The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1870-09-01
French and Prussian strength.

French and Prussian strength.
Under this head the Chicago Post of a
recent date, ikens the difference between
the personnel of the Prussian and French
armies as that between youthful manhood
and dissolute age. Germany is rising
and. in the Industrial sense, youthful
nation, of simple habits. Its people
have begun to taste the power of wealth,
without being enervated by its Injuries.
In 1900 to 1919, Germany was discord-
ant, disunited, the battle ground Of Eu-
rope. Its numerous petty States i'm
poverished each other and their own
commerce by leyying customs duties at
all their boundaries. though the territory
Of some of them was wholly inclosed in
that Of others. Manufacture and trade
were equally PROSTATE. The peasantry,
above the level of Doors, we're mere
serfs, whom their petty Dukes and Prin-
ces worked, fought, taxed, and sold into
foreign military service. Little industry
besides agriculture was possible, and that
was of the rudest and least profitable
kind.
Prussia led the way, in 1918, in pro
posing Zollverein or Customs Union,
which would give the States of Germany
free trade with each other by collecting
all the revenues of all the Sta ses belong
ing to the Bund on the outer frontiers of
the Zollyerein, and dividing them among
the several States according to their
population. Thus the Union of Ger
many, like that Of the United States of
America, began in commercial union
formed with the view of sustaining the
government Of all the States by a COM
mon revenue, and removing the obsta-
cles set up against the commerce of each
State by the exactions of the others. The
German Customs Union, as a revenue
measure, differs from our Federal Union
in the fact that the German is designed
to pay the expenses Of the local govern
ments, in comparison with which those
of the General Bund are slight, while
ours leaves tie expenses Of the local gov
ernments to be collected by State direct
taxation, and applies only to purposes of
national revenue.
The progress of Prussia IN perfecting
the Zollverein was, for about fifteen
years, opposed by Hesse, Hanover, and
Saxony, but in the years from 1881 to
1887 these States came into the Union.
From about 1888 the influence Of the
Zollverein in freeing the international
commerce of Germany began to be fully
manifested in the activity of production,
the growth of manufactures, and the ex-
tension Of mining, for all Ct which the
economical habits of the people and the
rapidly accommodating surplus capital of
the country gave special advantages.
About the same time. an extensive net
work of railroads was perfected, con
Meeting all parts Of Germany with Berlin,
Dresden, and Frank fort, and giving as
great an impetus to the industries of
Prussia as like causes have given to those
of this country Meanwhile the food Of
the Prussians is severely simple the
training and organization of the army re-
tain the impress OF severity impaired to
them by Frederick the Great, and neither
the army nor the people have acquired
the enervating habits Of the French.
Though Germany is historically old, yet
the growth of German industry and COM
merce may be said to date from the for
nation of the Zollverein In 1880 to 40.
She is yet in her youth. The Prussian
Court and Government is the most mill
tary and vet the cheapest in Europe.
The genius of the government seems to
have been directed TO the work of making
every man a soldier and every man
scholar. France, on the other hand,
passed through this acme of her growth
in the period beginning with the reign
of Louis the Fourteenth and ending with
Waterloo. Since then her army has
lived Oh the memory of its conquest of
Europe under Napoleon. There has
been little individual development among
the French people, except among the
wealthy classes, and great tendency to
make amusement, which is the chief
business of Paris, the chief pursuit of all
Frenchmen. The French have reduced
amusement and sensualism to a fine art.
While Prussia has been studying economy
and war, as the first of sciences, France
has been devouring feverish literature,
and patronizing dissolute drama, en-
eouraging no more education than was
conducive to pleasure, and no more re-
hgion than could be included in pageant.
These contrasts between French and
Prussian common life have long been pat
ent to the world, but great was warneed-
ed to show how they have added to the
military power of Prussia, and impaired
that Of France.
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CONGP EGSJnNAT