The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-11-13
THE SPIRIT OF '48 IN 1917
BY Franz siseI

her patriots and martyrs" were
realized, at least in great meas
ure," and that Germany was stead
lily progressing in the path OF politi-
CAL social, and religious reform"
Again, in 1897, few years before
his death. he wrote:
| Germany will survive the storms
of another century-g great questions
involving its domestic and foreign
| policies, its social and economic con-
ditions, it's existing militarism, the
status of it's common people-these
must be settled; they will and can
not be avoided by foreign operations,
by new burdens imposed on the
people, nor by the mere ipse dixit Of
power"
In 1902 the articles from which
! this is taken were publised in Mann
helm, Baden, under the title "Denk-
wurdigkeiten aus den Jahren, 1848-
| $780," but the above paragraph is
omitted.
There is prophecy in these words
that may come true. Franz Sigel
| had not in fifty years forgotten mill
tarism," the status of the common
| people," Germany was united, pow
erful. yes; but there were questions
"still to be settled" not to be avoid
ed by foreign operations, by new
burdens to be imposed on the
| people," by 'the mere ipse dixit of
power" Did he not in old age dream
1.-The dreams of his youth, even yet
not realized? Did he not still cher
ish for the German people. the com
mon" people, the hopes of fifty years
| ago and look toward their ultimate
realization? And is the present not
moving toward such realization?
! Does the life of Franz Sigel show
that he had no hope for tie release of
| the German people from the abso-
/ lutism he com bated in youth? Would
| he not now stand true to his life
long convictions, true to the ideals
| for which he fought on two CONT
nents, true to the inscription on his
| tombstone placed there at his writ
| Soldier?" Would he not array him
self on the side of America in the
struggle to make the world safe for
! American Republic" In the Interna-
tional Magazine, quoted above, con-
Guided with the words:
II
specially appropriate to the great
task before us, they are those which
breathe the spirit Of the sturdy and
heroic English sailor at the battle
! of Trafalgar-to apply the words Of
Nelson to our own situation-'The
American republic expects every
man to do his duty"
| know he would repeat these
words today.
In the fires of the civil war. the
north and the south were welded
! into one great union Of states. II
the fires OF the present war. will
/ weld the many nationalities in our
citizenship into one great cohesive
union of nationalities, and burn away
the adjectives of nationalism from
/ American" then will there be a
! national profit that will more than
balance the terrible sacrifices we
shall be required to make.
/ Where do we, the sons Of men
1 like Franz Sigel and his companions
i in the struggle for liberty, stand? If
1--WE are to be true to them and the
/ ideals for which they fought. we
must stand today on the side Of
America and freedom against the
| German government and autocracy.
We shall not then fight against our
blood kindred. but, in the broader
sense, we shall fight for them against
a government not of their own crea-
ton. We shall secure for them the
right of self government. the right of
/ a people and not of a kaiser to find
/ its place "in the sun"--the sun of
liberty and equality.
/ If we are to emulate the example
tof Franz Sigel, what shall we do?
Let him answer in the words of the
/ last public speech he ever made, in
German to COMMUNICATIONS:
] Politically, / am an American and
nothing else: but I am proud to be
a German. I would consider myself
] less than a man were I to forget
/, the tremendous sacrifices made by
/ the immigrant Germans In defense
/ of their new fatherland Shall this
/ blood have flowed in vain? Shall we
now attack this America to which we
gave all we had to give? This coun-
! try is our country; our interests are
its interests: here we are; here will
our descendants be; here we shall
! stay The union, now and forever"