The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-10-12
LETTERS FROM EUROPE.
Especial coresI onlonce Of tho Union,
MUNICH, Sept ls, 1855.

Next to Washington, Munich is decidedly the city
of the most magnificent distances, though in diff
ferent sense. The city extends over q very large
surface and that surface is covered with dwellings,
palaces, triumphal arches statues, monuments in
bronze and marble, churches libraries, galleries OF
old and modern paintings, and tho like; but tho city
is not Inhabited by sufficient number of people to
give animation to the architectural outlines. There
is the colossal statue of the Bavaria with it's adjon
ing "hal Of glory; !" but the great men Of Bavaria
were not produced in sufficient number to fill the
hall so of the Del minorum gentium had to be
selected to fill the hall. The University and the Ii
brary are both magnificent buildings, but they are
not sufficiently animated to produce all agreeable
impression, and not sufficiently old to please you
with thoir legends. There is, too, o contrast be-
tween the stone IDEAL or the ideal canvas, and
tthe thousand lager-beer saloons with which the city
is decorated, and which exercise greater moral I'M
Huence on the population at large than the Italian,
Flemish German, French, Spanish school Of paint
ings The taste for the arts exists only in the cult
waited classes and among the artists themselves;
neither the character OF the population of Munich
the spirit of the ago in which live is congo
nial to the formation Of an Athenan public. True,
if You reflect upon the comparatively humble means
which King Louis and his successor, the present
King Maximiian III, had at command, the amount
of classic works Of art accumulated hero is all
most inconceiyable, and gives evidence of two
things at least viz: the great rugality of the peo
ple who were able TO furnish the means Of forming
such collections and producing such works of art,
and the taste and judgment with which those means
have been employed. Contrary to most Italian Cities
Munich has but very little trash, though its galleries
neither equal to those of Dresden, Florence,
Rome. The arrangement is excellent, and every ia
ciiy afforded to the student to cultivate and inn
prove in his particular branch or course visited
the Kings foundry, where Crawfords monument of
Washington was cast Some Of the castings are still
to be DONE and some models have only day or two
since arrived from Rome, The models of Thomas
Jefferson and Patrick Henry are still here; are
the models Of the Kings Gather and sony Of Naples.
Good God! what contrast! Here, all ideality, tho
living thought, tho energy of will, the determna-
ton of character expressed in every line these,
Domby & Son. two hereditary dealers in royalty,
who, from want OF tact, are IN great danger of kill
ing tho trade. 1t is in Europe the American find
the proper prospective distance for the philosoph-
cal contemplation Of the past and living characters
of his own country. But will not indulge in invid-
ious comparisons. There are Kings and Princes,
too who have claims to the respect and gratitude
of posterity; and, among these. those who like
Maximilian Joseph of Bavaria, have kept faith with
the people. and of their own accord acknowledged, !,
in whatever limited degree, the right Of selfgoyern-
ment, deserve an honorable mention. Neither it
be denied that tho present King, Macmillan Ii is a
noble and generous prince, protector OF science,
and heartily disposed to promote the welfare of his
people. His subjects, in old Bavaria at least, are
loyal and devoted to his person. and his government
is Notwithstanding his largesses to artists and men
of letters, carried such economical principles
|
expenditures. What is very striking here is the
total absence OF street beggars anything else that
can offend the eye-a proof that there is an efficient
police, and not secret one for person enter
ing Bavaria, soourning in it, leaving it, is de-
| mandcd his passports. When you have registered
your name at the hotel, you may rest assured that
you will not again be troubled with vexatious ques-
| tions.
| But ! have another thing to mention which does
still greater credit to the Bavarian government and
shows to what extent the spirit Of Improvement has
penetrated King and people. Bavaria, till recent
/ ly, had opposed tho abolition of transit duties in
/ the revenue from which she had considerable
share, basing her objection on the ground that the
river dues not yet abolished and that those river
dues arc as much on impedimcnt and tax on
commerce as tho transit duties Very recently, how
! ever, Bavaria assented to tho Austrian proposition
not only to modify these transit dutes but to abo-
st them altogether and this proposition has also re-
| ceived the support of Prussia and Hanover. You
may therefore, take it for granted that these transit
duties will be abolished in very brief period and
it stands to reason that all the river Dues including
those of Sade the Elbes and the Scheldt dues at
Flushing will have to yield to moro liberal policy
the moment the United States as in the case Of tho
Sound dues, will take the lead. The press within the
last two months has been hard at work to produce
an effect favorable to such consummation, and
the leading Princes Of Germany willing to follow
public opinion. The abolition of the transit duties
was one of the first conditions laid down by Austria
as essential to her joining the Toll ueyci, and with
Bavaria now in favor Of that proposition the great
est obstacle to the commercial union of Germany
with Austria seems to be removed 1t is amusing and
instructive to read the leading German papers such as
the Augsburg Journal the austrian Gazette the Pyt.ssan
New Gazette &C.. and to see how they insist on the
abolition of all dues in the shape of direct taxes on
commerce and navigation. 1T was the united will
of Germany, they say, (which abolished the Sound
dues, after the noble stand taken by the United
States Of America and they look anxiousy across
the water for little more such aid.
The admission Of Austria into the Zolgerein is now
mere question of time, and continuous German
commercial road, without interruption, will undoub
edly be established between the North sea and Bal
tic and the Adriatic, with very fair prospect Of
freely navigating the Danube from its hcad-waters to
the Black sea. In truth, Austria has submitted
proposition to that effect TO Bavaria and Wurtem-
borg, and will support their and her own views in
regard to that subject in the Riverain convention
which will shortly meet again. and whose final labors
WILL have insisted in all my letters be once more
submitted to the Paris conference.
Most of the soyeregns of Europe are now trav-
cling in their respective dominions hence every
thing has the appearance Of peace and the stock ex-
change has only reason to be glad Of it. The French
threes have actually risen to 49, and, although they
have recently rcceded rs centimes tho fact is esab
lished beyond controversy that tho government of
Napoleon iii has vastly increased in public conf
dence. The Emperor is shortly expected back to
Paris, some of his effects having already arrived
there from Bartz, and he will pass the winter in
the 1uieries. Two Of the great objects which now
occupy his mind are tho piercing of tho Isthmus of
Suez, for the purpose of ship canal and the estab-
of Madagascar France must have naval station
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