The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1906-05-31
THE PASSING OF CARL sCHURZ

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Carl Schurz, we'll known to fame,
was born in Germany in March, 1929,
and passed away in New York in
May. 1906. He deserves particular
note. He was not an ordinary man.
AS writer and bold political thinker,
he stands among our foreign born
citizens, next to Alexander Hamilton.
That is certainly no mean position.
When mere boy attending the I'M
iversity of Bonn his impulsive love of
liberty led him into association with
the attempted revolution of 1S48 in
the fatherland. That unfortunate
movement thrilled all liberty loving
lands. 1t failed as Kossuth failed in
Hungary, but nevertheless the world
over, liberty received tremendous
forward impetus from which there has
never been recoil. No sincere
effort for the truth is ever lost. The
Lord of truth cares for it. Many of
the revolntionists fled to other lands
for safety. Young Schurz came to
American, then regarded as the asylum
of the oppressed of all nations. He
had been we'll born, having noble
father and mother. They had impress
ed upon their son the infinite value
OF truth and honesty and this teaching
did not fade out of his life. 1t was
great parental heritage and no
doubt lay at the base of their sons
subsequent greatness. He was justly
proud of his ancestry and spoke of it
with gratitude. At twenty three
years of age he began his career in
this country. After his home struggle
and failure most young men would
have sunk down to a life of ease and
tamely submitted to the supposed in
evitable. The future looked dark
and seeming impossibllities barred the
way. just then Carl Schurz began
most strenuous life. He then had
fair mastery of the German Ian
guage and resolved to master the
English. That was a stepping stone
to success. He began the study of
law in Philadelphia and at the same
time studied the English under the
best teachers obtainable. His style
was splendid and both for oratorical
and essay purposes was rarely ex-
celled. For foreigner it was most
wonderful attainment and has not yet
been surpassed by any other.
He did not make the mistake of
many American boys of entering on
a profession without full preparation.
| When fully equipped for work he
settled in Wisconsin and his good
! English at once lifted him into pro-
minence. The republican party was
then coming to the front and Schurz
was at home in it. He loved liberty
and Abraham Lincoln. He was in the
first Chicago convention and became
noted speaker in that noted cam
paign. This writer was fortunate
enough to hear him in 1860 in the
Cooper Institute. 1t was great
treat. The way that he did score
Stephen A. Douglas was the neatest
political surgery. The love of liberty
beamed on his countenance. His
language was elegant and his oratory
superb. A literary friend sitting by
my side said in whisper, Watch his
sentences; they are most perfect.
His diction is splendid. I" The words
rolled from his tongue with an ele-
giant German charm. The audience
sat delighted and entranced. At times
it seemed faultless. In the audience
were many Germans and their admira-
ton knew no bounds. One of them
turned to me with glow on his face
and said, GLOW we'll he speaks, and
he has been in this country only five
years. -
The inevitable war came in 1861.
Every public man had to take position
and the life of Mr.. Schurz was dedi-
Gated to freedom Mr.. Lincoln sent
him as minister to Madrid. When
the rebels fired upon Sumpter he could
not look on the scene from Spain.
He came home at once and offered his
services to his adopted country. He
was made a brigadier general and
helped to hold the center at Gettys-
burg. He was an unselfish patriot
and voice and efforts were always for
freedom.
| In Greece Mr.. Schurz would have
been 'peripatetic. y He lived in
many cities and scarcely had a home
in any. He drifted to St. Louis and
thence into the United States senate.
That body was then full of intellectual
giants, but Mr.. Schurz stood among
the best. AS persuasive orator
he stood next to Roscoe Conkling,
who stood as the first. His pure
English was the admiration and the
wonder of all. But Mr.. Schurz was
not politician and did not remain