, 1866-04-03

GOODNESS, and now there is no slight chance
OF a disruption, even ii actual hostilities be
not declared. The negotiations which arc
the public eye; but there Is little doubt that
Prussia has offered Austria certain sun for
her rights IN tho duchies, and there il Is
little doubt that, In case Of refusal to uc-
ccpt the otter, the country which has the full
est purse and the best credit will proceed to
Take what she wnnts By force.
TIE RECENT CONTEST
The recent contest between the Govern
mcut and the Prusssan House Of Commons
deserves more than the mere nllusfon made
above. 4 year ago the King acting through
the Chief Minister, made an effort to compel
the Lower House to 1nako the appropriation
OF money for military purposes, which the
government hgd determined to carry ont,
Gut the monarch was defeated, and the Gov
ernment had to take the money from the
treasury, without warrant. Early in January
OF this year the Parliament met again; the
l. King. through Bfsmark as his spokesman, de-
m9uded money afresh the demand was again
refused, and the House was prorogued with a
| bitterness of tone which Was neither conceal
ed nor meant to be concealed. The whole of
the brief session was entirely devoted to a &C.
ries Of ofdcbates, in which the unreasonable and
| withstood, and argued down with degree OF
tlrmness, wisdom and noble cloqucnce which
has never been surpassed. We often speak
| with prntso Of Hampden, Ppm and Vnne;
but those men were not always clear what
| was to be done: they raised their voices In
day when no man dared dispute tho claims Of
a King, except In measured language. Their
| word now would seem cold and formal, tried
by those which poured from the lips Of the
great orators Of our own Revolution :; but In
the debate Of the past week, men stood and
contcnded.against the aggressions Of the Roy
1csspees. aud strength which have
never been surpassed and rarely e1ualled.
| Yet not even the display Of these
qualities has been able to rouse the spirit
Of the people Of the country. The cities
have been stirred, and, in somc, concerted
tlon, but the great mass Of the peasantrv care
nothing for the debate, and stupidly toll on
| in their daily llbor, The army can be relied
on by tho Government, for the most Of the
young men who compose 1t are the SONS Of
these same peasants, ind have no desire to
Of human rights who live in the cities aud
large towns. Yet 1t Is easy TO conceive that
this may be changed. The taxes imposed on
this people are ns heavy as one could we'll
Imagine that d nation would be willing to
bear; and were they to be increased much
the country would begin to add their com
plants and .murmurings to those In
the lnfgc towns, and oil would be ready
for one of those waves Of outraged feeling
everything which should withstand it. In
euch case, however, the loss would not be
so serious IA one might ut first expect, for
the King. an sure, would 10 the first to
yield, and give Bismark bis dismissal. Viii
liam the First, Is tall, fine looking 1nnn, Of
much younger; md II We were to Judge Of
him according to outward Appearances, be
would be SET down as brave, determined
man. He has a decidedly soldlerly air, and
bis grand passion Is the enlargement. Of his
army get no one can study his whole history,
and not come to the conclusion, TINT instead
of being one ofthe brayest, most determined,
and most persistent Of men, he Is one Of the
most cowardly and most irresolute. So long
| rs the people throng around his carriage and
| stare st him through the palace windows, and
! put into his heod the thought that his blood
will accept the t1attering 1elusfon. carry bis
head aisdainfullg high and wear u courageous
lip; but when times change, and people be-
s:c te look col. and no longer iihrone
around his carringe, md crowd tho
church and theatre to sec him,
the King viii change too, aud the men who
set him on 10 his present defiance of the peo-
pie and the Constitution OF the country will
be compelled TO give their seats to those who
shall enjoy the confidence of the country.
No prominent man here has probably so little
Of the quality which We in our rough Ameri-
can way call backbone, as the King Of Prus-
5la and while things nre as they now are,
save the monarch all cure and all feeling Of
responsibility; but when the change comes,
the old leaders, such Us Bethmanu, Uoltwig.
:and schevern will come in power. and tue
present uuprincipled leader be allowed to en- |
joy the sweets Of private life.
i AMERICAN AFFAIRS VIEWED HERE. ]
: There Is q lu1l here In the interest in Amer |
lean affairs. The new questions which are |
now cngrossng the attention Of out country |
men are not quite intellie lble here to the peo-
pie at large, and yet the belief In America |
and n its future. was never stronger than it /
think that VIC haye fought onr way through
the greater troubles which 1ay In our way
and that We are IMPLY competent to take
care Of whatever ml1or Issues may arise.
It Is true that there Is here u class Of
people who hate US with perfect ha-
stands up to support Bismark and the King,
is now more hostile to rs than was the icuuai
party Of England during the war. But many
Of the hest minds here nre our staunch friends.
Such men as Perty, author Of the Life Of
Stein, Prof: Ncamann, the Gezman historian
Of the United States, Profs. Ranke aud
Michelet Of the University, and other leading
men, nre onr unwayerlng allies. Yet 1t must
be confessed. the statesmen of this country
look rather to England than to onr own co,m-
The past history Of England is so apt com
ncntary on the present aspect Of Pyuss1a that |
I do not wonder at this aud we Americans
who compare Straiford with Bismark, Laud
with Hengstcnberg, aud Charles I. with VII
liam l., will wonder that English history Is |
the fonnt where the Pruss,an Statesmen dad
their lappiest and most Impressive lessons OF
political wisdom.
cn1cAGoASs IN oERL1S.
Among the Americans In Berlin this winter
your own 1ourishing city finds the largest
delegation. Not even New York has SO many |
representatives as Chicago, and among those |
from yonr place nrc some whom We esteem
very highly. Mrs. Braiuasd and daugh-
!er, the family Of your distfn-
ruished surgeon, have indeed gone
rom Berlin to Rome, but they have left Us
Howard, Miss DufIleld. Mr., Wright, astudcnt
of theology, and Drs. Rolar and Woodworth,
II wonld be impossible to say how much our
,ountrymen here are indebted to some Of the
above for the happy winter which Is just
coming to q close. Drs. Rola1 and Wood
worth y II ore to leave rs On the morrow, going
,way with them no small sharn ~ our resnect
md affection.
The homoceneousness of the American I
hui acter Is better seen here than It can be At
lone. A few years ago Eastern men used to
ny that they could tell Western man by
lis pronunciation, but If We can iudee fram &
lie Americans here this winter. snch a test Il |
10 longer possible. Tie utmost Similarity is
o be noticed not only in the nronunciation.
,ut in tilt usage Of words. and there can he M
7Rnht That fha nnttV at fS - In | r
INC Of the most remarkshle characfer,sfira ~ c
American civilization. G
AMERICAN CHAPEL. 4
THE Inn ds ma IN srcnE- of ono+her n,otto- | n