The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-09-21
THE DOCTRINE OF NAT1oNAL1r1ps.

THE DOCTRINE OF NATIoNALITIbs.
What is PangermHnism and what is Pan
slayismH These questions we hear asked
continually. If we have failed TO fur
nish an answer 10 tho first question, it has mol
been for want of honest and repeated endea-
Yor 10 bring the matter to the comprehension
Of even the humblest understanding. Tho
difficulty, however, lies elsewhere. II is that
our people are SO absorbed with their private
affairs, and with the political aspects of our
own country, that questions of foreign politics
affect them but slightly. and excite merely
lransitory interest. A few there are, how
ever, of inIuiring minds, desirous of keeping
abreast of their kind, and watching The march
of events. They feel that they arc men, and
have concern in all that is human.
The struggle for life'' among nations is in
reality what DARWIN, in his theory of the
''0rigin of Species," represents It to be in
every part of the animal and vegetable king
dom. I. is not our purpose, however, to con-
sider the rise and fall of nations, and of king
doms. and of empires; but certain it is that no
nation is ever entirely at rest. They have no
permanent boundaries. Development by sslec-
tion is constantly in progress. Complex causes
arc at work in this direction, and to them we
attribute not only the popular agitation that
has disturbed Europe during the last ten or
fifteen years., but nearly all the wars of history.
AS long as the divine right Of kings was
blindly acknowledged; as long rs provinces
and peoples were bought and sold. and given
in dowry, and we're subject to the caprices of
irresponsible rulers, there could Of course be
no question Of "nstionalities." Because q
daughter Of the "drivelling" JAMRs married q
nomadic German prince, England, century
afterwards, is olaimed by another princely
German. In like manner the German kingdom
Of Hanover was compelled to receive King at
tho hands Of England; the people in neither
instance being consulted. This will probably
not be the case soon again. The people have
awakened to a sense Of their rights Slowly
they have asserted them. They may often
have failed in obtaining their object, but their
| cause has progressed. Look ut Ireland in
lT9s, and Ireland in 1867; Hungary in ls4s,
and Hungary in 1867; France in ls4s, and
France in 1867; Italy in lS4s, aud Italy in
to any extent. The remarkable progress made
in England by the cause Of popular rights, as
shown by the recent passage of the Reform
Gill, is a striking instance in point.
Tho treaties Of 1916, which mapped out al
of Europe, and assigned definite boundaries to
every renlm, and princely owner to every
acre of ground, were the last fruits Of the old
school of kingcraft and Of diplomacy, and all
the wars in Europe, of the past twelve or ff-
teen years, have been efforts to undo the work
of those treaties. The independence of Greece
was the frat signal infraction of that
compact which, singular to say, its au
thors fauered themselves would be permanent.
The French Revolution of lS48 had no direct
Influence upon the work of the Congress at
Vienna, save to seat upon the French throne a
sovereign who finds it to his interest to chime
in with tho popular cry in favor of the doc
trine of nationality. It was upon this plea he
espoused .he cause Of Italy against Austria :;
and for this samo reason he remained neutral
during the German war Of last year.
Italy has become one The dream of her
patriots has been fulfilled. What the Italians
will do with their newly formed kingdom re.
mains to be seen. Germany has commenced
the work of political regeneration in very
short time, we think, they have done much,
ana the accomplishment Of the remainder is a
mere matter Of time.
The work which the Italians have Just COM
pleted, and the Germans are still engaged In
was commenced in England centuries ago IL
was continued in the annexation Of Scotland
and completed by the union with ireland.
France finished her mstamorphosis some two
hundred years ago, and Lorraine, Navarro.
burgundy, Normandy and Brittany, arc
now no more There is Ia Belle France, an
The people of all these former petty sovereign
ties are proud to be called Frenchmen. Spain,
too' became one homogeneous political or
ganization over three hundred years ago. Rus
sia has been engaged In this process more
actiVoly, perhaps, and during longer period
than any Of the nations Of Europe, yet without
exciting much attention, because her operations
have been confined to provinces far in the in
terror, and enjoying but limited degree of
oi'iiiaation. The CrimeAn war was one Of the
results of this effort of Russia at Pauslayism.
!. e., 70 unite all the Slavic races under the
Russian sceptrs; just as Prussia is endeayorinu
to bring all the German-speaking people under
her sway and influence,
AS matter Of course, these new, family
drawn, indeed all but imaginary boundary
lines, are very often found on other peoples
lands. Thus Psngermenism trenches on
"vested rights" In several directions, on Den.
mark, in schleswig Holstein; on Austria in
the Southeast (Tyrol, Carinthis, the original
archduchy, bohemia, Moravia, Hungary, etc..
ETC., and even on France in Alsaoe and Lorraine.
If they should have the folly Of casting their
coVetous eyes thither; on Switzerland in the
German cantons; on Holland and Belgium in
the West and on Panslavism, her sister revolu.
tionary propagandst Of the new nationality
gospel, in Prussian and Austrian Poland.
So will Prussia, in her efforts at Panslayism,
fall foul Of Prussia, Austria and especially Tur-
key and therefore Of all tho great powers Of
Europe, pledged to uphold the Independence
and preserve the integrity of these States.
These obstacles, however, are not sufficient to
restrain The movement of nationalities. 3:
In pursuance Of this idea, The members Of
the Slavic race recently had at Moscow an
chronological Exhibition, great. gathering Of
representatives Of sll The Slavic tribes of Rus.
sia, Austria, Prussia and Turteyi There wara