Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1880-02-21
TFrE EMPIRE OPENLY ADvO-
GATED.

mercial a paper written by w. M.
Ampt which demands special atten-
ton, especially as it appears in a
journal which has hitherto not adj
vocated the nomination of General
Grant, but rather worked for that of |
Mr.. Sherman. The purpose of this
paper Is 10 c0unteract the impress
sion that the German voters viii be |
averse from the support of General !
Grant, as they have already expert
enced the evils of an imperial poll
icy at home, and many of them
abandoned the fatherland expressly
to escape from them. The remark
able feature of The paper is that it
fatty avows the fact that the cleo
ton of Grant does mean the en-
pire, and that that ought to be a
reason to them for voting for him.
How plainly this is avOwed can
only be appreciated by reading a
considerable extract from the paper
itself; we therefore give it totidena
uerbis as printed in the Commercial;
THE cay OF IMPERIALISM.
why should a German fear the specter Of
imperialism I'm General Grant? l asOert
that such fear does not exist among them
The Germans who emigrate to this country
come here because they find Germany sur
better opportunities for making headway
in the world There IS no overcrowdlng
here Lnee . 81 psnSS 9l de for Wiling
hands to ind profitable employment. In
the old world labor is drug in the market,
while the means Of subsistence are scarce
stomach, better clothes for his back and lsss
labor and toll than he can in Overcrowded
Germany, aad that Is why he comes here
1t is matter of business, and not OF political
sentiments He never thinks about king
craft or Imperialism either when he lives IN
Germany or when be gets here, 50 far as 70
affect his own action or 70 influence his
political opinions.
IMPERIALISM IN GERMANY.
In fact If the German were to give the
subject OF Caesarism any thought, he would
be much more likely to conclude in favor
OF a strong government than otherwise. He
sees, as every body, even the ant-Grant
people, ought TO see, that it is imperialism
that has made Germany one of the strongest
nations OF the globe simply by uniting the
independent States OF Germany. When
this happened, Napoleon fell at Sedan, and
peace Tefgned from Berlin to Paris. Before
fs70 there were diseordant States There
was Prussia, Hanover, Bavaria, Baden, Sax
Ony, Hessen, etc, all speaking the same
Language, all belonging 10 the same family
of States, yet all for themselves. United
they became the German Empire, with
Caesarism in the persons of King William
and Bismarck, headquarters at Berlin.
When France now moves northward to
capture the Rhine, her soldiers Boosting, as
they once did, that they were only taking
pleasure walk 10 Berlin when Russia comes
growing from the North-what do they
md TO check their pretentious advance
Why, an Empire, ruled by one head, and
defended by German soldiers who speak
over a dozen kinds Of German pdtOis. Peace
came with Imperialism; victories attended;
Napoleon a prisoner; France humbleds and
glad to saw, her identity as a nation by pay
ing the expenses OF her invaders.
Now, the German knows that all this has
come from a strong, united Government, at
the head of which Is one whose family they
adore for their patriotic soldierly qualities
They are proud nation to-day very proud
OF their victory over France, and their union
Of States under one central head, who is de-
termined TO bring peace to his subjects II he
has 10 resort to fierce wars TO accomplish it.
Imperialism has created the United States
of Germany. Now, there Is not German
in Europe or in America who does not UNI
derstand the situation just as have stated
il. There Is not a German who does not feel
proud OF the achievements of Bismarck and
King William, and who does not in his
heart thank them for that Imperialism and
strength in Government which means
peace for the future to his kindred and 10
his country.
Do you ask why the German should be-
lieve in a strong Government when he
knows that Germany to-day owes her
standing as a nation 20 the Capitalization at
Berlin, which removed the friction of war
ring States2
Government. He is often found criticising
the looseness Of laws in America, as wei as
the ease with which offenders escape the
Just penalties which they deserve. He has
no prejudice against a strong Government
M "A via fDrPpmnnT
Why should he fear the specter Of Imperi-
alism I'm Grant, when he knows, perhaps,
that Germany was saved from the ravages
of Napoleon III. by the bulwark of German
Imperialism in the person Of King William?
The truth is that the Republican
party is throughout inoculated with
the disease of Imperialism, and
that, no matter whether Grant or
Sherman or Blaine is nominated, or
this or that dark horse in the race,
Imperialism is what we have to
fight. AS for Sherman, he is read
Ter for the Empire than Grant him
self. Thoroughly versed in the art
of welding the money power, he
has his brother, the General, close
at hand to WELD that of the sword,
and that grand contempt of public
opinion and the will of the people
which is the darling principle of all
devoted to the new heresy.
Let not Democrats, then, specu-
late upon the Chicago nominations ;
their event is of infinitesimal inn
pOrtance with US. What we have
to prepare for is a struggle for the
Constitution as a struggle for life
and death, whoever the nominee
may be; struggle against Caesar
ism, with its scarcely concealed
programme of the absorption of the
States by the Federal power, the
subjugation of the Legislature and
the Judiciary to the Executive
power, the raising Of vast stand
ing army and the vast increase of
offices and their salaries at the dis
posal of the Executive, a splendidly
endowed President (if they should
not at first call him an EMPEROR,
surrounded by a splendid court,
constituted of civil and military
official personages; and oh, our
German friends, remember that all
this implies the CONSUMPTION, and
you know something of what that
means.
Let us cease, then, to concern our
selves with the possible nOmina-
tiOns at Chicago and consider well
what is our best way of rontravert-
ing the nefariOus purpose of the
party. And here we had better
note that it is a desperate struggle
which we are engaged in; one in
which we can afford to carry no
needless weight. We must throw
overheard everything that can pos
sibly be an obstacle to uniting every
element Of opposition to the COM
mon enemy; we must have no re-
quotations to furnish excuses for
the cOnfiseatiOn of State immuni-
mites, no nat money propositions to