The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-08-27
acknowledgement
Reply Of Editor gluten berg 10
Judge Cochran.

II. ~ NV'"Wi 10y
SlR:-You published in tho ISTELLI.
GEScER OF last Thursday reproduction
oi an article that appeared in the DeuiSche
I.rmg OF the 18th inst. While | admit
that the translation ia materially correct,
| state that inseveral instances important
expressions in said article are not fairly
Interpreted.
Before | 60 10 defend my position let
ne explain the ground which ia taken by
the friends and advocates OF the study Of
the German language in the public
schools in communities where the Ger.
man element Is largely represented.
These advocates. are numerous among
both Engliph and German.Americans.
What do they say? The German parents
say: We want to give our children good
English education; at the same time we
want them to keep up and learn correctly
the German language, as we ourselves
speak English very badly, being TOO old
to learn it better, and can only in the
German language speak from our hearts
to our children's hearts-admonish them,
advise them, lead them and bring them up
to DO useful and moral citizens. When
they forget the German and are told it il
not right to use that language in this
country, we lose control and influence
over them; they laugh at us, scorn US,
disObey Ia, get illbehaved and are an
easy prey for the ficnd (bad society that
eoeth around and seeketh whom he may
deyour. The experienced pedagogue
sayS: A child can learn two Ian.
guages almost rs easy IA one; the
older child, youth or man is
the harder it il for it, her or him to nc.
quire n practical knowledge and a cor.
rect pronunciation. While the organs Of
speech are yet in the processof formation
they adapt themselves easiest to the diff
erent sounds they are required TO pro.
luce or utter, Further, the requirement
-ilCannot he called study in the lower
tja.ses-oi another living language be.
sides the mother tongue is one OF the best
means and helps for the development OF
chidS intellect. 1t sees, 10 to speak,
every object from two sides, illuminated
with two lights, and will therefore get
!GIier grasp and clearer conception OF it.
The practical English-American says:
ltis a great advantage for any man, and
almost necessity for business man, to
understand and talk German. 1t is true,
the old Germans living here now will die
mt by and by, and their children will
peak all English, but there is continu.
ous influx OF new German immigrants,
sc cannot keep them out, and they
will always do their business with people
viii, whom they can make themselves
Understood. The liberal minded English.
American says: Let US have the German
taught in our public schools, it does not
hurt our children, and it will induce our
Iirrman.American fellow citizens to send
their children to our National institu.
ton; let us not try TO keep our children
separate and estranged from each other
but let them come together so that they
may become uniform and not n heter.
ogcnous people. Our German citizens
are good and useful element in this
city, aud pay nearly one half OF the city
taNc-; 70 let lis have some regard for
ihgm.
The iacts laid down in the annual re.
ports Of the SuperintendcntS Of the pub.
lie schools in every city where the Ger.
taan language has been fairly organized
from the lowest to the highest class, viz:
- Louis, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Buffalo,
Milwaukee, etc, are as follows: LIST. The
children joining the Herman department,
i, not TALL behind their classmates in
their English studies but in the average
'nrpass them, TACT which is shown es-
prctaily in the higher classes. ID. The
German children become more success.
ia,Iy Americanized. Sd. Tho public
,rhoo'' become more popular.
These are not mere assertions but
facts, which are repeatedly stated in the
reports mentioned above.
Now you know why our heart was and
abound to the preservation Of the Ger
man instruction in our Wheeling schools.
The friends Of this Germun instruction
have rIriven long and hard to introduce
VI here, After some years Of experiment
U"A' IN Il fair way 10 be successful, and
'n mo't Of the public schools it was taught
'ircvsinlly, giving at the same time tho
''',I possible hinderance to the English
tugUage.
tHcu, st this point, and entirely I'M
called tur, violent attack was made
y ltD.i it, aud it was no mutilated that it
nay Perish in ia iuIirmity. This action
could not but have intensity provoked
'nd deeply offended the friends OF Ger.
htn instruction, also true friends OF the
public schools. They felt offended and
provoked the more, as the report OF
Nhc majority was based on misrepresenta.
Hnu. and the eleven heroes OF the feat
"d evidently not desire 10 get more light
nnshe matter, as they ignored the facts Of
Wc minority report and the pleAdlngS Of a
lHluon signed by nearly 200 citizens.
Should We be anxious to elect those
'aAr men again in our Board Of Educa'
non, who have overthrown what We had
gained alter long strife and what We
considered an attainment on which our
city could congratulate itself? In order
give the friends Of German instruction
warning how to guard themselves il
'aturc against the enemies Of their
cause | wrote remember them" tnoI
"mrk tkem,H us your translator has il
This warning forms the substance Of
NY article. l wrote the article under
tie first impulse OF my reused indivna,
Ton with which left the meeting OF III,
Board. Had had time for longer and
cooler deli6eration, | might have modi
Ned it partly, But strong as my expires
lions and assaults were, you found i
hcces'ary to make them still stronger
AID invent new ones in order tina
!9G might present me before tn,
public ~ one Of the most de,
p''eable beings that ever breathedAmeri
an air. Fortunately the public can rCal
'tl compare your citation with M
NINcIe. Il no where said or wrote, "a
WI give them in the future a kicl
'Ar'ever can" am not OF such I
'e.'a;eiul disposition; nor did call OF
~! readers TO stop all social or CONNER
. va. intercourse with you or anybod,
f"% did not threaten anyone, neither
W., ,'la article nor elsewhere. All these
"s Your own inventions, and the Ions
,L"NS, Of words you add to them loSS
"S ,r' iorce aud weight.
. Ine S,ord"intamy," flor the definition
W "ri GhICG am indebted to you,) | used
'"'! and solely in reference 10 the name