The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1874-07-18
A Dead Lock in Denmark.

In Che little kingdom of Denmark, the
political situation is peculiar and inter
esting. In 1S48 the Danish liberals,
who belonged almost exclusively TO the
bourgeoisie, or what is called the tiers
| etGt, secured a most democratic elect
oral law, in fact, universal suffrage, be
lleving, as the same class believed in
France after the revolution of Il 80, that
the ''fourth estate would never be
willing or able to obtain. control of the
government. But events have shown
them TO be in error ; for the fourth
estate-or what would be called in
Europethe lower class-has preferred
to elect men OF its own kind to the pop
ular House of Rigsdag, and has OBJ
| tained decided majority of that house.
Tue English practice-the unwritten
law-that a ministry shall retire with
its defeat in the popular house, has
been followed in Denmark for quar-
ter of a century. But when the pres
zen, .kourgeois cabinet found itself in n
exx assss' duty To Eemain IND IN osAIlcsbte oasAIl be a
za7yon this the house resorted 70 the
British parliamentary remedy, and re-
try promptly dissolved it, and appealed
by electlng majority opposed to the
ministry and now for some time, even
for some years, there has been a gov
ernment or administration which is
powerless in the popular branch of the
legislature, and at open war with il.
1t is felt by the best men in Denmark
to be a very demo-alizing situation,
The prestige which the government had
obtained is fast disappearing. The
most necessary reforms are paralyzed,
and the whole machinery of govern
ment works with the utmost diff
Guilty and friction. The English prac
tlce being abandoned, there is no ar
parent remedy for the dead lock. If
the ministry will not resign, the kim
cannot help himself. Indeed, there
seems no issue to the situation except
by revolution, and it is not easy to see
hoWsuch resort is avoided.
But the whole European situation ia
obscure. In France it is alwavs vol
canic. French politics are, in truth.
the permanent revolution, because the
real question is not one of admiuistra
t1on, of policy, or expediency, but Of
the nature and form of the government
itself. In Spain it is not less doubtful.
Meanwhile some of the wisest heads in
Europe feel that great events are even
now preparing. Just three hundred
years ago Sir Philip Sidney said, 81
cannot think there is any man possessed
of common understanding who does
not see to what these rough storms are
driving, by which all christendom has
been agitated now these many years" ;"
80, now, the enormous armaments, tie
frequent interviews of monarchs, the
tone of the press. the deadly hostility
of Germany and France, the brief fury
of the commune, the position of the
papacy, and a hundred other signs an
nounce to the coolest observers the in
of new wars, from which de-
mocracy, or popular government, will
emerge crushed or all-powerful. This
is evidently the view of Mr.. Disraeli,
who said in a late debate in parliament
that " the great crisis of tie world is
nearer than some suppose" His words.
taken in connection with his speech at
last autumn, in which he
described what he called the spirit of
the age, show that the British prime
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