception of about two hundred thousand dol
| lars, for which the State has about ten miles
| of railroad to show; and other States iii the
| South were in similar condition, and for all
| this corruption the present men in power
| were responsible. Only a few weeks since
Cabinet officers were travelling through North
| Carolina. urging upon the people the re-
| election of the same class of officers. Such
! a course on the part of the preseut Admins
| tration could not but embitter the people OF
the South, who had a right to expect the
| protection of the Government from their
| present oppressors.
The corruption engendered by the long
lease of power held by the Republican party
few men i'll Congress to purify the party
| from corrupt officials was, as in the case of
the New York Custom House, thwarted by
the same means which were used in the
Southern States In order to be good Re-
publican, it was now necessary for an honest
| man to hold his tongue about the corruption
existing and, for his part, he would not
| continue with a party who demanded such a
sacrifice from honest men. The effect on
| the incoming generation of this country, in
having the present examples of our officers
| before them, could not but be demOralzing,
and all healthy views OF the duties OF cltl-
| zens to their country would be lost sight of.
| The violation of the Constitution by its
Chief Officer, in the San Domingo affair, was
| denounced i'll terms of honest Indignation
| If we wish to retain our liberties, ii Is neces-
sary to watch all usurpations of power by
| officials, and that party which connlves al
| such usurpations is guilty of the same crime
| The retention OF military officers iii civil
offices was another open violation of ouI
| Constitutions to which tine President and hi.
| Cabinet officers a party. The overpay
| meut of contractors and the sale of arms by
| Cabinet officers were whitewashed by Con
| gressional Committees, although a nigran,
violation of our laws was perpctrated, and il
| is now conceded by our Government that 8
| violation of our laws was allowable when 8
| Cabinet officer cOnstrues such violation as tt
| the ultimate gain of the Treasury Ii hlgt
l,aff Ig.ra. .at
not to be expected that the minor Officials
| would pay much attention to existing laws
| Party dcspotism was next illustrated
Among forty or fifty thousand officials, not
dozen dare, at the present time, TO say III:
soul is his own, and they are to-day the alb
ject slaves OF the Government, and should
one dare to raise his head it would immcdi
| ately he dccapitated. Among the ,4o2 ar
rests Under the Ku Klux law, only two had
been brought to trial, and the balance wer,
Informed that if they were good Grant mel
no further trouble would be made. The pie
biscite of Napoleon Ill, where the votes o
| the people were directed from the Tuilleries
is being initiated in this country, and til,
freedom of the ballot was in danger, anC
even the public press was being bought W
by the Government all over the country
Senators Sumner, Trumbull, and the speak
er's own case, were cited to show how tn,
Grant press throughout the country wer,
emulous among themselves who could cal
these men the foulest names and make then
out rs the biggest scouudrcls in the land.
| The ailusion of the speaker to his pride il
being called ~ he German Senator" aud hi:
uuflinching adherence 10 German iaLcgTitl
was received by the audience Wit three
rousing cheers. If the right could no lonsel
be pursued within the Republican party, il
was high time and necessary to do so outside
| of the party II the speaker was proud %
| anything, it was that he never told the peo
pie anything he did not believe himself, auC
the candidacy of Horace Greeley was sup
ported by and approved by him fully. Al
though he conceded that the nomination
was not the best that could have been mad
at Cincinnati, yet, if he could not yet thu
best he would be satisfied with the mex
best. and those who supported Greeley coul'
do so with a clear conscience. The enormit!
| Of the shortcomings of the present Admin