The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-02-13


Governments, it has since become known that
the temporary separation of the South German
States from those of North and Central Ger
many was a concession by Prussia to direct
demand of France Louis Napoleon in insist
ing upon this arrangement, hoped that these
feeble States of South Germany, unable to find
sufficient support in Austria, and repeed from
an alliance with Prussia by the prevalence of
sectional animosity, might be prevailed upon
to accept protectorate of France. Bismark,
in conceding the point, trusted that common
sense would be strong enough in the Govern
ments and people of South Germany to cause
them to accept the leadership of Prussia rather
than protectorate of France or an alliance
with powerless Austria, and that they would
not refuse their cooperation in the final con-
solidaton of all Germany.
Sooner than was anticipated has the current
of events realized the anticipations of Count
Bismark In Baden, which very reluctantly
had been drawn into the war against Prussia,
Government and Diet, soon after the conclu-
sion of peace, expressed a wish to be admitted
into the North German Confederation. For
obvious reasons, the Prussian Government
could not favor such an isolated move on the
part of Baden, as it must prefer a simultane-
Gus manifestation in the same direction by all
the South German States. This movement
has now fairly begun with the highly import
ant speech of the new Bavarian Prime Minis
ter, the Prince of Hohenlohe. Believing the
object at which the Bavarian policy should
aim to be 'the preservation of Germany and
the unity of all the German tribes the Prince
announces that his Government was resolved
not to form a Southwestern Confederation
under the protectOrate of a non-German
power nor to conclude an alliance with the
South German States under the leadership of
Austria, nor to lend hand to the formation
of a Southwestern Federal State shut up
within itself
The only course left to Bavaria as a second
class German State (which, as such, cannot
exist without some European alliance, 4" was to
ally herself, in case of a foreign war, with
Prussia. This alliance would render it neces-
sary that in case of a foreign war Bavaria
should place her army under the command of
Prussia, and that i'll the meanwhile the Bava-
rian army should be so reorganzed as to facili-
tate such military cooperation To make this
alliance all the more efficient, Prince Hohen-
lohe announced his wish to induce the other
South German States to adopt exactly the same
p Olicy.
The latest accounts from Germany state that
the programme of the Prince of Hohenlohe is
fully approved by all the Governments of
South Germany. A conference was to be held
at once at Stutgardt, to mature plan for the
introduction of the military system OF Prussia
and to cOnciliate an alliance which would pro-
vide for placing all the South German troops
under the leadership of Prussia in case of a
foreign war.
The Importance of this movement to the
future of Germany is obvious. Whatever the
dissensiOns on the best way of reconstructing
the political unity of Germany may be- the
military union of North and South Germany
will secure the progressing reconstruction from
all foreign attacks. Together, North and South
Germany constitute a natioa with a population
of about 38, 100000, which, under the leader
! ship of the first military power of Europe, will
be amply able to defend the integrity of its
territory. The patriotism which prompts this
new movement of the South German States
cannot fail to be fully appreciated in Northern
Germany, and to give powerful impulse to
the national tendencies for the union OF all the
German people under one Government.