The New York herald., 1874-11-02
PRUssIAN DYNAsTIC POLICY.

Hfgh.Handed Rule OF the HohenxOl-
lerns Over the Germanic People-How
Political Opponents Have Been
ssstamped Out''-The Won Arnim and
Werner Cases.
No polittcal incident has lately attracted such
general attention, both here and in Europe, the
apparently arbitrary mode in which the proceed
ings Instituted by the German government against
their late Ambassador at Paris, Count Won Arnim,
have been carried on. The moss divergent the.
ories have been urged and the most conflicting
arguments employed to explain away she seeming
difficulties Of the case; but in one point all con.
cur, tnat the arrest and Imprisonment Of that
nobleman Is solely and entirely que to the ALL
powerful and overwhelming influence which the
German Chancellor, Prince Bismarck. exercises
over the mind OF his sovereign. Doubtless the
Prince does WELD very high authority IN the coun-
cils OF the Court OF Berlin. aud 1t cannot be de-
MED that he Is fully entitled to do by OF
the magnitude Of the services he had rendered
not only to the Emperor personally but to the Ger
manic Empire at large; but still 1t is important. II
we wish to obtain true insight into the
facts OF the SITUATION to remember that this Is by
no means the nrst instance IN which princes or
the House OF HohenZollern, whose subjects hap
pened 10 entertain di1erent views OF the duties
entailed upon them by their allegiance from those
held by their august masters, have dealt with the
Ouen0erS even more summary Ln8u mas his
Majesty the Kaiser with the unfortunate Count
Won Arnim. It is well known snat the pre- sent
Emperor OF Germany Is IN many respects o typical
Hohenzollern, and has inherited, with many OF
the noblest qualities OF that justly celebrated
house, that drm conviction In the orthodoxy OF
the doctrine Of the "right divine" which has al
ways been one OF the most prominent elements In
the creed OF his royal predecessors. Although the
Hohenzollern Electors OF Brandenburg and Kings
OF Prussia have always proiesssd to take . lust
pride In the purity OF their law courts and tne
Independence or their judges and have been up
held by their oo2raphers as models OF justice and
equity, yet truth viii compel any one who. not
content with merely skimmtng che surface OF hts.
tory, occasionally takes Q plunge into It's deeper
waters, to ADMIT that they have mover shown the
least scruple In employing personal influence and
even intimidation In order to set aside the YER.
diets OF those very courts when they happened to
bs as variance with their arbitrary Will.
CASES IN POINT.
II may be OF some slight interest to attempt to
place existing circumstances under the locus of.
the light OF past events aud to cite Q few OF the
many cases In which. sometimes Tor good. some.
times Tor evil motives, these rulers unhe hesitatngy
reversed the judgments their tribunals had rem.
dered alter full and mature delioeration, always
keeping one fact In mind that while other mon.
arcns boldly proclaimed themselves above the
law, these princes asserted as the proudest Jewel
In their crown the pre.emlnence throughout their
States Of the legal over the royal power 1t would
be alike tedious and Improbable to enter into any
details regarding the times preceding the close Of
the Thirty Years. War. Europe was then q vast
military camp. but lacking all soldierly discipline;
might was right, and the citizen and peasant
were considered the lair and natural prey or the
King and the noble, whose privilege OF oppression
was only limited by their material power to exact
and that Of the sufferer to contribute. In those
dark days 1t Ii but just to the Honenzollerns to
say that they we're no worse, but probably great
deal better. than their neghbors. 1t was Frederick
william. Der crosse ChurJlyst, "the Great Eec-
tor,u who nrst laid the foundations or the State
which, In the comparatively short period OF two
hundred years, has grown 70 such gigantic dimen.
sions. He was wise and patriotic prince, en-
lightened in hts views aud not inattentlve to his
peoples interests; but he wished to provide for
them after his own way, while they too often fool
ishly imagined that they could manage their own
anairs better for themselves than ne could for
them.
TIE CITY OF KoNI0sDERG,
the capital Of Polish, or. 1t is often called.
Royal Prussia, q province which the Elector OF
Brandenburg held as o Gel from the Polish Crown.
was the largest and most nourishing town in
those parts, did q very considerable commerce for
that time and region and enjoyed extensive and
important privileges aud immunities, undisturDed
possession OF which was guaranteed 1t by the Su-
zerain Crown OF Poand. Frederick William found
the allegiance TO Poland q very onerous burden
upon his ambitious aspirations, and skifuly TAX
Ing advantage OF the difficulties IN which that
kingdom was at the time involved, succeeded, by
dint OF alternate threats and promises, enforced
by wei-timed ana copious bribes, to extort
trad lrnpi ha n Wars ~
him and his successors from all their obligations
toward Poland. This was profound stroke Of
policy, and Its success was hailed with Joy by his
subjects as well as himself; but soon as It was
completed he began 10 encroach slowly and step
by steD, but none the less surely. upon the rights
which the cities and rural proprietors had enjoyed
under the Polish suzerainty. K1nigsberg. being
the town o: most importance was also the fore
most city TO assert her rights against this unau-
thorized interference. ana appealed from the au-
tnortty Of the Crown TO the "LandstAnde," or