Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1866-07-11
Germany and its Relation TO tin
War in EaeOpe.

Carl Schurz, Editor Of The Detroit Post,
thus describes the situation VI Germany, and
ks relation to the European war just inaugu-
rAten:
AS soon as Prussia had taken possession of
Holstem, Austria moved IL the German Diet
that, IN view oi the violent proceedings of her
rival, the Ge1manic Confederation should
mobilize Its army, with the exception of the
PTussIan contingent, Tor the purpose of en-
forcing the author OF th- Diet. Tins re-
qulres some explanation The Germanlc Con-
federation OF {" Bund - l. an institution not
unlike the old American CO. federation pre-
vlOus 10 the adoption OF the present Con stu
non OF the United Sta,es IL principal OBJ
Ject is, in the language of the Federal com
pact, = The preservation OF the internal and
external security OF Germany and the indie
pendence md invlolabillty OF the various Ger
states. The Government organ of the
Confederation consists IN the Federal Diet,
which Is divided into two bodies. One Ii the
so-called " Penum " or General Assembly,
composed OF the Plenip orentiaries of the states
composing the Confederation. In the Pie
mum each state, even the smallest, has at
least one vote, while the larger ones have
two, three or four, according 10 their size.
The - lenum decides on questions of war
aud peace, aud on questions affecting the or
ganiz4tiOn and fundamental laws IF the Con-
iederacy.
he second body belonging TO the Diet is
the Minor Council or Committee OF the Con-
federation, 10 which the eleven largest states
have one vote each, and the smaller states al
together six, several OF them combined casting
one. The committee Is competent to act on
all legislative and executive matters within
the purvIew of the Federal Constitution not
reserved To the - PIenum."
Ii Will be noticed that the Diet, 50 consti-
tuted, has no element of popular representa-
sion IN 1t. Both bodies consist exclusively of
plenipotentiarles appointed by the several
governments, and the voice of the people is
not heard IN Its deliberations.
1t Is also noticeable that all the states COM
posing The confederation are virtually indie
pendent IL almost all the relations OF sover-
eighty. They navc their own independent in
ternaI administrations they keep their own
armies, their own plenip0tentiarIes at foreign
courts, and some of them have provinces not
belonging to the confederation at all. 1t is
evident that, when two or more of the more
powerful states combine, they do as they
please, they did when Schleswig -Holstein
was wrested from Denmark ; and the rest of
the members have nothing lett TO them but TO
protes5 and then submit. But when one of
the eaE' T stat acts in defiance of the con-
fedeIate authority, the " Federal army" is
called out to enforce the will of the Dot, an
operation which Is called "a - Federal execu-
ton
The federal army consists OF contingents
furnished by de several states composing the
confederation, which cOntingents are sppor-
toned according TO the size and population
OF the respective states. These troops are in
ordinary times under the columaud of the
governments but IN case of emergency the
| Diet calls the contingent OUT, and appoints a
| federal comma nder, who then acts under the
orders of the Diet The federsl army IL, in
all, about 100000 men strong.
Alter these eXpla pat:ons 1t will become
clear that when Austria moved in the Diet
thai the federal army should be mobilI.ed OF
put on wax footing tcith the exception of the
| Pruss,0n contingent, it Is with view OF fed
| eral action against Prussia. In other words
| 1t was TO be "a combination of all the German
| states, under 0e lead of Austria agains,
| Prussia.
The motion of Austria TO that effect pre-
vailed: the mobilization of the federal army
with the exception of the Prussian contin-
gent, was ordered by the minor council by a
majority of nine to six, two not voting. The
minority consists probably of Hanover Meek.
enburg, Oldenburg, Hesse Cassel, and the
tree cities that is to say, the immediate nor
thern neighbors of Prussia. All the states O
Southern Germany, and among them thos,
which, rext TO Prussia and Austria, are th,
most powerful, have thus openly DECLARED tOl
Austria, and their alliance, offensive and de
fensive, may now be considered Ger tain.
No sooner VAS this step taken by the Die
when Prussia declared the Germanic Coniede
ration dissolved, and marched her troops int,
Saxony.
The case DOW stands thus Austria con
tGols what there liz lett of the Germanic Con
federation, AMI there Is no doubt that tn,
seates y hich In the Diet, voted with her fo
the mobilization of the Federal army, will
during the war, support Austria, acting il
the name of the Germsnic Confeder alton, q