Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-10-06
KING WILLIAMS DANGER.
The Democratic Movement i'm Ger
many-Need fer the King TO Heed
tho Stern,

| hnAhJ-Necu AeE the EA1ng To Hee,
the Storm.
Correspondence of the Neue Freie Presse.
HANOVER, Sept. 1O.-I can give Vol
the following information from the bes
authority respecting the recent politica
arrests in Germany, which have excitet
so much attention:
The arrests effected yesterday il
Brunswick were directed at the member
of the Committee of the Socialist Demo
cratic Workingmen's Union, viz, al
Messrs. Bracke, Jr., BOnhorst, Gralle,
Kuhn, and Spier. The cause of the ar.
rest was the publication and circulation oi
a manifesto proceeding from the commit
tee, and the arrests were made by order
of the Governor, Gen. Vogel Won Falck-
| enstein. The prisoners were conveyed
under a strong military escort and hand
cuffed O like dangerous criminals to the
railway station, in order, as is supposed,
to be transported to Madgeburg or Win
den. In like manner the printer of the
manifesto in question, Herr Won Sleevers,
and a former member of the committee,
Herr Ehlers, (from Brunswick, were ar
rested in the course of the afternoon, and
were each carried off bound TO three po-
licemen
The police searched the premises of the
committee and confiscated number of
papers relating to their affairs, including
a large number of printed copies of the
manifesto. In the evening strong mill
tary patrols marched through the town,
which was supposed to be threatened,
but had no occasion to make further ar
rests or commit other excuses, as the
working-me remained perfectly peacea-
bic. The incriminated manifesto contain
ed a comprehensive explanation of the
views of the union on the present politi
cal situation, expressed the sympathies of
the party for the newly established French
republic, and demanded a prompt and
reasonable treaty of peace with the pres
ent French government, with an appeal
to King Williams proclamation that
Germany made war only with the Napo-
leOnic government and not with the
French people.
With regard to any contemplated an
nexation of Alsace and Lorraine, the
manifesto recommended that the integrity
of French territory should be left I'M
touched, as the annexation would only
make western Poland for Germany, and
induce new and bloody wars.
The conclusion of the manifesto urged
the German people to make the Prussian
barrack system more adapted to German
unity, by freedom for the German people;
and glancing at republican demonstrations
in Spain and Italy, it expressed the hope
and conviction that, in spite of the abso-
lutism now denOminering over US, tie
time will some day come for Germany
also to participate in the blessings of
republic.
The manifesto preserves a tranquil
and moderate tone throughout, and in
ordinary times, indeed even in the
present, the eye of any Prussian lawyer,
however vigilant would hardly perceive
any thing reasonable in it. Gen. Falcken-
stein, however, is no lawyer, and under
stands much better the discipline of the
military art than that of the noble Lady
Themis, who said: ''The commencement
of the war has nowhere in Germany had
10 undergo rougher treatment than in the
government of Hanover
This recent proceeding, however, indi- !
Gates the constituencies of the Prussian !
government with regard to the question |
Of annexation. 1t is not impossible that |
a wink was given by the highest circles,
which easily explains such step with re-
5aId TO this displeasing expression of free !
opinion on this point. Be- this as it may, |
/ is at any rate certain that at present |
here exists in Germany no constitutional |
right of lawful and free expression of
opinion. On the other hand a Herr Won
ochweitzer in Berlin has, as a matter of /
course, not omitted to combat the French |
bourgeois republic" and trail it in the
mud on behalf of the King of Prussia.
From the London Spectator.
Germany seems TO DC even now not 4
strong enough to let her people talk |
harmless politics freely. The Central
Brunswick Committee of the German
section of ''The International Workmen's
Association" issued on the 9Th inst. a
manifesto to the German working>clsss,
falling upon them to prevent the annexa- |
ion of Alsace and Lorraine, and to bring |
bout an honorable peace with the French !
epubliC. This manifesto has been seized |
md all the members OF the committee, !
ven the printer, were arrested and
hained like common felOns, and sent 10
Iutzen, in East Prussia. The general
Who is said to have ordered this arrest is
amed as Vogel Won FTdBEenStein, 1--WE
resume by mistake for Vogel Ven Falck-
nstein), but he does, indeed, represent
he FranIenstein of German politics.
What can the government of any State in
have to fear from the advocacy
f political measures so honorable and
casonable as these Indeed, had they
zen really revolutionary instead of sin
ularly wise, what blunder in the Ger
nan authorities to treat revOlutiOnists Just
ow with any greater respect than the
lnglish government pays to the orations of
fr Bradlaugh.
4