The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-06-26

sisting in their plenary integrity the reciprocal
rights and duties resulting from the federal arrange,
ment OF 1915, and profess an intention to fulfil |
those duties, and insist upon those rights, towards
such states (f any) shall not think proper to ac-
cede to the new union they propose 70 engraft upon
II. This is consistent with the line which the
Prussian government has constantly maintained
ever since the accession TO office Of the Brand-n-
burg administration. Denying the pretensions of
the Frankfort convention To treat the confederation
dissolved, and TO impose military constitution,
issuing directly from the popular will, upon the
whole German nation, with or without the assent
of the existing governments, 1t has always con-
tended for the right OF individual States groups
of States, within the federal circle, to enter into
such combinations as they might deem expedent,
consistently with the general principles on WHICH
the confederation was based, and the objects for
which it was created. Whether this view Is cor
rect or the contrary it is not for to determine.
The substantial question Is, whether the clrcum-
stances OF Germany are such as to Justify the pro-
posed modlhcation, and whether the scheme Itself
Is likely to meet the requirements with a view to
which 1t has been framed. And very grave
question It is; for 1t is clear that this new crystal.
iZation within the exterior surface Of the federal
system, if partial and local IN its operation, must
| very materially weaken, and may, perhaps, burst
quite asunder the federal lIgament Which the three
governments profess themselves DESTROYS TO pre-
serve If the new body polite shall embrace some
States, and not others-f 1t shalt bind together the
North by bond from which FranconIa and Suabia
are excuded-if ii shall lntersect Germany by new
| lines of demarcatlon, stretching south wards from
| Bayreuth, or eastwards rom the Rhne-ihe unity
| OF the confederation is in effect destroyed.
From the brief but careful outline furnished yes
terday by our Berlin correspondent, 1t will have
been perceived that the PROJECT though colnciding,
as we mentioned above, IN Its principal te ttures,
with that elaborated at Frankfort, differs from the
latter in some particulars OF no trivial Importance.
The powers OF government, instead OF being CEN
tired in the King of Prussia alone, to be shared
by FWsten- c0uegitta, or royal board OF six men,
bers, associated under his presidency, and COM
posed OF the reignng princes the minor sovereigns
~ no a N
fluence proporloned to the extent OF their terrific
ries. This board, besides acting executive
council, will form third legislative chamber, with
an absolute veto on the decisions OF the Two others;
whilst like absolute veto, In place OF the suspensIve
offered by the Frankfort constltutlonasts
served 10 the King OF Prussia IN his capacity OF Pre-
sdent Director Of the empire. The King is also to
possess a casting vote as Chairman of the Royal
Board, so that in the event OF any disagreement
between the Southern and Northern States, the
influence of the latter will Invariably preponderate.
The individual governments are lett TO dispose OF
their own military forces IN time OF peace, subject
TO the right conferred upon the central power ct
calling them out tor the preservation Of order.
UNIVERSAL suffrage Is granted in terms, but the
concession is abrogated in effect by an apporton-
ment of the representation which secures the pri-
vlege oil eecuDg two-thrds OF the deputies to the
upper and middle classes, leaving only one-thlrd
to be chosen by the INDECENT majority OF the popu
laton.
We entertain very grave doubts whether this
very complicated piece of mechanism can ever be
completed In working order. We question: the
wisdom OF attempting to change confederation
into State, by simply attaching the proper mach
merry of the one to the proper machinery OF the
other. The objections which We have more than
once urged against the project OF general popular
representation for Germany apply, of course, with
equal force of the modlfcAto OF 1t adopted by the
Berlin Conference, and they are rather heightened
than removed by the artificial system of checks
by which ii Is proposed to counterfeit the influence
of the representative body. But must at the
same time, own that we do not think ourselves at
liberty to disregard altogether the strong, If not
| unanimous, feeling in favor of this very unpro-
missing experiment which exists amongst the great
| majority OF the German people. Whilst we crlticise
| the work of the three governments, we must not
forget the heavy and multiplied responsible
ties Of their position, and the difficulty of the
| task they had, rightly IN our judgment, undertaken
to perform. Germany is still calling aloud for unity
as the only escape from the chaos OF hopeless
| anarchy and disorder. The cry may be rational or
| irrational. To some extent, we believe 1t to be
| but symptom of transtory fever tt the offspring
| OF morbid and temporary agitation. But 1t Is not,
We repeat, altogether fictitious and unreal There
| are impulses at work which it would be the ex-
tremity of short-sighted folly to dream of sitting
and crushing by the iron weight OF military coer-
cion Coerce the popnlace If you mast-but paclfy
the people. And paclfied the German people wlllno
be, until their federal constitution shall have been
transformed into shape more comfortable TO what
they believe TO be the normal state OF the nation.
Now, German constitution, be it federal or be 1t
national, cannot possibly, be very simple affair
| after all We never yet heard of good working
constitution, that was not more or less in
tricate and we shall not be at all surprised
If it should turn out that, to concate interests so
diverse, so powerful, and in many respects so con-
| fctiDg, requires an lntrcacy OF arrangement
| through which an English observer may be una
| BILE to see his way. We may entertain serious
mlsgivings as to the success Of this or any other
| plan which may be devised for the removal Of OBJ
| stacles apparently insurmountable. We may
shrewdly suspect that the normal state of Germany,
| if she have not already attained 1t, is something
very different from that which the three Kings ina
| CINE. But we do not think 1t necessary to lmpute
| to the Government Of Prussia inconsistency or
| selfish dupllclty tor adopting scheme OF union
which, after all, assigns to that power no greater
| preponderance than she must necessarily and una
vodably possess In any, system OF States from
| which Austria Is excluded.
To restore the old confederation in its pristine
form would be impossible, and to attempt to do so,
| worse than use less. Should the endeavor to
! tighten the hoop in one place cause the Frame
work to start in another-shoud the southwestern
States, clinging to the relcts of their Frankfort
convention, now on the point of migrating to Slut
gardt, determine to group themselves round dis
tlnct neuclus of their own-we should lament a
disruption which we may, nevertheless, see no
meansof preventing. But 1t is not by denying the
principle OF national representation that Prussia
would have conciliated either the democrats the
moderate liberals of Suabla and the South nor
would she, we believe, have won their adhesion
by surrendering that hegemony to which her vast
resources Justly enttle her. Not insensble to the
increased influence which Russia must inevitably
derive from the unfortunate conJuncture OF CIR
cumstances which has thrown Austria into her
arms, we are fully alive TO the which rem
der the union and internal pacification of Germany
at this moment peculiarly desirable. If the Ger
man States cannot combine with Austria, they
must combine without her. And should the time
arrive, we trust 1t WILL when the ancient En-.
pre, with recruited powers and consolidated
strength, shall be enabled to follow the bent of her
natural policy, and to seek in the West that sup
port which il is the interest of the West to afford
her, we do not abandon the hope that she may,
hereafter, find it in close and indlssouble CON
necuon with free and united Germany
The Poles In Hungary.
From the London Post June 2
Affairs III Hungary have already assumed an as
meet which while n fully iusties our recp nj OH