New-York daily tribune., 1859-12-20
EUROPE.
AFFAIRS IN VIENNA.
n..n Oar opr Osrrespepdeni.

strietions pamper those papers "hne On Nie
ether the Northern German press sneer at their ei-
t.,t. ,yitb an unfounded assumption of mental su-
periorify, an encouraging voice rom 'ne QUIET sue
az the Atlantic cannot fail to be welcomed In
mint of fact. / consider the new repressve acS
xb;,b Herr Won Thieny, the Minister OF the lnte-
yor has thought t to launch against the metroPoh-
ian prese as an earnest Of the beginning OF reyO-
lvtiopary movement and an evidence OF the seri-
ea, though still timd attempts of the Vienna press
IN Srapule with the powers that are. At Berlin no
mch thing ia wanted Liberalism and syccphancy
toward A Government whose impotence is only
oOunterbaanced by its presumptuousness, seem
there 10 DO identified. Never, since lc42 not al the
Sime of the eensOrs omnlpOteDce has the Prussan
press cat 80 sorry and mean figure. Every edltor
se4 ms 10 have become his own censor and Bus own
ge.s d'arm6. Formerly deep sentiment OF huniIn-
alton was evident even through the silly crcunlo-
BUTTONS by which most public writer's in Prussia con
sented to purchase the right Of existence. Nova
days the Berlin journalists enjoy the letters they
bear, and in the exuberant feeling OF Their own
grandeur deign from time to time to cast glance
Of naughty cornmiseration at their Austrian col
kaeues. who have not yet found out the secret OF
making servitsdo cnsy.
Al this place everybody is malcOntent, and knows
kovv 40 give vent TO his disafectOn, from the stock
iobber who shrues his shoulders over the Danish
meut of the Deficit, and the heutenants, who,
despite the angry circulars Of the Minister OF War;
publicly barangue in cOfee-houses on the conduct
of the last war, to the journalists who in subdued,
but ironical tones, fOrebcde the coming storm.
Queer shifts and expedients must of course be re-
sorted TO- A journal wants, for instance, to expose
Austrian finances and diplomacy. IL covers ITS
threats by ostensibly writing on Spain and its
Morocco expedition. At this very moment there
sirculates in numerous copies the speech made by
Jacob Grimm in the Berlin Academy, on the 10th
of November, On the occasion of the Schiller
centenary. The journals lay hold of this speech
emanating from one Of the high priests OF German
scence in order to attack the prejudices of the
Minister Of the Interior the aristOcrat, and the
eoncordat-meu. / need not tell you that Jacob
Grimm, together with Bopp, may be said to have
invented comparative Grammar: lie has created
the physiology of language, and his researches into
the history and structure of the TeutODic dialects
stand unriyaled The Octogenaran-the last rem
nant Of the heroic epoch of German literature,
since the death Of Humboldt and Charles Ritter
Joins TO his scientific fame great popularity won by
the purity of his life, the unpretending earnestness
Of his patriotism, and the publication of the Fairy
Tales familiar to every German household. There
exists, perhaps, no other German author in whom
childish mGiret6 is so curiousy combined with
critical bOldness The following extract from his
speech will be not less characteristic OF the man
than of the Vienna press, compelled to take Its
weapons against the Government from such an ar
Bonal
commence with J. Grimm's remarks on Schil-
lsr's relations to the German people:
"Poetry," saws Grimm "not only endears our lam
guaee 10 us but reines and sweetens and imbues it,
il were, with a mental fragrancy. The language OF
people which has produced no poets withers away.
TIE Individual poet s the expression, so to say, the
Incarnation Of peoples true nature. While the
world therefore, will regard him the representative
OF the nations genius, his cOtempOrares do him hOm
age because be has touched cur hearts bestowed
warmth and gentle shadow upon our thoughts, and
given a key for opening lfe's mysteries. Foreign
poets may for long me lord IL us, but still they
were not our legitimate laws. Whenever the latter
appear among us, the former must make room for
them"
Such native lords of the German language, then,
were Goethe and Schiller " in whose works richness
:" of thought, warmth of feeling, aud readiness OF
" conception concur with an unprecedented power
" Of language" Before them there had been hon.
orabe exertiOns but 1t was by them alone that the
German people was enabled to successfully enter
the arena of the worlds literature. Goethe, like
the giant Of old, strengthened himself by embracing
the mother earth, by reading in the book Of nature
He was an adept Of the natural sciences. Schiller,
on the other hand, winged himself with Kants bold
philosophy.
"Poetry and philosophy" says Grimm, 4" have this
great characteristic in common that they create them
selves their capital not being ike other sciences
beauestbed by their predecessors Every true phi
losopher must always commence anew, raise his sys-
ten on his oSvn responsibility and ON fresh founda-
ton, without which it would soon vacate and break
down. The poet stands not in need OF any such la
borlous preparation. lie wants neither the learning
Of books, nor the knowledge of the past suddenly
he raises hs voice and reechoes the inspirations of h'
genius. You may spare him the third examination
the second, and even the frat. The religious creed
Of our two great poets has been often sus
pected aud even denounced on the part of those 4
whom pegion serves only as pretense Of giving
vent 70 the odious poison OF their own narrow
minds Al the time Of our poets there regneG 8
greater tolerance than nowadays. What reckless
TO canoni1e the victim Of blind creduty, and u
condemn the bold inquirer Not only the natural mar
has blood Of two different kinds but the mental mar
has veins of Faith and veins Of doubt, which altern
niely beat stronger weaker Everybody knows
that Lessipg, breaking through all RESTRAINTS, otter
speaks W the boldest manner. Him you may Justly
call tree-thnker free mind (Freigeist and yoJ
will honor hnn by this ephet, which, in It's htera
Eenfe, expresses something noble and worthy Of the
nature Of man. who owes il to hmself 70 approach
the mysteries of the world and OF nature with free
unvailed eyes. Why are the best, the pnrest words
eonvefted and wrested from their true meaning p
In the three words Of faith (6ie d'ei Hoyte des
Glaa6eRsJ and TIE three VOTds Of deiHstOH (die drei
H0yfe des N0kpsi, Schiller unvas his sylnpathies
With childlke faith he mourns the classic gods
OF Greece and the downfall Of the old world IN ele
gae strains, while in some Of his ballads such The
Count Of Hapsburg, and The Walk TO the Foundery
no famiarzes himsef with the miracles Of the Cat6o-
he Church. Still, this benevolent yielding 70 the OBJ
iecve world Of faith obstucts the free road OF
hie thought In oontradstncon 20 that sort Of phOso-
piers who ruin well faith by their fruit
ksa attempts " eOneiliatng revelation with their own
systems. Religion lives in him, and living religion is
the tIue one. Confronted with il there disappears
what call orthodoxy, because you will al ways find
that dogmas the pointed watchwOrds Of faith as YOU
may call them, must always split themselves and
shiyer into dscording doctrines. Men whose hearts
embrace all the nOber aspirations Of mankind how
..mA s.E1 T., L.