Year: 1872

The Importance Of the influence and power
which the German citizens Of this country exer-
cise in our politics has never been felt more no
tably than in the present campaign, and nowhere
more sensibly than in the State Of Illinois. It
is conceded that the direction which the German
vote Of this State shall take next Tuesday will
largely determine the result. It is, therefore,
d asource Of qualification to find the bulk Of the
German population in this State and Missouri
siding with the Liberal cause, Among g.
people so prone as the Germans to
follow their own convictions quietly
and unostentatiously, it is always difficult
to foreten with certainty what they intend to
do. But, from the very beginning Of the Liberal
movement, there have been many bonds Of SYM
pathy between it and the Germans. Progress


and Reform finds prompt response from q
people who are largely melted to emigrntion


from their native land by the absence and re-


preston Of all progress and all reform in their


Americans are m active, energetic, and frugal


people, serves to explain why, though slow to


change, they should have hastened in such large


numbers to join movement in favor Of pure


government, with motives and principles akin to


their ideas Of justice.


Among no class Of citizens heretofore belong


ing to, md acting with, the Republican party,
has the detection in favor Of the Liberal move


ment been SO large as among the Germans. The


Identification of Senator schurz With the Re-


fo%, ~ ;{a


ers, and the confidence and respect which he
commands among his countrymen, have COM
bined to attract the Germans everywhere. In
this State, particularly, the readiness with
which the most influential German citizens
joined h[r. Schurz, along with the growing
idea that liberalism is largely German
movement, has secured the support Of
greater proportion Of the Germans than
any other political change the country
has ever seen. With the cessation ..of the war,
and the emancipation Of the slaves, the natural
bonds between the Germans and the Republican
party we're severed. Their allegiance might
easily have been retained by 8 continued effort
at good government, and by honesty in the ad-

natural to expect any German sympathy with the
spirit Of despotism and intolerance which Was
developed everywhere by the Republican party.
Whether this took the shape Of vindictive Na-
tionl policy toward the South, or by deposing
and putting down every man who lifted up his
voice against notorious abuses, it was equally
opposed to the character and sentiments
Of the German people. They have found it dif-
dcult to understand why white people should be
prescribed and disfranchised when they them
selves fought for the enfranchisement Of the |
blacks. They have not been able to comprehend |
why schurz, and Sumner, and Trumbull should be
bounded as traitors because they insisted upon |
necessary Investigations and Indispensable re-
forms. The German vote of Illinois, it is esti- |
mated, will reach 6o,0oo This vote, or even q |
fair proportion Of it, can elect Mr.. Koerner, and
give the vote of the State to Horace Greeley |
next Tuesday, and will do SO, if the other sup
porters Of the Liberal cause stand by their guns
with equal courage.