The Writings of Carl Schurz/To Mrs. Schurz, September 24th, 28th, 1860
TO MRS. SCHURZ
On the 28th and 29th I have appointments in Indiana. We have now reached the crisis of the campaign. I have had a succession of triumphs and my exertions have been almost superhuman. Only a few days more of work—a short effort in Pennsylvania and Indiana—and the battle will be decided according to the outcome of the State elections in these States on October 9th. It would be wicked of me to save my strength so near the goal. I am standing in the thickest of the fight. Every day I feel that I speak better and my powers grow with the heat of the struggle. The old “Pennsylvania Dutch” follow me like little children, although they can only half under stand me. The Democrats are furious, and wherever I have spoken they telegraph like mad in all directions for German speakers to neutralize the effect of my speeches. But it is quite in vain. The Democratic newspapers attack and abuse me wildly, with the result that even German Democrats become angry and everybody's curiosity is aroused. Consequently all my meetings are crowded and I drive everything before me. The newspapers are discussing me almost as much as if I were a Presidential candidate. My printed speeches are flooding the country in hundreds of thousands and are more and more in demand.[2]
I am feeling better than ever in this turmoil. It seems as if victory could not fail us—and, by Jove! I have done my share towards it.
You were anxious about my success in New York. You might have known that the inspiring enthusiasm of the moment would sustain me.
On October 18th I shall speak to the Germans. I shall work out a speech for that occasion in which I shall do my best and shall try to excel everything I have done before.[3]
I have generally been obliged to travel at night and to steal the necessary sleep in the daytime, and I have always been so surrounded that I could scarcely catch my breath. On Wednesday I was at Harrisburg, where I met the three Blairs and Preston King at Senator Cameron's. Preston King is at the head of our document committee and tells me that my New York speech[4] is a tremendous success and is more in demand than any other document.
On Thursday we had a great demonstration in Pittsburg, the largest and most brilliant I have seen. There must have been between seventy thousand and one hundred thousand persons present. In the evening I spoke in a crowded hall. Last night I left there and arrived here at 3 o clock this afternoon. . . .
Unfortunately what I feared has really happened. I shall not be able to go home on Sunday. A delegation came to me in Pittsburg to assure me that my appearance in Erie might make a difference of five hundred votes, which might decide the result of the October election. Should that be true, and I should not go, and the October election should be lost by a small majority—how I should reproach myself! So I have decided to go.
- ↑ Translated from the German.
- ↑ A letter of February 23, 1860, to Mrs. Schurz contained these sentences: “Naturally countless copies of my Douglas speech have been distributed all about, and it has had excellent effect. I hear that it is being published in pamphlet form in a number of places. Lincoln writes that he is envious. In Madison, the greenhorns in the legislature stared at me in open-eyed wonder.”
- ↑
Although these opinions of a still youthful orator were expressed only
to his enthusiastic and sympathetic wife, they were far from being exaggerations.
The following quotations from letters from campaign managers in
five different States, speak for themselves:
Horace Rublee, Madison, Wis., Oct. 12, 1859: “Can the State central committee now announce some appointments for you in this State? No other man can do as much for the Republican cause at certain points as you.”
J. W. Tillman, Detroit, Aug. 27, 1860: “Our German friends in different localities are very desirous of seeing and hearing you. Can you give us from five to ten days for which we would gladly give you twenty-five dollars per day. Your expenses would be little or nothing.”
T. H. Ford, Mansfield, Ohio, Sept. 12, 1860: “A very general and
earnest desire [exists] among our people to see and hear you and we comply with that wish as well as the instructions of our central county committee by earnestly requesting you to be present with us as one of the speakers of the occasion. The Germans (who are numerous in our small city) need the truth through the medium of their native language. We know of no one in the nation, whom they as well as ourselves would be more delighted to welcome among us than yourself.”
Richard F. Gaggin, Erie, Pa., Sept. 13, 1860: “Besides this, we are well satisfied that above all other men in the party, you could influence a large vote in favor of our cause which is at present wavering between Douglas and Lincoln. We are making accessions almost every day from the other side and our German friends tell us that some of their acquaintances are yet undecided but say to them—‘Wait until we hear Carl Schurz.’ P.S. I have just heard that Douglas has agreed to be here on the 24th. Now, do give us an antidote to such a dose as that.”
A. H. Conner, Indianapolis, Sept. 18, 1860: “We are doing considerable work amongst our German friends, but find no one capable of wielding so great an influence as yourself, and hope you will come to Indiana as soon as possible. I cannot write you the particulars of the canvass further than to say, Come and help us by all means; one week's work from you is worth more than all the German help we have in the State.”
- ↑ “The Bill of Indictment,” delivered at Cooper Union, N. Y. City, Sept. 13, 1860, Speeches, 162-221.