The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1872-03-23
Fred. Hecker


our English speaking citizens have had
reason 10 be envous of their German ra-gh-
bors during the past week in no. being ale
10 enjoy with them the intellectual least spg,.aG
for them by their distinguished countryman.
COL Fred. Hecker. Col. H., IS mos; ot our
readers are aware, was one of the leaders of
those vast popular upnslngs in Europe dur
ing lSiS which, in 4 brief month or two. I'M
seated half the kings on the continent; I'M
when, a few months later, the Reaction came.
was compelled, with much more of the lest
intellect OF Europe, to seek safety in flight 10
the hospitab!e shores of free America, where,
with such compeers as Carl Shurz. Gustayus
koerner, Franz Siegel, Brentano, Hoffman,
@c., &c., he soon took a high place amoug
our leading politicians, warriors and states
men. Col. Hecker, during his brief visit, ia-
vorcd our German citizens with two lectures
in their own language, the first, on Cromwell
and Lincoln, and the other on the so-callcd
Reddick Temperance Law.
The lecture on Cromwell and Lincoln of
which We were fortunate enough to hear the
greater part, was really mastery production,
brm full OF sound philosophy, acute analysis,
sharp points, and flashes of exquisite humor
The parallel between Lincoln and Cromwell
lay IN the facts OF poor parentage conn on to
both, their common struggles in early life. and
their attainment to high political advance
ment by their own unaded force of character.
They were alike in capacious intellect in adj
mnlstrativc ability and strategic genius. In
character, however, the "parallel" ran into a
contrast. Lincoln was honest, open, manly,
sincere-a servant of the people in whom he
had confidence and on whom he always relied.
Cromwell was cold, calculating, despotc dis
trustful, enigmatic, The quotation of many
of Lincoln's blunt, pithy sentences and little
anecdotes so pregnant with meaning, con-
trasted with the tangled, unintclligible, end
less verbiage Of Cromwell was exceedingly
happy and brought down the house" We
occupied back seat, near the door, where
the constant shut11ing of feet and passing in
and out rendered distinct hearing often mn
possible, 80 that we make no nretense OF civ
ing even remote outline of lhls most able
lecture.
Tie lecture on the new temperance bill has
been printed for gratuitous circulation, we
believe, and such a synopsis as we could give
OF 1t here would necessarily fail to do it iu.-
tice. OF course Col. Hecker opposes The law
with all his might and MAN," and it must
be admitted that some of his points are hard
to answer. Briefly, he maintains the law to
be unconstitutional because it impa,rs the
obligation OF contracts in the matter of prop.
crty leased to men engaged in selling liquor :
that 1t is outrageous in that it Furnishes one
man for another mans otfense; that it intro
duces rules vt evidence unknown to our laws
that 1t authorizes unreasonable searches and
seiznrcs,' that its tendency IS to breed con-
| tempt for aw,--&c., &c.
M'. Hecker is 4 wel-preserved man of fifty
odd years, about It. 6 in. high, of stou: frame.
tlorld complexion, wears a white gostee, and
weighs nearly 200. He speaks with clearness
in moderate tone, except on occasions when
he rises into great earnestness and energy,
moving his audience with the power that
moves himself Had he mastered the English
language equally with Shurz, we have no
doubt he would to-day he regarded us his
peer