The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-06-23


bly, confess in the end that he could no more |
account for perfect national sympathy under |
such conditions, than he could account for |
the marriages of his friends. It is safer, if |
the organization is to be strong, to melt
away such differences, and it
is upon this policy the Govern
ment of North Germany has evidently re-
solved. All military differences, to begin |
with, have disappeared and the King g-Presi-
dent, perhaps the most efficient martinez in |
Europe, a man who quarrelled with his peo-
pie for years rather than surrender his mill
tary ideal, pronounces the German army pre-
csely what he desires. OF the difficulties of
detail which must have been obviated before |
that result could be attained the dissimilari-
ties of discipline, of system, of tradition which
must have been removed, of the personal |
jealousies which must have been conciliated- |
a dozen kings, for example, being reduced to
general of1icers-it is needless to speak, the
greater point being that every North German
for the three most impressionable years of his
life must pass through the same training,
under the same officers, and with the same |
tradition of duty and its rewards The his
tory of an army is the external history of q
nation, that portion OF the general tradition
which most surely creates national feeling.
and henceforward North Germany has in that
sense but one history, is bound together
with the bond of common danger, common
is insufficient, as proved by the Austrian in
stances but when it exists among people of
the same language, creed, and civilization, it
is almost too strong to break, quite too
strong, we should say, but for the American
example. This immense change was carried
out by the executive alone, and from above;
and in civil affairs it was necessary to consult
and conciliate the people, and their aid was
sought through device which seemed at
tn
pealing to universal suffrage to elect the
common Parliament, Count Won Bismarck
risked the return of men devoted to ''particu-
larismus' or provincial independence, but he
secured ma jority of faithful Prussians His
plan, adopted, we fancy, from rather vulgar
motive, desire to retain the lead for his
own kingdom, as bit of tactics rather than
of craftsmanship, has proved unexpectedly
successful, and the King President has Sc
cured in the Lower House most powerful
solvent of provincialisms. The Parliament has
shown from the first that almost inexplicable
courage in innovation which belongs to re-
preventative bodies alone, and has never been
displayed by any other kind of governing
| committee. Customs as old as the race were
swept away in a day to make way for CON-
mon commercial code, which will slowly but
| certainly create common ideas as to right
and wrong in commerce, as well as a common
system of transacting business. A common
law of marriage was established, and the
most radical and fatal mistake of the few
committed by the trainers of the American
Constitution was avoided. Courts of every
kind of jurisdiction were compelled to submit
to common appellate tribunal, thus laying
a foundation for a common code of proce-
dure; and finally, through bold appeal
by the Chancellor to the idea of unity as
above ideas even of morality, the dispute
about the punishment of death was removed,
and a common penal code established for all
North Germany. Every act everywhere was
criminal or innocent, and every crime visited
everywhere by the same penalty, perhaps of
all bonds of unity the most effective 1t re-
mains only to perfect a common civil code,
and although this will be difficult task still
its completion will in no long time be visibly
imperative. The States are too closely inter
laced to allow of the difference which still
exists between the civil law of England and
Scotland, nor will it long be convenient to
allow separate assemblies to pass laws which
must every now and then infringe on the COM
mon criminal and the common commercial
law. The Central Parliament has proved
docile, it is cordially approved by the people,
who see in it the visible symbol of the unity
they have made such sacrifices to gain, and
we expect speedily to see the movement al
ready started to merge all Parliaments in one
gather strength and volume. Its success has
been greatly facilitated by the split between
the Court of Prussia and the feudalsts, and
should the King and his councillor resolve on
the change, we question if the old Upper
Houses will not be finally swept away. The
Federal Council with kings only for its men,
bers-that is, in fact, composed of all
the premiers of the North-will be
far better and far more man.
ageable chamber of revision. 1t
represents, too, a fact, the regard of the diff
ferent States for the great ruling families
which have so long been identified with their
interests families which, with all their faults
have rarely been hostile to the people. With
a common Parliament, common law, a COM
mon language, and a common army, North
Germany is certain sooner or later to ac-
knowledge formally what her people already
acknowledge in fact---that they are citizens
of new empire, with the Hohenzollern for
its head-an empire which, if it can but neu-
tralize the South Germans, let alone absorb
them, must speedily be beyond any attack by
any combination of the continental powers.
INDEPENDENCE AND ANNEXATION.
From the NJ Y. Sun.
society has been organized in Canada,
under the title of the Union League, for the
purpose of bringing about the annexation of
British North America to the United States.
This society has its headquarters in Mon
treal, but affiliated associations are to be
formed in all parts of the Dominion. Con-
siderable sums of money are said to have
been pledged for the purpose of agitating the
subject through the Provinces, and the owners
of real estate are especially called upon to
contribute, on the ground that the incorpo-
ration of the Dominion with the United
| States would add at least 0na half To tha r,ra-