Our Monarchist Fathers
Oneal, James
Our Monarchist Fathers By JAMES ONEAL WHEN the Socialists of this country refused to be the dupes of the late Mr. Woodrow Wilson in the "war for democracy" they were suppressed as...
...We did not know et the time that a few yeert I efore the outbreak of the World War evidence was discovered thet some of the "fathers" of the American Government had themselves seriously tried to get i Prussisn prince to occupy the American th one However, we did show how our American bankers, cspitslists, politicians and professional patriots had slopped over in their praises of Prince Henry when he visited the United States in 1802...
...H* was not fundamentally opposed to the change, but believed merely that "ths period" hsd not arrived for it...
...Woodrow Wilson in the "war for democracy" they were suppressed as "proPrussian" Our enemies forgot that German Socialists had for a generation been fighting the Prussian spirit and many had gone to jail for their part in this struggle...
...When the rumors reached him he wrote to Msdison thst "ths period has not arrived for adopting ths ehsnge without shsking the pesce of this country to its foundation...
...The currency, trade, commerce and industry were disorganized, hundeds of thousands were in distress, poor debtors were being imprisoned by the thousands and the masses in s number of states were trying to overthrow the State governments dominated by lsnded snd industrial property interests and iheir lawyers...
...The letter ssten-» if i Ished ths prince snd he wrote s very guarded reply in French...
...The matter remeined shrouded in mystery until 1911 when, in th* srehivu of the royal Prussian houu at Charlottenhurg, there «ii found "the autograph draft of a letter addruud by th* prince to Gen...
...At the close of the American Revolution the colonies were in a bad economic situation...
...I csnnot und you a cipher," he wrote...
...The army had driven Congress out of Philadelphia because of arrearages in pay...
...You understand that it would run the risk* of all letters, and might find itself In th* hand* of th* first person to seize it," That the letter from Gkrhtm had referme* te an America, monarchy is evident from the latter of the prince, who also wrote : "If the whole nat ion should be agreed on setting up another (government), and should choose for it* model the Constitution of England, I must say that In my opinion that Constitution Is th* on* that seems most nearly perfect...
...AU of which merely emphasizes thst our ruling classes from the period of th...
...That Gorham hsd not acted without consulting other politicians I* certain...
...It wss feared that an ill-informed, half-developed proletariat would become the ruling majority in all the* ststes...
...We Socialists ridiculed thit servility of our parvenu aristocrats snd our Socialist members of the Massachusetts Legislature walked out of that body in protest when Hem y was invited to visit it...
...It now sppesrs from the suthorities I hsv* men tioned thst Bsron Steuben, who hsd fought In th* American army, had forwarded a latter written by Nathaniel Gorham to Prince Henry of Prussia guardedly suggesting that th* prince might mske a suitable king for the United State...
...Steuben," excerpts of which I have quoted «bove...
...Those who desire to get the complete story may go to the public library and consult an article by Richard Krsuel in the American Historical Review for Octobers 1911, end e monogreph published by the University of Illinois by Louise Burnhem Dunber which bears the titlj, "A Study of 'Monarchical* Tendencies in the Mi-itcd Mates, From 1776 to 1801...
...For many yean after th* establishment of th* American Government there had been rumor» ar.d usplclons that Gorhsm snd ot'ieri hed bun engaged in some such transaction, but thsir sctivitiu hsd been 10 concesled thst no documentary evidence could bs obtsined...
...For the benefit of these who may not be able to find these publications the following account of this incident will be interesting...
...The situation became so bad that the leading politicians feared that the masses would gain control...
...The eerlier love ef ear A eterica a politicians far a Prussian i rices is new cesamen knowledge ef American historians, but very few ef them give saere then e passing .nd rather vague reference to it...
...i In order to mak* th* negotiations as ae.-ret as possible the orine* wa* requested te «end a cipher se thst correspondence could be conducted with a* little chance of discovery a* possible...
...Gorhsm hsd one* been President of Congru* und«r th* old Articles of Confederation snd WIS a 100 per cent American patriot...
...A section of the privileged gentry begsn to look to monsrehy snd s strong srmy to make things ssfe for property...
...Revolution to today have not bam "a sweat company of fro*t-blttea angels, oppressed and a little warped eut ef their skyward tendencies...
...Even Washington shsred the psnic...
Vol. 2 • September 1925 • No. 36
