The Sun.
London, England, 1868-01-28 00:00:00

BAVARIA

MUNICH, JannaTy 20.

In my last letter I stated my opinion of
the wretched condition the Government and
the so-called Representatives of the people
have fallen into, and of the growing aliena-
tion of the people from both. I am now in
a position to prove the correctness of this
view, and, indeed, even to a greater degree
than I had myself expected. During the last
few days the Government-partyhas been placed,
as it were, though on a small scale, on its trial
before the people. The Government, it is true,
refused the demand for the convocation of a
new Parliament made in very energetically-
worded addresses by eighteen hundred and
sixty-nine Bavarian communes. But now a
member of the Chamber, a Government man,
being promoted to a higher office, it became
necessary, according to the Constitution, that
his constituents should declare whether they
chose him to continue their representative or
not. The affair turned out a regular tilting
match between Government and people. The
Government exerted itself to the uttermost to
retain their member ; the said member went
down himself to the town to present himself in
person to his constituents, making an oration
of an hour's length in defence or in excuse
of his Parliamentary shortcomings. He had
to thank the influence of the clergy alone for
his even obtaining a hearing ; but then fol-
lowed:and by an immense majority, the con-
demnatory sentence of the outraged electors.
You can scarcely conceive with what jubilee
this result has been welcomed by the patriotic
party and their organs throughout Bavaria.
But it will be more interesting to hear a voice
from the enemy's camp in the report of the
correspondent of the Frankfort Journal. The
correspondent writes as follows :
"It was with an intense interest very
uncommon in such cases, that the results of
the votes for the re-election of the representa-
tive Hohenadel, was looked forward to here,
and in many quarters in Bavaria. Friend
and foe awaited the decision as a sign of the
state of the political thermometer. Hohenadel
had not only irritated the clerical party, but had
also made advances to the great Prussian party.
Nevertheless two circumstances gave him hope
of a successful issue : his own personal amia-
bility and the notorious repugnance felt, and
that in the very highest degree, towards his
substitute, especially by the clericals. To this
may be added the nature of these so-called re-
elections, in which the electors have not the
right of absolutely electing a new representa-
tive, but are only called upon to declare in
writing by a simple Aye or No* whether they
choose to retain the newly-promoted member
as their representative. Quite contrary to
the ordinary custom, on this occasion, an im-
mense majority of Noes (38 Ayes and 83
Noes) was the answer given. It would be an
illusion to consider that this strengthening of
the reactionary tendency were confined alone
to the electoral district of Neumarkt (which
contains, nevertheless, 88,000 souls ; it must
rather be looked upon as a sign of the times,
brought about for the most part by the untir-
ing and restless activity of the great German
party. At the general election the clericals
were unable to prevent the electio neither of
Hohenadel or of his still more anticlerical sub-
stitute. But to-day, when the people see ender
their very eyes, as a consequence of this new-
fangled prosperity, a fearful stoppage of busi-
ness—when they are threatened with the too-
well-known new laws for the reorganization of
the army, and when further they see, in dim
perspective, an increase of taxation—to-day,
indeed, they desire to check the rate of going
upon this downward path of Germany's new-
fangled felicity. It is thought that the lesson
just given will not be without its effect on
Hohenadel's substitute (Buchner, a notary in
Hihpollstein). He has already received a pre-
cautionary hint, that in case it should be
otherwise the good people of the town and
district will not employ him to prepare their
deeds, and come what may are determined
to make an example of him. This temper of
mind is much more strongly aroused and more
general than is by any means commonly sur-
mised, both in Bavaria and in Catholic Fran-
conia. Should a new Chamber be elected now,
one might reckon upon its presenting at least
a much more marked physiognomy than the
present one, and though in truth much more
clerical it would at any rate manifest a de-
cided political character. It appears,'also, that
the preparations for the Zollverein Parliament
have already awakened forebodings of many
a result until now unexpected. Should the
clouds gather yet thicker around the political
horizon, every party will lose its foot-hold.
The fermentation of mind in the country is
much more serious than is generally imagined."
Another sign of the times, in
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tshti:tAenogf:bturhig
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inantnhoeunfoollemo wingent owf
gramme on
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behalf of the majority of the Chamber
of Re-
presentatives is expected, touching the elec-
tions for the Zollverein Parliament.lt
recommend, in opposition to the party
of pro-
gress, the non-entrance of Bavaria •into the
Northern
Northern Confederation in its present
form and
constitution, as well as the complete
avoidance
of all steps in that direction. The rumours
that the Particularistic (Bavarian patriotic)
party, who urge an affiance between Austria
and France, are seeking to chive out
Prince
Hohenlohe, are being continually repeated,
and gain ground here. The feeling in the
leading political circles is very uncomfortable."
The majority of the representatives is the
tool of the Hohenlohe " t
minis ry. It allowed
itself to be carried away by the party of pro-
gress, as Prince Hohenlohe himself was car-
ried away by it. They would fain
now draw
in, and set narrower limits to their programme
than those hitherto set by the ministry • they
would fain appear to sympathise
with the
temper of the people ' • but this will
avail them
little now they are known ; besides to this
hour they have not yet succeeded establish-
ing unanimity among themselves.
Catholic circles here are again discussing
Dr. Dollinger, who, for some short time, has
done little to get himself talked about. Our
venerable archbishop wished the theological
faculty here to elect Dr. Brentano, professor
of philosophy at Wiirzburg, a still young, but
already celebrated man of letters, to a chair
in their faculty. Dr. Brentano stands high
in the esteem of Dr. Dollinger; nevertheless the
latter frustrated the archbishop's plan. He
suggested as a reason for opposing this plan
that it was not advisable to place a philoso-
pier in the theological faculty ; experience
had taught that by this means conflicts with
Rome were almost inevitably brought about.
This anxiety of the Provost, Dr. Dollinger,
for peace with Rome impressed many of us
as something comical. This anxiety was, in
truth, carried rather far. A conflict with
Rome was brought about, because a professor
was allowed to teach un-Catholic doctrine, and
now a new conflict with Rome is to be feared
by appointing a professor just such as Rome
and all the bishops would desire. But without
doubt there lay in the background another
cause of anxiety besides the one expressed of
great weight, the fear, namely, that Dr. Bren-
tano's teaching should cast into the shade
and frustrate the labours of a certain professor
in the philosophical faculty, who may, it is
true, in his anti-Roman tendencies, go far
beyond Dr. Dollinger, but is, nevertheless,
zealously protected by him. The line taken
by Dr. Dollinger in this matter will certainly
not bring him into conflict with the Minister
of Instruction, although, as I hear, even in
that quarter the merits and the distinguished
ability of Dr. Franz Brentano have not been
questioned.
That minister's department, as we read in
the Volksbote, has just issued at Wiirzburg a
masterpiece of bureaucratic stupidity and in-
solence. It has ordered that the students of
the Gymnasium should no longer on the Sun-

* If the Noes have it, the substitute who was elected
at the same time as the principal, takes the seat as of right.