Year: 1868

The schuetzenfest-Grand German Reunion


In another place in this days HERALD WI
be found a full account of the most magnificent
German reunion which has ever been held in
this country No one who took part in or
witnessed the proceedings of yesterday will
ever forget them. 1t was a demonstration
which only Germans could have got up; and
| of the entire affair, as conceived and carried
out, the German population Of this city, and
indeed Of the whole United States, has just
cause to be proud.


1t was impossible for any one to witness the
demonstration, and it is impossible for any
one to read the account given of it in this days
HERALD, without realizing the growing and
indeed already great importance of the Ger
man element in this country. Time was when
such demonstrations were confined to the
Irish. The Irish have now for many years
been great political power They were the
only foreign nationality that could be relied on
hitherto to cast solid vote. Conscious Of
their strength and not unwilling to reveal it,
they have made their public demonstrations
serviceable in commanding the attention and
the sympathy Of the politicians. A solid
vote of such tremendous weight is not q
thing to be despised. To have it is to win;
not to have it is to lose. The Irish, in conse-
quence, have secured attention, fattery,
favor, even place and power. 1t now seems
as if the German people in the Union were
destined at no distant day to become even
more powerful than the Irish. Socially they
are already power, as this and other demon
strations prove. Their love of music and Of
all the amenities of social life is exercising
potent influence over the length and breadth
of the United States. Their commercial
enterprise is felt and rewarded in all the large
centres of population, and in the regions Of
the far West their industry and thrift have
made the wilderness glad and caused the
desert to rejoice and blossom as the rose.
More vigorous, more Industrious, more intelli-
gent, more successful citizens are not to be
found throughout the length and breadth of
the Union. Nor do any immigrants bring
with them SO much substantial good to begin
with in the shape of wealth, health, education
and common sense Among the many
influences now at work in giving shape and
character to the future of the United States
there is none more healthful than that which
springs from the German people. 1t is,
therefore, a hopeful and encouraging sign Of
the times that the Germans are beginning
to take an active interest in politics, and to
bring to bear upon the political the same
healthful influence which they have already
exercised and are still exercising ON the social
and commercial life of the country.


There is one characteristic of the German to
which we have not yet alluded. From his
very nature he is lover of union. The
rooted deep in their nature hatred of divided
and sectional government. Since the days Of
Charlemagne, and even before, they have sighed
for unity. The Fatherland one and indivisi-
ble-such has been the aspiration of all their
statesmen and philosophers and the fond
dream of all their poets. With his usual
sagacity the first Napoleon made capital out of
this feeling of the German people. So long
as he was faithful to them he was trusted, but
the moment he was found to be using them he
was abandoned. Had he been more honest to
the German people his career and his fate
might have been different but more glorious
This love of unity, which has grown
with their growth and increases with
their strength, is not left behind them
when they seek home in the New
World. The Union cause had no more en-
thusiastic and devoted supporters than they
proved during our late civil war. On the line
of the Potomac, among the forests of Missouri,
on the plains of Texas and in the swamps of
Florida their love Of union, their patriotism,
their self-sacrifce, were severely tested and
nobly proved.


Animated still by these sentiments great
representative portion Of this element in our
population comes to this city at this time in
the hope that the Convention about to assem-
BILE will show itself fully alive to and in sym
pathy with the great issues Of the hour. In
this hope they have come up with the fixed
determination to vote for Chase and civil gov
ernment inside the constitution, as against
Grant and military despotism outside the con-
stitution.


Chase and the Reform Of Abuses In the