The New York herald., 1874-03-14

have been better for Germany, perhaps if her
great soldiers had wished for peace when her
victory over France had accomplished at
Sedan the legitimate objects of the war, and
before the advantage was pushed to its semi
barbarous extreme as a qualification of national
passions and the antipathies of race, and even
the indulgence of an avaricious government
greed for crushing indemnities.
There is, perhaps, for Germany and the
German people even a graver side to this SUBJ
ject-the universal and inevitable other side
OF the medal of military greatness Germans
are lovers of freedom, and all have aspired to
see their country free and well governed under
liberal institutions. All, however, or the
more thoughtful, have assented that unity
must come first; that to have the Fatherland
one country was a necessary precedent to
having it a free country. In the national war
they saw Germany melted in the fire of battle
and flowing into the mould as nation; the
common land the common country, the single
heritage of every German. But how does the
case stand now with freedom? France by her
attitude only compels the maintenance of the
military system and seems to justify its exist
ence in the eyes of the German people, and
the military system renders impossible any
political progress or melioration. France is a
pretext to the German autocrat that serves to
excuse his exactions from the people, and
these very exactions serve to crush out the
popular hope. Germany's conquest of France
was, therefore, only the first link in the chain
that she herself is to be held down with. All
this is very old story. Every nation that
conquers it's neighbors and so builds up a
great military power becomes itself ultimately
mere dependency of that Power, and Ger
many seems unlikely to be an exception.
Broadway and Broadway Railroads.
1t is reported from Albany that the propo-
sition to authorize the Seventh Avenue Com
pany to lay rails on Broadway to the Battery
is supported by half the property owners on
Broadway. We do not know how true this
may be; for in nothing is there less certainty
than in statements of this sort from Albany;
but it seems not improbable that this may
really represent the late perceptions of owners
of Broadway property For great many
years the project to put horse railroad in
Broadway came up regularly every winter,
and every winter the owners of Broadway
property fought it very desperately and al
ways won. In Broadway-in the present con-
dition and strange history of the street
we can see now very clearly the result
of not having railroad there;
and it may be an interesting topic
for the fancy to turn over what might have
been the result if railroad had been built
from Twenty-third street to the City Hall,
say twenty years ago. Stewards retail store
might still have been at Chambers street.
Broadway was then splendid centre of retail
trade all the way down to Chambers street,
and if its great,shops had been made readily
and pleasantly accessible they might have re-
tanned their position and supremacy. As it is
the seat Of the yardstick empire has moved
from between Chambers and Grand streets to
between Fourteenth and Twenty-third; and
that upper part of Broadway has gained
greatly at the expense Of the lower part, while
whole streets in other places are filed
with trades that might have remained
on the line of the great street, but were
compelled to follow the people, simply
because the owners of Broadway property
were short-sighted enough to do their utmost
to defeat any scheme that would have made it
easy for people to get to the Broadway stores.
Will the building Of railroad in Broadway
revive that street as the centre Of the retail
commerce in costly articles? Assuredly not.
For, though people will make moderate
journey to get to the finest shops rather than
take to the new ones that come up near them,
they will not make journey for new ones
when the best are already just at hand. Now,
also, other schemes are in the air. People
want to have their business ten miles away
from their homes and go to these by steam.
and this will produce altogether new combi-
nations. Indeed, rapid transit, properly
operated, will so revolutionize the whole COM
mercial and social organization of our city
that one can scarcely see through the kaleido-
scope of possibilities just what will be the
fate of our great avenue.
TROUBLE IN New Observation-Disclosures ire
pressible conflict seems to have broken out in
New England. The morocco dressers of Lynn,
Mass, have resolved that they will not employ
workmen who contribute to support other
workmen on strike. Now, while we think
that some of our most intelligent and indus
trious artisans engage in strikes heedlessly,
we think, in this case, the employers have as
sumed untenable ground. When workman
finishes his work it is no business of his en-
ployer as to what use he makes of his
wages. When employers begin any process
of unusual inquiry or intimidation they lose
the respect of workmen and ultimately all
power over them. But, after all, is it not pos
sible to agree upon some plan Of arbitration
or conference that will make these collisions
imDOssible?