New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-03-22
EUROPEAN RECONSTRUCTION.


sary that the process of Reconstruction
shall be performed there, a. we have beel
endeayoring to do her" for the last tive
wears These war, have been produced
through the growth of national idea
operating upon the minds of the rulers Z"
the countries which engaged then people
IN the deadly conflict. This national
growth as in vegetable growth, regencr
ateS society constantly and almost lhipei-
ceptiblv. and must obtain rellef from 'he
hide-bound demonstrations OF old ihS'i'"-
tons by a physical outbreak. when
these ideas become fixed and determined
bv tho arLitromeDt Of the sword, then the
time has come for the happy adjustment
between the institutions and Opinions fol
which the contest Wa, waged, and the
battles were fought, which will be IN con-
souance with the new order ofthlngS thus
produced such was the character of the
late wars between Prussia aud Austria,
and Prussia and France, and more
especially the latter. which i, now
happily brought to close by a
treaty of peace. France was hide
bound in her imp ralism under the rule
of Napoleon, Emperor, and the people
believed they were invulnerable With the
name and prestige of their C''>ar' Napo-
leon the First They resigned themselves
to the glitter glory and pomp Of military
success and display. which Wa, entirely
DESTROYED with the sturdy strength
Of Prussian civilization. controlling the
| German confederation. Germany was the
rival of France, and was growing with an
unparalleled rapidity, and with her adj
vancement and prosperity to the latter
was an insult, resulting in a challenge,
and terrific conflict. The same causes
operated on wider scale. The seventeen
wears success of a brutal Ctsari,m i'll the
heart of Europe produced political stu
por, like the magic power Of the master
of the castle in which the sleeping beauty
and her attendants We're spell-bound I'M
til released by superior influence that
broke the evil lamentations Of
the wizard master. Under the stu
petying influences OF this brutal sue
cess, all faith in principles was lost by the
best minds on the continent: demagogues
tlourished in office The claim to infalli-
bility on the part of human being was
blasphemou>lv set u and paraded before
the world as worthy its worship and ador-
alton The corrurting influences of
French sensuality. stimulated by the con-
was injecting with its poisonous virus
the civilized world. through the glare and
glitter of the glded salons found in that
modern Sodom and Pompeii called Paris
There seemed to be a deterioration in
stead of an elevation Of humanity
Prussia was the opposite of France
in the education o. her people, and
her efforts for the unlication of the
government. the better to resist and over
the German people were surrounded. To
do this she made her citizens soldiers, a,
as was done by Us. She had no limited
number of men for the work which was
to be done. but all were instructed in the
art OF war How well Prussia accom-
plished her task, under the great military
| D.. I IL 4
General Won Moltke, Steinmetz and the
other chieftain, of the late war, we have
been informed. The tactics used by
Prussia in some respects reSembled that
which had proved so successful under our
own great military leader, General Grant
Austria had already felt the effects of
Prussian courage and the needle gun.
Austria was Inundated but not democrat
lied as France appears to be now, but
she took the lesson to heart and profited
by it. She became more liberal to her
people and threw off the CALLING yoke of
Roman Catholic priestcraft and the chains
of the hierarcEical concordat The prin-
ciple of the blending of States for the
purpose of surrendering national concerns
to common government, while each re-
tains jurisdiction of local affairs. is fast
obtaining ascendency III the minds of |
the people of Germany, and the conse-
quence is, they are disposed to adopt it |
as far as may be possible to strengthen
that which exists among them
They begin to understand that this |
system or principle, with the habit OF
which belong, to fedora
tive government founded upon the con
solidation of several States, develops |
with an enlarged public spirit on the
one hand, and a jealousy in behalf of
reserved rights on the other, leading to
the establishment of Just and liberal in
stitutions. This principle has operated
tavorably upon the union between Hun
gary and Austria, unequal as it seems to
be. The only danger and drawback to
the movement of peace and progress of
ideas in Germany would appear to con-
Sist in the disarmament of the immense
which have been in battle |
array against France. 1t is to be hoped,