New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-10-28
GERMANY.

REVOLUTION AND COUNTER-REvoLUTloN.
The political movement OF the middle
class, or Bourgeoisie, in Germany, may be dated
nom 1870 1t had been preceded by symptoms
showing that the moneyed and industrial class OF
that country was ripening INTO a state which
would no longer allow II to continue apathetic
and passive under the pressure OF hailfeudaL
halfbureaucratlc monarchism. The smaller
Princes of Germany, partly TO insure to them
selves a greater independence against The sn-
uremacy of Austria and Prussia, or against the
influence of the nobility In their own States,
partly in order to consolidate into whole the
disconnected provinces united under their rule
by the Congress of Vienna, one after the other
granted constitutions OF a more or less liberal
character They could do so without any dan
ger TO themselves; for II the Diet OF the Conied-
Grafton this mere puppet OF Austria and Prussia,
was to encroach upon their independence As
.overeigns, they knew that IN resisting It's die
tates they would be backed by public opinion
and the Chambers and if, on the contrary, these
Chambers grew too strong, they could readily
command the power of the Diet 10 break
down all opposition. The Bavaran, Wmtem'
berg Baden. or lianoverian constitutional nst-
buttons could not under such circumstances, give
Tise to any serious struggle for political power,
and therefore the great bulk OF the German md
die class kept very generally alool from the petty
sauabbles raised IN the legislatures of the small
States, we'll Knowing that without a Fundamental
change IN the policy and constitution OF the two
- 4 alto
and victories would he Of any avail. But at the
same time. a race OF liberal lawyers. profession
al oppositionis;s. sprung up IN these small as
sembllcs the Rottecks, the Nelckers. the Roe
mers, the Jordaus, the Stuyes, the Elsermanns,
those great popular men (Nolksmanner,) who
after a more or less noisy, but always unsuccess-
fu I, opposition of twenty years, were carried to
the summit of power 10y the revolutionary spring
tide of lsis and who, after having there shown
their utter mpotcncy and nslgnliicance, were
hurled down again IN a moment These first
specimens, upon German soil, OF the trader IN
politics and opposition, by their speeches and
writings made familiar to the German ear the
language of constitutonalism, and 10y their
very existence, forcboded the approach OF atlmc
when the middle class would seize upon AMI
restore to their proper meaning the political
phrases which these laxative attorneys and
professors were in NE habit OF using without
knowing much about the sense originally al
taChed 10 them
German literature too, labored under the In
nuence OF the political excitement into which
all Europe had been thrown 10y the events OF
1890 A crude constitutionahSm, or stall cru,
der repubhcanlSm, were preached 10y almost al
writers of the time II became more and more
the habit, particularly OF the inferior sorts OF h.
craft, TO make up Tor the want Of clevemess IN
their productions by political illusions which
were sure to attract attention. Poetry. novels,
reviews, the drama, every literary production
teemed with what was called tendency" that
IL with more or less tlmd exhibitions OF an anti
governmental spirit. In order to complete the
confusion of ideas reignng after 1890 IN Ger
many, with these elements OF political opposition
there were mixed up ill-digested unlyersity.re-
collections OF German philosophy, and mISun-
ders,ood sleanngs from French socialism, par
ucuiarly SAINT SrmoniSm, and the clique ct
writers who expa,iatcd upon this heterogeneous
conglomera,c OF ideas, preSumptuously called
themselves Young Germany" or the Modern
School" They have since repenied their y9ath-
full SINS but mol improved their style OF writing
Lastly German philosophy, that most conpli-
Gated, but al the same time most sure thermom-
eter of the development OF the German mind,
had declared for the middle class, when Hegel
pronounced. m ms philosophy OF Law, Con
stiiu,ional Monarchy 10 be the final and mos,
perfect form of Government. la other words,
he proclaimed the approaching advent Of the
middle classes OF the country to political power
His school. after his death. did no, stop here
While the more advanced section OF his follow
ers, on one hand, subjected every religious belief
to the ordeal OF rigorous criticism. AMI shook
to ITS foundation the ancient fabric oi ChnStlanl-
~, they at the same time brought forward holder
political principles than hitherto It had been the
fate OF German ears To near expounded, and at
tempted 10 restore 10 glory the memory OF the he
roes of the first French Revolution The SbSiruSe
philosophical language IN which these ideas
were clothed II l, obscured the mind OF both The
wnter I'd the reader. equally blinded the ewes
Of tn, censor, and thus It was that the " Young
llegelian" writers enjoyed liberty OF the press
unknown IN every other branch Of literature.
Thus i, was eviden, tina, public opinion was
undergoing a gTea, change N Germany BY de
frees, the vast majority of those classes whose
education or position IN HE enabled them under