Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1884-03-05
Herr Lasker.

considerable COmncuI VI luIS DolH III
this country and Europe. The fact
of the case are as follows; In Ger
many there are various political par
ties, one of which upholds the king
power and another believes that tn,
people should be the rulers. Her
Lasker was prominent member o
the latter party. In May, 1888, he
came to the United States on visit
and remained in this country unit
January 9th, 1884, when he died il
New York city. On January 9th
1884, Congressman Ochiltree, of Tex
as, introduced resolution in Con
gress in regard to Herr Lasker's
private and public career. 1t was
adopted by the Congressional House
of Representatives, and copy order
ed sent to the German Legislature OF
which Herr Lasker was prominent
member. This resolution was return
ed by Bismark, the German prime
minister, accompanied by the follow
ing as his reason for returning it:
"Any recognition in foreign coun-
try of the personal qualities of Ger
man, especially when made by so i'm
portant a body as the House of Rep
resentatives, is gratifying to our
national feelings. should have
gratefully accepted the communica-
ton made by Minister Sargent, and
should have asked the Emperor to
empower me to present it to the Reich
tag if the resolution had not contained
an opinion regarding the object and
effect of Lasker's political activity
which was opposed to my convictions.
According to my experience of the
political and economic development
of the German people, / cannot recog-
nize the opinion as one which the
events / have witnessed would justify.
| should not venture to oppose my
judgment to the opinion of such an
illustrious body as the House of Rep
resentatives, if l had not, by more
than thirty years active participa-
ton in the internal policy of Ger
many, gained experience which justi
fed me in attaching a certain value to
my judgment in questions of home af-
fairs. ! cannot determine to ask the
necessary power to communicate the
resolution to the Reichstag, because l
should have officially to advocate be-
fore the Emperor an opinion which |
cannot recognize as correct"
The American people can not help
but admire such men rs Herr Lasker,
and all true lovers of liberty can not
help but sympathize with the cause
he championed and worked for, but
when Congress sends resolution to
foreign country, and tells the head
of the government that they admire
the cause that is antagonistic to the
government of said country, it looks
as if the American Congress was in
terfering with the private political
affairs of another nation, and such it
really was. No matter what the peo-
pie of the United States may think
individually in regard to the internal
politics of Germany, there is one
thing certain, it is no business of Con-
gress, and it has no right to NEEDLE
with the domestic affairs of another
nation. 1t would he just the same if
jeff Davis had died in Germany, and
the German Legislature had sent
message to the American government
in which they had praised his seces-
sion career. Such course would
raise a storm in this country, and
such communication would be apt
to be declined and sent back. Bis
mark was therefore right in refusing
to be used as messenger to carry
the opinions of the American Con-
gress to the German Legislature, and
which said opinions indirectly approx
ed of actions that are not endorsed by
the government of Germany.
There is a still stronger reason why
America should not interfere in the
domestic affairs Of other nations. This
country pretends to believe in the
Monroe doctrine, which means that
no European power shall be permitted
to interfere in American affairs. This
country has got somewhat excited
even because certain European nations
desired to build q canal across the
Panama isthmus, and the Monroe
doctrine was pulled out of its hiding
place and shook in the face Of the Eu-
ropean nations. III therefore follows
that Congress has no right to interfere
in the domestic affairs of other ma
tons, and any attempt to do so is a
violation of its own professions.
We do not believe that Congress
really cared anything about the mat
ter in question. The adoption of the
resolution was merely a matter Of
demagogism, and Congressman were
afraid to say anything about it for
fear they would lose votes. They got
nicely snubbed for their informed
ding, just as they did when they un.
dertook to interfere in a murder case
some time ago. A protest from the
hn,aY;oon Conoraes ie Looked unon ms