The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-01-01
The United States of Gerlnany-A g let
ter from Hfr. Bancroft-The Consii-
futi0n OF the North German Con-
federation Compared with that of the
United StnteS.

|
tuition OF the North German Con
federation Compared with that of tn
United States.
MR. BANCROFT TO Mr.. SEWARD.
AMERICAN LEGATION,
BERLIN, November ], 1867.
Sir,-The interest of res 'ence at Ber
lin at this time is immea$ure W increased
by the opportunity of watcD.ug the pro
greSs Of the greatest Europoau revolution
of this century. The ' .orics of Napo
leon, preceding the peace OF Tilsit, cal
alone be compared with the successful &C
lerity of the short Prussian campaign O
1866. The political system which Napo
leon introduced had no support in the ma
ture Of things, and wasted away and utter
| j. fell, not merely because it was carried
out in Germany by worthless persons, bu
because il was at war with the ever active
forces of vigorous nationality, and The
freedom of a brave and intelligent people
The present union of German States j.
the ripened fruit of nineteen generation,
of continued suffering and struggles, anC
is 50 completely in harmony with nature
laws, and so thoroughly the concurrent acr
Of Government and people, that it is Ger
tain To- endure, and is received with the
good win, the consent, or the necessary
acQucscenco Of every Power in Europe
The result seems the more wonderful the
more it is considered. 4 united State
having a sea-coast extending from Russia
to Holland, a mercantile marine superior
TO that Of any, European Continental
Power, inferiorlenly to that Of Great Bri
tain and to tEatsQf the United States q
population of Thirty. millions, of whom,
more than two-thirds are Protestants, and
all are instructed to read and write, and
all trained to the use Of arms, rises up in
the centre Of Europe, equal in4sulture
courage, and prospective, if not fRssne,
diate influence, to any Government on
the Continent. This State, whose exist
ence is inspired and guaranteed by strong
and ever-increasing sentiment OF ancient
and indvisible nationality, is .farthet
strengthened by permanent treaties OF
offence and defence, and commerce with
principalities inhabited by 10,000,O 900 more,
and the treaties are of such nature that
the armies of these 100000 are to be
| placed in time of war under the lead OF
the President of the United States OF
North Germany, and their representatives
arc to take their seats in the joint Fariia-
ment, which is to prescribe for all one COM
mon system Of commercial taxation. Con-
| trolling the military resources of 10000, 900
of warike people, the German Union
feels assured of a peaceful ne!ghbor in
France: in its compGct energy it stanc.s
J towards the East in an attitude of indie
| pendence, and is SO related tc Austria that
that Empire, if it regards its own welfare,
must seek its friendship.
This wonderful result has special inte
rest for America, because it has sprung
from the application of the principles
which guided the trainers of the Constitu-
tion OF our United States. The constitu-
ton Of North Germany corresponds in SO
many things with ours that it must have
| been formed after the closest study Of our
system, or the same impertections Of 60
vernment have led The two countries, each
for itself, to the discovery and application
Of similar political principles. AS with
| us, there is here a central government.
while the several States, twenty-five il
number, retain, each for itself, the powers
over internal affairs that have not been
delegated. The unity Of the people for
the whole extent Of their territory is es-
1ablisheI, as by Us, by q universal
iuter-citizensbip, giving the rights OF
native-born to any citizen of any
one of them in any other. The pow
ers conferred on the general govern
ment extend, as with us, to naturalization,
! commerce, and navigation, weights and
measures, coin, copyrights and patents,
army, militia, navy, post-ollice. Some
powers are conferred directly, about which
our Constitution is less explicit. The Ger
man Union has the regulation of the tele-
graph, Of banks, and of paper currency;
the regulation of railroads for military
purposes and in the Interest of general
commerce. Should any Government prove
refractory, the German Government has
the amplest power Of coercon-inStantly
by the commander-in- chief Of the Union
in time Of war, after consultation with the
council in time of peace. Coercion can
extend even to the sequestration Of the
land, and Of its local government.
And with US legislation is carried on by
| Parliament of two Houses. The Coun-
Gil, as the German Senate is called, is COM
posed Of forty-tlree members. Each
State names at least one councillor
otherwise, the distribution Of numbers fol
lows the precedent Of the late German
Diet, so that Prussia nominates seventeen.
The appointment is made respectively
| by the Executive Of the several States
But it is TO be remembered that IN each
State there is a constitutional govern
ment SO that the election of councillors is
raised above the caprice Of the Princes OF
the several States.
The House of Representatives, Or Tape
rial Diet, as it is called, is composed OF 297
members, distributed on the ratio Of one
to every 100000 inhabitants, with fur.
ther representative to each State for q
fraction Of $4,000 or more, and chosen by
universal suffrage with the ballot. No ad'
vantage is conceded to rank, or privilege,
or wealth, and accordingly the Diet just
elected, including bankers, large manu-.
facturers, and members Of the highest
nobility, men Of letters, mechanics, and
laboring men, is a very good representa-
| tion Of the whole country in It's present
condition. The members Of the repre-
sentative Diet are elected for three years.
They can be assembled or prorogued by
the President of the United States, but
they cannot be dissolved without the con-
currence of the other branch Of the Legs.
lature.
Each House, as with us, has the right tc
propose laws, to amend them, to rejec,
them, or to concur in enacting them; but
in practice most Of the bills are prepared
and proposed by the smaller body repre-
senting the several States.