The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-07-02
SPEECH OF MR.. sCHURZ

His Defense of American Institutions
butte to American Enterprise and Public
Spirit,
speech which Carl Schurz made at the
banquet at Berlin on the Sth of June
Let me, gentlemen, thank you, to whom
the agitations of American lite are remote,
in the language of the old Fatherland for
the Headlines of your presence. Not to
mix in the affairs of Europe is the tradi-
tional, natural, aid wise policy of the
United States, which no patriotic states
man at the head of the government would
inconsiderately abandon. But this cir
cumstance does not imply that the American
people should hold themselves with a cold
partially aloof from the great events which
are agtating the old world. No blow is
given for great purpose in Europe which
does not find its liveliest re-echo in Amer
lean hearts. l think, therefore, that |
speak not only in the spirit of German-born
but of all the citizens of the United States
who understand the lessons of our country,
when | heartily congratulate the whole
civilized world, and, before all. you, on
the fact that the great national spirit of
Germany (Which has revived through SO
many ages of sad dismemberment like
ghost in the history of the world) has again
through the ability and heroism of its lea
der and people, found so powerful and so
proud an embodiment. Applause. With
this congratulation l bring the assurance
that the acquisitions of the last eventful
decade will establish and develop them
selves into free, strong. loyal, and ener-
getic German commonwealth. Applause.
l stand before you like one of those who,
in dark days, were cast on the shores of
distant land. where they found new home
and who, while they have not forgotten the
old Fatherland, adhere to the new one with
a faithful love and grateful devotion. do
not undertake to describe to you the inl-
preston which overpowers the man re-
turning home after such a separ ton at the
appearance of the new creation. TO speak
to you of the new greatness of Germany
would be to carry owls to Athens. You
understand that well. But you will not
grudge me word in behalf of the country
to which / belong and which l, though
private citizen, in certain sense represent
To cherish warm relation of friendly SYM
patty between Germany and America is to
me as public man, a matter of sound pol
icy, is to me as German-born American
heartfelt desire, and everything which
occurred to cast a shadow in any way on
this international friendship has always
filled me with painful sorrow. / do not
here advert to the possibility of a great
conflict of interests between the United
States and Germany, since, no matter
whittier the eye can glance, you can not
discover any interests of both lands which
can in any wise be opposed in a hostile
spirit to each other. Applause. refer
rather to the prejudice which one ma
tion may experience in the esteem of the
other from warped impressions and one
sided criticism. My own observation tells
me that, in this relation, the American peo-
pie have recently suffered somewhat in
the public opinion of Europe. Since the
year 1866, when America astonished the
whole world, not only in the fortunate re-
suit of the civil war, but also in the sud-
den and entirely peaceful disbandment of
an army of nearly 100000 soldiers since
that time the opinion of American relations
in Europe has grown in marked degree
more and more to their disadvantage The
reasons of this appearance may have been
various. The humiliation of that feeling
which so abundantly follows suddenly
forced admiration on account of remark
able achievements financial operations of
an unsubstantial cast, which were set in
operation in America and here, highly
praised, which worked more or less of in
jury or the knowledge of the corruption
and fraud of our public life unsparingly
exposed and painted in the darkest colors
by our own press and taken up by the press
here with spicy additions with its wontei
fondness for the piquant. All this has un-
doubtedly tended to give to the European
picture of American life, in which the
dark spots appeared so much blacker be-
cause of the absence of all points of life.
was always one of those in the United
States who held it to be the citizens true
duty to disclose all. corrupt practices and
frauds with fearless determination, and 10
urge their reform. There we can do this
regardless of the national self-esteem, since
only secretly thriving corruption can be-
come mortal disease, and the breaking of
way to reform through its open disclosure
is sign of sound life, and there to our
eyes the good is Just as near as the bad.
But it is different with the public opinion
of foreign countries, which less frequently
is aware OF the true state of things. If you
paint picture in which the light is for
gotten, even though every line of shade may
he right of itself, the entire impression of
the picture will be altogether false. How
false it may be can show you by single
illustration. What would you saw OF a
picture of the Germany of to-day which,
emitting all the great attributes and deeds
of the people and the government, should
put forward the prosecution OF press Of
lenses Gs the only test of political progress,
the Vaccinations of the Ultramontanes as
model example of German patriotism and
the temporary operations of swindling cor
porations as the highest industrial develop
ment OF the community? I, as q son ofthis
country, would feel most deeply the base
injustice OF the picture, and you would feel
lhe injustice none the less [Cheers. BY
the same standard must the American ma
non and its inner life be measured. ZAP
planse.] As touched upon the outgrowths
oI ihe public and social life there honestly,
ana shall continue so to do, SO will here
established. ''
But l can permit no one to forget that
behind this is great nation which II sound
at heart This people, with a gigantic
spirit of enterprise and irresistible enerrv.
overcame In short time the wildness Of an
entire continent, and made 1t garden of
civilization. This people understood how