Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-04-27

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From the German Correspondent, April ST.
Though the draft Of the German
Constitution which has been submitted
to the Reichstag differs from that which
was accepted q few years ago by North
ern Germany ohly in a change Of terms,
German " being substituted for North
German" and so on, the INTRODUCTION of
the measure has given rise to long and
warm debates. The very title led to a
discussion, as the party of Progress pro-
posed to alter the words " federal terri
tory (BundesgebietD into imperial
territory" (Reichsgebiet). After Prince
Bismarck declared that the Bundersrath
attributed no political importance to the
expression, which had been adopted for
reasons Of style alone, the motion was
negatived. The Poles then moved an
amendment to article |, for the purpose
of excluding the Polish districts from the
federal territory. This gave rise to a
warm discussion, which was opened by
Prince Bismarck, who replied to the ar
guments of Won Zoltowski, the mover of
the amendment, as follows:
| This is not the first time our attention
has been occupied by a discussion of the
fundamental question which the gentle
man who has just spoken has raised l
may, therefore, confine myself to making
short reply, and refer to the steno-
graphic reports of former sittings of the
Reichstag and of the Prussian Landtag
for proof of the errors contained in
the motion before you, and in the words
of the gentleman who has just spoken
1t will be enough for me to point out the
various errors one by one, and to refer
to former arguments in support of my
views. / deny that the gentlemen who
propose this motion have a right to ap-
ply the words of the speech from the
throne as they do. Reference is there
made to other nations and States, whose
independence must be respected. The
gentlemen belong to no other State and
to no other nation than that of the Prus-
slams, of which too am a member, and
they cannot include Posen and West
Prussia, which have long been portions
of the Kingdom of Prussia, in the other
States and nations spoken of in the
speech from the throne. This Is one of
those fictions which dim the sight and
confuse the judgment. Again | deny
that these gentlemen have right
TO speak in the name of the inhabi-
tants of any district Of Prussia, what
ever the language of those inhabitants
may be. need not remind you that
legally you here represent only the whole
of the nation, and not any separate dis
trict, and that you can have no special
mandate will only call to your minds
what on. a former occasion ! more care
fully proved, that those who elected you
do not approve of the declarations you
make in their name. The fact is so no
torious that consider it unnecessary to
offer any proof of it. Your countrymen
have fought for the cause which unites
us here with the same courage and de-
votion as the inhabitants of every other
part of Prussia have displayed, and your
countrymen, whom you represent here,
are Just as grateful for the blessings of
Prussian culture as the inhabitants of
Schleswig. lUheers Further -and l
believe it is the tenth time this has been
done from the position occupy-I depy
that you have right to appeal to a
treaty with respect to the peculiar posi-
ton of single provinces in the Prussian
State. You have always carefully re-
Trained from quoting the full wording of
these treaties. In the Prussian Landtag
had an opportunity of proving this
word for word, and it is only because
you here repeat your incorrect asser-
tons that l repeat my contradiction of
them. The existence of the Grand
Duchy of Posen and West Prussia in
the Prussian State, as it has continued
for half century, would not have been
possible if anything such as you have
repeatedly asserted had been stipu-
lated in the treaties. / also wish to
request you to teach us tolerance rather
by example than by precept. When the
Poles were an independent nation, what
course of policy did they adopt toward
those whom they had conquered with the
swordf Do you recommend to our imi-
tation the system you employed against
the Ruthenians, the Russians who lived
under your rule, the Lithuanians, and
even the Germans2 Your existence in
this country, gentlemen, would become
perfectly intolerable if we we're to treat
you as you treated the Germans you had
conquered. The gentlemen who have
studied the special history of West Prus-
sia may remember that We have lately
had an opportunity of celebrating the
anniversary of day memorable in the
history of the town of Thorn, when Polish
rulers taught the Germans, in letters of
blood, what Interpretation they were ac-
customed to put on national efforts for
separate existence. You need entertain
no apprehension, gentlemen, that these
historical "reminiscences, which against
my wish you compel me TO make, will
either serve us as an example or excite
any feeling of bitterness. The federal
governments, and more especially the
government otEyour country, that of His
Majesty Che King of Prussia, will con-
time their exertions to extend the bless
ings Of law aud civilization to the CRATE
full and to the ungrateful; and FORUM
ately the grateful are in majority even
in your districts. Loud cheers.
After geveral other members had ad-
dressed the house, Prince Bismarck
again rose and said:
"GENTLEMEE: | am aware ] should be
acting more in harmony with the expec-
tations of the assembly if | we're not to
speak at present. only do so to pre-
vent another of those sayings being
brought into circulation which the good
viii of my parliamentary opponents has
frequently attributed to me- Thus down
10 the days Of the present French war
had 10 bear the credit of Count Schwe-
rims word-'la force domino le drOit'
- might goes before right though tits
well know / never used-them. Now
find from the emphasis Of the last
speaker (Von NiegolewskD that he is
preparing a new phrase Of the kind
I'VE are no nation" The sentence is