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Krekel & Kribben fall/winter ’20 pg. 14 pg. 15 KREKEL & KRIBBEN– DIVERGING VIEWS | | ON THE FUTURE OF SLAVERY by steve ehlmann In 1848, Arnold Krekel and Christian Kribben were young, free-thinking lawyers and aspiring Democratic politicians, whose families had emigrated from Prussia to St. Charles County, Missouri, in the 1830s. Like most German-Americans, both initially opposed the spread of slavery into the territories, but neither was an abolitionist. In 1854 they began moving in opposite directions. Engraving from William Still’s 1872 book The Underground Railroad Records, with modern watercolor enhancement. (Image: Shutterstock) fall/winter ’20 pg. 16 pg. 17 By July 1863, in the midst of a Both men joined the Democratic resolutions to ensure slaveholders’ Civil War that would determine Party to oppose anti-immigrant right to take their slaves into the slavery question, William and anti-Catholic Nativists in the new territories. Senator Tausig, Presiding Judge of St. the Whig Party. While both came Thomas Hart Benton opposed Louis County, reported to the from Catholic families, each him, insisting the future of the Neue Zeit that President Abraham became free-thinking anti-clerics. country depended on free soil Lincoln had asked him, “Why Political opponents would use and free labor and warning that don’t the Germans of Missouri their German origin and support the slavery issue could destroy stand still?” Krekel had not stood for “Red Republican doctrines the Union. In 1848 Claiborne still and now favored emancipation of Europe” against them as the Fox Jackson passed the Jackson in Missouri, while the Neue Zeit debate over slavery intensified.3 Resolutions in the Missouri General described Kribben as someone Assembly, opposing Benton and who had stood still but explained After a rally for Democratic asserting Congress had no power he had not “receded more than presidential candidate James K. to limit or prohibit slavery in the times have advanced,” but Polk in 1844, the pro-Democrat the territories.7 “no longer understood the times; Missouri Republican reported that was all.” 1 that Kribben spoke “in a brief, That year, while both shared but spirited and eloquent manner, Benton’s concerns, Kribben went showing the importance of the a step further than Krekel. After present contest and the magnitude the New York State Democrat- of the Texas question.”4 ic Party refused to endorse the Missouri’s U.S. Senator Thomas Wilmot Proviso, a faction known Hart Benton, who had opposed as Barnburners opposed the the Texas Annexation Treaty, Democratic nominee Lewis Cass was forced to work hard to win and joined with others to form re-election that year. Kribben the Free Soil Party, nominating as was nominated for St. Louis city their candidate former President attorney in 1846, but the Whigs Martin Van Buren. Kribben nearly swept the municipal signed a Barnburner Call insisting, elections that year and elected “He was an enemy of slavery and, the first nativist mayor of St. if he were able to drive it out of Louis.5 The following year, Krekel Missouri with a wave of his hand was elected St. Charles County or a nod of his head, he would Arnold Krekel (1815-1888) emigrated from surveyor as a Democrat, receiving do so in a second. He drank his Germany in 1832 at age 17 and moved to St. Charles, Missouri. His lengthy career 65 percent in the three townships hatred for slavery from his included editing a newspaper, working as with highest percentages of mother’s breast and inherited it an attorney and a surveyor, serving 6 8 in the Union Army, presiding over the German voters. from his forefathers!” 1865 Missouri Constitutional Convention, and as a U.S. District judge. Kribben enlisted as a lieutenant Even though Benton opposed (Image: St. Charles County Archives) in an all-German artillery unit it, passage of the Compromise under the command of General of 1850 defused somewhat the Arnold Krekel, born in 1815, Alexander Donovan after the slavery issue. That year, Kribben was six years older than Christian outbreak of the Mexican War in was in Europe and Krekel was an Kribben. Each received schooling 1846. During the war, the United unsuccessful candidate for the in Germany before immigrating States House of Representatives State Senate. The following year to Missouri with their families at passed the Wilmot Proviso, which Krekel was elected city attorney age seventeen. Both eventually Christian Kribben studied law under Thomas Cunningham, attorney and mayor of St. Charles, would have excluded slavery from for St. Charles, but the legislature who published this notice of slave sale in 1844. (Image: State Historical Society of Missouri) studied the law in St. Charles, any new territories gained in the denied Benton re-election to the where Kribben began his practice war. When the matter reached Senate. A month later, Krekel in 1843, as did Krekel in 1844, the the United States Senate, began publishing the year Kribben moved to St. Louis.2 St. Charles Senator John C. Calhoun offered Demokrat, the first German fall/winter ’20 pg. 18 pg. 19 Forecasting political death for the Democratic Party, this cartoon imagines a funeral of its standard-bearers with Senators (left to right) Sam Houston, Thomas Hart Benton, carrying a slip of paper with the words, “Last of the Family Reign,” and John Calhoun, carrying a manacle labeled “Slavery,” serving as pall bearers for the bodies of Martin Van Buren and Lewis Cass. (Image: Library of Congress) Founded in 1852, the Demokrat was published by Krekel for four years, after which it was edited by his political allies. (Image: Steve Ehlmann) votes, becoming the first German Nebraska and guarantee “popular Benton,” causing the pro-Benton immigrant elected to the Missouri sovereignty,” whereby the people Neue Zeit to editorialize: General Assembly and an opponent of each territory would decide of the Jackson Resolutions. While whether to allow slavery. Shortly When a German tramples the legislature had passed a thereafter, Representative Krekel under foot all the traditions statute requiring observance of attended a meeting allegedly of his native land, all the achievements of philosophy, the Puritan Sunday practiced by “composed of the confidential of enlightenment and humanity, English-speaking Protestants, friends and mouth-pieces of which he has brought with closing theaters, concerts, beer Benton,” opposing what became him from his old home—when halls, and wine gardens—all known as the Kansas-Nebraska a German obtrudes himself to be the advocate and significant to Germans, who Act. The abrogation of the representative of slavery and observed the “Continental Missouri Compromise provoked all its consequences—when Sunday,” during which even a strong reaction from he degrades himself to a religious Germans enjoyed beer, opponents of slavery.17 Thompson German, and wine, music, and the theater on becomes the servile hod-carrier of slavocrats, then there is an Anti-slavery Germans were Sunday—Krekel did not attack end to all mercy, and such the Sunday, or any other existing further alarmed when Congressmen an exemplary exception of a law, “regarded with sacredness from slaveholding states, including German must be placed 10 12 language newspaper in St. Charles personalities out of the game.” campaign.” But Kribben, having by the American people.” 15 Senator John B. Thompson, a before public opinion in his County, and praised Benton Neither did, and to oppose changed his mind while in Europe, Whig from Kentucky, attempted entire nudity, to serve as a horrid example to others.19 for his opposition to Calhoun’s the Whig candidate for state parted ways with Benton and Kribben married Edith Delafield to amend the Homestead Bill by resolutions, which “contained all representative, St. Charles Krekel on the slavery issue, and in St. Louis in February 1854. confining benefits to “heads of About the same time, a of the principles and tenets that County Democrats were forced supported Bogy.13 Heinrich Edith, a non-German, had been families” and to “citizens of the Krekel critic, citing the German the Missouri legislature later to choose between Maj. George Boernstein, editor of the born in Ohio, and the Kribbens United States.” Many German Progressive Party’s support for passed in the infamous Jackson W. Huston, “a bitter Anti-Benton pro-Benton , decried did not own slaves. Krekel and his men, who had left their families Anzeiger several “Red Republican doctrines resolutions.” His primary concern man,” and Krekel, “a Bentonian,” the pro-Whig for wife, Ida, also a German immigrant, in Germany until they could pay Republican of Europe,” as well as opposition was that they “were intended to causing one observer to state supporting Bogy, suggesting it owned two slaves. They, like most their passage, would not have to the extension of slavery and prepare the split of the union.” 9 sarcastically, “This is the kind “has a particular inclination and Missouri Germans, had reached the right to homestead prior to support for the Homestead Bill, of ‘union and harmony’ that tenderness for the most regular an accommodation with slavery naturalization.18 charged him with “anti-American Missouri Democrats reconciled prevails all over the state.” 11 [Democrat] Christian Kribben where it existed, but they feared sentiments” and “exciting the in 1852, running an anti-Benton and for the more than regular its spread could lead to disunion. Benton announced his Germans against American candidate for governor, while That same month, after Krekel ‘ .’” Indeed, They were reassured that the candidacy for the Senate seat to Democratic Press institutions,” whether it involved pro-Benton men were nominated had seen the new Demokratische Boernstein charged, “Mr. Missouri Compromise, which be filled by the legislature after Sunday or slavery. Krekel, who for down-ticket offices.
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