New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-03-25
The German ConfusiOn.

past there has been convened at Dresden
an Assembly of Representatives from the
various governments of Germany for the
purpose demonstrating the Federal Union
and replacing the old Diet of Frankfort by
a new Central Power. The meetings OF
this body having been held with closed
doors, its debates have not transpired to the
public, but the general tenor of its dOings
has been tolerably we'll known, and we
have taken care to print everything essen
tial respecting them. This has not been
much, bat no doubt it has been enough TO
puz1le every brain not already disciplined
in the intricscies of German politics. These
Conferences having now reached breath
ing point, we propose, not to unravel the
complication, but to let our readers see as
clearly as may be what and where it is.
There are in Germany some thirty odd
kingdoms, duchies, principalities and free
cities, each governed by its own rulers
laws and traditions. The year l848 found
some of them under absolute, some under
constitutional monarchies, and some, as the
free cities, under republican forms. They
were all combined in federal pact for pur-
poses of internal police and external de-
tense. The Federal Diet or Council had
its seat at Frankfort-o on the Maine. 1t was
com poseH of pleni pot, ntiaries appointed by
the several governments, each Of which was
entitled to fixed number of voices in the
decisions of the Diet. The presidency in
this body was exercised by Austria. There
was a federal army to which each State
was required to furnish its quota of soldiers,
and federal fortiicatisns, as at Rastatt and
Ulm, were erected at the joint expense
The fundamental law of this federation
was fixed in 1915 at the notorious Congress
of Vienna. Its entire policy was hateful
to the German people, and its overthrow
one of the objects aimed at by the revolu-
ton of 1646.
But the purposes of this federation were
restricted, as was its authority over the in
dividual States. 1t was not in any efficient
sense an Organization of Germany. 1t did
not prescribe the duties on foreign goods
That was left to the States, and the neces-
sites of the case produced another fedora
ton for that purpose Familiarity known as
the ZoIlverein or Customs Union. This,
however, did not include all the States;
Austria had her own separate Tariff, and
so had Hanover Brunswick, &c. Nor
was the foreign diplomacy entrusted to the
Confederation. Prussia had her own poll
cy and her own ENJOYS abroad, and so had
Austria, Saxony and the rest. Prussia and
Austria especially. had interests quite dis
tinct from those of Germany proper. The
former held sundry districts of Polish origin
and population, her share of the plumber of
that unhappy nation; the latter had Hun
gary, Moravia, Gallicia Dalmatia, Lom-
hardy, Venice, &C., all of them foreign to
the German race and name, whereas the
Confederation protested to be strictly Ger
man.
From this succinct view, the extent and
nature of the German Confusion up to l846
may be understood.
The revolution sought to put an end to
it, and failed,-we need not here repeat
from what causes. But during the sessions
of the revolutionary Parliament at Frank
fort, the Prussian dynasty, which had
tempered and dalIied with the revolu-
ton for the purpose of its own aggrandize-
ment, managed to get its Polish provinces
recognised as an integral part of Germany.
The Poles resisted, but in vain. The Prus-
sian leaders thought they had accomplish
ed famous stroke of policy.
In due time the Frankfort Parliament
got itself out of the way, and Prussia came
in nightly everywhere to restore order
and put down rebellion. Bat, having done
this, having cut the throat Of the revolu-
ton and covered up its tracks with blood
and ashes, it still sought to preserve the
superiority it thus acquired over Southern
and Central Germany. We have not space
here to go into all the intrigues and crimes
the turnings and twistings of this period,
upon the most eminent of which we have
on former occasions poured the contempt
and disgust they must excite in the mind Of
every straight-thinking democrat.
Meanwhile Austria had got through with
Hungary and Italy, and was ready to look
after matters in the West. With bank