The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-03-31

manding prospect far and wide over the
plains, stood sandstone monolith, which, to
the seeker after the dark ways of character,
was better guide than ever Number Nip was
to the wayfarer 1t appears that the Duke of
Anhalt, on whose territory it stood, some
twenty years ago, when his excessive taxes
had reduced the people to beggary, was gra-
ciously moved in his paternal heart to order
the construction of ducal turnpike, to en-
able his subjects to keep away the wolf from
their cabins. This was all very good and
pleasant to philanthropic mind, but the
weak point of the German character appears
on this monu nent, with this legend among
others: -"Wanderer, as you pause here, let
us joyfully declare to you that Love fashioned
this column as q memorial of our lealty to
him." If Americans had received government
assistance of this sort, perhaps they would
have passed series of resolutions in graft
tude, perhaps not, and there the whole matter
would have ended. The principal circumstance
to be noted in this inscription is that certain
something of servility, of adulation and in
cense-burning to sleek rank rather than to
starved and penniless genius, that ''too-
muchness" of loyalty, of which Coleridge ac-
cuses the Germans. Compare the German
DOllkircten with the cathedrals of Italy. In
the latter there are tens of thousands of
statues, statuettes, busts, pictures, cartoons,
in which the children of genius do each other
noble honor above all ribboned potentates
but in German churches there are few grand
tombs except to coffin the purple, few sub
lime frescoes except to celebrate the he
roism of lbue blood. How true, how
pitifully true, that caustic word of
Won Moltke as he stood before the
portraits of Bazaine and MacMahon in
Versailles-'I think we Prussian generals
have about as much merit as these gentle
men, but, by God! they will not place auySof
our portraits in pantheon at Berlin Of
all nations in Europe the most peaceful and
the most unhandsome on horse, they have
the most absurd disproportion of equestrian
bronze in their streets.
When will Germany cease to worship kings,
and build for genius q Chaucer's House of
Fame? Who will ever rear the true Walhalla
of Germany, wherein shall be gathered her
real Einheriar?
What more contemptuous term of reproach
in the rest of Europe than ''German count"
In their journals they quote the sayings OF
their great statesmen far oftener than we in
America do, but this is merely the tribute of
bookworms, the conceit of learning. 1t is
egotism. Egotism and skepticism are one;
and it is curious commentary on the value
of most modern skepticism that the most
| skeptical people of Europe are the most king
worshipipg nation. There is skepticism
which is servility itself. A skeptical people
can never maintain republican government.
They are too absolute-they must push every
principle to its ultimate results; none of the
imperfect systems which alone, in this fallen
world, can be carried on among men will be
tolerated by them. They would pick such a
| government to pieces, and establish in it's stead
such hopelessly complicated and Utopian
affair as was sought to be made in 1913 in
Frankfort. There is no elasticity in the Ger
man character, no spirit of compromise, none
of our American easy, swinging IaiSSes allen
which is indispensable to self-government
The Ger nan loses his temper in politics
strikes blindly about him: German minorit,
always protests. Germans have no patience
| with politioal offandara .EShoot tlaes do~
like mad dogs" said Luther of the rebellioui
| peasants.