The Washington herald., 1907-12-08

was preparing for the coup d'etat which
was 10 change France once more from a
republic TO a monarchy, and the presence
OF so ardent revolutionist as young
Schurz had proved himself to be was evil
IDENTIFY not desired. The young man was
arrested, and only released ON his promise
70 leave the country So he betook HIM
helf TO England. Here he naturally lived
with the Kinkels for a time and acquired
fair knowledge Of the English language.
Here too, II was that he received aylct-
ter from Mazzini and Kossuth. who had
just returned from America. The young
revolutionary party OF Germany then res
ident in London still believed that there
was chance for something 10 be done.
But the failure OF the insurrectionary at
tempt at Milan. which was easily sur
pressed by a number of Italian patriots.
killed all their hope. and Carl Schurz,
having in the meantime married. ne and
his young wife sailed from Portsmouth
in August, 1852. and landed in New York
I in September TO begin a new life in new
world.
! II will interest a great many readers to
read of Carl Schurzs impressions of
America in 1852. bat We have not space 20
go into these here. At once the young
man realized the Importance of a thor
0ugh working knowledge OF English, and
I he tells In most interesting way how he
acquired the language. One Of his earliest
| acquaintance in America was Mr. J.
/ Cooke. who was not then the great
/ banker and fnancier that he became dur
/ ing the civil war
His first visit 70 Washington was made
/ in the early spring Of 1854. He says:
/ Ny first Impressions q the political Capital Of
/ the great American repuhEe were rather dismal
Washington looked az that period like a bg,
sprawng village. consisting u scattered sroups Of
houses which were OVertopped hy a few public
/ buildings-the Capitol onl what is now the cen
tfal part. was occupied. the Two great wings IN
which the Senate and the House II Representatives
now ST. were stili in process Of construction The
treasury a which the two wings still lacking
/ The White H0Use. and TIT Patent Ofice which also
harborcd the Department of the Interior. The De
/ rartinents u State. II War and u the Navy we're
quart ared IN small very significant looking houses
which might have heen thr dwellings Of some we'll
TODD shoIkeepers who did not care for show Thcre
was not one soidy built up street IN the whole city
scarcely hocS ~ith0t gaps of dTeary emptiness
I me houses we're NOT yet numbered The way they
I were designated hy calling them THE first of
/ the nve. or the fifth a the seven on Peunsyl.
! Fanla avenue, or on Seventh street. as the case
might be. Pcnnsy lEania aNcnue not far from the
/ alias The 11bCr. which spauned by a wooden
bridge. and told. perhaps falsely. that Con
gressmen IN tudle- state. going home IN the DARK
l after an animated n-ght session would sometimes
miss The bridge d fsl into the water 20 b. fshed
out q the dhciity by the sergcant-si-arms and
their attendants
After short visit 10 England Carl
Schurz returned to America in 1856 and
settled in Watertown. Wis. where he at
once began 10 take part in politics. We
have not space 10 follow him through his
political career or his career as a lawyer.
He did not practice law long. as politics
absorbed much Of his time and he had
to rely on public lecturing 70 supply him
with the funds for livelihood
/ The "reminiscences. these chapters Of
them from 1S56 until the breaking out OF
the civil war. really make a remarkably
concise, clear-cut, and most Interesting
political history Of those times. with many
most interesting and Illuminating side
discussions Of questions Of public pOlity.
For instance. the wisdom Of Mr.. Schu-z
is perhaps nowhere better shown than in
the following:
Gains RenOwn Here.
In my opinion the American people cannot be 100
careful In guarding the freedom q speech and of
the ricss sgainst any ezfrtailert as to the discus
SION a. public affairs and the character and conduct
Of public men In fact. If cur newspaper press has
Become az all more lceniious than IN olden times.
d Is IN the Of recklessly invading social rriysc
and in the publication q private scandal The dis
clssion oi punlic matters and the treatment of mon
in ofhcc especially in high 0iice. has gradually be-
come very much more discreet and lcuient than II
was in the early times 4 the reuuhlic Private
scandal may, Ierhaps. be rcpressed ty Strengthen
ns 4 the libel laws. But whatever j. srin remain
Ing Of s7rrility in the treatment % ruhir tbings
AZ faa Aar~-re
inevitable coneommiants of democratic government,
in 1877 Carl Sehurz had already made So
much progress in political life that he
was sent as delegate 10 the Republican
State convention by his fellow-citizens.
In the same year he was selected as the
Republican candidate for the office OF
lieutenant governor. In the lincoln
Douglass campaign he made a great many
speeches on LincOln's side. speaking on
such subjects as For State rights and
Byron Paine. and True Americanisrn and
Sound Money" When Lincoln was Nom
mated Schurz was one OF the committee
appointed 10 carry the news OF the NOM
iuation 20 him, and shortly afterward he
had his first dinner with the famous
President. They became fast friends. and
Lincoln never lost an opportunity OF
doing what he could to advance Mr..
SChUrZ
AT the time the war broke out. Presi-
dent Lincoln was just about 10 appoint
AR SchurZ United States Minister 10
Spain. and. although Mr.. Schurz tried to
avoid the honor, and begged permission 10
raise German cavalry regiments in New
York, he had eventually 10 accept the
post where he rendered conspicuous serv-
Ice in convincing Europe Of the ultimate
success Of the North When ne had sc-
complished all that he thought he could
reasonably hope to- he returned 10 this
country and was at once gazetted a brig
adler general and assigned TO duty at the
front
Acquaintance with Great Men.
The "reminiscences tell in an interesting
and most stirring way the story of the
early days Of the war, and take up in full
detail the criticism which was leveled
against the Eleventh Corps which was
accused. of cowardice, and which in
volyed Mr.. Schurzs good name and
honor. 1t is on this rather pathetic note
that the "reminiscences close-unfinished
1t was evidently the last effort OF Mr.
SchUrz's life TO clear the name OF tn
soldiers who fought underneath his com
mand from ali blame.
t, Without doubt this viii prove one OF
the most interesting, possibly one Of the
most valuable-as history-books of the
year. And though il deals with stirring
events in Germany. in France. ia Eng
land and in America, contains something
OF war. something Of politics. something
" sociology, something of good govern
ment-a good deal Of biography and per.
sonal anecdote it is Vet all merged into
D -.