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

Suu Ol tuIS rIauCU-If uSSlau 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-
teresting.
Under the original Empire of the C3psars,
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, Charlemague succeeded to
the German as well as the Gallo possess
sions of Pepin d'Heristal, his 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, 500, 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, in 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 powerful Emperor bis son
was generally elected as his successor. In
1878 Rudolf l. 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 dgnity, became Emperor Of
Austria-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 Confederation of
the Rhine, was de .ftacto 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 1905, when Francis
II. became hereditary Emperor of Austria,
until 1914, Germany was very much at
the mercy of Naprleon l., who dealt with
its various States as if be was their master
Ga his fall, in 1914, when the Confedera-
ton of the Rhine was dissolved, it was &C.
knowledged 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
Que respect-that emo single" State could |
retire from it at its own pleasure. It's ex-
ecutive and legislative powers were exer-
cised by a Diet, holding its meetings in
twhat used to bel the free city of Frank
Main, and It's members, called
delegates, chosen, mot by the people, but
by the various governments. OF this Ger
man Confederation, the Emperor of Aus
tra, 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 l848
3 new German organization was formed.
with the popular Archduke John,
IF Austria, at its head, with the
title of Vicar. He was unequal to the
occasion and the time. Then Frederick
William ILL.,, of Prussia, brother of the
present peror-designate, was invited to {
ssume the Imperial Crown of Germany,
nut, by his vacillation, let the hour of &C
eptance pass by. The old Confederation
{ 1914 was re-eStablished, and Prussia i
vas soon seen to assert her pretensions for
sking Austria's place as its head. At :
lst, in 1865, the two powers entered into
,ar, which ended in the defeat of Austria,
be establishment of North Germa1 Con-
,deration with Prussia at its head, and !
aus the first firm advance towards the o
of Germany. By the new ar a
Austria was literally "read out" o
the German States, and, with the ex- :
option of Bavaria, Wurtemberg, Baden, I
I'D few very small States, Germany be- =
me confederated, with Prussia at its head. b'
ow, common interest rendering it me- P
'ssary as well as polite, all Germany be- as
,mes one empire, with William of Prus- g
4 on its throne. How long it will thus o'
ntinue, the tendency of Europe being :
creasingly democratic, rests in the obscu- |
" Of the dim future.
By the adoption of the hereditary, in