Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1866-07-13
The War In Enrnne.

d What are the questions at issue, and
d where our sympathies should be given, in the
\ great European contest now opening. are
not altogether clear to the majority of
e people on this side of the water We only
know that Italy will have our best wishes in
4 the attempt to regain VenetIa, which proper
d ly belongs to the kingdom Of Italy, and that
( Russia alone Of the great powtrs showed US
cordial sympathy in ou- own war For the
T rest we can look on, as empires and princi-
palities clash in bloody conflict. and care
q little d" which whips" hoping only that the
cause Of human progress and the rights of
the people may in some way be advanced by
the struggle.
f As many Of our readers will not under
stand the meaning of the term 50 Federal
army frequently occurring m the foreign
e dispatches, We copy the following clear ac-
count Of the nature and relations Of the
German Confederation. from T.. Detroit
, Post, edited by Gen. Carl Schurz, who of
, course l. thoroughly familiar with German
J politics:
As soon Prussia had taken possession Of Hols-
ten, Austria moved in the German Diet that,
in view Of the violent proceedings Of her rival,
the Germanic Confederation should mobilize its
army, with the exception Of the Prussian con-
tingent, for the purpose Of enforcing the author
ty Of the Diet. This requires some explanation
The Germluic Confederation or .. Buni" Is an
institution nor unlike the oh American CJnlel-
Grafton previous 10 the adoption of the present
Constitution Of the United States. Its priuc-
pal object L., in the language Of the Federal
compact, " The preservation Of the internal
and external security Of Germany, and the
independence and iuv0lability Of the Va
ri0us German states" The Government organ
of the Confederation consists in the Federal Diet
which l. divided into two bodies. One T. the I
s0-clilei &c Pieuum" OF General Assembly, COM .
posed Cf lie Pleuipatentaries VI all the states i
composing the Confederation. In tie e" PIE /
mum each state, even the smallest. has at least
one vote, while the larger cne- hav, tEo, three /
. or four, according &C their size The Pl,num'' .
decides on questions Of war and peace. and on
questions affecting the organization and funla-
mental laws Of the Confeleracy.
The second body belonging to the Diet is the
1iuor Council or Committee Of the C1uiclera-
tJn. IN which tho eleven lr1e-, states have enc
vote each, and the smaller st4ics altogether siE.
several Of them combined casting cue. The
F Committee Is competent TO act on an legislative
. and executive matters within the puryew Of the
Federal Constitution H., reserved 60 The " Pc
num-
Il VIII he -o;iced that the Diet, gu constituted,
ics no element of popular representation iu it.
Both bodies cIs,st s--l-si siyel~ Uf rleuipotcu-
tlrics appointed by the several Governments.
and the voice tha people is not heard in It's
deliberations
Il is als9 noticeable jhat III thc states COM
posing the Confederation are virtually iudepeai-
en-, in almost all the relations of so.ereiguiv
They have their own independent internal al
minisiratcus; they keep their own armios
their own pleuiTotentaries at foreign courts,
ami some of tE5-a have provinces not belonging
20 the Confederation 90 ail. % is cyilou. That
when two or more Of the more powerful states
combine, they Do rs they please. as they di
when ScAieswig Ho,stein vas wres,el from Den
mark; aui tlc rest 0f the members have moth
ing lett 10 them but 10 protest and ;hen submit
But when enc Of the weaker states acts in leE-
ance Of the Confederate authority. the Federal
army IS called ont % enforce the viii Of the
Diet. an operation which is cllel q d" Federal .
exocutiol.'5
The Federal army consists Of coutingeuts fur
nishei by the several states composing the Con
federation winch c0ntingents are aVportcusd
according to the size ami population Of the res
pectiye -tates- These tro0r. are in ordinary
times under the command oI the Governments;
but in case Of emergency the Diet calls the con-
ungent cut, and appoints a Federal command
er, who then acts under the orders Of the Diet
The teleTal army is, il all. about 100000 men 4
strong
After these explanations it will become clear
that when Austria novel in the Diet that the
Federal army should be mobilized or put On a
war footing. ri'i The crcepii0n Of The Prgslil1
contingent, II is with a view OF Federal action
against Prussia In other words ig was 90 be G
combination rf f,Hrr.1rr zrafaa ur.lar
lead # Austria against Prussia
The motion Of Austria 90 that effect prevailed;
the mobilization Of the Federal army. with the
exception Of the Prussian contingent, was
ordered by the minor council Ly majority Of
MAE to six, two DOT voting. The minority con
s.sis probably 0i Hanover, Meckleuburg, Olden-
burg, Hesse Cassel. and the free cities; that is
to say, the immediate northern neighbors Of
Prussia. Al the states Of Southern Germany,
and among them those which. aezt to Prussia
sai Austria, are the aogt powerful, have thus
openly declared .or Austria, and Ieir alliance,
Offensive and defensive, ua- now be considered
certain.
10 sooner vas this step taken by the Diet
when Prussia declared the Gcrmanic Conieiera-
tion dss5vei. and marched her troops into
Saxony.
The case now stands thus Austria controls
what there is left Of the Germanic Contele.a-
ton, and there is no dcGbt tlat the states which
in the Diet, voted With her FOR tie mobilization
Of the Federal army, Will, during the war, sup
port Austris, acting in the name Of the Ger
manic Confederation, as an d" army Of cyecC- / ,
ton" Prussia will have 70 contend 10, oaly
with 4 ustria but with Tie vermanic Couleiera-
tion also. 1t Is, indeed, not probable that the
states which, in the Diet voted against the m)
bilization Of the Federal army, will obey thf
order Of the Diet to place their oontngents at .
ne disposal kor is 1t certain that they will
place their troops under the orders OF Prussia.
Some Of them vill undoubtedly enleaY0r 10 Te.
laaln pegtral, Ehi,a. however, in a general war
like this, will soon prove impossible. That
Austria has at the present moment an immense
preponderance in Germany. is fixed fact.
Thus the Germsnic confederation has fallen to
pieces. No friend Of German liberty VII r,,rag
il. II has -eyer cs-Eel, - .-aEs tie GsrRln
raopi- respected abroad or lTee At home, II Eas
nothing bui mutual Insurance company Of
princes; It furnished them the means Of
unitel action in their conspracies against hu-
man rights and popular liberty. Il wes .Ie-,-
fore to every tue Ge.---n pa,.iot al 5biect OF
Si-t.lsts haired, ;.l1 contempt. In lci5 one Of
the FIRST results Of the revolutionary uprising Of
the people was the dissolution Of the detested
German Diet and the c0uyocation Of Germsn
Parliament; tie reaction spsst ,ae te5nits
y the geyolagi5l in 1850 and al: the eermanlc
Confederation Win IT, Diet made its appearance
again. Now it has fallen again, destroyed by
the princes themselves.
The Platform of the Vt. Democracy.
IS matter OF current History ana no
because they are Of any particular conse.
quence, We copy the resolutions passed by
the late Democratic State CanTenti9a Ihey
acre drawn, We suppose, by II. b. Smith Of
Milton, and as specimens OF pure English
composition and Of sound doctrine, arc about
on a par. The Vt. Democrats then fret
Re.olssd, Thai se e-press renewed confidence
in the Democratic party and its principles, and
nledre 10 them the honest Devotion Of men who