The Portland daily press., 1873-08-06
German Stateswanship.

To the popular mind Bismarck seems to
monopolize Germany's fame in sState-craft,
ami Moltke her farle for supreme ability in
war. They are, however, only the two coti-
spicuous types, representing the respective
systems of training by which, after long
years Of preparation, Prussia declared, es-
tablished and maintained what is now called
German unity, and secured its power. Ger
many, as we now know it, dates only from
the war with France, when the empire was
declared and the imperial dignity was assumed
by the king of Prussia. Yet before this the
real turning point was gained, when the old
DIVISION OF Germany into twenty States was
oveftErown in the Austran-P -Prussian war of
| 1866. The curious part of the problem is
| that, for many years, the effort to secure this
| unification of Germany was pursued, under
many difficulties, by few men in the smaller
States. In Baden, in Hanover, in Wurtem-
burg, in the "Free Cities and in Berlin,
there was persistent agitation kept up for
many years, in the face of cefeat at the time
of the revolution in 1S48, and in spite of the
repression exercised by Prussia, with its
State-rights party, in which Bismarck was
an active, but by no means leading spirit
When he did at last see the g,eat merit of
the national party, he came out so strongly in
its support, and with such vigor and energy
that he became its leader, and the recog-
niZed leader of first Prussia, and then Ger
many, carrying oyer with him the king and
many OF the leading statesmen who now
guide and govern so far with almost un-
interrupted success the new German Empire
In Germany, there is much less opportunity
for any individual distinction; it is not SO
much parliamentary government as one of
administrative or civil service government,
nnd each department, although it has its
head as the minister of war, or justice or
instruction, is governed, as are its courts, its
local affairs, its school boards, by what are
called colleges; that is, councils or committees
formed of three, or five, or seven, rarely more,
of the heads OF bureaus, who lay out the
work of each branch of the govern0ient, look
after its needs, report upon its requirements,
and quietly do either in the way of advisory
or directory orders or minutes, that which
with us requires long, rambling discussions,
first in committees, then in Congress, and
often firally, to know what was really meant,
in the courts.
1t is training such as this which fitted
Moltke, Bismarck, Bonne, Simson and the
other leaders of the German Empire to what
they are, The result, however, is that while
the Old race of small rulers for small States
has almost disappeared, there are fewer mar
liamentary or party leaders than We might have
expected. In Prussia the aristocratic party
that TO which Bismarck himself belongs, by
his birth and early ties-made desperate eff
fort to resist the steady onward progress Of
the Government, by fighting in Parliament
to maintain their rights to exercise the old
police and judicial functions on their own es-
tates, but with few judicious compromises,
the Government maintained its supremacy
The great struggle now is that between Church
and State.
In their efforts to secure the absolute con-
troll of the schools, the great pillar supporting
the whole superstructure of Germany, its en-
pire, its progress and its future, both in mii-
tary and IN industrial greatness, over all its
ne e'ghbors and rivals, France, Austria and
Russia-the Government found itself in con-
flict with the high Church element of its own
Lutheran confession, as well as with power
ful Catholic party. 1t set itself resolutely to
work to overcome this opposition on both
sides, and it is still so engaged, but thus far
with less success than has attended its exter-
nal conflicts in war and statesmanship-Phil-
GdelphiG Ledger.