Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1870-07-28

spiri', combining boldness and energy
with fresight and prudence, displaying
moderation towards such Of his adversa-
ries only as he had not decided to crush
POLICY OF PEACE.
From that time up to the complication
resulting from Prince Leopold's candidacy
for the throne of Spain, the os tcnsible pol
icy of the King and his government has
been one of peace. A long and tedious
negotiation was necessary to arrange the
boundaries of Prussia and the new Con-
federation of North Germany, and great
care and forethought were demanded in
the task of consolidating the power the
former had gained. Tho dream of a
united Germany was nearer realization
than ever before, but the achievement
has been greatly retartcd by the repress-
i've policy adopted by the kings govern
ment The agreement made by Prussia
by the treaty of London, May IL, 1867,
to dismantle and neutralzc the strong
hold of L1xemburg. which has been
severed from Germany, threatened q con-
| fict with France. but it was averted by
statec-aft of Bismark and an ostensible
fuldllmcnt Of the treaty obligations.
TIE JEALOUSY or FRANCE.
Yet the growing power Of Prussia has
continued Jete noir to Napoleon, and
since the humiliation Of Austria in 1866,
which placed her rival in tho position Of
leadership in Germany. to which she had
aspired, the Emperor of the French has
been impatiently awaiting the signal for
the couhict which the victory of Sadowa
rendered nero question of time.
! THE ISSUE JOINED WITH FRANCE
The Luxcmburg imbrolio in 1867
found neither nation prepared for war.
The starting announcement, on the 5th Of
tho present month, that General Prim
had rendered the crown ofSpain to Prince
Leopold, distant member of the royal
house of Prussia, precipi.ated the strug
gle for which neither of the antagonists
are as fully prepared as they would like
to be. Yet, each fearing that the other
would gain greater accessions Of strength
by further delay, the abdonment by Prince
Leopold of his candidature was
insufficient to allay the passion SO long
slumbcring and at last fully aroused and
when reasonable protext for war on tn &c
part of France was removed, Napoleon
insisted on its removal being followed
BY such pledges and guarantees on the
part Of Prussia as it was utterly impos-
sible for her TO give, while Prussia, main
tanning digniiea stand Of reserve, i'm
pressed with belief that conflict was in
cvitablo in the end, has calmly refused
to acccdo to the demands Of France, and
responded to Napoolon's declaration of
war by spontaneous and enthusiastic up
rising and a jubilant shout of "On the
Rhine p Tho arbitrary policy and abso-
lutte tendencies of King William arc as
completely ignored by the whole people
of North Germany now as they were IN
June, 1866, when the cry of "Ont to Vi
onna!' was echoed from end Of the kiug~
dom to the other A striking exhibition
of tho unamity of feeling in Prussia was
| shown by the grand escort of 100, 600
of people which, with shouts and cheers
and national songs, accompanied the
King from the station to the palace, on
his arrival in Berlin on the night of the
10Th,
KING WILLIAMS PERSONAL APPEARANCE.
King William is now in his seventy
fourth year, is a stalwart, decp-cl1essed
man with square rugged face, heavy
jaw, brstling gray moustache, and
cold glittering eye-the very bcauideal Of
veteran warrior who deems the sword the
safe st arbiter of every point in dispute.
His military education and hereditary
hatred of the Bonapart family have COM
bined with associations and circumstances
of his stormy career to render him almost
| an undisguised foe of liberal tendencies
of all sorts, aud devout and unaffected
worshippcr at the schrine Of royalty.
NAPOLEON III, EMPEROR OF TIE FRENCH.
With the career Of the French Emper
or, who has at last appealed to arms to
put some bounds to what he considers the
grasplng policy of the Prussian King,
the people of this country are more famll-
| Jar than with that of lis antagonist. The
General opinion of Louis Napoleon from
the outset of his reign until within year
past, has been ono of absolutism Free
dom of speech and of the press were I'M
known, the Senate was nero instrument
of his WILL and the elections of delegates
to the Corps Legislatf were SO manipula-
ted as to render that body almost equally
subscryicnt. But the vote poled by the
opposition in May, 1862 showed such an
alarming increase that Napoleon ct once
became alarmed, and proclaimed in the
senatus consulium of September certain
reforms in answer to the demands of the
people. Still further warned by the bold
ness of the liberal party in the Corps
Legislatif. he finally protested to aban-
Jon the system of personal government
and an irresponsible minister, which had
boon inaugurated by the coup detat of
| 1851 and on the I'd of January Of tho
present year, NJ Emile OLIVER, the lead
or of the more moderate liberals, was call
cd to the head of the mi nistry.
But this concession did not serve to sat
| fy the people, and in the disturbances
which followed, the arrest and imprison-
ment of Rochefort the editor of La Mar
seillaise, in January last, a formidable
uprising in Paris was only avertcd by the
presensonce of veteran army of 10000
men. When Rochefort was safely dis
posed of for six months, another appeal
to the people was made, and the plebis-
citum of May, which received about
1850 900 affirmative TO about | $50, 900
negative votes. Normally ratified the So
| called reforms in the constitution which
i ad been inaugeratcd by the Emperor at