Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1872-05-16
SPEECH OF CARL sCHURz.

The following is the.speech of the great
German, Carl Schurz, delivered before the
Cincinnati Convention, upon his being
elected permanent President. 1t is replete
with that cloquence, power and high pa
triotic tone that characterize all the pratori-
cal efforts Of this greatest. Of Americas
adopted sons: !,
tbnyAgE ARRaay sesX zen sgEXeH this sfan nSm
parts of the republic, without an emotion
Of astonishplept and hope Astonishment
considering the spentaneity Of the impulse
which has brought it together, apd hope
considering the great purpose for which it
has met. The republic may well congratu-
late itself upon the fact that such meet
ing was possible. Look at the circum-
stances from which it has sprung. We
saw the American people just issued from
a great and successful struggle, and IN the
full pride of their national strength threat
eped with new evils and dangers Of an in
sjdious nature, and the masses OF the
population apparently not aware of them;
We saw ]obbery and corruption stimulated
to unusual audacity by the opportunities m !!
of protracted civil war, invading the
public service of the Government, as we'll
as almost all movements of the social body
and we saw public opinion most deplo-
rably lenient in its Judgment of public
and private dishonesty. we saw the
Government indulging in wanton dlsre-
gard of the lays of the land. and resort
ing to daring assumptions Of unconstltu-
tioSnal power; and we saw the people, ap-
parentfy, at least, acquiescing with reck-
less levity in transgressions threatening
the very life of our free institutions. We
saw those IN authority with tyrannical
insolence thrust the hand of power through
the vast machinery Of the public service
into local and private affairs; and we saw
the innumerable mass Of their adherents
accept those encroachments upon their
independence without protest or resent
ment. We saw men in the highest places
of the republic employ their power andop
opportunities selfish advantage, thus stimu,
latlng the generalization OF our political
life BY their conspicuous example, and the
loud chorus Of partisan syqophaney drown
the voice of honest criticism. We saw
part of our common country, which had
been convulsed by disastrous rebellion,
most grievously suferinghom consequences
of, civil war; and we saw the naughty
spirit in power refusing TO ht up those
who had gone astray and were NOW suffer
ing, by q policy of generous Cancellation
and stateshanship Of common sense. We
observe this, and at the same time the
reckless ard greedy party spirit, in the
name of the great organization crowned
with laurels and glorious achievements,
striving to palliate. or justify these wrongs
and abuses to stife the moral sense Of
! the people, and to drive them, by tyran-
nicai pdrty discipline not only to submit
to this for the present, bptto perpetuate
| it, 50 that the political power Of the conn-
trv might be preserved in the hands o.
| those who possessed it. he who calmly
! and impartiany surveyed this spectacle
could not fail to be deeply alarmed, moi
only at the wrongs that had been and were
| being pcrpetrated, but at the.subjugation
| of tie popular spirit which did not rise up
against them. 1he question might well
4 have been asked. Have the Amerieapr
people become SO utterly indifferent tc
their true interests, to their national
harmony, to the purity Of their political
life. to the integrity OF their free institu'
tions, to the very honor Of the American
name, that they should permit themselves
to be driven like aepk Of sheep BY thost
who assume to lord it over then9 Thai
question has now found an answer. No
| the virtue, the spirit of independence, the
love of liberty, the Republican pride o
the American people are not dead yet
Nor do they mean to let them die, ant
thst answer is given in thunder tones BY
the convention Of American feemep herr
assembled. Indeed, those who month";
ago first raised their voices, did 50 with al
abiding faith that these appeals could no
remain without response. But the volum
of that response has now far exceeded tn
anticipations and the crust Of marrow
prejudices Of selfish partisanship, whicl
but yesterday seemed to stop every fire
pulsation Of the heart, is suddenly burs
asunder. The patriotic citizen rises abov
the partisan; we begin to breathe agail
as fEeemen; We dare again to call thing
by their right names we have once NOR
the courage to break through the decep
ons.with which the popular mind hh
been befogged; we feel once more that on
!, CONNECTIONS of right and wrong are op
own, and that our votes belong TO th
country, and thus we defantly set ou
sense Of duty against the arrogance Of
power like the bngle-blast of. doomg,da.!
1.-The summons is resounding in the Mort