National Republican., 1873-04-03
LETTERS .FROM TIE PEOPLE.
VARIOUS TOPICS OF PUBLIC INTEREST
An Indignant GermRn-No Chance for Law
Abldina Citizens.

An Indignant Gcrmnn-No Chance for Law
Abiding Citizens
An INDIGNANT GERMAN.
The attendance Of Vice President Wilson,
chief Justice Strong, Senator Ferry and other
disni'aries at the meeting Of the American Tract
Society last Sunday night, give to the cNtfaor-
ulnary remarks OF Rev. DR.. Selbeft, a German
minister and professor Of the Theological semi.
nary at Bloomfield, N. j., some Importance,
which otherwise they would hardly deserve. We
extract from the same as follows:
"The Germans here were different than when
"a "a tnelr naive country. He hWl never seen
tnere SO much Vulgarity, profanity and prongacy
as here and he could not refrain from saving to
himself, Was II possible that such a change
could could Iake place IN a people7 Al home most Of
them were miners by occupation and Kept under
strict military, government. About one tavern
would be found In town, and they would not
pe tolerated In such numbers as permitted In
There were three hundred German papers
publlshed In this country, and most OF them were
hostile 70 religion, and ho regretted that most
guage, that they might SEQ the artlcips that an
pearel IN the German press OF this country on
the subject Of religion.
ln1dels In this country was because inc iast
spark OF religion was eNtlnguiahed on their ar
rlVal 10 America by the German press. In onler
to make money they abuse religion"
- ah HItANNtF hnOulU, hpIOrp Tor
elgn audience, containing such high function.
aries as were assembled here last sunday night,
defame his countrymen and make statements
about them which, to say the least, are utterly
false, would he not be scorned at by every true
American abroad and at homes Would he not
be considered miserable toady to foreign In.
nuence, unworthy Of the confidence and esteem
OF any OF his countrymcnt We ask that quea-
tlon without passion, knowing that our Ameri-
can fellow-cltikens will understand and apprc-
clate our feelings In this instance.
Vice President Wilson and others Of the GEN.
tlemen present have so often assured the Ger
mans In this country that they are very good
citizens; that they are Industrious, peaceful and
must have been quite surprialnR TO them 10
listen TO the sweet accent OF the German rev.
erend, Informing them that his countryinen are
ln-the Old country. They must have been eauailv
astonished at the learned statement Of this Gef
man professor, that "at home most OF them are
Ihe mtss, py oSI1PSIon 9Pd sept under sc,
In Germany, "where there Is but one tayorn
that tavern must certainly he a very big one,
Ss ans tss sSS5 ystS snail For
thorttles are not yet despotlc and arbitrary
enough 70 deprive their people of the right 10
eat and TO drink whatever and wherever they
the "free aud glOHoua" cltlSena Of this country
W many OF the states suffering under puritanical
rule,
As to the German press, which the reverend
gentleman so bitterly attacks, II needs no de
fence here. II IL does not think much OF such
gentlemen as DR.. Selbert he eau easily guess ihS
reason why. II our American fellow-cltlzens
could read German they would ind that the
German press Is not lrroligiOus, although II
may not support such patriotic and intelligent
truth-telers as the learned Doctor. The Ger
man political press, with few, u any, exceptions,
Is for religious liberty, opposed TO all blue-law
tyranny, as now attempted by small puritani-
cal minority TO be fastened on the people OF this
country, thereby infringing personal and polltl-
| cal rights enjoyed even In the most despotlc
countries, carrying US back into the dark period
OF New England fanatlclsm, and making this
beautiful country q whlted sepulchre OF puritan.
lcal hypocrisy and selnshness. Tho uerman
| press denounces every German that assists In
| the advancement and furthcrance Of the aims OF
that int0lerant clique as traitor TO his nation
ality and to liberty, and for that reason, and no
other, insisted upon the recall OF Count Bern
| storn, late secretary OF the German legation,
Also so bitterly complained Of by the reverend
speaker.
Tine German cltl;ons have many churches in
this country. In fact there are amongst them,
propottionately, more church members than III
the old country. II they are not more plous II
must be solely Ascribed 10 the reverend gentle.
man and his friends; for they have not yet
reached that low standard to accept their dc.
famefs and toadles TO American hypocrisy as
religious guides. Whether called lnndes OF
anything else, they still believe that the worst Of
them In religious sense fayorabiy compares
with the best Of any Of our credit mobllier
Christian. l.. \.