The Writings of Carl Schurz/To Paul Bechtner, August 20th, 1884
TO PAUL BECHTNER
| Indian Harbor Hotel, | |
| Greenwich, Conn., Aug. 20, 1884. |
Your letter of the 16th inst., presenting to me in the name of the “signers” an open reply to my Brooklyn speech, has been forwarded to me here. I am certainly far from underestimating the merit of that “reply” as a literary effort; but you must pardon me for saying that, with the best possible intention, I cannot find anything in it that in the remotest sense could stand as an answer to, or a refutation of, the arguments submitted by me to my hearers at Brooklyn. On the contrary, it seems to me to betray a dangerous want of apprehension as to the facts in the case, as well as the importance of them with regard to the public welfare. However, I shall not enlarge upon this subject in this letter which is to be a mere acknowledgment of yours, for it has long been my intention to visit Milwaukee during this campaign, and I shall avail myself of that opportunity to make a few remarks on your “open reply” in public speech. I shall urgently invite the signers of the document addressed to me, to give me the honor of their personal presence on that occasion.