The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-07-18


and Baden might indulge in liberalism; but
they are not therefore called upon to play the
part of Prussia. Prussia must hold her power
together for the favorable opportunity which
has already been sometimes neglected.; the
frontiers of Prussia were not favorable to good
State constitution. The great questions of the
day we're not to be decided by speeches and
majorities-this had been the error of 184S and
1S49-but by iron and blood !"
The House of Deputies having, on October
z, declared all expenditures not sane
toned by 1t unconstitutional that body was dis
solved on the 18th, and the theory, apparently
sustained by the peculiar constitution of Prus-
sia, that the last budget voted would remain in
force until harmony was restored between the
two branches of the Legislature and a new
budget voted by the Deputies and fully con-
CURED in by the Upper House. So the King
and his new Premier proceeded to reform" the
army without legal sanction and in defiance of
popular opinion.
Meanwhile troubles with Austria were arising,
because of the assumption by the King AMI
Bismarck of the right of Prussia to strengthen
her position in Germany by forming a closer
union with States within the Confederation, and
Prussia avenged herself for the opposition of
Austria by recognizing the kingdom of Italy.
In 1868, the enmity of the Liberal party was
still further aroused by an alliance with Russia
for the suppression of the insurrection in
Poland. Another Liberal victory at the polls
encouraged the opposition in the Deputies to
bring fresh accusation against the King of
violating the Constitution by governing without
budget. The address containing this imputa-
tion the King refused to receive in person,
Bismarck supporting him with the declaration
that constitutional conflicts may be decided in
her bU of
such is not the custom in Prussia. With u.s."
he continued, with characteristic arrogance, ''if
two political bodies which cannot go to law are
unable to agree, circumstances decide which of
the two is the strongest"
The War Against Denmark.
But a war upon Denmark diverted the atten-
tion of the people from their imperilled liberties
for the time, and reconciled them in measure
to the arbitrary policy of the King. The death
of Frederick VII of Denmark, November 49,
1863 led to the revival of German claims upon
the duchies of Schleswig- Holstein. By order of
the German Diet, Federal army entered Hol-
stein on December 90. Prussia however, Joined
hands with Austria and interfered early in 1864,
without regarding the action of the Diet and in
opposition to its wishes A hotly-contested
campaign ensued, the Guchies were wrested
from Denmark, and King Christian X the sue
cessor of Frederick VII, was compelled to sign,
by his representative, at Vienna, on October 80
1864, treaty in which he renounced all his
claims to the sovereignty of Schleswig- Holsten
and Lauenburg.
The War Against Austria-Disruptfon of the
Germanic Con fe deration.
This accomplished, it was only necessary to
precipitate quarrel with Austria to obtain an
opportunity for seeking to place Prussia at the
head of the German States. King William, it
must be confessed, entered into the wild and
desperate schemes of Bismarck with much re-
luctance at the first. But he was gradually per-
suaded to insist upon the annexation Of the
duchies wrested from Denmark, with or with
out the consent of Austria, and the unscrupulous
Bismarck, prompted solely by the grand idea
of German unity, with Prussia at the head of it,
succeeded in effectually estrangng him from the
Emperor of austria. The situation was rem
dered more critical by the short-sighted
policy of the latter country. A
conference of the great powers
was held at Paris, but it failed to avert the i'm
pending struggle. Austria then appealed to the
other States represented in the Diet to assist her
in maintaining her rights, to which Prussia re-
sponded by announcing that favorable action
would be the signal for war. The warning was
unheeded, and on the 18th of June, 1866, orders
were sent by telegraph for the Prussian columns
to move. The Kings last scruples were re-
moved, and he entered zealously into all the
schemes of his Prime Minister, reassured by the
intense enthusiasm with which this decisive
action was received by the people. The vio-
lated constitution and the unauthorized budgets
were lost sight of in the grand uprising which
followed the Kings appeal to his people, an
uprising equalled only by the one which the
recent course of France on the Hohenzollern
candidacy has provoked.
The campaign which followed lasted but five
weeks. War against Austria was formally de-
clared on June II, Italy joining in the aggres-
sion by a declaration of war on the Goth. On
the oath was fought the battle of Custoza, and
on the 30th the King, accompanied by Bismarck,
left Berlin for the seat of war. In company
they fearlessly sought the front in every battle,
and we're present on the Sd of July, when Austria
was fairly humbled in the dust on the fatal field
of Sadowa. So utterly prostrated was Austria
that she made mere show of resistance there
after, and on the 23d of August was signed the
treaty of Prague, terminating hostilities between
her and Prussia, the treaty of peace with Italy
being signed at Vienna on October A.
Formation of tho North G erman Confederation.
The result of the grand system of intrigue
| conducted by Bismarck and followed up so sue
cessfuly on the field of battle, was the TO ma
tion of the North German Confederation, prac-
! tically as it now exists. The claims of Austria
upon Schleswig- Hostein were yielded up to
| Prussia, which annexed also the Kingdom OF
| Hanover, the Electorate of Hesse-Cassel, the
Ducby of Nassau, the Free City of Frankfort,
and portions of Bavaria and Hesse- Darmstadt.
| Austria renounced all connection with the Ger