Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1870-08-26
THE War aHRHAN NATION.
Atty.

A1xVxs
The eyes of the entire civil ! d IBrld
are directed to thu ereat struggle In
Europe between two massive D6wera
France and Gemany.$ In past history
France has had the advantage of a
compact and complete nationality.
The German race has been broken into
fragments whichlhave constantly been
pitted against each other. and which
have n~eutralized each other ipfluence.
Yet, underlying NIL this diversity Of
political organization, the German race
has ever painted for consolidation and
union. The ambition Of greatlpowers.
has contemplated objects eutipely,in-
consistent with this unity. The old
German Empire, a unique confedera-
ton Of princes, vas broken up by the
victories Of Napoleon, Francis II exl
changing his title Of Emperor Of Ger
many for that of Emperor Of Austria.
The Confederation Of the Rhine, which
had risen under the manipulation Of
the French Emperor in place Of the
old empire, was dissolved in 1915, and
the Germanic Diet substituted. This
Diet was a sort of republic Of princes,
the rights of It's different members
being defined by a written constitution.
The dissolution of that, Diet IN 1856,
resulting from the victories Of Prussia,
left in Its place two considerations, the
North German, embracing the mass Of
the German States and populations,
and the South German, including the
four Southern States. Both these or
ganizations are evidently provisional,
and look to a higher union, embracing
the entire, German race. A few prov
inces and about seven millions Of peo-
pie still remain in the Austrian En-
pire. The present war waged against
Germany by France gives the irresist-
ible impulse to the feeling Of Pau
Germanic nationality, the result of
which is foreshadowed in the enthusi-
astic cooperation Of the South German
States and people IN repelling the
uprincipled assaults of Napoleon. A
remarkable feature In Germanic union
is It's association Of political bodies
without destroying their individuality.
In France, power Is centralized upon
the vicious model Of the old Roman
Empire. The departments, and even
the communes, are all operated from
Paris, the smallest details Of local
administration being under the real
control of the central Government.
Such a thing as Independent authority,
originating in any source diverse from
this central fountain-head, Is not only
unknown to the French Constitution,
but it Is scarcely comprehensive to the
French mind. In the United States
the original settlement Of the people
in several colonies gave scope and
OCCASION to the realization Of that
characteristic reutonic idea-a federal
government. We have found that
local affairs are far better administered
by local authorities acquainted with
the necessities of a limited community
and deriving their power from the free
choice of members of that community.
We have been enabled to segregate the
powers of general sovereignty from
those of sectional and local govern
ment, and to embody each In . sepa-
rate organism of political powers. For
nearly a century u political system
has been in operation. a~scertaining by
It's practical workings the real limits
of each of its component parts. The
late war for the suppression of the
rebellion marked a great era In orr
political history, in which has been
developed the resistless force of the
sentiment of nationality. The CEN
trifugal forces of Reorganization have
been overpowered, and the pe%stilent
heresy of State rights exploded. 8Ig.