The weekly standard., 1870-08-24

The Cause of Prussia. ~
some person, anxious to create prepdfs
against the unilicatiOn. Of Germany, vhf
is really the cause that Prussia, as the fiI8'
sentative power of Germany, is requjry
uphold, has issued a pamphlet from Bosi'
entitled: "Oigin of the Bismarck PoHP
or. the Hohenzollcrn doctrine of maxii :
described and defined by the most emipf
monarch of the Prussian dynasty, Fred
the Great His opinions on religion,
tice, morals, politics, diplomacy, state
ship, the German people, etc. Writ
himself expressly for the use Of his sue
to the throne. Carefully translated fir i
authentic copy of the original MS"
The significance OF this publication
now cannot he misunderstood. 1t
stated by the New Orleans Times, al y
tempt TO show that the Great Fredcri
Prussia was n coldblooded MepbistophQ.
who looked upon religion, morality and N
tice with supreme contempt, and that II
Bismarck policy is founded on these "
established Hohenzolern doctrines. X
1t will he readily admitted that Fretleri,>
the Great was not great in everything. T.
had his faults, rs other mortals have, a.,
among his other ccccntricitics may be noGi
bluntncss Of speech and sovereign rcpf
nance for all sorts of shams But for II,
Prussia would have been dismembcred
blottcd out from the map of Europe a
indcpcnde dent Kingdom. When hope seeIE
little less than madness, and his literf
friend, Noltaire, advised him to sue for M
cy, he replied =" | am man, and therefH
horn to suffer. To the vigor of destinl
oppose my own constancy. Menaced wi,
shipwrcck, will Jvlr the storm. will
king in spirit, and will die as have liv9
a king" These brave. heroic words q
what manner of man he was. The
cumstances q6nsidered, Dr.
srT e75n ~ sfls4 '''s~ APsc -
than century, without making
erous heart 10 palpitatc with third
miration for the man who uttero
What ii his acts did not conform !
observance to the textbooks OF the
and the tables of the drcalOgucA
kings oi his time less culpable than 4 I'd
his fearful seven years struggle, VIII |p
posed 10y the Austrinns, the Russia he
French, the Saxons and the Swcdcs, Ii h
moral courage and indomitafle energy, 9s.
played under rcverscs which would hke
crushed the spirit of almost any other min,
enforced the respect of an observing word.
For the rest he never pretended to be II saint.
His muXims were founded rather upon iDl
icy than ethics. In speaking of his mue
dia,c ancestors he does not claim for thn,
either distinguished virtues or high desccit
Vanity alone, he declared, placed II rcgl
crown IN his grandather's head, and b,
was rather glad of it, and it gave hid (Frcl
cric) the privilege Of arguing and negots
ting with kings on footing of equally
Indeed. so far from praising his ANCESTOR
he admits that most of them were vaT
bad characters. That he was not bigp;
is proved by the following extract frn,
his instructions Remember the fol
lowing pTccept well, my dear nephew, and
always say, Ms do In my kingdom peQrL
pray as they scish, and .fnd their alration a!
they con.'" Further on he srys: ave ow,
justice to our subjects as they owe us re
spect-thnt is granted; but it is necessar,
to take care that VIC are not brought unde
suljcction by Justice. Justice Is tn,
image of God. Who eau, therefore, affair
to so high perfection Is not man un
reasonable when he undertakes the vair
project of having full possession of it Be
hold all the countries in the world, and ex
anime if justice is administered exactly il
the same manner in any two kingdoms"
On the question of policy he says, witt
refreshing GOODNESS: "As it hns been agreed
among men that to cheat our fellow crea
tures is base and criminal act, it has beep
'tnc fctcH, md I'tfic word fd,iey has bccn sahs,
toned to that end. In all probability tho
word was selected only for sovereigns, be
cause they cannot with propriety be called
rogues or rascals."
Though it may he readily confessed thu
Frederick had kingly vices as well as kingll
virtues, and that his regal morality was not
whit superior to that OF the royal iamilic,
of his era, yet it by no means follows that
William, King OF Prussia, is at all RESPONSE
Bile for the ecccntricitics of his illustrioris
- 4. % .,