New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-07-27
GERMANY.

REVOLUTION AND CoUNTER-REvoLUTIoN
We now come to the last chapter in the

the different States, especially Of Prussia the
Instruction of Southern and Western Germany,
and its final overthrow by Prussia.
We have already seen the Frankfort National
Assembly at work. We have seen it kicked at by
Austria, insuted by Prussia, disobeyed by the
lesser States, duped by its own impotent Central
Government" which again was the dupe of all
and every prince in the country. But at last
things began to look threatening for this weak
vacilating, inspid legislative body ID was forced
to come to the conclusion that the sublime idea
ofGeman Unity was threatened in it's realization"
which meant neither more nor less than that the
Frankfort Assembly, and all it had done and was
about to do, were very likely to end in smoke Thus
set to work in good earnest in order to bring
orth as soon as possible its grand production, the
"Imperial Constitution"
There was, however, one difficulty. What Ex.
ecutive Government was there to be An Execu-
tive Council No; that would have been, they
thought in their WISDOM making Germany Re-
public. A "President"l That would come to
the same. Thus they must revive the old mpe-
rial dignity. But--as Of course prince was to be
Emperor-who should it be! Certainly none of
the Dii min0rum geatium, from Reuss. Schleitz-
Greitz. Lobensten- Ebersdorf up to Bavaria
neither Austria nor Prussia would have borne that
1t could only be Austria or Prussia. But which
of the two! There is no doubt that, under other
wise favorable circumstances, this august Assem-
bly, would be sitting up to the present day, dis
cussing this important dilemma without being able
to come to a conclusion, if the Austrian Govern
ment had not cut the Gordian knot and saved them
the trouble.
Austria knew very well that from the moment in
which she could again appear before Europe with
all her provinces subdued as a strong and great Eu-
ropean power, the very law of political grayitaton
would draw the remainder of Germany into her
orbit, without the help of any authority which an
imperial crown conferred by the Frankfort Assem-
bly, could give her. Austria had been far stronger
far freer in her movements, since she shook off the
psweress crown of the German Empire-a crown
which clogsed her own independent policy, while
it added not iota to her strength, either within
or without of Germany. And supposing the case
that Austria could not maintain her footing in
Italy and Hungary-why then she was dissolved,
annhilated in Germany too, and could never pre-
tend to reseize crown which had slipped her
hands while she was in the full possession of her
strength. Thus Austria at once declared against
all imperalist resurrections, and plainly demanded
the restoration of the German Diet, the only GEN.
trail Government Of Germany known and recOg-
nized by the treaties of 1876 and on the 4th of
May, 1S49 issued that Constitution which had no
other meaning than to declare Austria an indi-
visible, centralized and independent monarchy,
distinct even from that Germany which the Frank
foIt Assembly was to re0rganize.
This open declaration of war left, indeed, the
Frankfort wiseacres no other choice but to ex-
clude Austria from Germany, and to create out Of
the remainder ofthat country sort of lower EN-
pre-, Little Germany" the rather shabby i'm
perial mantle of which was to fall on the shoulders
of his Majesty Of Prussia This, it will be recol-
lected, was the renewal OF an old project fostered
already some six or eight years ago by party OF
South and Middle German liberal doctrinaires who
considered as god send the degrading circum-
stances by " ich their old crotchet was now again
brought forward as the latest "new move" for the
salvation of the country.
They accordingly finished, in February and
March, 1919, the debate on the Imperial Constitu-
ton, together with the Declaration of Rights and
the Imperial Electoral Law; not, however, with
out being obliged to make, in great many points,
the most contradictory concessions-now to the
Conservative or rather Redctionary party-nsw to
the more advanced fractions Of the Assembly. In
fact it was evident that the leadership Of the As
sembly, which had formerly belonged to the Right
and Right Center, the Conservatives and Reaction
ists,) was gradually, although slowly, passing to
ward the Left or Democratic side of that body.
The rather dubious position of the Austrian Depu.
ties in an Assembly which had excluded their
country from Germany, and in which yet they
were called upon to SIT and vote, favored the de-
rangement of its equipOise and thus, as early as
the end Of February, the Left Center and the Left
found themselves by the help of the Austrian
votes, very generally in majority, while on other
days the Conservative fraction of the Austriaus,
all of sudden and for the fun of the thing, voting
with the Right, threw the balance again on the
other eide. They intended by these sudden SQUIRE
sauts to bring the Assembly into contempt; which,
however, was quite unnecessary, the mass Of the
people being long since convinced Of the utter hol-
lowness and fltillty fanything coming from Frank
fort. What specimen Of Cons tution. in the
meantime, was framed under such jumping and
counterjumping, may easily be imagined.
The Left Of the Assembly-this eite and pride
of revolutionary Germany, as it believed itself to
be-was entirely intoxicated with the fe paltry
successes it obtained by tine good will, or rather
the i'll will, of set Of Austrian politicians acting
under the instigetIon and for the interest of Aus
titan despotism. Whenever the slightest approx
nation to their own not-yery well defined princ-
pies had, in 4 geographically diluted shape.
obtained a sort Of sanction by the Frankfort As
sembly, these Democrats proclaimed that they
bad ssyei the country and the people. These
poor, weak. minded men, during the course Of
their generally very obscure lives, had been 90
little accustomed 20 anything Ike success. that