The Shasta courier., 1867-03-16
Progress of Liberia, Ideas In Europe.

cratic party in Berlin and other parts of
Prussia, for seats in the North German Par
homent, and the triumph of the ultra Repub
lican party in the Italian elections, makes
clear fact which has been declared by Maz-
zini and several of the most distinguished
German Liberals some months ago: That
the revolution against Austria, though head
ed by the King of Prussia and the King of
Italy, was in reality the peoples victory over
feudaic usages. After the battle of konigs
gratz the eminent German exile, Hecker, who
since 1850 has been living in retirement on a
farm in Illinois, wrote to one Of his compa
riots Of 1913, that this was virtual triumph
in favor Of the principles for which be had
been expatriared that the first point essen
tial to complete success was German unity
union would surely bring liberty. Mazznis
letter 10 the Italians took the same view Of
the situation in Italy, but denounced the
monarchy as inimcal to the success of the
movement which the popular leaders had
orr ginated for the uniication of Italy, and
DECLARED that Victor Emanuel now stands in
the way IF constitutional liberty, and that it
cannot be tue great nation of which the
Italians dream until the monarchy is set
aside. The recent elections for members of
the Italian Parliament appear to second the
do the views of Hecker. Liberalism is on
rising ground all over Europe, if we except
France. where tn Emperor has been com
PEELED once more to change the constitution,
so that his Legislature may not erlticse his
errors and hold him up to public ridicule.-
All over European Turkey the Christians are
initiating the ,Cretans ard demanding release
from the tyranny of the Sultan's laws. In
Thessaly even the Mahomedans join the
Christians in this demand, and without any
foreign Intervention whatever, II these peo-
pie are let alone, there is hardly doubt that
they will at least force the Sultan to give
them constitutional government The
! Hungarians have already exacted and receiv-
ed that boon from Austria. Spain, by rudeiy
repelling the friends of progress. has found 1t
necessary 10 spring coup d'etat on the Con
gress and Cor es, and finds the government
now on the verge of a popular reyolutbn.-
| What the Queen and her priestly advisers
were too proud and too stupid to accord vol
unfairly, is altogether likely to be claimed
and yielded at the point OF the bayonet.-
Bismarck s victory over Austria was hut the
| signal of another great struggle tor freedom
! in Europe. That struggle will begin In the
| Parliament elect of Italy and North Germa
nv. If the monarchs of those nations are
wise they will gracefully yield to the popular
| demands in time Prussia has less to fear
than Italy, where the Kings financial heces-
stiles place him in antagonism with the pop
ular expectations. The Kings government
must have money, and he can only get it by
compromising interests which the italian
people are not willing to compromise.
England cannot escape the impending
popular revolution. which her Tory ministers
now clearly see will triumph peaceably, if
it can; forcibly. if it must The Tory
leaders Of England to-day are farther ad
vanced in liberalism than Bright and
Golden five years ago. They are so only
because it is that fiat of public opinion, so
general among all the common people, that
not to recognize it is to challenge rebellion
and civil war. The Queen has taken the
lead in concession. An Eastern exchange,
remarking upon the speech from the throne
at the opening of Parliament, declares that
the paragraphs relating to the German con.
fict, making friendly allusion to the United
States. and to reform in the English franchise
and land tenure in Ireland, the real sen
timents of the Queen. and that " no Tory
Ministry has ever ventured on such liberal
programme" So rapidly has the popular
revolution advanced in England that even
thoughtful Americans begin to suspect that
the franchise will be too greatly extended if
the Bright party are allowed to have their
way. On this point the New York Times of
February Sth concludes article with the
following remarkable language:
The working people Of England and of
the United Kingdom will get the franchise
quite az soon as their intelligence will enable
them to exercise it with discretion. Lord
Derby, acting with and for the Crown, says
ii may now be extended freely Looking
sobery at things around us here in New
York we can only express the hope that it
will not be extended too freely. The amount
of rubbish that might be kept out of the
State and National Legislatures, if we Amer
leans only had qualified suffrage, is almost
beyond human computation. ."-AHa.