The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-06-12

Now that France has freed herself from the
Thuggist grasp of the Commune, and may once
more be regarded ~ the mistress of her own
DESTINY. il Is important to ascertain how much
of what we hear about united Germany" has
any solid basis in history or In fact. There is
no subject of equal moment on which the
public at large, in Europe as well as in this
country, has more vague ideas. The German
empire is spoken of even by the most intel
ligent class of newspaper readers as If no such
condition of affairs had any real existence
before the present time. Emperors Of Ger
many are, indeed, occasionally mentioned,
but rarely in any more definite language than if
they were mere myths. 1t Is the Same strange
forgetfulness of the past that causes united
Germany" to be regarded, If not as new idea,
al least as new fact in the political history of
Europe.
There are but few who bear in mind that,
nowhere, save in China. has the imperial
regime been more fully tested than in Ger
many, or that nowhere has the principle of
political unity or Capitalization been moro
sirikingly illustrated. But to still fewer does
1t occur that now, at this moment far from
being more united than she has been in the
past Germany Is much less so than she has
been at different long periods. In proof of
this we need only say that, whereas for centu-
ries not only all Germany, but large territories
now belonging to other countries, were ruled
by the one Emperor, there are now two
Emperors in the heart of the Fatherland-one
styled the Emperor Of Austria, the other the
Emperor Of Germany.
Now, be it rem ambered that had It not been
for the change produced by the First Napo-
leon the former would have been the rightful
Emperor Of Germany; for he sits on the
throne of Austria In virtue Of his descent
from Francis H., who, In 1906. was forced to
exchange the title Of Emperor Of Germany
for that Of Emperor of Austria. This was
about the same as if the President Of the
United States were obliged to relinquish his
present title for that of President of New Jer-
sey, or as If her Majesty Qaeen Victoria had
to exchange the title Of Queen Of Great Bril-
tain and Ireland for that Of Queen Of York
shire. Nor was this a change In title merely;
the change In power and prerogatives was
great in proportion; It was, in word the
difference between reigning over the whole
German empire, which comprised so many
Kingdoms, principalities and duches, and
reigning over very small corner Of it. hitherto
the nominal sovereignty only Of an archduke
or archduchess.
The new condition Of affairs, then, does no
more than partly to restore that Of 1906. At
the beginning Of that year Francis II. was
still Emperor Of all Germany, and his
power was more universally and more
cheerfully acknowledged by the vari-
Gus States Of Germany than that of the En-
peror William is at this moment. Yet at the
close of the year he had ceased to exercise any
jurisdiction over his former extensive empire
beyond tho narrow bounds Of the former
Duchy Of Austria. Thus ended line Of Ger
man emperors extending from the time Of
Charlemagne CA. D. 500 to that of Francis
ia period embracing more than half Of the
whole Christian era; in other words, Germany
enjoyed the unity of Imperialism for mora than
a thousand years; at the beginning Of the pre-
sent century she had had the advantage, If
such 1t was, of having been ruled In turn by
sixty-two kaisers or emperors. So much,
which we are told Count Bismarck and King
William have conferred on all Germany in
uniting so many Of the German States and
securing the imperial sceptre for the former,
as reward for his good fortune in having
succeeded in crushing France, for the time
being, with the largest best disciplined, and
best commanded, armies in the world.
The House Of Hapsburg, which commenced
to reign toward the close of the thirteenth
century, is generally regarded as one Of the
most despotic dynasties that ever ruled any
where over spirited and brave people. No
dynasty has more vigorously maintained the
principle of ''divine right" There are those
still living who can bear emphatic testimony
to the unrelenting oppressiveness Of the Haps-
burg rule, not only in Hungary and Italy, but
in the heart of Germany. Yet the House Of
Hapsburg has been mild and indulgent, at
least to its German subjects, compared to the
House Of Hohenstaufen, the House Of Fran
coma or the House Of Saxony. Aud, badly
as each Of those dynasties generally treated
those subject to their rule, they treated the
members of their own families still more
cruelty if possible.
But most people seem to think that there
could be nothing.of this kind at the present
day. Too much attention, we are told, is paid
to education in Germany to render 1t possible
that the people could be oppressed Mr.. Car
lyle has done more than any other writer or
thinker now living to create this impression
both in England and America. "There Is no
danger of oppression" he says, lin country
whose people must send their children to school
whether they will or not" But the worshlpper
Of Frederick the Great and the enthusiastic
admirer Of everything German forgets that