The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-05-07
The German Question.
COUNT BIsMARK's LATEST MOVE.
Correspondence of the N. Y. qri5u,e.1

Correspondence of the N. Y. 2ri6une.]
-..--- FLORENCE, April IS, 1866.
Count Bismark's first attempt either to
bully Austria into the cession of Holstein, or
really to go to war, has signally failed. Ma
poleon was not with him, and thus the alli-
ance with Italy could not be concluded; on
the contrary, there are negotiations preparing
for an eventual alliance with Austria. Not
less unsatisfactory was the behavior of the
German courts and the German people. The
princes know that if Prussia wages war, it is
not for the annexation of Holstein, but for
the supremacy OF Prussia in GERMANY. which
could not but reduce the present kings and
princes to Prussan hereditary governors. AS
to the nation, though cherishing the idea of
German unity, it did not trust the Prussian
tempter, nor was it wiling to buy that much
desired unity at the price of political liberty.
But Bismark is not the man to give up his
plans for the aggrandizement of his country;
and, with that recklessness which character
ICES him, he suddenly turns to the Frankfort
Federal Diet with the proposition of calling
German Parliament together in which all the
Federation shall be represented, the elections
to be conducted on the principle of universal
suffrage, and the Parliament TO receive and
discuss the Prussian propositions for the re-
form OF the Federation. Thus the man who,
until now, bshaved as the greatest enemy OF
any form Of parliamentary government-who
played wit, the Prussian Parliament as cat
plays with amouse-appeals to universal sut-
trage, and throws the torch of revolution into
sleepy Germany.
Al. Europe was taken by surprise, and no
one more than Austria. In fact, there could
not be any more disagreeable incident for the
Austrian statesmen than Count Bismark's
proposition. A war was far preferable. since
a victory over Prussia was not cnly possible
but probable, and all the Liberal sympathies
would have been with Austria; but now the
game is reversed, the tables are turned against
Austria; the distrust of Bismark ceases at
once, for the Germans are not so preudiced
as to refuse to take advantage of an excellent
opportunity for conquering their unity and
political liberty, simply because the man who
oilers that opportunity is political swindler
Inc German princes will not dare to oppose
the convocation of a German Parliament,
| since they fear revolution; and so Bavaria,
| Wurtemberg, Baden and Saxe-Wrimar, have
| already declared that they do not intend to
| offer any opposition to the Prussian scheme -
| Now the first three of these German powers
are exactly those which most strenuousy op-
posed Prussia, and upon whom Austria main
| ly relied. Northern Germany, in the neigh
borhood Of Prussia, and overawed by the
Prussian army, which has been placed on a
| war f5oting will, of course, still more readily
| .
which, once established at Frankfort, and de-
| clared competent to discuss the eventual Prus-
sian propositions, must go beyond the control
| of the PruSsian Minister, and may reoreanize
| Germany on more satisfactory basis than
heretofore. Napoleon, too, cannot be averse
in principle to movement which assumes uni
versal suffrage as its basis.
Thus Count Bismark at once receives the
sympathy of all Germany, and might, probab-
ly, do more harm in that way to Austria's DO
sition in Germany than by successful war
Prussia might then establish that German
Empire which III 1889 could not be construct
ed, and King William win the crown of Char
lemagne, which his brother would not accept
from the hands OF its possessors. Still who
can foretell the results of the electoral agita
ton extended from the Alps to the Baltic
who can foresee the conflicts between the Ger
man nation and her thirty-six princes, or the
temper OF the Parliament? The movement
mlentoVerreach Count Bismarks propositions
but it is equally detrimental to the German
position of Austria