The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-11-07
THE FUTURE OF GERMANY.

THE FUTURE OF GERMANY.
From the ". y. Times.
The reported armistice enables MS to assume
that a few weeks will, in all probability, ter
inmate the terrible war between France and
Germany, place Prussia at the head of the
German Confederation, and establish her as
the leading power of Europe. So rapidly
has history been creating itself that our
readers can hardly yet realize to themselves
the astounding political changes which have
been taking place during the past summer
and in the last few years. Four years ago
the long-continued struggle for supremacy
between Austria and Prussia came to an issue
in the war of 1866. On the 21st and 22d of
June of that year, the two Prussian armies
OF Silesia and Saxony crossed the frontiers of
Bohemia, much as this summer they passed
the boundaries of France, under the same
Princes, and guided by the same subtle brain.
In precisely one month they campsd before
Vienna and Presburg, with the ancient empire
of Austria at their feet, while another army
had forced the Hanoverian troops to capitu-
late, had beaten successively the army of the
Confederation and the Bavarian corps, and
advanced to the heart of Bavaria. In less
than month Prussia had put five hundred
thousand men on war-foOtiDg, and had
swept over Germany from the Rhine to Hun
gary.
Yet in that year Prussia was only the fifth
of the great powers, with less than half the
population of either France or Austria, and
only quarter of that of Russia Her reve-
nues were not quarter those of France, and
even the new kingdom of Italy contained
more inhabitants, and boasted double the in
come. She came out of the six weeks cam
paign with thirty millions of inhabitants, and
substantially holding all Germany from the
Baltic to the Main Ia the present summer
l.,
had their armies over the French frontier
she had broken the military empire of Napo-
leon, and held the Emperor prisoner; and in
less than two months had taken the two
strongest fortresses of France, captured some
three hundred thousand prisoners and an i'm
mense amount of war material, and invested
the capital of her enemys country. Probably
less than another months time will see her
retiring victorious from shattered and broken
France. Such campaigns as these were before
unknown to modern history, for even Napo-
Icons wonderful campaign of Jena, ending in
the prostration of the PruSsian kingdom, was
chids play compared with the prodipious
forces managed and exerted in this war. A
nation which has developed such enormous
and well directed energy as this is, of course,
only the beginning in a grand and long-con-
tinued career of progress.
The question will continually occur to for
eign observers, ''What is to be the issue of
all this? What sort of power is this nation
so suddenly arrived at the height of great
ness, to become in relation to modern Eu-
roper" Henceforth, in all probability, Prus-
sla is to be absorbed in grand confederated
Germany. But what stamp will the leading
member have on the new union, in which it
sinks its own personality? Prussia itself is
composed, as every well-constituted State
should be, of the most opposite elements. In
her educational system she is democratic
and in the front rank of modern advance.
Every citizen not only has the privilege of
acquiring knowledge, but must accept it,
whether he will or no. Ignorance in
Prussia is held as the one irreconcilable
enemy to the State. Military service, too, is
democratic in form-that is, it is the duty
of every citizen, from which neither high
birth nor wealth can excuse him, the only
exemption Gn time of service) being gained
by education. Then the new popular repre-
sentation in the Parliament of the Confede-
ration is exceedingly complete and widely
extended, so that even the laboring classes,
in the last Diet, were represented by their
own delegates. To a certain extent the civil
service is also democratic, inasmuch as it is
open to competitive examinations, though
here the various features of Prussian social
life have some influence. West of Prussia,
aiso the Rhine Provinces and the new acqui-
sitions, Hanover nd Hesse- Cassel, are demo-
clauc IN thef social organization, the soil
being divided into many small ownerships,
and the people being liberal in their political
views.
On the other hand, the old military and
feudal element, on which the Counts of Bran
denburg built up a kingdom, is strongly rep
resented in Eastern Prussia. Here the soil is
divided into large es' ates and held by the
country gentry, who possess en- unb0uuded
influence over their tenantry. Here is he
most extravagaut loyalty and oigoted ''Prus-
sianism." The bureaucracy or otfice-holders
are largely made up of representatives. of
PrussiRn 'Junkers, or the younger sons of
noble families. The army, too from its local
organization, is frequently officered by the
resident country gentry. And as a climax
to the monarchical aud conservative ele-
ments of the State, the royal family have
proved themselves by economy of govern
ment, military genius, and their readiness for
personal sacrifices Etrue kings of men, and
worthy to command a brave people who
respect and love them. 1t would need q
generation of royal idlers and do-nothings to
wipe out from Prussian memories the recol-
lection of what the Hohenzollerns have
Fsisked and accomplished for Prussia and
Germany during the last four years. To add
to ell these complex elements in the Prus-
sian State is the learned class, which has so
great an influence over the young mind Of
/ the nation, an influence at once liberal and
conservative. To predict the effect of all
these various forces upon the constitution of
the future united Germany would be a rash
undertaking. The influence of Baden and
South Germany will undoubtedly be liberal,
/ and united with the liberal elements of