New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-04-12
GERMAN LITERARY GOSSIP.

BsRIrN, March 23.-Ihe Kreas Zeitung had
the poetry at the head OF lite respectable columns on
the Emperors birthday. II was addressed to Unserem
Kssser" and thus distinctly recognized the reorg'nEa
Con OF the German Empire, the proclamation ~ Vor
slcs the constitution Of Is7l and the hanceorshpoi
Prince Won Bismarck The fear of the Ere'H Ze"s ana
fs friends has always Neen that their royal master
might sink the sovereign in the Emperor tha IN the i
Hlment Of his duties President OF aFedersuon ne
might forget bis attributes as King oi fiuss'a
IN short that democratic empire might
gradually absorb loyal and dependent
Kingdom The best way 20 prevent this is TO exa the
personal dignity of the monarch himse and deprecate
the merits OF the system which radical statesmen have
invited him 10 administer. This conduct may be more
loyal than patriotic-the Liberals say that u is.
For them the bone and sinew OF the common
soldiers helped 10 win French battles and they de-
serve their share Of recognition For them the intel
gent ccnciatory spirit which constructed the new
Empire will find its record the tablets OF history.
The Krew ZeitWu9 viii have none OF this. It's
ideal state the Prussia OF Frederick William
Ill, when there were no garrulous parhaments
IN delay public business, when docile
bureaucracy administered the royal DEGREES laws and
vigorous rural nobility ded all the posts Of honor at
home and abroad. This the time when Herr Won
Muller I'm the Department Of Education, gavet the
schools the proper orthodox tendency and the Kre Ze
tang was the organ of the Government
Deprived in this way their place in the National
councils, the CONSERVATIVE
Cicero in poetry and philosophy gen.
orally Obscure, and therefore perhaps und; but
their poetry Is OF extraordina. description.
In Mr. Tcuuyscns official poems there rs
always rhythm, often rhyme and sometimes thought
while In the birthday addresses to the Emperor all these
wanting This is, Of COURSE not strange Since the
good old days when wear had It's official poets, trained
20 the melOdous expression OF loyal sentiments.
the bards Of Germany have outgrown the
trammels Of Court bounty. Loyal poems are
generally had while the good ones are Of course seous
and revolutionary The true poet has studied Schiller,
and Byron, and Beranger, and he has incondary
theories about society and government For his
muse there Ia little inspiration in the melan-
choy pomp. the fat insipdity, OF petty
German Court He sings the euogum OF freedom and
human rights of popular government and progress and
II he be prosperous he becomes a Heine, INLAND, q
Hoffman, Faersleben But the work of Court poet
is left to those whose talents find no other recog
milton.
system OF literary patronage for the sake OF htera-
ture is unknown in Prussia. Such encouragernont as
made the Rome Of Augustus respondent with genius,
oven XIV showed to the dramatists OF his
age and much less suoh a harmless but honor
able bcnefcenoe is implied in the institu-
ton OF the Laureate In England has never,
since the days Of Carl August, been OK
tended 10 German literature. The favorites OF the
Prussan Court such Tieck and the Schleges, have
been men indeed OF talent, but men whose poetry
throne. In Germany, elsewhere too, the
romantic poets have been the most re-
dictionary in their political tendcncies Tieck, as
we'll known the pet Of the most reaeOnary king.
Frederick William " The king had set him estab-
lshment Posd whittier his fine library was trans
ported but when the troubles OF 1S4S arose, the
poet feared that bis wen known aristocratic prfu-
eiples would attract the vengeance Of the
mob, and he hastily sold his books at
ruinous sacrifice Jean Paul another favorite OF
court circles at Berlin. With class Of wrters-the
historians-better success has been realized Leopold
Won Ranke may not be the greatest of German hsto
rans but he h OF the greest and he has perhaps
preserved fair degree of independence rs could
be expected His style is good though less graphic than
that OF Raumer and Treitsehke but in comprehensive
grasp principles and mastery of details IL reInarks
BILE he is writing little but Is experimenting
the publication of a edition Of his works friend
OF mine lately called upon him. and observed;
"Wel, Professor, i suppose yea work ~ hard us
ever in your age" eyes" replied the veteran, ten
DERBY, Eyes; my wife is dead you see and have
less annoyance and accomplish more" am not
whether all OF Rankes works have been translated
into English Some OF them are, indeed, hardly worthy
OF translation, belng-the histories Of France
and England for instance-not much more
than compilations; but there are others,
such M the one entitled Zp6lr Butcher
Ire,,ssieher 6esehiche which ought to be known in
America. Miss rockingham OF Boston, who made the
admirable translation OF Lessings "LaokOOn" Is In Der
Lin just now and she may have her attention drawn to
furthec literary labor Of the useful sort
Prof Hoist, who is half and the better
half American is here too, trying find in the archives
of the Royal Library material for HE second volume
the American Consultation His first volume has not re-
eeived the recognition that IL deserved. The style
repeng and the subject not too attractive to Germans
who like To know little about every cOun-
try but not much about any The first
volume was q historical and critical sketch OF
M
Htea treatment of constitutional law. The third lie do
scribed sketch Of the actual political and social
dton of the United States. Prof Won Hoist is labor
stndcpt and able With great many of his
theories the American readers will be unable to agree
but his work deserves the less praise and
mont
The cost publishing books has increased enormously
Germany during the last few years. This Is chiefly
due 10 the great the cost OF material which
followed the victories Of the last part " the higher
Of wages OF all workmen and perhaps In part to the
svaroe Of publishers. Half dozen years ago 1t
the fashion " send books from England to Germany 10
be printed. Labor aud material much cheaper;
aud the books II unbound could 10 entered free of duty
The advantage of such arrangement has pretty nearly
disappeared Books dear in Germany else
where; and style and form of publication consid- |
cred, they are much dearer than In America |
The Germans themselves are beginning TO rebel |
The Licrarisoher VereiH which organized last year.
had for object object resistance IN the tyranny
Of publishers. 1t founded by literary In the
interest OF themselves and the reading public
The books are sold by subscription, volumes In
seres the price per series of 30 marks bound which
n very cheap The contributors are members
Of the Union, and they Of the first
authors az Germany Tho volume GeisiesSty0R,.sa by
H. n. Richter is series OF sketches Of hstoreoierary
character The OF the volumes will be-
by BerthOld Auerbsc and WIN the title faaserd
Gcddakea DIES COIGJOr0t0rs IL IL n collection of
aphGrisms human life, art literature phi
losophy, &C, which the poet has noted down
during many years of study and work and Ia about