Saint Mary's beacon., 1870-08-04

self % cbsoxioas 10 al the Liberals Cf
PRUSSIA that in ls4e he was forced 10 fy
the Kingdom after doing his utmost b in
dues the governmsut 20 allow him TO drown
the rsvolutioa in the blood Of the Berli-
nessg Camphausen contrived 20 get him
hack after an exile Of nine months in Eng.
land and in 1840 he signalised himself
by his victorious and mcreiles campaign
against the people Of Baden In 1854 he
was made Governor General Of Rhenish
Prussia, and during his residence at May
ence he contributed greatly to intensity
the hatred With which Prussia has long
been regarded in that city, doomed BY the
military strength Of It's position 10 see al
ito sP1sadid commerciaf advantages redu.
ced to nought. He bitterly opposed the
neutrality of Prussia in the Crimean war,
longing then to lead an army against
France. He became Regent in 1857 by
the declared lunacy. and King in 1861 BY
the death of his childish brother, Frederick
William ~. With his reign began the
new military career and policy of Prussia.
Iu October, 1851, he had himself CROWN
ed with great pomp. and declared that he
held his throne not from the people or the
constitution, bat from God alone"-
This brought on an open conflict between
the Crown and the Parliament, during
which the King never for moment bated
his naughty absolutism When the Lib
eral party carried the elections, in 1862,
the King refused to open the session of
Parliament, and when the Parliament re-
jectcd the enormous appropriation asked
for the army, the King sent for Bismarck.
then Ambassador at Paris, to help him
conquer these obstinate contemners Of d.
vine right The House Of Peers backed
the King. The Commons persisted
The Peers voted the money refused by the
Commons. The Commons declared this
vote illegal. The King thereupon closed
the session, and coolly proclaimed that the
appropriations had been made. This was
the first instance of successful royal rev.
olution against the rights of the people in
the history of Europe since the days of
1889. 1t was followed by prosecutions of
suppress the Polish insurrection. by an or
dinance suppressing the liberty of the
press and when the Liberal party sue
ceeded in 1853 in carrying the elections
again by great majority, the King at
once fanked them by opening the war
with Austria against Denmark for the
conquest of Schleswig- Holstein Foreign
war thus became, rs it had often before
become. the grave of domestic liberty
4 Tho IS &Sss Ace l.
ted what the war of 1868 against Dem
mark had begun; and King William of
Prussia is to-day as completely the repre-
sentative of armed and irresponsible king
ly power in Europe as was the Czar Mich
olas in 1854. He looks the character as
thoroughly as he believes in it. Stalwart,
deep-chested, with square rugged face.
a brissiing gray mustache, cold implaca-
bic eyes. which rather twinkle than gilt
ter, and heavy jaw, King William is the
beau ideal of veteran cuirassier, as rea-
dy to ride down shopkeepers and lawyers
in Berlin as to charge the cavalry of France
at Jena. The hereditary malady of his
family. which carried off his father in a
state of religious maiiia and his brother as
q hvpochrondriac, betrays itself in King
William through an inconceiyable worship
OF his place and prerogative. He believes
in the infallibility Of monarchs. So firm
is bis faith in the divine nature Of his po-
sition that he keeps, and has for years
kept. minute daily diary of everything
which happens to him, and whenever
any new emergency arises he turns to this
diary TO see what he did not do on the
corresponding day in all the previous years
OF his life Of now sevcnty-three years.
Hiscontempt for all men not soldiers or
mobiles he finds it so difficult to conceal
that he did not deign to bestow the slight
est attention last year upon the Humboldt
celebration: and all the efforts of Count
Bismarck have been needed to make him
treat Americans at Berlin with even a
show of courtesy since a plebian German,
Mr.. kreissman, whom President Lincoln
sent out as Consul to Berlin, insisted.
with success, on getting admitted 70 his
court. from which consuls had always
been. and indeed still are, excluded "a
absolutely as merchants, bankers, lawyers.
and tradcspeople Of all sorts. With this
froward and fanatical old prince, NJ Ben
edetti was lefs to debate the peace of Eu-
rope. NJ. Benedetti, the Corsican son of
Greek father, was trained in early life
at Cairo and Constansinople to manage the
susceptieilities Of Turkish Pashas not q
whit more obstinate and opinionated than
King William. He had acquired o great
experience of European affairs as Direc-
or-General Of the Foreign Office in Paris.
and Secretary General Of the Congress of
Paris. az well as in the post (which he
filled for three yesrs) Of French Envoy at
Turin. when he was sent as French Am
bsssadvr 20 Berlin in 1864. With Count
Bismarck NJ. Benedetti had gradually Oh
tanned a good deal Of influence, and had
the Prasxian Chancellor been with him ut
Inns matters might pechance have been
smcothed over sgain at this time between
the two States. as they we're three years
sgo at the threatening crisis Of the Luxen-
bourg question. But King William scexld
himself settle IN affair which concerned
hip oua princciy house. He allowed Al.
beuedstsi to gain . first step BY securing
The retreat Of Prince Leopold from the
candidacy. and. this having been done, he
insisted thas Prussia had no mere TO do.
In vsin did NJ Rsnesetsi peius ous 70 him
that she emily reason Why Prince Leopeld's
candidacy wss obaoxicux % francc csn-
sissed i the fheeshst - Prusiaa prince
he wss held ky the French- people % sym-
holiss hessile inssnt On the pax4 IL the
Fruesian government |; and that 10 vas
g - a 4 -