Circumstances prevented me from sending it sooner, but I hope it is not too
late to reach its destination through your kindness.
Accept the assurance of my perfect esteem and devotion.
[Translation.]
Assenting declaration of the Herzogenbuschsee
Mannerchor to the Swiss address of sympathy to the American
Union.
The members of the Herzogenbuschsee Mannerchor declare their assent to
the address of sympathy to the American Union as follows, inviting all
neighboring Unions and citizens partial to the cause to join them in
it.
[Page 580]
The feeling of cordial friendship and warm sympathy which the Swiss
express, in every rank, for the American people, in their varied
fortunes, has also penetrated our circle and awakened the deepest
sentiments among us.
We join in the general jubilee of all persons who are friendly to freedom
at the great victory of the North American Union over Richmond. We hail
with joy the end of the four years’ civil war, the end of frightful
sacrifices and untold sufferings; and we rejoice at the triumph of
freedom and humanity over the infamous system of oppression that ruled
the nation so long.
We join our American brethren in their jubilation that the great and holy
principles of our constitutions show that the democratic republic
depends upon the sovereignty of the people, and the future is in their
hands.
We feel that, by this victory, not only Americans, but all who have been
aroused to consciousness must see the great advances made towards the
time when the rights of man must prevail, when no other crown than that
of merit can be worn, and no title of nobility but that of virtue and
fitness.
We turn again with wonder and affection to the starry banner of our
sister republic, that has blotted out its only stain in this baptism of
blood, and around which so many heroes have assembled, to show the world
how powerful is Divine Providence in the choice of its instruments to
prove the simple majesty of manhood,
The beautiful personification of all these virtues, in our opinion, was
Abraham Lincoln, “the man with the brow of iron and the heart of
gold.”
As we joined in the song of victory, the reward of the great citizen’s
labor, so did the news of his assassination strike our hearts with
terror.
As we shudder at such events of history, we must remember, “that it is
man’s destiny to make the greatest sacrifices for the greatest good, buy
the best blessings with the dearest gifts, and remember that he must
labor not only for the passing comforts of to-day, but for the lasting
blessings of hereafter.”
In this belief, we can understand why Providence often uses means,
incomprehensible to us, to heal the wounds of humanity, by offering its
champions as victims to martyrdom.
The angel of peace and freedom will now come from the vault of
Springfield to breathe the breath of resurrection and regeneration over
the land; and when men in after years shall commemorate Good Friday as
the death-day of their holy Redeemer, they will remember it as the day
of martyrdom for his truest disciple, the liberator of millions of
slaves, the noble paragon of virtue and humanity, Abraham Lincoln.
In conclusion, we express our steadfast hope in the future fate of our
great sister republic, and our confidence in its manly rulers; and
cordially join in the address of sympathy of our countrymen, wishing the
welfare of the Union in the words of the great Franklin, “May it live
for ever.”
Members of the Mannerchor:
A. FRIEDRICH BORN,
President.
J. G. WEGST,
Director.
G. F. EBERBACH,
Secretary.
And one hundred and forty names.
