The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-10-19

observed, "is an Englishwoman residing on the
Continent; Queen Victoria Is an Engishwoman
travelling on the Continent; must they, too,
submit to be, dragged out OF railway
with abuse, or thrust into a filthy jail,
and then told by the Attorney General OF the
crown that they are rude and insolent vaga6onds,
who deserve no better treatment Inc Inaes,
which has always shown a hostility TO Prussia as
unaccounable as its sneakng kindness for Austria,
was not slow in inserting this episte and making II
the subject Of an editorial, in which the case OF
Mr.. Macdonald was commented upon In the slash
ing tone Of which the Thunderer is at amaster.
This was followed, day or two wards, by
furious onslaught upon the Prussian government,
and especially upon the Prussian laws, which are
declared to be formed by sayages and admin n.
a good many Of them) happen TO be extremely
proud Of their legislation; they are moreover, firm
believers in the incorruptbility Of their judges
and the intelligence Of their lawyers, and they
were reused to the highest pitch of indignation
by the sweeping condemnation passed upon them
by the English journal. Angry rejoinders ap.
peared in newspapers OF all shades, liberal and
ieactonary; the English are told that M. Moller
was quite right in stigmatizing their nsolence and
blackguardism: that hitherto the Germans have
been too indugent towards them, bat that IN future
they must be taught TO know their proper place,
and be cured of the airs OF superiority they as
sumo over other nations There is doubtless
modicum of truth in these reproaches; Tor among
the thousands of English who inundate the Cont
nent in the summer season there must De some
whose conduct is not quite unobjectonable; but
their base offence consists in their habits Of
independence, which prevent them from ex.
hibiting that Difference and submission 70
which the public employees OF all classes
are accustomed in this country The word OF a
government fnnctionary is law and no non.ofcial
person ventures TO gainsay it. or in case OF dispute,
he is sure 10 come of second best. A foreign
diplomat Of high standing said to me the other
day, tYou have resided many years in Prussia; did
you ever hear of Prussian official being in the
wrong?n / certainly never dill; and this is the
reason that poor Captain Macdonald Jared 30 i'll in
his encounter with them.
At the present moment this episode IL not with
out political importance, and has greatly discon-
certed the Prussian government, who are particu-
larly anxious 10 be on good terms with Eng
land. The approaching conferences at Warsaw,
and the apparent resuscitaton of the Holy
Alliance, can hardly be looked upon with a
very favorable eye by the British Cabinet;
and il was highly undesirable therefore, that
anything should occur to aggravate the unpleasant
feeling that already exists in that quarter Till
now, Prussia has been in rather better odor than
her two Eastern neighbors she was praised for her
liberal institutions, her high civilization and the
order and regularity Of her administration, and
people were not prepared. to see her func-
tonaries conduct themselves like Austrian
or Russian sairaps. No doubt government
wish N. Moler at Jericho, and would sub.
done without damaging the prestige of Prussan
officials; as IT is, he will probably be snubbed IN
private, and some other means found to appease
the ire of the injured Captain Macdonald and his
ncensed compatriots.
At the late manGuvres a Lieutenant Ostrowski,
attached to the staff Of Prince Frederick Charles,
was severely wounAed by conical bullet, some
soldier having loadu his musket by mistake, with
ball cartridge. A French paper has a letter from
Berlin asserting that this affair not accidental
but that a regiment composed of Poles has had a
regular battle with German regiment, in which
upwards Of twenty persons were killed or wounded
on both sides. As far as ! have been able to
ascertain, there is truth whatever in this
statement, and NJ. 0strowsk, who, by the
last accounts, was doing WE'LL was in re-
atty the only sufferer. 1t is not denied, how
ever, that the Polish provinces of Prussia are in
state Of efiervescence, which occasions consider
able uneasiness The KTeuz Zeitulg attributes
IL! TO the presence of French emssaries;
but the hatred Of foreign rule that has always
been evinced by the Poles is quite sufficient
TO account for II at a moment when the idea of ma
tional independence has been reused TO fresh vgor
by the scenes now enacting In Italy. If this coun
try should be involved in war with France and
obliged TO concentrate her whole military force on
the Rhine, II would be the signal for serious dis
tur bances in Prussian Poland, unless arrangements
are made with the Gear TO station Muscoyte
army on The frontier strc--. enough 10 overawe the
haltohtehls, ana j. i very likely that this even
tnaty viii be among the questions discussed at
Warsaw.