The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-01-16
THE NEw GERMAN EMPIRE,


preaching, and we shall probably see the
end of this Franco Prusssn war celebrated
by the investment of King William with
the Imperial purple. In view of this fact
brief review of the past political history
of the coming Empire, and the changes
through which it has passed during the
barbarous millennium, that is now closing
in carnival of blood, will not be unin-
terestiog.
Under the original Empire Of the Caesars,
Germany was largely under Roman sway.
When that empire declined, Germany
broke up into several States, each with its
own military head. By the aggregation
Of provinces or territories in France, that
country gained great power on both banks
of the Rhine, and when, exactly one thou
sand years ago, Charlemagne succeeded to
the German as well as the Gallo possess
sions of Pepn d'Heristal, bis father, he
was strong enough to claim dominion over
the whole Of Germany, from the North Sea
to the Alps, and from the Rhine as far as
Hungary. In December, 800, he was
crowned Emperor, at Rome, by Pope Leo
Ill, and thus began the long line of
princes who occupied the German throne
for over thousand years. In Oil the
Carlovingian dynasty ended, 10 the person
of Ludwig, "the Child" and the provin-
cial rulers, with the leading magnates of
the Church, claimed the right of electing
an Emperor. This system of election was
continued through many centuries, some
times nominally, sometimes actually. On
the death of a powerful Emperor his son
was generally elected as his successor. In
1878 Rudolf I. founded the Hapsburg
dynasty, OF which Francis Joseph of Aus
tria is the present representative through
the female line. In 1904 Napoleon Bona
Parte assumed the title of Emperor of
France, and Francis H., who had been
elected Emperor of Germany in succession
to his father, Leopold H., relinquishing
that designation, which had become a
mere titular dignity, became Emperor of
Austra-that is, an hereditary instead of
an elected ruler.
1t was time for him to do this, for Ma
poleon, at the head Of the onfederation of |
the Rhiue, was de .facto master of Germa-
ny. Thus by an ambitious and success
ful soldier of fortune, was subverted the
empire of Charlemagne, of Ohio, of Fred |
eric Barbarrossa, of Charles Van empire |
which was to the political world, in many |
respects, much as the Papacy was to- the
ecclesiastical. From 1906, when Francis
II. became hereditary Emperor of Austria,
until 1914, Germany was very much at
the mercy of Nsprleon l., who dealt with
its various States as if he was their master.
Ga his fall, in 1914, when the Confedera-
ton of the Rhine was dissolved, it was &C.
knowledgcd that to reconstruct the old
German empire was no longer possible
Out of three hundred States, into which it
hal formerly been divided, there then
remained only forty. These were
organized into German Confed-
GRAFTON, established by an act of
the Congress of Vienna, as an indissoluble
union, like that of the United States in
one respect-that "no single" State could
retire from it at its own pleasure. It's ex-
ecutive and legislative powers were exer-
cscd by Diet, holding its meetings in
(what used to bel the free city of Frank
fort-on-the- Main, and its members called
delegates, chosen, not by the people, but
by the various governments. OF this Ger
man Confederation. the Emperor of Aus
tria, as the most powerful monarch, was
head. In 1880, the French revolution re-
acted on some of the German States as
to compel their rulers to grant written
constitutions to their subjects. In 1S4S
a new German organization was formed,
with the popular Archduke John,
of Austria, at its head, with the
title of Vicar. He was unequal to the
occasion and the time. Then Frederick /
William I'LL, of Prussia, brother of the
present Emperor-designate, was invited to 9
assume the Imperial Crown of Germany, b
but, by bis vacillation, let the hosr of ac- !
ceptance pass by. The old Confederation i
Of 1914 was re-established, and Prussia i
was soon seen to assert her pretensions for
taking Austria's place as its head At =
asst, in 1866, the two powers entered into /
war, which ended in the defeat of Austria,
The establishment of North German Con- d
liberation with Prussia at its head, and +
hus the 6rst firm advance towards the Of
MITIGATION Of Germany. By the new ar : a
Austria was literally "read OUT OF
# the German States, and, with the ex- :
option Of Bavaria, Wurtemberg, Baden, I
nd few very small States, Germany be-
anne confederated, with Prussia at its head. %
Tow, common interest rem dering it ne P;
essary as well as polite, all Germany be- as
ONES one empire, with William of Prus- 81
ia on its throne. How long it will thus ov
ontiuue, the tendency Of Europe being =
,oraoa;,, ~ixx lon,.or, fio racfu in tba oheo,,