, 1874-05-08

People will pass different Judgments On thd
recent triumph Of Bismarck in obtaining thu
pasauge of the Army bill from tho German Par.
lament, according to tile poiut Of view from
which they look at 1t. Considering 1t from tla
exalted position Of the philosopher, philanshro-
pist or moralist It la to be regretted that 1t haa
passed. II is to be regretted that Germany is con.
deuned to keep standing army Of 4o1, 900 men;
aud not for year, or five yoara OF ten yoars. but
in porpotuity. It is to bo regretted that 401.000
OF llor healthieat men are to be taken from the
avocations"of peace, from home. from friends,
from honest industry, to spend the best yoars Of
their lives in the demoralizing atmosphere Of
barracks. Sad. indeed. Ia 1t to reflect that Cor
many's lato war with Franco demands thin saori-
ilco of human souls aud human happiness, md
TINT standing army Of such enormous diEcn'
sions and nocosaitatlug such On outlay, 80 heaSya
ta1 on the produotivolabo OF thecountry, mupt bo
maintained for IN indefinite longth OF tine;
for bismarck has demanded aud obtained It not
for year, or ton years, but forever. He has &C.
kuowlodgod that Germany must light. OF be pre-
cared to fight, for fifty years to como in order to
maintain What 1t has conquered from France,
and nothing short Of 401, 900 men ia considered
nreparation enough. Tho compromise proposed
by the Liberals in tho Reiohatag was $4,000
| men for seyen yours. No. he must have 401, 600
men, to be forever part Of tho Empires strength
and q steady monaco to other nntions, especially
| to Trance. Tho most pleasant feature IN
| tbe history of tho bill Is the oppo-
| sition 1t met with from tho Lsbcr-
ala In tue Roichatag. They opposed 1t
long and earnestly, and yielded onl7 when
rightly or wrongly they lad to ohooso between it
aud another but gfeater evil Tho bill, 1t Ia said,
did not originate with Dlsmarck-that 1t of1gl-
mated In tho War Office, and that 1t Was urged On
the Emperor as necessity. Bismarck approved
it, It Ia said, only because tho Emperor did.
This is scarcely probable. Tie German Chan
color vol knew that, to hold what Germany
gained In her war with Franco. q largo standing
army WAS necessary, ono whose dlmona'onR
should not depend on tho whim OF every succos-
eiyo Roichstag,-aud lienoe his demand that tho
nnmher shoull bo almost half million, and that
not 10 much objected to Is tho permanency OF
| tho estluaatoB. 1t frat tho bill waa supported
onlyby tho Conservative aristocrats- and
Ultramontanoa opposing 1t. Tue Conservatives
hoped by carrying tho bill to defeat tls Libora!s,
! Of whom thoy hayo worry unwholeaome dsoaa.
They supposed TINT, tho Army bill rejected, tho
Liberal Ministry would rcsigu aud make place
for Conservative one. It's doubtful whethol
tho Libo1alB would hayo passed tho bill at
all wors 1t not tor 1umor Which
| was circulated aud found crodence ia
political cirolos, to tho etfsot that tha
Catholic party had entered into a contract with
tho Conservatives secrotly, with number Of
men In the army, and como peraouasos at Court,
that tho ninaty-thrco mombora in tholr ranks,
who held tho balance Of power, would pass tue
bill provided thAt bismarck ahould bs replaced