Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1874-07-18
A Dead Lock in Denmark,

In the 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
etdt, secured a most democratic elect
oral law, in fact, universal Suffrage, be-
lieving, as the same class believed in
France after the revolution of l. 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
Europe the lower class has preferred
to elect men of its own kind to the pop
ular House of Rigsdag, and has OBJ
tanned decided majority of that house.
The English practicable unwritten
law-that ministry shall retire with
its defeat in the popular house, has
been followed in Denmark for quar-
ter of century. But when the pres
ent bourgeois cabinet found itself in a
minority, it oonoidered IL to Oe a
"higher' duty to remain IN office. 1t
therefore declined TO resign"
Upon this the house resorted to the
British parliamentary remedy, and re-
fused to vote the supplies. The minis
try promptly dissolved it, and appealed
to the country. The country respondI d
by electiug majority opposed to the
ministry and now for some time, even
for some years, there has been gov
ernment" or administration which is
powerless in the popular branch OF the
Legislature, aud at open war with IT.
1t is felt by the best men in DenmarH
to be very demoralizing situation
The prestige which the government hac
obtained is fast disappearing The
most necessary reforms are paraIyzed
and the whole machinery of govern
ment works with the utmost diff
Guilty and friction. The English prac
tice being abandoned there is no az
parent remedy for the dead lock. /
the ministry will not resign, the kim
cannot help himself. Indeed, ther
seems no issue to the situation excep
by revolution, and it is not easy to Sc
how such a resort is avoided.
But the whole European situation !
obscure In France it is always vol
canic. French politics are, in truth
the permanent revolution, because tn
real question is not one of admlnistrf
tion, of policy, or expediency, but {
the nature and form of the goyernmer
itself In Spain it is not less doubtful,
Meanwhile some of the wisest heads
Europe feel that great events are eve
now preparing. Just three hnndre
wears ago Sir Philip Sidney said, I"
> cannot think there is any man possesse
of common understanding who doe
not see to what these rough storms al
| driving, by which all christendom hs
been agitated now these many years.
| So, now, the enormous armaments, u
frenuent interviews of monarchs, til
tone of the press. the deadly hostlllt
of Germany and France, the brief iur
of the commune, the position OF tt
papacv, and hundred other signs al
, nounce to the coolest observers the IN
mipence of new wars, from which d
| mocracy. or popular government, WI
a emerge crushed or all-powerful. III
i is evidently the view of MIR. Dlsrael
y who said in a late debate in parliamel
5 that "the great crisis of the world
). nearer than some suppose. His word
d taken in connection with his speech
A Edinburph last autumn, in which
described what he called the spirit
= the age, show that the British prln1
minister believes great events to
: imminent. - Exchange,