Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1870-08-24
A UNITED GERMANY.

We remember, many years ago, hearing
an intelligent German gentleman asked
whether, in his opinion, the numerous ut
tie States of Germany would ever he united
n one nation.
His reply was that his only hope for such
aconsummation was in some fierce and gem
eral war, in which they should all become
engaged the fervent heat of which might
fuse into one mass the many separated
powers
The rdiculously small territory of some
of the petty German powers of that time
j. scarcely to be credited i'm this country of
magnificent distances. 1t was said some
years ago that the sovereign of one of those
little SXl0 prncipalities, having purchased
in England an Armstrong cannon for the
defence of his realm found himself unable
TO test its range. hi, own territory not be-
ing broad enough for the purpose, and
none of his neighbOrs being willing to give
him the use of portion of theirs. such
an occurrence was 50 near the borders OF
actual possibility that the satire was a bit
ter one.
German unity has been for many
years hope cherished by many a German
heart with almost the same yearning n
that with which the Israelite longs for ms
return to the promised land
The position of the small German States,
liable TO be at any moment bullied OPP
pressed, or even wholly absorbed against
their will, by some of their powerful and
unscrupulous neighbors, was anything but
gratifying to q patriotic mind. 1t furnish
ed an Illustration of what our own country
might have expected had disunion been
accomplished and the disintegrating pro-
cess gone on, as it would probably have
done, until from being great and power
full nation with flag hOnored, respected
and feared to the ends of the earth, we had
become number of petty powers, scarcely
known by name to n large portion of the
world, and entirely without power to vim
dictate insult or injury offered to ourcitiZens
by potent foreign powers.
But powerful causes combined to prevent
the contamination of German unity, and
to make patriotic Germans fear that the
beautiful hope would never be more than
Il dream, at least in the present generation.
The pride and ambition of petty sove-
reigns claiming royal titles, privileges and
descent, though over realms sometimes
scarcely larger than good sized American
counties, shrank from having all their
power and position swept away, and the
organized existence of their little commu-
mites absorbed in that of some more pow
erful nation.
Each little principality also, doubtless,
desired in any plan of union to have itself
a leading position, and looked with ieal-
ousy on the similar ambition of each of its
neighbors. The interests of France also
demanded that such of the German terri
tory as it could not itself absorb, should
remain divided into separate governments,
more readily to be appropriated by future
conquest or diplomacy, and unable in case
of general war to exhibit that strength
which comes from union.
Then, also, the two great German pow
ers, Austria and Prussia, each anxious for
concentration of power in its own hands,
looked with jealousy each on the others
attempts to combine these scattered States
under it's own crown.
But, nevertheless, the cause has pro-
crossed steadily, though slowly Peaceful
diplomacy has accomplished something.
The Zoll-Nerein or Custom Union, by
means of which the line of custom houses
and guards formerly found at the bounda-
ries of each of these petty States, and
| which proved such an intolerable nuisance
| to American travellers, was done away
with, and was decided step in the right
direction.
But war has done, and is doing, more
! than any peaceful measures. The needle
gun, on the field of Sadowa, proved q most
| skillful diplomat, and gave to the cause OF
North German unity an impulse such as
ii could hardly have received in ten years
of tranquil craftsmanship. And the events
of the past few weeks have done, and are
still doing, wonders in the same direction
Any patriotic German, remembering
with what fearful and unexpected sudden.
ness the terrible military power of France
was hurled against his country, and real
izing how helpless any petty German pow
er would he, unaided, in the grasp of thai
close and powerful enemy, could hardly
we think, fail to he willing to resign any
romantic pride he might feel in the littl,
commonwealth in which he was reared fO
the sake of the greater national safety
dignity and power which can be founC
only i'm Union.