Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1917-11-30
BY Franz Siegel.

Franz Sigel, the son Of Gen. Franz
Sigel, famous as an exile from auto
cratic Germany in 1S4849 and one of
in the Civil War, needs no introduce
tory note. Mr.. Sigis now q resident
of New York City, and the following
article is an extract from the New
York Times of Sunday, July %, 1917.
eeeeek vetaoi sh vb vb xxz IF
am a full-blooded German, de-
cended from German "Fortyeighters''
My father, Gen. Franz Sigel his bro
theirs, and my maternal grandfather
were driven from Germany on &C
count of their participation in the
revolution of 184S in Germany.
My forebears had all sacrificed the
home of their birth in their devotion
to the cause of liberty. Later they
fought for the Union and the freedom
of slaves. Only one, a maternal un-
Gle, ever revisited Germany, and he
too, returned to fight on the Union
side. None ever went back to Ger
many to live.
In April, 1861. my father enlisted
in the same struggle. He is frequent
ly referred to as one who did much
for the Nation in its crisis OF 81
he is at times mentioned in the pub
lie press as one whose example Nigh,
might well be emulated now by the
youth of German descent. What dur
ing his lifetime was his attitude or
Americanism, and German Ameri
canism?" If we sons are to fokidw
where he would have led, where doe
the path lead? "
father told me to speak English
He was an educated man. had beer
graduated frsm recognized .ESkI
school in Carlsruhe, Baden, beGSS{
trained soldier and had been atl Rsl
delberg. He knew and spoke EREAiAA
before he came here, but his GSfIEa3l
accent never left him. The la&Ek S9SS
OF our home was German, a1df SKf2l
tinue that custom in my own home
Ny wife speaks no German, but our
boy and / speak nothing but German
together. ! will remember that my
father told me to speak English with
with him in public because it was
an insult to other citizeHSsto speak
in their presence Language that
they did not understand A,Dnce
took him to public functioEAat my
college: the professor of German
my lifelong friend, when he met my
father in room full of visitors ad-
dressed him in German, thinking tc
please him. But the reply came in
English, and the professor at once ac-
commodated himself to the change
Franz Siegel knew the constitution
of the United States and what II
meant for the rights of humanity
long before ne came to this country
and he knew it better than, many
AmricqnC who hnfr, 10
here His passion was the liberty
Of man. when herevolte 4
against the Government of. Baden
he knew the goal he was aiming tc
reach. As adjutant general under
the command of theBaden revolution
lists, Ludwig INTERCHANGEABLE Prlt
probably wrote an "order. of the day,
dated HEADQUARTERS, Rastatt. June
81, 1849." which hangs on my wal
1t is addressed to. the revolutionary
army at camp at that fortress, and
concludes: ~.
The limit Of our camp is the boun-
fary between the traitors and the
defenders Of Germany = Free
dom or slavery-7let that be the motto
that shall resound in the ears of the
enemy from the threats of 10000
determined men,, ...
l have, also hanging on my wall as
my father had it hanging on his wal
as long as / can remember, a list OF
20 of his brothers in arms subse.
quently captured, condemned, anG
shot as traitors. entitled 'Germanys'
Martyrs to Freedom" The remnant
of the revolutionary army-abont Z,
OOO--escaped under my fathers lead
ershipi into Switzerland from Prus
slams under Prince William, after
wards the first German emperor
Many of them and their families emf
grated to America. ~
The.,unification Of Germany unde,
the German Emperor. in 1871, was
realization in part of the hopes O
the Forty-eighters." That il wa
not complete may be gathefedo b.
what my father wrote in an.artieE
in the International Magazine abou
four years later. He said Of; Ger
many that IT was great Empire a nj