New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-05-02
THE GERMAN ARMY BILL.

THE GERMAN ARMY BILL.
ASPECT OF THE CONFLICT BEFORE The COMPROMISE
MEASURE WAS ADoPrED-INFLUENCE OF PRINCE
BISMARCK UPON LEGIsLATION-THE COURSE OF
THE CONSERVATIVES AGAINST THE CHANCELLOR.
IRON THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF TIE TRIBUNR.l
BERLIN. APRIL Unconstitutional Government in
Germany at present does not work with remarkable
eose Prince Bismarck is fat on his back with govt
or neuralgia OF some rheumatic complaints the En-
peror Is stormng about in the palace like an
angry lion; and the Liberals in Parliament are
AT their wits end for solution OF the problems De-
fore them Bismarck is like Samson IN this, that
when he falls, be it only from govt he drags the
whole parliamentary edlhce down with him.
There is absolutely no one who can represent
the executive power authontauyey before
the Relchstag; ard what is worse, no
one who can propose rational escape
from the difficulty. The present system was Bis
marks, and was adopted at his personal, urgent
solicitation. To amend il now while the author is
ILL., and because he is i'll. seems ike taking an IN
grateful advantage of him. Everybody
who has seen Ristori play Elisabeth viii
recollect the powerful scene il which
the diving Queen struggles between her love OF
power and the necessity Of choosing successor.
The German Chancellor is in just such dilemma.
Shall he consent 10 a modification Of the system,
since he can no longer do all his work. or shall he
let things drift till he again becomes healthy man
This problem is chiefly one of organization, but
there's one Of grave political importance What is
Prince BisnaTCk's opinion of the pending military
biu7 1t was sent to the Reichstag from the
Chancerv over which he presldes and lie
is according 10 his own Interpretation OF ms posi-
ton responsible for it, But he has never appeared
ii 4 ~ "a from
the outset has been confined TO his chamber. That
measure requires a standing army Of 100000 men,
larger number than the Rechstag is at present in
clined to concede and that this provision be voted in
perpetuitv. This means that the present Reichstag
is 10 abdlcate for itself and at the time pledge
all future PaTaments 10 vote without question such
military budgets as the Government may demand
sand q timld German Liberal TO me to-day: They
might as well ask rs TO abolish the Constitution
1t is a hard and bitter alternative which the Gov
eminent offers to the Deputies, and in dsmay they
cry for the Chancellor. What says hei He is IN
well. and his words lack that precisenes5 which is
desirable.
From 1866 to 1874 Prince Bismarck fattered the
liberal aspirations of the Germans with consummate
skill. With the pledge OF a common German Par
lament proceeding from universal suffrage,
he touched a chord of popular feeling which
brated for the first time. There had been
parliameuts of the princes Bismarck offered one of
the people There were Legislatures in the separate
States: he proposed common legislature for United
Germany, Bismarck and ConstitutionalismS was
as potent cry in 1870 as "Moltke and victory The
system has had alof TWO years. and it would be IN
teresting to know what Bismarck thinks Of the result
The agents of reaction believe they have played
their part but exceedingly we'll They desired to
betrav the Chancellor into a dangerous dilemma.
He is a sagacious man, but when, in an
evil hour he signed the pending bil, he
could not have foreseen that II would
threaten to cost HIM the support of the Liberals.
Now that the matter has gone so far it is easy 10
divine the past. The young staff officers and the
Conservatives managed to convince the Emperor
that parliamentarian government was making dan
gerous progress and that. encouraged by Prince
Bismarck. il was assuming powers which might
prove fatal to the country; the army at least must
be placed ont of the reach of Parliament; the
victors of Sadowa and Sedan could be left to the
crude care of lot Of rustic LAWYERS in plain Clothes
otherwise the days Of the Empire could be counted
This sort of discourse, addressed TO the Emperor,
fell on willing ears He asked Prince Bismarck 10
90 before Parliament in his responsible capacity as
Imperial Chancellor, and submit the scheme which
the general staff mad drafted. To refuse 10 for
felt instantly the favor of the Emperor to obey was
likely to cost Bismarck the friendship of the Lib
erals The Chancellor seemed 10 choose the support
of the COurt trusting that the measure would be
carried through and that he would be saved
! If Prince Bismarck is not unusually elastic
man, he must now be suffering the pains of remorse
for he ~ threatened with the loss of all the best
Liberals from bis support and if the bill should fail
he win be in danger Of losing the confidence of his
| IL 10 nal sItu
The military party is making good use of the trap
in which they have caught the great statesman, and
of his present indispositiOn. sudden attack of
catarrh the part of the Emperor, or events less
grave even than that, might precipitate a crisis.