New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-12-02
Wnr Prosuect. in Germnny.

Wnr Prospects in Germany.
The chaotic aspect which German poll
tics have worn for the past two years has
proceeded in great measure from single
cause, the inconsistency and weakness-to
use no harsher terms-of the King of Prus-
STA and the Cabinet which he called around
him in November, 1913. The leading
spirits in that Cabinet have been the Pre-
mier, Count Brandenburg, Cately deceased,)
Baron Manteufel, Minister of the Interior,
and Gen. Radowitz. The last named has
however, for most of the time been an IN
huential outside adviser till few months
since on the retirement of Baron Schleinltz,
he became Minister of Foreign Affairs and
responsible member of the Government.
OF these three men neither has exhibited
any remarkable administrative talent
Brandenburg had the courage and direct
ness of q soldier, and when plan had been
clearly adopted carried it through without
Ainching. Manteufelis a man ofmean capa-
cities though fruitful in mere expedients
and makeshifts; Radowitz is talker and
schemer, but has never given evidence of
practical craftsmanship. All these men,
and the King with them, were and are at
bottom adherents of the old Absolutism.
But at the same time they were all am
bilious Of Prussian ACCOMPLISHMENT. They
longed to see their country actually at the
head of Germany, and Germany at the
head of Europe; in this at least they were
sincere. They saw too that this could not
be accomplished by the maintenance or res
toration of the old system of things BY q
movement which they had resisted with all
their might, and which at the last moment
they had yielded to with rage and bitter
ness, only because therewas no alternative,
Prussia had become constitutional State.
In so doing she had made herself the rep
resentatiye of the constitutional principle,
and was SO regarded throughout Germany.
The hereditary rulers of Hanover Saxony,
Wurtemberg, Bavaria, and the smaller
states, saw with jealousy the sudden stride
which she had thus made in the public
opinion of Germany, but there was no help
for them. The people generally, after the
disappointment of their more vague and
ardent hopes, looked to Prussia for the main
tenance of constitutional liberty and the re-
alization of German Unity. This Frederick
VILLAIN and his Ministers we'll understood.
They were clear as to the fact that the great
ness they desired for Prussia could only be
reached by keeping up the pretense of con-
stitutionalism, both for their own State and
their proposed new Confederation.
Here then, apart from the natural weak
ness and Lttleness of the men themselves,
we have the key of their inconsistency and
folly. Their political theory, habits ofmind,
personal wishes were and are altogether
absolutiSt their ambition on the other hand
has made them pretend to be constitution
alists. They have acted from both these
contradictory impulses and their action has
of course been inconsistent and seemingly
inexpicable.
There have also been other causes to dis
tract and drive them hither and thither
Like all the other Governments Of Europe
that of Prussia is pinched for money. It's
finances are confessedly bad, the deficit
made up by loan last year having been
above fourteen millions of dollars. No
doubt the case is really much worse than
the official statement. In addition to this
practical difficulty the frightful perspective
of q new revolution and the advent Of De-
mocracy has constantly stood before the
eyes Of these gentlemen. The terror this
excited has conceded with their original
predictions as far as measures are con-
cerned: for how could the revolution be
prevented but by repression of all popular
tendencies Wherever they beheld liberty
thew saw behind it the phantom Of Demo
cracv and the utter destruction of their
own power. What if that liberty were
guaranteed by the Constitution Are not
the interests of social order Of greater
moment than the prescriptions of mere
parchment!
Can there be aught more poor and
cowardly than this terror at phantom OF
the mind, this trembling before ideas 10
us it seems so; we behold it with pity and