New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-08-19

III,
must he maintained; and not seeing their way al
all before themselves, elected a COMMITTEES OF
Thirty, to mike proposals a. to the means how
this Constitution could be carried out.
This resolution was tie signal Tor tine conflict
? between tie Frankfort Assembly and the German
Governments. which now broke out.
The middle classes, ard especially the smaller
trading class, had all at once declared for the ne
Frankfort Constitution. Taey could not await
any longer the moment which was "to close the
revolution In Austria and Prussia the reyou-
ton had, for the moment, been closed BY the in
reference Of the armed power the classes in
question would have preferred less forcible mode
OF performing that operation, bat they had not
had chsnce the thing was done and Trey had
to make the best OF it, resolution which thsy at
once took anu carrie out most heroically. In the
smaller States, where things had been goins OH
comparatively smoothly, the middle classes had
long since been thrown back into that SNOWY, but
resultless, because powerless parliamentary agi-
tatiOD which most congenial to themselves.
The dItfert Mt States Of Germany as regarded each
OF them separately, appeared thus to have at
tanned that new and deiinitiye form which was
supposed TO enable thsn to enter henceforth, the
path OF p aceful and constitutional development.
There only remained one open question, that OF
the new political organization Of the German Con-
feteracv. And this question the only ons which
still appf ared fraught with dan GER il was cOnsid
cred necessity to resolve at once. Hence the
pressure exerted upon the Frankfort Assembly by
the middle classes in order to induce it to get the
Constitution ready as soon as possible; hence the
resolution among the higher and lower Boureeoisie
to accept and to support this Constitution, what
ever 10 might be- in order to create settled state
Of things without deiay, Thus, from the very
beginning, the agitation fbf the Imperial Consti-
tuition arose out of a reictionary feeling, and
sprung up among those classes which were long
since tired Of the revolution.
But there was another feature in il. The first
and fundamental principles OF the future German
Constitution had been voted during the first
months Of spring and summer, lSiS-a time when
popular agitation was still rife. The resolutions
then passed-though completely reictiorary then
now, after the arbitrary acts Of the Austrian
aud PIussian governments, appeared exceedingly
liberal, and even democratic. The standard Of
comparison had changed. The Frankfort Assem-
bly, could not, without moral suicide, strike out
these once-voted provisions, and model the lmpe-
rial Cor stitution upon those which the Austrian
end Prussian Governments had dctated,sgOrd IN
hand. Besides, as we have seen, the majority IN
that Assembly had changed sides, and the Liberal
and Democratic party were rising in influence.
Thus the Imperial Constitution not only was dis
tinguished by its apparently exclusive popular
origin, but at the same time, full of contradiction
as il was it yet was the most liberal Con stltutiOn
Of all Germany. Its greatest fault was that it
wes mere sheet Of paper, with no power to back
its provisions.
nder these circums tances it was natural that
the So called Democratic party, that is the mass
OF the petty trading class should cling to the I'M
peiial Constitution. This class had always been
more forward in its demands than the LIBERAL
Monarchco- Constitutional Bourgeosie; it had
CHI owl q b0ld 81 threatened
armed resistance, it was lavish in it's promises
TO sacrifice its blood and it's existence in the strdg
Gle for freed )m but it had already gwen plenty of
proofs that on the day Of danger il was nowhere,
and that it never felt more comfortable than the
day after a decisive defeat, when everything being
lest, il had at least the consolation to know that
somehow or other the matter 'rGS settled. While,
therefore, the adhesion Of the large bankers, manu-
1acturers and merchants was of a more reserved
character, more like simple demonstration in ia
vOr Of the Frankfort Constitution, the class Just
beneath them, our valiant Democratic shOp-keep
ere came forward in grand style and, as usual,
proclaimed they would rather spill their last drop
Of blood than let the Imperial Constitution fall to
the ground.
Supported BY these two parties, the bourgeois
a0herents Of Constitutional Royalty and tbs
more OF less democratic shop-keepers, tie dgjta-
tion e. the Immediate establishment Of the In
peiial COns'itution gained ground rapidly and
IOulC Us AlOSI DOSciitA az lfccsitu 1T tie
ments OF the several States. The Chambers of
Prussia, OF Hanover, Of SaxoHy, OF Baden, Of
Wuitsm.ure, declared in It's favor The struggle
between the Governments and the Frankfort As
senbly assumed a threatening aspect.
The Governments, however, acted rapidly. The
PTussan Chambers were dissOlged-anti-CO
tutionally. Us they had TO revise and confirm the
Constitution riots broke OFT at Berlin, provoked
Intentionally by the Government, and the next
day, tie 18th Of April, Che PfGs,an Ministry
issued a circular note IL which the Imperial Con-
sttUtion was held up as most auorcuica and
revolutionary document, wL.c J. twas Cox the Gov
erDmeuts Citleunanyt 20 remodel and purify. Thu.
Prussia denied, point blank, that sovereign con
stituent power which the wise men NJ Frankfort
had always boasted o. but never established.
tins Congress OF Princes, a renewal OF the old
Federal Diet was called upon TO sit in judgment
On that constitution which lad already been pro-
mulga;ed o., a Law. AID at the same time pfus-
sic concentrated troops az kTeuznach, three
day., mach from Frankfort aud called upon tie
smaller States 20 FLOW its example by also dis
solving their Chambers as loon as they should
give their adhesion 70 tie Frankfort Assembly,.
This example was speedily lcll0wei by Hanover
sld SaxCny.
Ii was EVIDENT that decision Of the struggled y
force cfarnis could not be avoided. The HOSTILITY
Of the Governments tie agitation among the pe0-
pie were daily showing themselves IL stronger
Coiofs. ne military were every where worked
upon 10y tie democratic citizens, ard in the South
Of Germany with great success. Large mass
meetings were everywhere held, passing resolu-
tons support tie Imperial Constitution aud the
National Asse mbly, fEeei should BE- with force of
arms. AT Cologne a meeting ofdeputies Of all the
municipal councils q khenIsh PRUSSIA took place
fol the same purpose. j. the Pala innate az Ber-
gen, Fuida Nuremberg in the Oden Haid the peas
nutfy net by myrac, and worked themselves Up
INTO enthusiasm. A. the same time, the Constt-
uent Assembly o'Fnnce dissolved, and the new
ell ctiols were prepared amid violent agitation,
while ontLe eastern frontier ofGeEgany the Hun
eai.ans hid y thin month by a succession Of
brilliant victories rolled back the tide of Austrian
INVASION fem the III eiss 70 the i.atha and were
every DAY expected to take Vienna by storm.
Thus, popular imagination beng on all HANDS
worked up 70 the h.gh-s It pitch and the agrees
sive policy OF the Governments defining itself more
clearly every day, violent collision could not be