The New York herald., 1876-01-17

m the name Of humanity itself Il Is greatly 10 be de-
sired that the whole should be submitted TO the
searching and impartial investigation which character
izes German tribunals OF justice; for, great as
Was his guilt IN any circumstances Il would
be an unspeakable relief 10 all hearts TO find
| that he was attempting the secret tTanspOr-
Ltoh OF torpedo 10 be used IN Cuban war
fare and had not planned crime Of which he made no
confession, for which there adequate motive and
which seems too monsrous for conception and too dia
bolca Tor human execution. But the suspicion Of such
crime contemplation by the author Of all this mis-
cry should arouse commercial communities, Insurance
companies and the police Of all nationalties to
rent and untiring vigilance against the possible reaza
| ton OF a scheme OF such uncxampled atrocity.
That nation should be in haste TO disavow the pa
reniage OF so great criminal Is natural since by his
| act he had outawed himself from the civilized world
as The enemy of society itself That uriss statesmen
and philosophers should search for the anecedents Of
the criminal in their bearing upon the motives and ca
pacity for such crime is not only natural but I'M
portant 70 the security in common OF all nations But
that those who profess TO represent the civilization OF
one nation should attempt TO fasten this CRIME upon
the civilization OF another nation as direct and iegti-
mate product OF the structure spirit and habits or It's
social and political life this is itself offence against
civilization which IN the interest Of truth honor and
good will between nations should be rebuked by all
honorable men II TINS wretched criminal we're born
and educated IN the United States, Americans
cept with shame the tact Itself and whatever OF
ing ms career may bring. II the strong eircumstan-
tial evidence now presented that he born
in Westphalia before his parents emgrated to Amer
lca, was sent back nom America TO
| be educated in Germany, and had divided
his life between the two countresi all this shall
prove 10 bo correct. shall not back upon Ger
many the shame of such offspring, and least OF all
shall impute the exceptional crime Of an individual
to German civilization which we are over ready 20 re-
spect not inferior 20 II is the peril OF all
progress IN civilization that the powers OF evil keep
pace with the powers OF good and in this age OF scen
thc knowledge the very intensity OF light makes dark
ness visible IL is, therefore, the common interest Of
civilized nations 70 assist each other not only in
pressing crime but in orestang it, by searching out
It's causes aud tendencies As Americans, with
political society peculiar It's organZao and
dtions, we study what improvements we may adopt
from the experience and the Jurisprudence Of other
tions and hold ourselves open to frank generous aud
philosophical criticism from whatever quarter In
deed We prone TO be most severe IN the criticism
| Of ourselves But when leading journals In
the psychological solution OF crime which
| has Mortified the world in the prevailing
| dtons of American society, and represent our
civilization as the school OF preparation for such
crimes and put forth the chief and enduring lesson
OF the crime its warning against American civilization,
| we feel bound TO make our appeal TO the honest
courtesy of is enlightened PRESS ana the intelligence
and honor Of the cultivated classes in Germany against
this defamation of a kindred Christian nation. Their
verdict s anticipated by the authority entitled TO the
highest respect We know from the best sources that
when, the presence of Her Majesty the Empress
| remarked 1T was fortunate that German
cerned in this imputed crime" Her Majesty answered.
"Etn SOices Verbrechen geht die MenSchhet an ntct
die Nationdlitdten' (Such crime touches upon hu-
manty, not upon nationality
II this the FIRST instance OF the msreprescnta-
ton OF American society should pass ii by In silence
Notwithstanding its gross injustice; but IL is only the
latest and most conspicuous instance of style OF
writing about American society which betrays the
OF the faults and vices of press to
criticse the press OF foreign country. We have
occasion and no disposition to crtcisc the press OF
Germany II is neither our place nor our wish TO re-
buke that portion OF the press which has been guilty
Of this grave offence against truth and justice In read
ing unfair upon country feel that al
lowance should be made for the national pride vanity
Of the critics and compassion INDUCED for their
ignorance and we know OF nothing more profound than
the ignorance of some German journals OF the social
facts Of America save the profundy of their phoso
ply when they attempt to teach the world grave moral
and political lessons from their facts Bad IN some re-
this, had leading journal maligned the
German nation Americans would have come forward TO
rebuke II and public opinion compelled II to publish
reraction or reply In the past i've years Americans
residing In Germany have thrown themselves heartily
upon the side OF German civilization in that
Cuitur kdmpf which has threatened the peace
and unity OF the Empire Americans have
done this of their free WILL because Amcri.
civilization has trained them TO sympa-
thze with the progress OF culture and freedom, and
70 aid the noble the true and the good without regard
TO dversties OF and language forms OF govern
ment The spirit that find In ourselves We know TO
exist also in Of thought and culture in Germany
and therefore, treadng beneath all provocations,
whether ignorant or base, make our appeal no less
In the interest Of Deutsche Ctur than Of American
civilization for the maintenance OF truth honor and
courtesy between the nations Unhappy would II DO
for both II travellers from America and the
students who will hereafter be the leading OF the
United States should be sent home with the deep and
burning conviction that their country is here treated
with studied and persistent Injustice We do not feel
called upon to defend American civilization from the
charge OF merconary and materalisc spirit lacking
all dealisc culture serving as school Of violence
and giving but ingenuity and intensity TO crime.
We content ourselves with citing as witnesses for
American civilization two names whose testimony Will
be final with ali men OF intelligence and culture
many The first the great Swiss naturalist Louis
Agassiz, who for quarter OF century had made his
home in the United States under conditions which
abled him to know we'll all classes of the population.
In the preface TO his Natural History OF the United
States q costly work in four quarto volumes Agassiz
says
must beg my European readers remember that this
work ia writ
America and that the community which it is particularly
public IN Europe There n not class Of learned men here
distinct from the other enitvatea members o. ne eommI
edge tSs, expect % see my book read BY operative
Ssnss ~ y Il &c % an
but that should endeavo 70 make myself under
The other witness Is one whom, twenty-five years
ago, the political civilization of Germany not ripe
enough TO retain. but whom American civilization
ceved with that hospitality which II accords 10 noble
OF whatever nation. Al a dinner given his
honor in Berlin the Sth OF June, 1875 Senator Carl
Schurz said
between Germany and the United States bias
me, as public man. matter Of sound policy-as German
calculated disturb that international friendship has al
d %' n son 90 sG ss ssI the 70
United State. and Gsr@sIy for whichever way may
nation: that might become an.sSn.S % @ e one s0Ohs.
the estimation other by hssy Judgment and
Impressions and observation tells me that in this
what at disadvantages in the epnion Of Europe
When you draw picture which represents shadows
only and lights then every dark stroke OF the pencil
% for ss BE- % .1S S; iSf & sA Ho% s
let show you by examples from Germany. What would
you q representation Of she Germany " to-day
which, forgetting all the great qualities and deeds Of the
people and Of The produced .as persecution Of
the intrigues Of the uramontanes sample Of
patriotism and the Ewlndlng operations Of
windy joint stock concerns the Hover Of the economic
movements Of German society To me as native OF this
be revolving, and you would feel that injustice less
keenly. With the measure let the American people
their doings be measured "A in the United States
honestly attacked and shall continue TO attack the
erescences Of social and political life shall
here whtevasb those which really exist But
permit nobody forget behind all those things stands
and noble people, strong and sound in the core
people which with gigantic spirit OF enterprise and
and energy Incredibly short space OF tins
from the forces Of nature the wilderness
whole continent and transformed 10 into Of
civilization; people which knew how 70 mingo In the
bonds Of sefmA Ade laws and yet Ia full liberty the most
heeogeneous elemen Of population uniting and blending