Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-08-13

OF DrdnuenDurg Sne mas gained all mel
possessions by force alone, with no ex
cuse but the law of conquest from the
absorption of Silesia to the oblteratior
of Hanover.
When Napoleon refused to accept the
withdrawal Of Leopold as fnality, and
: demanded guarantees from the King OF
Prussia, he acted upon two just reasons:
First - Prussia had before distinctly
promised that her Prince should not
mount the Spanish throne, and had vio-
lated the promise The mere word of
the Prussian Minister had not been
worthy of credence since the treaty of
Prague. In that treaty Prussia prom
ised Schleswig- -Holstein vote of the en-
tire people as to their choice between
Denmark and Prussia, measure yielded
to the generous demands of France, but
she has, by military force, prevented any
such vote from being taken. Napoleon's
second reason was that in international
law the head of every royal family is
held responsible for the political acts of
all its members, and to every statesman,
or well-informed person, tits evident that
the King of Prussia statement that
Prince Leopold was acting independently
was miserable subterfuge, as such a
thing in the light of the late accession of
Prince George to the throne of Rouma-
mia, and the intrigues of Bismarck, be-
come obscured.
The impression that the royal family
of Prussia is favorable to free institu-
tions no man can believe, unless he ig-
nores history. The great Elector and
the great Frederick were as absolute as
Caesar in the State, and as brutal as Nero
in their family relations. The present
King, on mounting the throne, threw
down the gauntlet to the Liberal party
by announcing that he held the reins of
power by no gift of the people, but by
the grace of God. His entire political |
creed was based upon the feudalsm of
the middle ages, and was so condemned |
by the Parliamentary Liberals. No two
more unpopular men existed in Europe
than King William and Count Bismarck
before the Austro-Prussian war. The |
Parliament at Berlin refused year after
year to vote the war budget for the army, |
and the money was illegally taken by |
the Kings Minister from the treasury. |
This act was only legalized when the
Prussan greed of conquest being reused |
and glutted with success and the war |
over, the people Unidentified the mon
archy. Since the war Bismarck and the |
King were becoming again unpopular, |
and the opposition in Parliament so pow
erful that supplies were again refused.
So Bismarck creates new war, is again |
forgiven, and the people forgetful of
aught save their hate for France, again |
surrender to royalty the suffrages and
privileges they were almost ready to
wrest from the throne. Bismarck, by |
provoking cunningly foreign war saves
his own power at the expense of Europe. |
The Germans, who in the days of 1913,
fought the naughty Kaiser of Prussia,
and the vast Liberal party of Central
Europe, have no more inscriptions enc
mics than Count Bismarck and the King |
he carries in his capacious and rapacious
pocket,
Prussia enters the contest with the
needle-gun and with from thirty to thirty
four millions of people and the sympathy
of the Tory party in England and reac-
tionists everywhere France lifts her
eagles to take their flight over the paths
to Austerlitz, Jena and Berlin, with forty
millions of people, the sympathy Of
Italy, constitutional Austria the liberal
party in Russia, oppressed and conquered
German States, despoiled Poland and
and down-trodden Ireland. The soldiers
of the whole civilized world drawing
troops from two hundred and twenty-five
millions of people, only after long and
desolating series of campaigns, which
destroy generation of Frenchmen, and
in which France three times subdued
her enemies, were able to subdue the
first Napoleon. France has risen again
in her might. Europe is ripe for terrible
and sweeping changes, the grand ma
ton has passed the Rhine, and may
the god of battles give victory to the
right. C. G. THOMSON.
Ottawa, O., August 8, 1870.