The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-07-02
The Germanic Confederation.

HIOW ute DdtB NetO6'
For some months to come, public attention
will be more prominently directed towards Gen.
tral Europe than to any other part of the world.
That district is exclusively occupied by the
GeImanic Confederation, the organization of
which was agreed upon in 1915, when the map
Of Europe was remodelled by those Treaties of
Vienna TO which the third Napoleon recently
applied the term ''detestable.r Under an act of
Constitution, signed at the Austrian capital, on
June Sth, in that year, the various sovereignties
which constitute what is called the German
Empire were united in a Confederation
(Deutsohe Buno) sf independent States. The first
article of the Constitution defines the object of
the Confederation to be for 1.-The preservation of
the internal and external security of Germany
and the independence and IN volatility of the
several German States;H aud, by the second
article, equality of rights and privileges are con-
ceded TO the members OF the Confederation
but the influence and votes In the Diet or AS
sembly are arranged and established according
to the relative Importance OF the States.
The Confederation originally consisted of
thirty-nine separate sovereignties but that
number has been reduced to thirty-iour by the
Incorporation of five OF the States with others,
Should Holstein eventually become portion of
the dominions of the King OF Prussia, the num-
Der OF States will then be reduced to thirtythree
Th" . htyIour States include one empire, five
kingdoms, seven grand-duchies, one electorate,
seven duchies, one landgrayate, eight princi-
palities, and four free cities. The four tree cities
are governed on republican principles; and the
rest of the States are constitutional sovereign
ties, each having either one or two chambers
$50 called" constitutional might perhaps be
more correct expression, when the manner in
which the King OF Prussia and some other of
the petty tyrants have dictated to the represen-
tatves of the people is taken into consideration.
The established religion OF the southern States
is Roman Catholic, while that Of the middle and
moi of iG nit In ar Off n1ad
Dutch.
The greater part of the States are disconnected
from territory that is not exclusively German.
On the other hand, however, Austrian Germany
does not comprise one.third the dominions OF
the Kaiser and only about tWo-thrds of the
kingdom of Prussia are within the boundaries
oil the Confederation. The Grand DuChy of
Luxembourg and the Duchy of Limburg, though
part OF the Confederation, are subject to the
rule of the King of Holland, who votes in the
German Diet in respect thereof. Previous TO
the Dano- German war the King of Denmark
held similar jurisdiction over Holstein and
Lauenberg; but Prussia now firmly holds the
latter within her grasp, and the possession OF
the former Is the subject OF dispute. The Duchy
of Schleswig, though heretofore subject to the
same sovereignty as Holstein, forms no part of
the Confederation; 1T has, however, long been
the desire OF tue minor German States that it
| should be Incorporated with Holstein, and ad-
mitted into the German family of nations.
The Congress of the Confederation is a Diet of
| Plenipotentaries, which sits in permanence at
| Erank1OrtOnlDe-hhln. luis DOQy acts IN one
! OF two torms-either as a General Assembly or
| Plenunl, in which the States have votes accord
inc to their importance, but every State casting
| at least one vote; or, as the ordinary Assembly,
| in Committee OF the Confederation, or Carries, m
which seventeen votes are divided among the
| thirty four States In the larger form six of the
| principal States have each four votes, Eve have
| three votes each three have two votes each,
| and the rest one vote each. In the lesser form
| one vote is given to each OF the eleven LEADING
States, and the remaining six votes are parcelled
out among the minor States, in one instance
| seven States having copartnership in a single
vote. In all cases where changes in the organic
laws of the Confederation are to be considered
or made, or when a new member is TO be admit
ted into the Diet, or when peace or war is to bt
declared, the proceedings must be in PLeRlun
or General Assembly; but in other cases tht
ordinary Assembly, or Carries may act either il
article OF the Act of Confederat on Austria i
invested with the right Of presiding in the Diet
According to the military lists for 1864, thu
army of the Confederation then comprises
sos, 5ss combatants, and 76,l2O non-combatants
total, 774, ,70s men; and the artillery embraced
1896 field pieces and 247 siege guns. Th9 rank
are filed by contingents from the severa
States, contributed in proportion to their rela
tive Importance. The entire Federal force
divided into ten corps Gdrmee and division
of reserve. OF these Austria supplies the hrst
!, second, and third corps Prussia the fourth
: eth, and sixth; Bavaria the seventh, and tn
list of the States the remaining three corps an
= thu division of reserve. There are five Federa
: lornNsses, which In time of peace are CARR
I, soned ss follows :-Mayence, the strongest an
most Important of the fortresses by Austrian
ana Prusslans In equal numbers; LuXembur
y y chleny py Prussians; Landau by Bavariani
Q Austria. 1-I0'in 90 ~ :
s In presenting an insight into the origin an
: : olRanlzauon OF the Germanic Confederation, "
aalr snfk kha UnNYv aev. =