Washington Journal., 1942-02-13


Frederick Hassarek, Frederick Muench, Carl
Bernays, Gustav Koerner, Georg Schneider
with more than a score Of others. In the
Fatherland they all had been participants or
leaders in European politics and the insur-
gent risings of 1889. Thus they were highly
educated men, who meanwhile had risen to
eminence in American public life. Friedrich
Hecker, the former military chief OF the Baden
instruction, was a candidate with Lincoln on
the Republican electoral ticket in Illinois and
spoke from the same stump witt him.
Those men we're much concerned in enun-
citation of the principles Of the new party on
the subject of slavery, religious tolerance and
the maintenance of the naturalization laws as
they were, as against the demand for the ex-
clusion Of persons Of foreign birth from the
rights Of American citizenship.
The part played by the Germans in the rise
of the Republican party to place and power
between 1854 and 1860, and their capture of
the seats of the mighty in 1860, so declares
Professor f. |. Herriott in his book on that
subject, is a most interesting and instructive
story. 1t is full of dramatic episodes and
replete with many lessons Of profound sig
nifcance for what the "patriots' and war
mongers of these days are wont to call
"Americanism''
The Detroit Free Press then said editorial
ly: "Nothing has been more evident for a
long time than the fact that the main DEEPEN
dence of the Black Republicans is on the Ger
man vote"
The Germans had come into the Republican
party, according to Prof. Herriott, by tens
of thousands, and they we're "the most down
right, outright and unequivocal fighting Re
publicans'.
That the Germans should make their in
fuence felt in the choice Of a presidential can
didate was generally treated with contempt
and ridicule by the Knownothings, but the
leading Republican German press, so wrote
the Cleveland Plain Dealer, was very decided
in its expressions on the subject Of the nomi-
nation for the presidency at Chicago.
Lincoln's Cooperation with Germans
1t is no longer recalled what influence Georg
Schneider exercised in the making of the Re
publican platform. 1t was he, as editor of the
Illinois Stats Zeitung, who prepared the
plank which he submitted to the State Repub-
lican convention at Bloomington in 1856, and
in cooperation with Lincoln later got incor-
porated in the Republican platform adopted
at Philadelphia-the plank that became the
insurmountable obstacle to the success of
Judge Bates candidacy. That plank was the
essence of Lincoln's views in opposition to
all propaganda prejudicial to our foreign
born citizens, as expressed by him IN published
letters Of August "a, 1855, and May II, 1859.
The tenth plank Of the Philadelphia plat
form of the Republican party was the work of
Georg Schneider and Lincoln. With the as
sistance of Lincoln, who was a member Of the
committee on resolutions, Schneider had his
plank adopted by the committee and later by
the convention with political consequences Of
momentous significance.
81 have long heidi, so wrote James K. G.
Forest, "that Carl Schurz and Georg Schnei-
der did more to kill slavery and to save
the Union than any other two men of this
or any other nationality in these United
States.'
Forty-two German-born delegates appeared
in the Chicago convention. Now Lincoln
virtually determined the p~ersonel Of the dele
cation to Chicago. The nam heading the
list of delegates at large was that of Gustav
Koerner. He had presided over the noted
convention in Springfield in June, 1858, where
Lincoln delivered his speech in which occurred
the celebrated utterance, "A house divided
against itself cannot stand. I do not believe
this government can endure permanently, half
slave and half free. | do not expect the
Union to be dissolved"
Germans Were Mainstay of Lincoln